pic: 2011 Drive Prototype

[EricH]

Grandfather's axe is handed down from generation to generation. Every now and again, the head or the handle is replaced due to normal wear and tear of use, with a slightly differently shaped head or handle. At what point does it stop being Grandfather's axe?

Spoiler for The Answer to the Question:

Some would say that it is still Grandfather's axe, because it is passed down as such. Others would say that it stopped being Grandfather's axe when it had both the head and the handle replaced. Still others would say that it stopped being Grandfather's axe when the head or handle got the first reshaping.

I'm not going to say that you didn't get inspiration from 254. I don't think anyone ever did say that. What got people annoyed was that you made mostly cosmetic changes, and then appeared to claim that because you made some small changes, it was your design, not 254's. Again, this is simply the impression I got. See the Grandfather's axe answer area above--I think we're on two different answers here.

BTW, 330 has yet to use a WCD design. 6WD? Yes. Shifting? Yes. Direct drive to the center wheel? I can't say I remember one--possibly in 2009, which wasn't a WCD design any way you look at it. Cantilevered? Nope, I can't think of a single 330 robot using a cantilevered wheel. Battery box? A couple of times, but I don't remember materials, etc. Belly pan? Well, we do use a plywood base for strength and mounting stuff... But no tensioners of the cam style, let alone embedded in the frame rails. Elements, we've used. Design, we haven't.