What is the Drive Train Simulator?

The VEX Drive Train Simulator is an educational tool designed to help robotics students, teachers, and competitors understand and optimize their robot's drive system. This simulator provides a physics-based model of different VEX drive train configurations, allowing users to test and compare various designs before building them physically.

Features

• Multiple Drive Types: Simulate tank drive, mecanum drive, and holonomic drive systems
• Realistic Physics: Accurate modeling of motors, wheels, friction, and motion dynamics
• Performance Metrics: Measure speed, acceleration, turning rate, pushing force, and more
• Visual Simulation: Watch your robot's movement in a 2D environment
• Configuration Comparison: Compare multiple drive train designs side-by-side

How to Use

1. Configure your drive train with the options on the left panel
2. Click "Simulate" to run the simulation
3. Use arrow keys to control the robot's movement
4. View performance metrics and analyze results
5. Save configurations you want to keep or compare
6. Use the "Compare" page to run side-by-side comparisons

Keyboard Controls

Technical Details

The simulator uses a physics-based approach to model VEX components:

• Motors: Accurately models torque curves, power consumption, and efficiency
• Wheels: Simulates different wheel types with appropriate friction coefficients
• Mechanics: Accounts for gear ratios, weight distribution, and momentum
• Surfaces: Models different field surfaces and their effect on traction

While the simulator strives for accuracy, real-world performance may vary due to factors such as manufacturing tolerances, bearing friction, and battery condition.

About the Creator

The VEX Drive Train Simulator was created by RoboTech, a developer and VEX robotics enthusiast. This tool was developed to help students and teams make better design decisions for their robots.

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