9.1: Introduction

Competition robots will vary greatly depending on the game challenge they are designed to play. One thing common among them is that they usually have some method for moving. The subsystem which provides the ability to move around the field is known as a drivetrain.

Drivetrains may come in many different forms. The form which will be discussed in this chapter is one in which power is transmitted from a motor, through some sort of gear train, into a wheel, which applies force on the field surface to propel the robot forward. This form of wheeled, rolling drivetrain is the most common one found in competition robotics.