My old robot uses 2 motors and a caster wheel in a triangular design which works well for going over bumps, etc. The problem is when it backs up and then goes forward, it is never straight. The caster wheel swevels and the robot never goes back and covers the same ground. (It can't make perpendicular turns well).
I have seen alot of plans which call for the 2 motors to be placed in the center of the base and caster wheels on each end. However when I tried this design, the base would get hung up going over bumps (the drive wheels would lose contact with the floor and stop).
What are the common tricks in using either design so that the robot doesn't get hung up going of things like the metal floor strips seperating carpet in different rooms and so it tracks back and forth accurately? THanks for any input.
Joe