Transcript PowerPoint

Drive Train Options
FTC Game Reveal
Durham, NC
September 6, 2014
A special thank you to FTC 0001 – Team Unlimited and Andy Baker, President –
Andymark Inc. for sharing their learnings and insights on drive train design
We also recognize the efforts and copyrights of other FTC teams, FIRST, LEGO
Education and LEGO with regards to the contents of this workshop. Without
their generosity and ideas, the FIRST Tech Challenge would not exist!
Overview
• Purpose
– Discuss commonly used drive train
options for the FTC competition with
examples from FTC and FRC teams.
The best drive train…
 is more important than
anything else on the robot
 meets your strategy goals
 can be built with your resources
 rarely needs maintenance
 can be fixed within 4 minutes
 is more important than anything else on the
robot
Andy Baker, President AndyMark Inc
October 2008
Confused?
Holonomic?
Omni Wheel?
How many wheels?
Tank Drive?
Mecanum?
Chassis design
• Physical layout
– Chassis are usually rectangular
• Short wheelbase & wide body better for turns &
side stability
• Long wheelbase & narrow body better for frontback stability
• Square chassis a compromise for both
Drive trains: Tank Drive
•
•
•
•
2 or 4 motor drive (could be more, not usually)
2, 4, or 6 wheel drive usually depending on design strategy)
Direct drive is the easiest option
Gearing for torque or speed, as well as power transmission
– Gearing up for speed can stress gear motors, increase failures
– Gearing or sprockets and chain used to link motors together
Tank Drive
Chassis
Techno Warriers Advanced – FTC 3486
2014 PTC Design Award Winner
Most
Common
Drive trains: More Options!
Mecanum Drive
Chassis
Swerve/Crab Drive
Chassis
+ Immediate Turning
+ Increased Mobility
+ Simple Control – 4 wheel independent
+ Improved Turning
+ Increased Mobility
+ Simple Control – 4 wheel independent
+ Immediate Turning
+ High Mobility
+ Good traction
- Less pushing power than tank drive
- Bouncy ride
- Uneven playing field difficulty
- More push than Holonomic
- Bouncy ride
- Uneven playing field difficulty
- Complex programming
- Complex mechanically
- Hard to drive – which way is forward?
… and yes, they do exist!
FTC Team 5064
(A NC Team!)
FTC Team 4112
FTC Team 4628
So let’s try them out!
Presentation available at www.team1533.org/resources