Effective Drive Base

[=Martin=Taylor=]

When I first started analyzing the game I figured that a basic 6 WD robot with 8" wheels could easily climb the bumps. In this configuration there is no bottoming out issues, and the CG can be kept quite low.

However, we discovered a critical flaw when we tested this.

When a 6 WD robot climbs a ramp*, the center wheel acts as a pivot as the robot climbs over the crest. This results in half the robot being lifted into the air Highly unstable!

Take a look at the demo bots in the game vid (The non-animated ones of course!). They all have FOUR wheels. This is a much more stable configuration b/c all four wheels remain in contact as the robot climbs. There are no sudden rocking movements forwards or back.

Of course, as Dean himself pointed out, 4 WD robots don't turn very well...

*or a tracked drive