Speed Reduction

Optimizing Speed

For nearly all applications, motors spin faster than is optimal. Although speed can be important, in most cases the added torque gained via speed reduction is needed to get the performance you are looking for.

Optimizing Drive Speed

How fast should you be? Speed vs. Pushing Learning to drive Robotic Legend has created a nice tutorial on how to calculate speed.

Optimizing Weapon Speed

Spin up time is as important, if not more important than how fast a spinning weapon spins at top speed. If your weapon takes too long to spin up, an aggressive opponent will make contact with your slow moving weapon without taking damage. Typically you want to be able to reach 90% of your top speed in about 3 seconds.

In some smaller robot classes that can get away with direct drives for their weapons, choosing a motor with the right Kv for your voltage will get you where you need to be. In most larger robots, direct drive weapons are too fragile and you will want to transfer the motor speed to a weapon shaft via gears, belts, or chains.

Gears

Pros Cons

Chains

Pros Cons

Belts

Pros Cons

Friction

Pros Cons