December 2010
Intermediate to advanced
309 pages
6h 36m
English
There was a great movie back in the 1980s that had a character giving his buddy tips on how to ski; his simple instructions were, "Go that way, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn." Well, that advice can apply to robots too. We want our robots to go toward the mission, and if an obstacle gets in our way, we're going to need to turn. The trick is turning in a consistent manner that allows our robot to end up where we expect it to.
There are just as many factors that affect a smooth turn as for going straight. Your robot's wheels, chassis design, and of course, programming all play a big part in turning smoothly.
When going straight, having a robot that with a low center of gravity is helpful. The same ...