Smaller Diameter Wheels - What's the advantage?

[Vikesrock]

Originally Posted by gorrilla

Well,
It really isn't a disadvantage unless your in a drage race

Is the difference in torque even noticeable between a 6' and a 4' wheel?

At the same gearing? Heck yes! 150% larger radius means 2/3 the torque. That is a pretty substantial reduction.

The point is that wheel size should be part of your gearing calculations, so there is no reason to compare robots with the same gearing and different wheel sizes. If you want to go faster with smaller wheels, just gear appropriately.