Team O will be keeping the direct drive from here on out, confident that with some minor modifications, such as better gearing, it has the potential to be superior to a rotor drive.
The initial design consisted of an extra base plate on the front holding the motor slightly above the line of the track. A wheel is mounted to the motor that can run a rubber band on it, and the rubber band is looped around that wheel and the track wheel. The issue found with this design was that the rubber band pulled the track wheel plate to the side too much, causing the rubber band to run on the side of the wheel, increasing friction substantially.
To fix this, another base plate was mounted on the side of the AEV, bracing the track wheel plate from side to side motion. This kept the drive train much more in-line, significantly decreasing friction.
In the future we will adjust gearing to let the motor run at higher rpm’s under less resistance. The research information can be found under citations. The information supports the hypothesis that a change in gearing will allow the motor to run in conditions it is more suited for. This will make the AEV more marketable because it will run more efficiently and stop sooner than the rotor driven.