Drive systems ideas

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by JesseK

Keep in mind that there are KOP-based drive trains in the championship division finals every year ( I would say Einstein, but I'm not quite sure about 2006 or 2009). For these teams, the modifications to the KOP drive train are typically gearing-based (adjustments for speed, or addition of a shifting transmission), yet the basic design stays the same. The advantage these teams is only apparent when their manipulators appear to be better designed.

2009 had 121, which used the KOP frame.

Simple drive train + Elegant manipulator
vs.
Elegant drive train + simple manipulator

I think this is a false dichotomy. Simple and elegant seem basically disconnected. 25's drivetrain and manipulator were both complex but worked very well this year. Most of the 2009 robots with success were as simple as possible; the teams that won Lunacy did exactly what they needed to do to win, and no more than their capabilities. This produced very simple robots like 121, 971, and 2753.


I would just like to add a reminder that the drive is the most important part of the robot. A failed experiment costs you a season, basically. This is why most teams do drivetrain prototypes in the fall when they want to try something new.