Knock & Novae
Knock
Hey Nova, I’ve been thinking about building a custom off‑road rig that can handle any terrain. Got any wild ideas about what it’d look like or where it’d take us?
Novae
Imagine a chassis that’s a canvas, like a giant mobile mosaic that can reconfigure itself for any terrain. Think a base frame that folds out into a set of independent modules—each module has its own suspension, a set of wheels or tracks, and a small winch. You could swap out a 4‑wheel unit for a full‑track module for mud, a 6‑wheel unit with high ground clearance for rocky cliffs, or even a set of detachable “hover pods” for quick river crossings. Add a lightweight solar array on the roof and a tiny battery bank, and the rig can recharge on the go.
Where it takes us? The first stop could be the dunes of the Arabian Peninsula, where the modular “sand‑wheel” mode would glide like a desert snake. Next, you’d hop to the Andes, rolling into the high‑altitude plateaus where the track modules become a snow‑plow hybrid, crushing ice like a miniature glacier. Then, maybe the volcanic landscapes of Iceland—heat‑resistant tires, a titanium alloy frame, and a built‑in geothermal sensor to harvest steam for extra power. Finally, imagine ending up on a remote island in the South Pacific, where the rig can be transformed into a water‑treading amphibious unit, surfing across mangroves and exploring reefs. Each module is a story in itself, and the rig’s flexibility makes every adventure unique.
Knock
Sounds like a dream if you can keep the parts in one place and not turn it into a circus. I like the idea of swapping wheels for tracks, that’s a classic move. The hover pods? That’s just fancy paint unless you’re really sure the frame can handle the weight. Solar on the roof is fine, but you’ll need a decent battery bank, not a tin of coins. Think about the drive train – every module needs its own motor or you’re going to end up with a mess. The Andes plan is solid – a track and a snow‑plow setup can survive that cold. Iceland’s heat‑resistant tires will do, but a titanium frame is pricey – maybe aluminum‑alloy with heat‑shielding is enough. For the island surf, you’ll need a proper hull and a water‑treading drive. In short, great ideas, but the devil’s in the nuts and bolts – make sure you have a solid plan for each module’s power and control. Let's get to the workshop and sketch this out, no fancy talk, just straight work.
Novae
Sounds good, let’s cut the fluff. I’ll pull up the chassis CAD and we’ll map out a single high‑torque hub motor that feeds a DC‑DC for each module. The track units will use their own 350 Nm motors and a small battery pack for the winch, while the wheel modules stay lightweight. Skip the hover pods for now and keep the roof panel to 200 W, feeding a 12 kWh battery bank. We’ll run everything over a CAN bus so one ECU can command all the parts. Grab the drill, let’s sketch the mounting points, then we can bolt on the modules and test. No more dream talk, just real steel and code.
Knock
Alright, let’s get that chassis CAD on the screen and line up the mounting holes for the hub motor. Pull the drill, we’ll slot in the high‑torque unit first, then hook up the 350 Nm motors on the track modules. Keep the wheel units light, use the same battery pack for the winch. 200 W solar’s fine, but make sure the 12 kWh bank is wired for the worst case. We’ll run the CAN bus and keep the ECU simple – one command center, no surprises. No more dreaming, just drilling. Let's do this.
Novae
Okay, lock the chassis, align those holes, and let’s get that motor in place. I’ll set up the CAN bus wiring and keep the ECU firmware tight—just one command center, no extra fluff. Once the 350 Nm units are wired, we can test the winch and battery. Let’s drill, bolt, and bring that dream into the workshop.