Hi,
I’m designing a track robot for climbing stairs for my university project. I’m planning to use a rubber track so that it won’t affect the pavement and also provides better traction. I’m new to track design and I’m not sure about the procedures involved in it. Is there any standard established procedure for track design?
Since it is a university project I have to provide design calculations. I’m not sure if it is considered a chain-sprocket or pulley-belt (Synchronous Belt) design. Any suggestion would be helpful.
Thanks.
@Abinav_Shankar No specific procedure I’m aware of - just need to do the engineering behind it. Determine what torque would be required for the robot to go up an incline of the same angle as stairs using two drive motors:
The issue then comes with calculating the friction needed between the track and the edge of the stair(s).
Quite a few of the tracked platforms here can climb stairs, which may help determine the motors needed:
https://www.robotshop.com/en/defense-security-surveillance.html
Hi,
Just putting a track for the entire length of vehicle is acceptable for these kind of hobby purposes, but what about the ones used in commercial earth movers, bulldozers and tanks? They should have calculated it right? I mean the number of idle rollers, the shape of the track, material for track, thickness etc., there should be a reason for the design.
@Abinav_Shankar Their design criteria are likely different than yours, in that bulldozers etc. are designed to:
- Get as much traction as possible on uneven terrain
- Spread the load and weight of the vehicle so it does not sink into the ground
- Be able to turn on the spot (a lot of torque needed)
In terms of preferences, keep in mind that many countries in Europe still prefer wheels over tracks when it comes to tanks, so even if there are design criteria, there’s likely a strong “preference” factor. Perhaps an engineer from CAT or other company might see this post and offer some insight.
