Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!news.acns.nwu.edu!tilden
From: tilden@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Robert Tilden)
Subject: Re: Questions about Tracked Robot Vehicles
Message-ID: <1992Apr13.154816.26192@casbah.acns.nwu.edu>
Keywords: robot accuracy
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
References: <hNk+rwB@engin.umich.edu> <1An+Qxj010n@arc.terminal.nicedel>
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 15:48:16 GMT
Lines: 12

Hi,
	I've been following the thread on robot navigation with some
interest. I'll be the first to admit that I know very little about the
subject, but I was under the impression that 'idler' wheels were fairly
accurate measures of location. For example, a 'tricycle' type robot
platform with one drive/steering wheel and two idler wheels can, with an
encoder on each of the idler wheels, keep fairly close track of its
location over a range of maneuvers and surfaces. Is this true? What are
situations in which this method fails?

-Bob
 
