Drivetrain – tank tracks reapplied

Like the Security Tank we made in the last chapter, the Omnilander has two caterpillar tracks with tank-style steering. Recall that a robot with a tank drivetrain steers by varying the speed of the tracks on each side. In the Omnilander, one EV3 large motor powers each track; the left drive motor is plugged into port B and the right drive motor is plugged into port C.

The basic concept is the same for both robots, but the tracks themselves are different. While the Security Tank uses the rubber band-like tracks, the tracks on the Omnilander are made of the hard, grey plastic LEGO elements that clip together like a chain. Since the links are made of plastic, the tracks do not have sufficient traction on their ...

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