Implementing Traction Control for an advantage in the 2009 game

[KilroyLaxer]

Originally Posted by JesseK

Are there any teams who are doing driver-based traction control?

- edit - (like this)


I.e. rather than a direct 1-to-1 magnitudal relationship from the joystick to the motor outputs, there is more of a geometric or exponential scalar applied? That way, the motors really only apply the full torque when the joystick is out on the perimeter, whereas halfway the software only sends, say 20% torque. Drivers could learn how and when to slow things down vs. the software doing wonky acceleration/decceleration 'detection' algorithms that are hard for the drivers to get used to.

Maybe it's dependent upon what the drivers are comfortable with, but I would think that I could 'feel' the way the robot handles alot faster and better than software could, and with alot less hassle. I mean, true slip detection is very hard to add in to a control algorithm if you don't have all independently-controllable wheels, or at least have electronically-controlled differentials in between them...and proper weight distribution plays a huge role too...

Hmm, maybe it's just me and my racing experiences talking here, and the fact that I'm a control nut when it comes to my car.

Lol yeah, for the efforts of being lazy, that was my first suggestion, but everyone else decided we wanted "intuitive" controls, or in the words of one of the team members " We want this robot to be able to be driven by a ferret." So, yea, more work for me.