Fun Projects for your LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT!
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Fun Projects for your LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT! |
| 3-Speed Transmission with Clutch |
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| This transmission has three different gear ratios
that you can shift through using the stick shift lever. It also
has a realistic hand-operated clutch for smooth shifts, a gas pedal with
optional "cruise control", and a tachometer (engine speed display) on
the NXT display! The motor transfers power through the clutch and transmission to a set of three spinning tires, which act as weights to make the motor work harder and to allow the mechanism to coast when you squeeze the clutch or hit neutral between the gears. As you shift through the different gears, you will see the resulting difference in speed of the spinning tires (slow, medium, and fast).
You can shift without the clutch (race car style) if you want, but if you practice squeezing the clutch and lifting off the gas quickly while shifting, you can make your shifts nice and smooth (like a street car) with no gear grinding and less stress on all the parts. You can also engage the clutch gradually to allow it to slip a little like a real clutch, or "drop the clutch" quickly like a drag race start and see the effect on the motor speed (RPM) as displayed by the tachometer on the NXT display.
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Copyright
©
2007-2009 by Dave Parker. All rights reserved. |
