pic: 3958 schrodingers cat robot



4 wheel drive with andymark 8" pnematic wheels, 4 cims and 2 fisher price on drive train, 4 “stingers” (one in each corner), they also are enabling for turning with four wheel drive by putting them slightly on the ground so that we have only 2 wheels on the ground, powered by 4 window motors. We also developed a new type of swerve, which is made by tire on tire contact to transfer the torque, this allows us to push with as much force forward as sideways. Arm is powered by a double pulley with andymark gear motor, and shooter is a bane bot motor with a vex motor to allow the banebot motor to get up to speed. We won highest rookie seed (4th) and the xerox creativity award.

It might just be the reading rather than being in an FRC Pit getting this explained while looking into it, but that drive systems sounds incredibly complicated for the ends to be justified…is there a video of just the drive, sans bumper, so we can see the swerve being actuated? I think I get the way it works, but as well from reading it it sounds like you have ~10ish or so motors devoted to just driving.

If I understand it correctly, it’s like 1625’s “lobster drive”, but friction driven instead of being linked by bevel gears?

I like the drive. Balancing the ability to hold orientation (unspinnable) with omnidirectional features and multipurpose skids is pretty darn neat and out of the box.

This is what I got from the post as well. Most of FRC driving tends to be in straight lines, so its beneficial to not accidentally get off course if your driver can’t drive straight with a wide bot that loves to turn, or omniwheels which make controlling the robot much like controlling a shopping cart. I love how this grants the benefits of an “octanum” in the traction configuration with the added side to side pushing ability. Also very impressed that a rookie team has such a great robot. Congrats :slight_smile:

Im curious if you are experiencing any problems with the friction drive failing when you push sideways against another robot.

It was a truly amazing robot and I think It would have been regional winner if not for the fall of the dice in a couple of circumstances. This team is going to be a real power player in the years to come.