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+--- Thread: 8x8 robotic vehicle rig (skid-steer, differential drive, tank-like) (/thread-4880.html)
8x8 robotic vehicle rig (skid-steer, differential drive, tank-like) - Wintermute84 - 07-29-2025
Hello! I'm putting together a vehicle rig for a robotic 8x8 vehicle which uses differential steering (skid-steer) by varying the speed of the wheels on each side of the vehicle. Sometimes compared to how an AATV would drive and turn.
I want a single object-controller above the vehicle that I can apply simple keyframes to for a path and steering. The vehicle would use this as a guide and then drive over a hilly bumpy surface while properly interacting with weight and gravity.
I've been using a tyFlow actor and I've made some progress by referencing several vehicle rigs on youtube, but I've honestly been stumbling through it and don't exactly know how everything works.
So far, I've attempted this by having an object-controller emit a raycast particle in one event (offset below the hilly surface) and the vehicle attempts to follow it using a Find Target operator. But sometimes this results in gravity not working correctly and I'm not completely certain of the Find Target parameters (maybe I should use a different operator altogether?). Also, the vehicle's chassis rotation is linked to the object-controller's rotation.
I'm also stuck on how to properly rotate the wheels. All eight wheels need to rotate at the same rate when moving forward but any drifting left or right should vary the rotation amount on the left or right side. The wheels should also completely invert their rotations on one side when performing a stationary zero turn (like a tank).
I think it's worth noting that the front and back wheel sets are raised and do not normally make contact with a flat ground (see attached jpg). This is by design, for when the vehicle makes contact with a hilly surface but these wheels should still remain in synchronous rotation with their corresponding sides.
I apologize for the lengthiness of this post. I'm including some JPGs and the current scene in max 2023. I wouldn't be surprised if someone out there already built a similar rig, but if anyone has any input at all, I would greatly appreciate it.
