Nintendo Style Speed Booster

[Madison]

Originally Posted by Hieb

While it may be a waste, for teams with limited resources (money or experience) it is sometimes the only way to achieve 2 speeds.

Remember, however, that such software limitations in no way approximate the functionality of a multiple-speed, mechanical transmission. They're simply a convenient way of limiting your students' lead feet.

Our team met last night to implement 'follow-wheels' on our 2005 robot and did so with great success -- or so I'm told; I was busy doing something else. These unpowered wheels, coupled to encoders, remove from our drivers consideration any notion of voltage or power and instead make them concerned only with position. The joystick input no longer controls average voltage, but instead indicates desired position or speed. The feedback loops do the rest in making sure the robot does what it's meant to do.