Tracks or treads, whatever you want to call them, are often the first thing that pop into many people's heads when someone mentions the word robot. During my robotics course, I have run into a number of tread configurations, some better than others. Below I have stolen a diagram that reveals a number of track configurations:
I have personally used methods A, E, and C. The simple method (A) is relatively easy to configure but often requires re-gearing in order to drive the treads. Most of the time the motor will not fit directly on the wheel since the treads are low to the ground. In an attempt the correct the problem, I changed my robot to tread configuration E. My mistake was I used the upper wheel to drive the treads. Big mistake because in order to effectively drive the treads they should wrap close to 180 degrees around the wheel. The upper wheel in configuration E wraps about 45 degrees and slips terribly. In an effort to correct this problem, i changed to configuration C. This has proven to be an effective design because it keeps tension in the treads and wraps the treads about 180 degrees around the drive wheel. Below is a photo of my latest and greatest robot:
Happy roboting.
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