pic: Traction test

[Japper]

Are you using this year's acetal tread Rover wheels or some other variation?

It would be interesting to see the test results with this year's acetal tread Rover wheels on the FRP...

[Rosiebotboss]

Update:

We rebuilt the tandem wheeled robot to include a 1:3 gear ratio. So now both robots run at 300 rpm wheel speed. I didn't have my camera with me last night so I do not have any photos or video, but the single wheeled robot won the shoving match every time.

Conclusion: 4 wheel drive is the way we are going, maximizing stability and power to the ground.

[SuperBK]

Thanks for the update. We have a running discussing going here about whether having two wheels at each corner for a total of eight wheels is better than just a single wheel at each corner (total of 4). I say it doesn't help and that having a wheel at the center would do more good because it would take some of the weigth off of the corner wheels, which would help turn.

[Rosiebotboss]

Originally Posted by SuperBK

Thanks for the update. We have a running discussing going here about whether having two wheels at each corner for a total of eight wheels is better than just a single wheel at each corner (total of 4). I say it doesn't help and that having a wheel at the center would do more good because it would take some of the weigth off of the corner wheels, which would help turn.

There is a video posted on Youtube by the Nutrons, (Team 125 at Northeastern Univ) of them driving around their 2007 frame outfitted with the Rover wheels on a piece of FRP. Don't worry about unloading the corner wheels to facilitate turning!

[Japper]

I couldn't help to notice that none of the videos on Youtube that have rover wheels appeared not to be weighted down to simulate the typical 150 pound robot .. the actual weight factor may affect how these rover wheels perform on that surface...

Also, I wonder if the conditions of that field service will get better as one and one half days of robots drivinig on them during the competition...

Hopefully we will have our practice field ready for testing tonight...