Building Robots With Lego Mindstorms

Playing with Gears • Chapter 2 37

The reason is that when two parallel wheels turn, their paths must have dif-

ferent lengths, the outer one having a longer distance to cover (Figure 2.21). In our

example, in which the wheels are rigidly connected, at any turn they cover the

same distance, so there’s no way to make them turn unless you let one slip a bit.

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Figure 2.20 Two Connected Wheels Go Straight

Figure 2.21 During Turns the Wheels Cover Different Distances

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38 Chapter 2 • Playing with Gears

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