Source for open differential?

[Joe Johnson]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

Not an issue for this application.



I'm having fun trying to imagine what other rotating mechanisms on a robot playing Breakaway might benefit from a differential.

One of the things about a differential is that you have 3 shafts to manage. Perhaps they are using the gearbox as a way of engaging/disengaging a high ratio gearbox from the output (put on a break on shaft 1, then shafts 2 and 3 have a linkage to each other, let go of shaft 1 and the connection between 2 and 3 is broken).

This could be used to engage a ball kicker cocker or perhaps to switch from driving the wheels to driving a winch.

Lots of nails to hit once you make up your mind that you've invented the best hammer since Thor.

Let's get whacking...

Joe J.

P.S. Of the people I know that put bevel gears in a "pretty harsh environment" on a FIRST robot, I only know one who didn't live to regret that decision (and I am not 100% convinced that JVN is being completely honest with me ;-) Unless you know what you are doing you are very unlikely to be the 2nd, especially if you consider getting a gear hardened as something of an exotic art... Free advice... worth every penny...