Tread types

Hey, from 1517, today we just got our tread bot up (i currently don’t have pictures but i can share what we’ve found works!). We managed to turn a 5/8" v belt into a tread! To other teams out there that plan on using them in the future or need help getting it to work, the v belts work fantastic! They even have a nice coefficient of friction on the carpet (.7) and can be ordered from McMaster for only 75-100 bucks each (brecoflex gave us a quote for $500-$600 for a nice timing belt).

Now, many people questioned treads because they have so many issues of coming off the tracks, the v-belts are specifically designed not to come off when tensioned correctly with the correct pulleys. The only con is they cannot be made to bend around severe curves, it has to be a nice curved shape or else it will be too much resistance for the motor to drive. I hope this helps teams struggling with treads.

Add an “X” to the belt type (as in “AX” or “BX”) and they will bend around much smaller pulleys.