Now the torque required to run my bot is the product of the friction force on the tires and the radius of the tires. The friction force, in turn, is the product of the bot weight times a friction factor. A value of about 0.5 is a good estimate between rubber and a smooth floor surface. We can see that I have 86 percent leftover torque that can be used for driving the bot up inclines or to go over more rugged terrain. Now let's find the power required to drive the bot at its operating speed.
Power is defined as force times velocity.
So the total power consumption of the bot should be around 2.0 W from the battery pack. Other Suggested Activities Build a maze for your bot. Replace the analog electronic brain with a micro-controller. Try using a Basic Stamp from Parallax.