Day 5 and 6

Looking at the uneven terrain that the bot had to traverse, different options were being considered - Tracks (not great for turning), 4 wheel drives (turning issues again) and big monster truck wheels. We suddenly remembered about one of the designs a team member had worked on before WHEGS !!

Whegs Design

That is what Whegs look like, they are basically Wheels + Legs inspired by insects and work really well for uneven terrains.

The team decided to test them first and modified a 218 Bot to use Whegs and test the bot out. A video will be posted shortly.

Platform used for testing Whegs

The Whegs worked perfectly on both surfaces and the interface between hem, the bot went forward, reverse and even turning in place. A three wheel design was preferred as the wedge contact ensures that both the powered wheels are always in contact with the ground.

Final roamer sketch