Hi there. My team and I have been working on our drivetrain and we are trying to figure out the best option for our robot. For now, we have made a typical 4-wheel drive. I had introduced the idea of a strafe wheel in the middle of the robot to allow for sideways motion. Would this be a good option? Additionally, are there any other options we should consider for our drivetrain?
Payne Stroud
Team 29232
I think you should approach the problem using an engineering design aspect. ex. identify the problem, discuss solutions, come up with theories, test those theories and see if they solved the problem, what other issues may have cropped up. ie. what worked and what didnt. You can find models to help gauge your thinking online by searching for the design process. What works for your team might not work for everyone else. The main drivetrain possiblities you can research are x drive (holonomic), mecanum, tank, and H drive. be imaginative!
This is something you should test to see if it is a useful/viable option!
You can also utilize the search “Magnifying Glass” in the upper right-hand corner. Do some research on YouTube, or even the vex website and BLRS wiki.
Here are some links:
I would say that you should try looking on the forum there are alot of ideas but for the strafe wheel the only problem is is that if you don’t build the 4 main wheels close enough they will get stuck on the barrier. That is why most teams and my team to are doing a 6 wheel drive using either 4 or 6 motors. the idea is that it won’t get stuck in between the wheels.
There are many great resources for drivetrains that you can find on the forum and youtube. Find out what works best based on research and what you want your robot to do. There are a lot of ideas and robots that can strafe if you think that would be best for your robot.
This helps. Thank you!
Is it just me or is the BLRS website broken?
We had originally thought about doing an x-drive, but with us being a new team and all, we decided that we would do an easier drivetrain. I was wondering if it would be good to add that fifth strafe wheel for extra movement. And would it be possible to change to an x-drive later in the season?
Payne Stroud
Team 39232
What you’re referring to is H-drive, and it’s not seen very often competitively. The main problem is that it’s outclassed by X-drive setups if you need sideways/diagonal holonomic movement, and the strafe wheel will have less power than your forward and backward motors. Also, strafing drives are having trouble going over the middle bar this year, which further makes them less practical. My advice is to build a standard 4 or 6 wheel drive, then add the strafe wheel last if you have a spare motor.
Yeah I know. An H-drive is what I was going for. With my team already knowing that we need the strafing capability, we were thinking about our options. I see your point, but I don’t know what will give us the best advantage.
Payne Stroud
Team 39232