You’re a hoot.
:arch
I’m confused… can one of the men translate that for me? Thanks!
hoot
n.
3. Informal One that is hilariously funny: “Emmett, that skirt is a hoot!”
Each rover design has its own merits, strengths, and of course weaknesses. The weaknesses can be minimized, but some amout will always be there because we can not design something perfect.
I’m looking for a design that could compete in a RoboMagellan event and at least complete the full course. Others have different goal sets for their rovers, but surely there must be some overlap.
My design may not be that and may in fact not even be close. However, maybe we can come up with a design that can do RoboMagellan. I really think Jim is interested in this, even if he wont’s say so in public. 
I very much want to see an SES constructed rover do RoboMagellan complete the entire course(s) one day!
A high clearance rock crawler/rover combination of some kind might just do the trick! This would be a very interesting and cool community project, IMO.
8-Dale
WOW, first off how did this tropic go off my radar! 
Second, this is a good idea. Testing the SES in this way will deffinately prove how Universal they are to an even larger crowd than just the robot guys. I like the design, but find it hard to envision what you guys are talking about locking the trans and stuff, so i won’t get into that.
Third, the added weight of shocks is probably worth it since the strength of an LPA would be a good trade off.
Ok, for all those still not understanding the rear axle disconnect (called “dig” by the way):
When the rear axle is disconnected from the transmission, it is also locked, as in the wheels will not turn. Yes, you are now left with a FWD car, but it’s more like FWD with the handbrake on. Locking the rear tires keeps the car from rolling forward as much, so in effect the car turns almost directly around the inside rear tire.
There’s quite a few examples of dig on RC rockcrawlers on youtube.
For what it’s worth, I’ve been interested in the idea of a hub-motored, 4 wheel independant, axle-less crawler for a while. The problem you will have is durability. I am not bashing your idea, but what you currently have will not stand up at all. You need to be able to drop your crawler on one corner, from a height of about 5-6 feet at least, and feel confident that nothing will break. Otherwise you’ll be spending a lot more time fixing (not to mention $$$) than you will using.
Weight is not all bad either, especially low down. You have an advantage there because you have no central motor or driveshafts. There’s a certain type of crawler that uses a motor on each axle, instead of a central one, and it allows for a much lower center of gravity.
I understand this, and can clearly picture this in my mind. I don’t know why on earth you would want to do this unless there is a situation that would require this crazy method. It should be called “dog scooting” not “dig”. I guess people do it simply because they can?
Now, back to robotics please?