Drivetrain Design

featuring the Kitbot on Steroids

Ben Bennett
Oct 22, 2011
Outline
Drivetrain Selection
Purpose of a drivetrain
Types of wheels
Types of drivetrains
Compare drivetrain strengths and weaknesses
Evaluate your resources and needs
Which drivetrain is best for you?
Designing a Tank-Style Drivetrain
Key Principles in designing a tank-style drivetrain
Applying Key Principles
Types of tank-style drivetrains
Kitbot Design Review & Upgrades
Standard FRC Kitbot Design Review
Review of Kitbot on Steroids upgrades
Other potential Kitbot upgrades
How to assemble a Kitbot on Steroids
Ben Bennett
5 years of FIRST experience
Founder and Lead Student for Team 2166 (2007)
GTR Rookie All-Star Award
Lead Mentor for Team 2166 (2008-2009)
1 regional championship
Mechanical Design Mentor for Team 1114 (2010-present)
6 regional championships, 2010 world finalists
2 chairmans awards
4th Year Mechatronics Engineering Student at UOIT
Current member of GTR East (UOIT) Regional Planning
Committee
Purpose of a Drivetrain
Move around field
Typically 27 x 54 carpeted surface
Push/Pull Objects and Robots
Climb up ramps or over/around obstacles
Most important sub-system, without mobility it is nearly
impossible to score or prevent points
Must be durable and reliable to be successful
Speed, Pushing Force, and Agility important abilities
Types of Wheels
Traction Wheels
Standard wheels with varying amounts of
traction, strength & weight
Kit of Parts (KOP)
AndyMark (AM) or VEX Pro
Pneumatic
Slick
Custom
Types of Wheels
Omni
Rollers are attached to the circumference,
perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the
wheel
Allows for omni directional motion

Mecanum
Rollers are attached to the circumference, on
a 45 degree angle to the axis of rotation of
the wheel
Allows for omni directional motion
Types of Drivetrains
Tank
Swerve
Slide
Mecanum
Holonomic
Type of Drivetrains
Tank
Left and right wheel(s) are driven independently
Typically in sets of two (1-4 sets is common, sometimes higher)
Strengths
Simple & cheap to design, build, and program
Easy to drive
Potential for high speed
and/or pushing force
Weaknesses
Slightly less agile than
other drivetrains
Type of Drivetrains
Swerve/Crab
Wheels modules rotate on the
vertical axis to control direction
Typically 4 traction wheels
Strengths
Potential for high speed and/or
pushing force
Agile
Weaknesses
Very complex and expensive to
design, build and program
Extra motors required to be able to
rotate robot frame
Type of Drivetrains
Slide
Similar layout to tank drive, with an
extra wheel(s) perpendicular to the
rest
Must use all omni wheels
Strengths
Fairly easy and cheap to design, build,
and program
Agile
Weaknesses
No potential for high pushing force
Extra wheel(s)/motor(s)/gearbox(es)
required to allow robot translate
sideways
Type of Drivetrains
Mecanum
Similar layout to tank drive, but each
wheel must be driven independently
Must use 4 mecanum wheels
Strengths
Fairly easy to design & build
Agile
Weaknesses
No potential for high pushing force
Challenging to program and learn to
drive well
Requires extra gearboxes
Wheels are expensive
Type of Drivetrains
Holonomic
4 omni wheels positioned on 45 deg
angle in the corners of the frame
Each wheel must be driven
independently
Strengths
Agile
Weaknesses
No potential for high pushing force
Very challenging to program and learn
to drive well
Requires extra gearboxes
Compare Drivetrains
Choosing the right drivetrain is critical to the success of an FRC
robot
Several drivetrains to choose from
Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses
Important to quantitatively evaluate all options to ensure
optimal solution is chosen
Best method to do this is a Weighted Objectives Table
Compare Drivetrains
Define drivetrain attributes to compare
Agility
Ability to translate in the x and y axis as well as rotate about the z
axis simultaneously
Strength
Push robots and/or game pieces
Resist defense from all sides of the drivetrain
Number of Motors
Number of motors allowed on an FRC robot is limited
Most drivetrains use 4 CIM motors to power wheels
Additional motors to rotate wheel modules or translate sideways
may take away from motors for other robot functions
Compare Drivetrains
Define drivetrain attributes to compare
Programming
Ideally does not require sensor feedback (eg. wheel module angle)
Ideally does not require advanced algorithm to calculate individual
wheel speed/power
Ease to Drive
Intuitive to control so little practice is required to be competitive
Just because some drivetrains have the ability to move sideways
doesnt mean the driver will use the ability
Often drivers end up turning the robot because it is more natural or going
sideways feels (or actually is) slower
Traverse Obstacles
The ability of a drivetrain to traverse ramps, bumps or steps
Compare Drivetrains
Define drivetrain attributes to compare
Design
This is a very general heading. Sub headings grouped as there is a
strong relationship between them
Cost
Ease to design (select components and choose dimensions)
Ease to manufacture
Ease to assemble
Ease to maintain/repair
Weight
Compare Drivetrains
Give each attribute of each drivetrain a relative score between 1
and 5
Weights are dependant on
Strategic analysis of the game (priority list)
Teams resources

Weight Tank Swerve Slide Mecan Holo

Agility ? 3 5 5 5 5
Strength ? 4 5 1 1 1
Motors ? 5 1 3 5 5
Program ? 5 1 4 3 2
Drive ? 5 3 3 2 1
Traverse ? 5 4 4 3 1
Design ? 5 1 4 4 3
Compare Drivetrains
Agility, Strength & Ability to traverse obstacles
Relative to #1 priory, reliability
0 = not important or required
10 = equally as important as reliability
Number of Motors
Depends on complexity of other robot features and ability to design
with all motors
0 = no other features/very strong ability to design with all motors
10 = very complex/little ability to design with other motors
Programming
Depends on strength of programming team (# of students/mentors,
experience, ect)
Ease to Drive
Depends on amount of available practice
0 = have a full practice field and practice robot with committed drivers
that train every day
10 = no practice field/robot, no time in build season to practice
Compare Drivetrains
Design
How many students/mentors do you have?
How much experience do you have?
What tools are available to you (hand tools < bandsaw < mill)?
How many hours are your shop facilities available/will you use
them?
How much money do you have?
Drivetrains with a low design score require significant resources
to design a reliably
0 = lots of experience, students, mentors, tools, money
0 = The desired drivetrain has been used in a previous season or
prototyped in the off season
10 = No experience, few students, mentors, tools, money
Compare Drivetrains
Typical Weights for a rookie or low resource team
5 - Agility
5 - Strength
5 - Number of Motors
10 - Programming
10 - Ease to Drive
0 - Traverse Obstacles
10 Design
Resources are low, so it is more important to build a simple
drivetrain that is easy to program and learn how to drive to ensure
reliability.
The performance of the drivetrain (agility & strength) are not as
important as reliability
The number of motors is not as important because additional
features should be very basic and require few (or no) motors
Compare Drivetrains
Rookie/low resource team weighted table
Tank drivetrain much higher score than others
Slide drive second best

Weight Tank Swerve Slide Mecan Holo

Agility 5 3 (15) 5 (25) 5 (25) 5 (25) 5 (25)
Strength 5 4 (20) 5 (25) 1 (5) 1 (5) 1 (5)
Motors 5 5 (25) 1 (5) 3 (15) 5 (25) 5 (25)
Program 10 5 (50) 1 (10) 4 (40) 3 (30) 2 (20)
Drive 10 5 (50) 3 (30) 3 (30) 2 (20) 1 (10)
Traverse 0 5 (0) 4 (0) 4 (0) 3 (0) 1 (0)
Design 10 5 (50) 1 (10) 4 (40) 4 (40) 3 (30)
93% 47% 69% 64% 51%
Total 225
(210) (105) (155) (145) (115)
Compare Drivetrains
Comparison of weighted tables for different resource teams
Rookie Average Strong
Agility 5 8 10
Strength 5 8 10
Motors 5 6 5
Program 10 7 3
Drive 10 7 3
Traverse 0 0 0
Design 10 7 3

Tank Swerve Slide Mecan Holo

Rookie 93% 47% 69% 64% 51%
Average 89% 56% 67% 66% 56%
Strong 82% 71% 64% 66% 61%
Compare Drivetrains
When to choose a swerve drive
Swerve Strength & Agility equally as important as
Agility 10 reliability
Strength 10
Lots of students/mentors
Access to advanced tooling
Motors 2
Large budget
Program 2
Team has strong ability to use other motors for
Drive 2 robot function
Traverse 0 Team has practice field and practice robot
Design 2 Team has used a swerve in a previous season,
or prototyped one in the off season

Tank Swerve Slide Mecan Holo

Swerve 79% 80% 63% 63% 59%
Compare Drivetrains
When to choose a slide drive
Slide Agility equally as important as reliability
Agility 10 Strength is not required (game has no
Strength 0 interaction with opponents)
Motors 1 Team has practice field and practice robot
Program 3 Team has used a slide in a previous season,
or prototyped one in the off season
Drive 1
Lots of students/mentors
Traverse 0
Team has strong ability to use other motors
Design 3 for robot function

Tank Swerve Slide Mecan Holo

Slide 78% 67% 89% 87% 79%
Compare Drivetrains
When to choose a mecanum drive
Mecan
Agility equally as important as reliability
Agility 10
Strength is not required (game has no
Strength 0 interaction with opponents)
Motors 5 Team has practice field and practice robot
Program 2
Team has used a mecanum in a previous
Drive 2 season, or prototyped one in the off season
Traverse 0 Strong programing ability
Design 3 Lots of students/mentors

Tank Swerve Slide Mecan Holo

Mecan 82% 60% 83% 88% 82%
Designing a Tank Drivetrain
At this point we have concluded Tank-Style Drivetrain is
usually the best option for all teams, regardless of the game or
the teams resources
Why dont all teams use Tank-Style Drivetrains?
Some (few) teams have a lot of resources
Trying new things to learn new skills/gain new experiences
Understanding this choice will make them less competitive
Improper strategic analysis of the game and evaluation of team
resources
Improper analysis of strengths and weakness of various
drivetrains
Omni directional drivetrains have a significant cool factor that
distract teams
Key Principles
Key Principles
Converting from angular to linear velocity
Torque
Gearing
Force Distribution
Calculating Centre of Gravity
Friction
Key Principles
Converting from angular to linear velocity Diameter, D
Angular velocity (, omega) the rate
something rotates about an axis

degrees/second, rad/second,
revolutions/minute (rpm)
Linear velocity () the rate something is
displaced (moves)
kilometers/hour, meters/second,
feet/second

For each rotation of a cylinder, it moves a

distance equal to its circumference
Circumference = distance/revolution =
Therefore linear velocity is the rotation rate
times circumference
=
Key Principles
Torque
Rotational or twisting force (, tau)
The product of force, distance, and the angle between force
and lever arm
= sin
In the applications we will discuss today, the force and lever
arm will be perpendicular, therefore
= 90 and sin 90 = 1
So we get
=
Given a fixed torque, Pivot
Larger distance less force
Smaller distance more force
Pivot
Key Principles
1 = Load 2 = Force
Torque 1
2
Key principle in levers (fulcrum,
load, force)
First class: Crowbar Fulcrum
fulcrum between load and force
Second class: Wheelbarrow
load between fulcrum and force
Third class: Tweezers 1 = Load
1
force between fulcrum and load
Fulcrum

2 = Force
Key Principles
Torque
You can add and subtract torques when multiple forces are
acting about the same pivot point (eq. raising or lowering a
wheelbarrow)
When the system is static (wheelbarrow is not being raised
or lowered, such as while you are moving it from point A to
B), torques are equal
1 = Load
The amount of load you can lift is 1

dependant on the ratio of 1 Fulcrum
2
1 = 2
1 1 = 2 2
1
2 = 1 2
2

2 = Force
Key Principles
Gearing
Gear to increase or decrease speed (angular velocity) and torque
Speed is inversely dependant on torque
As speed increases, torque decreases (and vise versa)
Meshing gears may have different angular velocities, but they will
always have the same linear velocity

1 = 2 = 1 = 100 rpm
1 1 = 2 2
2
1 2
=
2 1
1
2 = 1 1
2
2"
2 = 100 = 200 2
1"
Key Principles
Gearing
Meshing gears may have different torques, but when they are
static (motor is stalled) they will have an equal, but opposite
force

1 = 2
1 2
1
=
1 2
1 1
1 = 20 2
=
2 2
2
2 = 1
1
0.5"
2 = 20 = 10 0.5
1"
2
1
Key Principles
Gearing
Gears fixed on the same Top View
shaft (2 and 3) have the
same angular velocity
Gear 3 Gear 4
Therefore
1
1 = 2 Gear 1 Gear 2
2 Shafts
4
3 = 4
3
Front View
2 = 3
1 4
1 = 4
2 3
1 2 4
=
4 1 3
Gear ratios from each
stage are multiplied
Key Principles
Gearing
Gears fixed on the same Top View
shaft (2 and 3) also have
the same torque
Therefore Gear 3 Gear 4
2
1 = 2
1 Gear 1 Gear 2

Shafts
3 = 4 3
4
2 = 3 Front View
2 3
1 = 4
1 4
1 1 3
=
4 2 4
Again, gear ratios from
each stage are multiplied
Key Principles
Gearing
Common mistake, do not Top View
multiply gear ratios from
inline gears
2
1 = 2
1 Shafts
2
2 = 3
3 Gear 1 Gear 2 Gear 3
2 2
1 = 3
1 3
1 1 2 1 Front View
= =
3 2 3 3
Not
1 1 3
=
3 2 2
Middle gear is idle, it
does not effect the
overall gear ratio
Key Principles
Gearing
In gears, the diameter used to calculate
speed and torque ratios is called the pitch
diameter
It isnt possible to measure this value with
callipers
Instead, we can use the number of teeth,
which can easily be counted

Pitch diameter, D
Key Principles
Gearing
So we get,
1 2
=
2 1
1 1
=
2 2
Combining these, we verify how speed
(angular velocity) and torque are inversely
proportional in gear trains
1 2
=
2 1
These equations can also be applied to
sprockets & chain and pulleys & belts
Pitch diameter, D
Key Principles
Force Distribution
The force of the load will be distributed across all points
supporting the load
This is how people are able to lay on a bed of nails without getting
hurt
Key Principles
Force Distribution
The amount of force each support provides depends on the
distance from the support to the load (torque)
The sum of the forces from all supports is equal to the load force

1 2
Key Principles
Force Distribution
Consider the support at 1 to be a fulcrum or pivot
Similar to the wheelbarrow problem, we can derive the following
equation
1
2 =

7"
2 = 150 = 30
35"

7" 150

35"
2
Key Principles
Force Distribution
Since there are only two supports, the total force between them
must be equal to the load
1 + 2 =
1 = 2
2 = 150 30 = 120

7" 150

35"
120 30
Key Principles
Centre of Gravity (CoG)
Simplifying a object with distributed weight to a centroid location
at which the weight of the object acts
Found by using a weighted average of the CoG of each part within
object

8kg 3kg

2y 1kg 5kg

2x
Key Principles
Centre of Gravity (CoG)
=
8 + 1 + 2 + 5 = 8 + 1 + 2 (3 ) + 5 (3 )
8+1+23+53 30
= = = 1.88
8+1+2+5 16
83+1+23+5 36
= y = = 2.25
8+1+2+5 16

8kg 2kg

2y 1kg 5kg

2x
Key Principles
Friction
An equal and opposite force created when an object is slid across
a surface
Dependant on
the normal force (usually the mass of the object)
the co-efficient of friction (, "") between the surface and the
object
is an experimental value, when comparing the of different
materials, it is best to test yourself
The published for 2009 wheels was not found to be the actual
value
Two different co-efficients of friction depending if the object is
already moving (kinetic) or not (static)
You may have noticed when trying to slide a heavy object, its really
hard to get started, but once it starts moving, its easy to continue
moving
Key Principles
Friction
= applied force
The amount of force used to try and move the object across the
surface
= gravitational force of object =
The mass of the object multiplied by gravitational acceleration
=

= 9.81 = 32.2
2 2
= friction force
The amount of force the object and
surface are resisting due to friction
= normal force
the amount of force the surface is
providing to support the object
Key Principles
Friction
General friction force equation
=
In this example, =
=
Static co-efficient of friction between wet concrete and rubber
0.3
Rubber object weights 50 lbs (22.7 kg)
=
= 0.3 50 = 15 Rubber

= 0.3 22.7 9.81 = 66.8 N
2
In order to move this object, you must Wet Concrete
apply a force greater than 15 lbs or 66.8 N
Key Principles
Friction
Testing static co-efficient of friction
Place object on surface of interest material
ie. place wheels on FRC carpet (or terrain for specific game)
Increase the angle of the surface until the object begins to slide
Ensure object cannot roll on surface
Record the angle (, theta) at which the object begins to slide
= tan
cos

sin


Key Principles
Friction
When the object beings to slide
= sin
Recall the general friction equation
=
In this example, = cos
sin = cos
sin
=
cos cos
Therefore
= tan
sin


Key Principles
Review of important equations
Relationship between linear and angular velocity
=
Relationship between torque and force
=
Relating angular velocity, torque, and tooth count
1 2
=
2 1
1 1
=
2 2
1 2
=
2 1
Friction force equation
=
Measuring static co-efficient of friction
= tan
Applying Principles
Speed Reduction
Sprocket Selection
Chain Selection
Wheel Size Selection
Centre of gravity
Traction
Turning a tank drivetrain
Speed Reduction
If you gear your robot too high
It wont have enough torque to move (accelerate)
If you can accelerate, it will be very difficult to control
If you gear your robot too low
You will have so much torque, your wheels will slip before you reach
max power
You will move too slow to be effective
A good robot speed is 8-12 ft/s
Design your robot so sprockets can be changed easily
Start at a slow speed, with practice if the driver gets comfortable,
change sprockets to increase speed
Some teams have successfully gone as high as 18 ft/s or as low as
4 ft/s
Require 2 speed gearbox, cannot rely only on 4 or 18 ft/s speed
Drivers need a lot of practice to control robots that fast
Speed Reduction
The CIM motor has an angular velocity of 5310 rpm (+/- 10%)
Directly using a 6 wheel would convert to 139 ft/s (> 150 km/h)
Therefore, you must reduce the angular velocity between the
motor and the wheel
This can be done with gears, sprockets, or belts
Generally, most of the reduction is first done with a gearbox (1 or
more stages of gear reduction), then sprockets or belts do the
rest
Coupling motors on the same gearbox increases torque but
angular velocity does not change
This will allow you to accelerate faster and push harder but it will not
increase your top speed
Speed Reduction
To create a gear ratio using sprockets, the number of teeth on the
output of the gearbox should be different that the number of
teeth on a sprocket on the driven wheel
A larger sprocket on the wheel will reduce speed and increase torque
This is generally what is required to achieve desired speed
A larger sprocket on the gearbox output will increase speed and
reduce torque
There should not be a sprocket gear ratio between wheels
The number of teeth on the sprockets that connect the wheels
should be the same
The number of teeth on the sprockets connecting the wheels do
not have to be the same as the number of teeth on the sprocket
connecting the driven wheel to the gearbox
Speed Reduction
How to convert from motor angular velocity to robot linear
velocity

=
720

=
=
= #
= #
=

=

This equation is very general and does not account for efficiency
losses, current, acceleration, etc
Sprocket Selection
The amount of tension in the chains is largely effected by
sprocket size
Assuming torque is fixed, a larger sprocket is equivalent to a
longer moment arm, and therefore less force (tension)
Max torque is dependant on the amount of friction, which is a fixed
value
To minimize tension, choose the largest sprocket that provides
enough ground clearance between the playing surface and chain

2

Sprocket Selection
2
The smaller the ratio, the less tension there will be
1
1 = 2
If tension is a concern, assuming the desired ground clearance is
independent of wheel size, it is best to use a larger wheel size to
reduce the above ratio
Note: the ground clearance used above may be less than the
clearance between the base of the robot and the ground. This is
because the chain is driven and may be able to free itself if it
contacts an obstacle.

2

Chain Selection
Two standard sizes used in FIRST
ANSI 25: 1/4 pitch, 115 lb working load (McMaster-Carr)
ANSI 35: 3/8 pitch, 269 lb working load (McMaster-Carr)
Chain stretches/wears over time
If lengthening is significant chain will skip teeth
If this happens, chain will need to be tensioned
Higher tension causes chain lengthening to occur faster
If large sprockets are used with 35 chain, tensioning can be avoided
If tensioning is not used, it is important to space wheels such that a
whole number of chain links are need to span the distance
The distance between wheels should be a multiple of the chain pitch
If the distance between two wheels is 15.5 when using 35 chain (0.375 pitch),
41.33 links are needs, so 42 links will be used, which totals 15.75. There will
now be 0.25 of slack which is enough for the chain to skip teeth and a
tensioning system will be needed to correct this, defeating the purpose of using
thick chain and large sprockets. It would be better to use a wheel spacing of
15.375 or 15.75 so a whole number of chain links are needed.
Wheel Size Selection
Smaller wheel
Pros
Less gear reduction needed
Less weight
smaller wheel & sprocket, less chain, less gear reduction
Lower CoF
Large wheel
Pros
Lower RPM for same linear velocity
Less tread wear, less frequent tread replacement
Larger sprocket to wheel diameter ratio
Less tension on chain 25 chain may be used without tensioning
Applying Principles
Centre of Gravity (CoG)
The lower and more centred your centre of gravity
The less likely your robot will tip, very important when traversing
obstacles
The better your robot will handle (accelerates and turns smoother)
CoG dictates how
much force each
wheel provides to
support the robot
This is important for
turning and pushing
Applying Principles
Centre of Gravity
For tipping, the fulcrum will be the outer
edge of the robot frame or bumper
Once the Centre of Gravity is pushed past
the fulcrum, the robot will continue to tip
under its own weight
Applying Principles
CoG and Force Distribution
The closer the centre of gravity to a support, the more normal
force the support (wheel) will have
From previous analysis, we know
2
,1 =

,2 = 1

,1
= 2
,2 1

,1 1 2 ,2
Applying Principles
Traction
From friction, we know
=
If the applied force on an object is greater than the friction force,
then the object will slide
Therefore if the torque on a wheel creates more force than the
friction force, the wheel will slip
=
Max pushing force for each wheel is when =

=

If a wheel is not driven, it has no torque
Therefore, = 0 for un-driven wheels
Applying Principles
Traction
As we just saw, all the wheels of the drivetrain share the robot
weight
The amount each wheel supports (normal force) may be different
The total max drivetrain pushing force is the sum of the max pushing
force of each wheel
= ,1 + ,2 = 1 ,1 + 2 ,2
Therefore
Un-driven wheels reduces pushing force
Using a combination of low traction and high traction wheels reduces
pushing force
Applying Principles
Turning a tank drivetrain Driven force
Drive left and right sides different
speeds to turn
Drive left and right sides at opposite
speeds to turn on the spot
Location of the spot is dependant
on wheel material and the CoG
Applying Principles
Turning a tank drivetrain Driven force
Since the wheels are not facing the
Friction force
direction the robot is trying to turn
(scrub)
there will be some scrub
Scrub is the amount of friction
resisting the turning motion
This scrub is useful when being
defended or defending
Applying Principles
Turning a tank drivetrain Driven force
To ease analysis, we resolve the
Friction force
friction force into x (horizontal) and y
(scrub)
(vertical) components
Since wheels are able to rotate, the
friction force perpendicular to the
axis of rotation of the wheels is 0
Applying Principles
Turning a tank drivetrain Driven force
Assuming pairs of wheels (one left
Friction force
and one right wheel)
(scrub)
Have the same traction material
Are inline (distance from centre of
robot is equal)
The forces can be simplified
Applying Principles
Turning a tank drivetrain Driven force
We get a torque diagram
Friction force
The pivot point of the torque arm is (scrub)
not fixed, it will be located where the
torques balance
1 = 2
,1 1 = ,2 2 ,1
1 ,2
= 1
2 ,1
1 2 ,2
=
2 1 ,1
2
1 + 2 =
,2
Applying Principles
Turning a tank drivetrain Driven force
1 2 ,2
= Friction force
2 1 ,1

What does this mean? (scrub)

If 2 > 1 then 2 < 1
The drivetrain will turn on a spot
closer to the higher traction wheels
,1
If ,2 > ,1 then 2 < 1
The drivetrain will turn on a spot 1
closer to the wheels that support more
weight
2

,2
Applying Principles
Turning a tank drivetrain
Driven force
How much friction force do the
wheels need to over come in order to Friction force
turn? (scrub)
= 1 + 2
= ,1 1 + ,2 2
Recall ,1
1 ,2 ,2
= or 1 = 2
2 ,1 ,1 1
Combine
,2
= ,1 2 + ,2 2 2
,1
= 2 ,2 2
,2
Also
= 2 ,1 1
Applying Principles
Turning a tank drivetrain Driven force
= 2 ,1 1
Friction force
= 2 ,2 2
(scrub)
What does this mean?
The smaller you make ,1 or ,2, the
less force is needed to over come
friction ,1
=
1
Therefore must reduce 1 , 2 , ,1, or
,2 to ease turning
2

,2
Applying Principles
Turning a tank drivetrain
Often it requires too much power to turn 4 wheel drivetrains due
to friction force
= 2 ,
How can this be over come?
Reduce ,1 or ,2
Means shifting CoG to one end
May not be able to shift far enough to be effective
Increase likelihood of tipping
Reduce 1 or 2
Means using low traction material on one set of wheels
Lose traction for pushing
Reduce 1 and 2 (reduce L)
Wide drivetrains are difficult to navigate through narrow spaces
May need length for robot functions
What about combining points 1 and 3?
6 Wheel Tank Drive
Add a set of wheels in the centre of the robot, slightly lower
than the outer wheels
What does this do?
Divides the effective wheel base (L) in half
Turns the robot into two 4WD sections, depending which half the CoG is
on, whether the robot is accelerating/decelerating, or pushing or pulling a
game piece or opponent
Reduces on outer wheels
The closer the CoG is to the middle of the robot, the lower (and
therefore ) will be on the outer wheels
The result?
A very smooth turning robot
6 Wheel Tank Drive
Again we get
,1 2
=
,2 1

However, this time 2 should be much less than 1

Therefore ,1 should be much less than ,2

,1 1 2 ,2
6 Wheel Tank Drive
Recall from 4WD
With 4WD, the closer the CoG was to the middle the closer the
robot rotated on its centre
However, the closer the CoG was to the middle, the more force
was required to overcome friction from the wheels
1 2 ,2 ,2
= =
2 1 ,1 ,1
= 2 ,1 1 ,1
= 2 ,2 2 1

,2
6 Wheel Tank Drive
The same equations apply to 6WD drive, BUT
The closer the CoG is to the middle the closer the robot rotates
on its centre
AND, the closer the CoG is to the middle, the less force is
required to overcome friction from the wheels

,1

1
,2

2
Comparing Tank Drivetrains
Key features to keep in mind
All wheels must be powered for full pushing potential
Using lower traction wheels to ease turning will reduce pushing
potential
Long wheel bases are difficult to turn
Comparing Tank Drivetrains
All tank drivetrains have
Pairs of wheels
Left & Right wheels driven independently
All motors used to propel robot
Key variances
Number of speeds
Type(s) of wheels
Number of wheels
2, 4, 6, 8, or more
Comparing Tank Drivetrains
2 Wheel Drive (2WD)
2 wheels are driven
Unless it is a segway (self-balancing), other methods of supporting
the drivetrain are required
Casters
Slide blocks
Low traction, un-driven wheels
Advantages
Turning is relatively resistance free (no scrub)
Disadvantages
Since there is no scrub
It is difficult to control
Easily defended
Weight is distributed to supports that do not provide propulsion
Lower pushing force
Depending on setup, may not turn on centre (may be advantage)
Comparing Tank Drivetrains
4 Wheel Drive (4WD)
Long wheel base
Requires one set of lower traction wheels and/or skewed CoG in
order to turn smoothly
Advantages
???
Disadvantages
If lower traction wheels are used to aid turning
Lower pushing force
Will not turn on centre (may be advantage)
If CoG is skewed to aid turning
Higher potential for tipping
Will not turn on centre (may be advantage)
Comparing Tank Drivetrains
6 Wheel Drive (6WD)
Long wheel base split in two short wheel bases
Middle set of wheels lowered
Advantages
Great turning with high traction wheels (assuming sufficient drop for
surface/wheel and a centred CoG)
Full pushing force potential
Disadvantages
Not great at traversing some types of obstacles
Could be said for any drivetrain, very dependant on specific situation
Extra set of wheels adds weight
Comparing Tank Drivetrains
8 Wheel Drive (8WD) and beyond
Advantages/disadvantages are specific to game
Advantages generally involve ability to traverse obstacles
Standard Kit of Parts Drivetrain
2011 KOP Drivetrain
6WD with dropped center wheel
2 out of 6 wheels are driven
Uses 8 FIRST Kit of Parts Wheels
Outer wheel holes spaced perfectly for 3/8 chain
No tensioners required
Has holes for 8WD if required
Uses CIMple boxes
Geared to drive very fast (>18 ft/s)
Gearbox sprocket = 12T
Wheel sprocket = 26T
Overall, very good drivetrain
Kitbot on Steriods
Chain all 6 wheels together
Full pushing potential
Replace 8 KoP wheels with 6 AndyMark or VEX Pro traction wheels
Higher traction
Smaller diameter
Requires less sprocket reduction
Lower CoG
Add base plate for rigidity
Change gear ratio to something a bit more manageable
Wheel sprocket
36T 9.9 ft/s
32T 11.1 ft/s
30T 11.9 ft/s
28T 12.7 ft/s
26T 13.7 ft/s

Other potential upgrades

Replace CIMple Boxes with 2 speed gearbox
Will need to recalculate wheel and gearbox sprockets
Resources
ChiefDelphi
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/portal.php?
Most popular and active FIRST forum
VEX Pro
http://www.vexrobotics.com/products/vexpro
Supplies victor motor controller
Motors, wheels, sprockets, bearings, motor controllers
AndyMark
http://www.andymark.com
Supplies the kit of parts drivetrain
Motors, wheels, sprockets, bearings, hubs, gearboxes
Simbotics Website
www.simbotics.org
Many useful presentations
Past robot fact sheets
Photos and videos
Email: benjamin.bennett0@gmail.com