James Bruton upgrades his triangular tracked tank
James Bruton upgrades his triangular tracked tank
Arduino Team — February 22, 2023
Tanks are already quite maneuverable, as the tracks allow them to turn in place. But what if they were even more maneuverable and could drive in any direction? About a year ago, James Bruton built a small robot tank that had this capability through a triangle-shaped track system with omniwheel type rollers. But he had trouble getting over obstacles, so Bruton redesigned his omnidirectional Triangle Tank in his latest video.
The overall concept is the same as the original: three tank tracks arranged in a triangle contain rollers perpendicular to the direction of the track. The rollers allow the rails to slide freely from side to side, but provide grip as the rail moves forward or backward. With three of these tracks, the robot can move in any direction by vectoring the relative rotational speeds. The original design struggled because it couldn't get traction unless it was flat on the ground. The new design has three differences to solve this problem: trapezoidal tracks, a kind of pivoting suspension system and double rollers positioned outside the tracks.
Bruton 3D printed all parts except hardware and electronics. These components include an Arduino Mega 2560 board, an OrangeRX DSM radio receiver, and a trio of motor drivers. Power comes from a hobby LiPo battery and Bruton can use his custom DSM radio transmitter for control.
The new Triangle Tank has proven to perform much better than the first version. Although not as nimble as a regular tank, it is much more maneuverable and does a fairly good job of clearing obstacles.
Arduino Team — February 22, 2023
Tanks are already quite maneuverable, as the tracks allow them to turn in place. But what if they were even more maneuverable and could drive in any direction? About a year ago, James Bruton built a small robot tank that had this capability through a triangle-shaped track system with omniwheel type rollers. But he had trouble getting over obstacles, so Bruton redesigned his omnidirectional Triangle Tank in his latest video.
The overall concept is the same as the original: three tank tracks arranged in a triangle contain rollers perpendicular to the direction of the track. The rollers allow the rails to slide freely from side to side, but provide grip as the rail moves forward or backward. With three of these tracks, the robot can move in any direction by vectoring the relative rotational speeds. The original design struggled because it couldn't get traction unless it was flat on the ground. The new design has three differences to solve this problem: trapezoidal tracks, a kind of pivoting suspension system and double rollers positioned outside the tracks.
Bruton 3D printed all parts except hardware and electronics. These components include an Arduino Mega 2560 board, an OrangeRX DSM radio receiver, and a trio of motor drivers. Power comes from a hobby LiPo battery and Bruton can use his custom DSM radio transmitter for control.
The new Triangle Tank has proven to perform much better than the first version. Although not as nimble as a regular tank, it is much more maneuverable and does a fairly good job of clearing obstacles.
What's Your Reaction?
