Hi all

After getting the 42038 Artic Truck, I played around with the track links and noticed that if you make a loop with all the tracks inverted, it can compress, but spring back to its original shape, and so I figired if I had the tracks jammed between some rollers on the underside and on the topside is a sprocket, it will have a motor per wheel and very high ground clearance.

I have made a mockup of 1 wheel, it is fairly smooth running but needs stabilizing a lot, the wheel wobbles around. I think having two sprockets on the top then a roller in the middle on the underside might be better (like a triangle shape).

The good thing is the wheels change shape depending on the surface it is driving on, the wheels in the mockup are quite hard to compress so just add more links to it.

Heres the pics:

Now since i'm too busy to start building this I'm just gonna leave the idea out here and see what happnes, I have my 42029 project on the go already...

I'm sure somebody willl make something cool out of it, post ideas and builds below!.

Regards, Snipe

I too noticed that you could make a wheel if the track was inverted. But I never thought about literally making it a wheel. Great thought!!!

some idea for a bike maybe? a big bike ;)

(image resized...)

Edited January 18, 201510 yr by darsedz

Hmmm, couldn't it become a good idea for something like space rovers, like Lunokhod or Curiosity? Btw, It could give enormous road clearance.

You've invented something like a top-roller-drive Rolligon

http://www.trucksplanet.com/catalog/model.php?id=1294

http://www.unusuallocomotion.com/pages/industrial/rolligons-and-terra-tires.html

I think you'd have to be careful, though. Any vehicle big enough to use 4 of these might be heavy enough to break the snap connection between links.

...and a flat tire would be devastating.

I have sat on it and it did not break, the two sides can actually meet together without it breaking :D

I have sat on it and it did not break, the two sides can actually meet together without it breaking :D

Never thought that it could be possible.

I have sat on it and it did not break, the two sides can actually meet together without it breaking :D

Seriously? Wow!

OK then, I guess the only challenge is to make it light enough not to sag, then.

Hmmm, couldn't it become a good idea for something like space rovers, like Lunokhod or Curiosity? Btw, It could give enormous road clearance.

No, the dust and sand will build up and block rotation.

Edited January 19, 201510 yr by Omikron

I too noticed that you could make a wheel if the track was inverted. But I never thought about literally making it a wheel. Great thought!!!

The idea has been around for a while, especially if you've been following GBCs

I don't usually follow GBCs, but I think I might have to look into them

very cool - I have wrapped tracks like this to the outside of wheels before to make 'snow chains' sort of

but hubless on its own - something light like a mars rover will keep these elliptical or round even but something heavy is going to require more than 4 wheels

Hailfire droid?

Nico71's braiding machine uses an inverted track loop for the main drum. Uses 48 tracks and is about the smallest diameter you can make.

It's been done:

http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=66099

so have diggers but you don't stop seeing plenty of MOCs of them

bring it on...

It's been done:

http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=66099

No, I don't mean that.

The outside of the chain ring is being driven not the inside, and the drive is on the top of the chain for huge ground clearance.

There is 4 chains which act as wheels.

Edited January 20, 201510 yr by SNIPE

... Uses 48 tracks and is about the smallest diameter you can make ...

Not always 48, it depends on whether you're using the old or new design. One of them folds back more than the other ...

I have used this kind of wheels, with central hub, for old-time farming equipment. They look and work great.

I like the looks of that on a tractor!