Re-Design the Wheel

[Highlad]

Re-Design the Wheel

Most of us are familiar with the rover wheels in the game, they are lovely, round and look cool.

This challenge involves creating your own wheel!

Much like the stock helicopter seen below, you will (probably) need to build some form of bearing so that you can have a rotating part as a wheel.

Remember, this challenge only requires that you build a functional wheel, you do not NEED to build an entire rover using these wheels. You could even build a craft inside a form of wheel! Just as long as it rolls!

(EDIT: I would ask that you do not use in-game wheels in the creation of your wheel, as it defeats the point)

Ranking

There will be a ranking system composed of two scores, each score with its own leaderboard:

1. Top speed

2. Ingenuity + Awesomeness

The first score is relatively straight forward. For your top speed to count your wheel must stay in one piece. If, for example, your wheel achieves 14 m/s then breaks a strut or engine or structural part (or any part for that matter) but then goes on to achieve speeds in excess of 20 m/s. Your top speed will be set at 14 m/s.

The second score (Ingenuity + Awesomeness) will be ranked in 's with the maximum rank being 10/10 's (If you don't agree with my rating of a crafts Ingenuity + Awesomeness score, then say so with your reasoning and the score will be revised)

I will require a screenshot of your craft and another showing its top speed. (If you show the craft in your top speed screenshot then there is no need for a second screenshot) If you do not provide a screenshot of your top speed, I will put 'Unconfirmed' next to your score.

TOP SPEED LEADERBOARD

Kasuha - 64.1 m/s

noname117 - 51.1 m/s

Oxytropis - 27.2

Veio - 25.7 m/s

9911MU51C - 22.4 m/s

Corona688 - 17.5 m/s

Highlad - 15.8 m/s

Agent86 - 14.5 m/s

Jason Patterson - 10-20 m/s (Unconfirmed)

onnimanni - 9.4 m/s

Iceman1415 - 7.5 m/s

Sesni - 5 m/s

INGENUITY + AWESOMENESS LEADERBOARD

Veio - 8.7/10 's

Kasuha - 8.2/10 's

Jason Patterson - 8/10 's

noname117 - 7.9/10 's

Corona688 - 7.8/10 's

Agent86 - 7/10 's

9911MU51C - 5.9/10 's

Oxytropis - 5.7/10 's

Iceman1415 - 5.5/10 's

Sesni - 5/10 's

onnimanni - 4/10 's

Highlad - N/A

Edited November 24, 2013 by Highlad

[Highlad]

Here is an example submission (My submission). I will not give myself an I+A score as I do not want a biased score.

Top speed: 15.8 m/s (on a good day)

Unfortunately, I happened to have a previous attempt on the runway... Disaster followed...

Edited November 12, 2013 by Highlad

[Kasuha]

I can put a round probe core on the runway and roll it using torque. Is it a wheel? Yes. No bearings needed. But I guess it's not what you want. Can you be perhaps more specific?

[Holo]

I can put a round probe core on the runway and roll it using torque. Is it a wheel? Yes. No bearings needed. But I guess it's not what you want. Can you be perhaps more specific?

You can't attach four round probe cores to a craft and still have them function as wheels.

[Kasuha]

You can't attach four round probe cores to a craft and still have them function as wheels.

Remember, this challenge only requires that you build a functional wheel, you do not NEED to build an entire rover using these wheels. You could even build a craft inside a form of wheel! Just as long as it rolls!

Attaching anything is not required by the challenge. That's why I think something is missing.

[Highlad]

You can go ahead and put some probe cores down, get a top speed and i will put you on the leaderboard. But your ingenuity and awesomeness score will be non-existent and When people look at your 'wheel' they will not be impressed.

The point of this challenge is to get the creative juices flowing! I am leaving the challenge open to interpretation as I'm trying to allow creative freedom. If someone wants to post something uncreative, so be it. I doubt it will be impresive though

[Kasuha]

Your own design uses wheels to emulate larger wheels. If you want to re-invent a wheel, you probably shouldn't use one in the first place.

[onnimanni]

My prototype:

It can't yet carry kerbals, and when it walls from the runway, fuel tank takes some damage, so it is just prototype

Edited November 10, 2013 by onnimanni

[Highlad]

Your own design uses wheels to emulate larger wheels. If you want to re-invent a wheel, you probably shouldn't use one in the first place.

Haha, Yeah, its a bit silly of me. I am trying a couple of different designs.

I would love to see your design

[Kasuha]

Surprisingly sturdy, can even withstand minor collisions.

Top speed 14.7 m/s on flat surface.

[Highlad]

haha, Jeb and bill are having an interesting time, I shall put you on the leaderboard. I think i will add a requirement for a screenshot of the top speed.

[Jason Patterson]

I built a truck some time ago. I thought I had video of it, but I must have never posted it to youtube. The forum crash ate the thread that it was in. It's definitely possible to do this without a proper bearing though. If you put enough jet engines on your vessel's body it will move even with lots of friction.

The only screenshot I can find of the thing is when I flew it to the moon to monkey around with it.

And a blown up image showing how the two axles/crappy bearings were put together.

As I recall, my top speed on Kerbin wasn't very high, maybe 10-20 m/s before pieces would start coming off and 40-ish m/s if I wanted to destroy it in testing.

Edited November 10, 2013 by Jason Patterson

[Highlad]

Awesome stuff! I shall put you on the leaderboard. This is actually a lot like the design I'm working on (I got rid of the landing gear)

Edited November 10, 2013 by Highlad

[veio]

I tried a few ideas out in 0.21. I never got it to work particularly well but it is the taking part that counts.... right?

[HafCoJoe]

If they aren't rolling the entire time does it still count?

[Highlad]

If they aren't rolling the entire time does it still count?

your top speed score will only count up to the point where your wheel stops being a wheel and starts being a sled. So it has to be able to roll to count, yes. However, if your wheel rolls until a certain speed and then starts to 'stick' or 'slide' or stops functioning as a wheel. It is that speed which will be your 'top speed'. hope that helps...

Also, Veio, I have added you to the leaderboard with 25.7 m/s as your wheel broke at that speed. Awesome work though!

Edited November 12, 2013 by Highlad

[Corona688]

Presenting the Imnowheel, an unstable pile of crap with fuel tanks for axles, lander legs for bearings, and rockets for wheels. In a feat never to be repeated(seriously, I can't repeat it) it made it all the way to the vab:

If you cheat and copy it into the spaceplane hangar it can run cross-country at somewhere between 9m/s and 11m/s (the meter can't make up its mind) for a full two minutes until the fuel runs out, after which it will roll -- yes, ROLL! -- to a stop.

Launch it from the pad at anything over half and it will accelerate up to 15m/s and jam.

There is absolutely no stopping or steering this thing, as the wheels are technically "debris".

I could probably improve on this by making it wider, but that'd suck the fun out of it

Edited November 13, 2013 by Corona688

[Highlad]

Awesome! I have added you to the leaderboard! I will however need to see a screencap which includes your top speed. (If you don't want 'Unconfirmed' next to your score)

How did you make the axels? I see some landing gear there...

[Corona688]

Well then, you force me to make things difficult. It has three top speeds:

From left to right: The speed it can do sustained without damaging itself -- 11m/s or so. The speed it can manage for a dozen or two seconds before coming apart like a car in a bad cop movie, a blazing 17.5m/s. And the speed it manages AFTER it does so (yes, the remaining axle still turns!), a piddling 10m/s.

Pick whichever one suits your conscience.

Also, here is a closeup of the axle for your viewing pleasure.

[Highlad]

cool design with the landing legs! I will put in 17.5 m/s if it can go that fast without anything breaking. It doesn't matter too much how long you can sustain that speed.

[Agent86]

Hi! My entrant is Son Of Omniball, which I was encouraged to enter into the comp by my good friend, TheAwer.

[Highlad]

Interesting use of landing legs there! They must help to absorb some of the bumps. I have placed you onto the leaderboard!

[Corona688]

I tried a few ideas out in 0.21. I never got it to work particularly well but it is the taking part that counts.... right?

Favorite moment: 3:03. Beams EVERYWHERE.

[CressAlbane]

I have a potential entry for this, but I'm not sure I understand the challenge. It's OK if the craft is the wheel, instead of having bearings/axels?

[Corona688]

Read the thread, some of the entries already are rolling wheel-less craft. You won't get much score for innovation though.