Grippy 3D Printed Tire for FRC
Grippy 3D Printed Tire for FRC
From 2021 to 2023 I helped test and design a 3D printable wheel and tire for a COTS drivetrain commonly used in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). Through over 40 iterations, stud and suspension geometry were tuned to both provide an effective 1.6 CoF and navigate field obstacles such as cable protector bumps. The V40 tires were printed out of TPU-90A on a Formlabs Fuse 1+ 3D printer. Videos showcasing these tires can be found here on YouTube and on the Formlabs Instagram page. After being published, this tire design became commonly used in FRC by many teams, even becoming the basis of a popular product sold by Vex Robotics.