Are Mobius Strip Tank Tracks a Paradox?

A Möbius strip is a theoretical object with only a single continuous surface that twists and then loops back on itself. In the real world, we often use ribbons to demonstrate the concept. But those aren't true Möbius strips, which have zero thickness and cannot exist in the real world. A key characteristic of a Möbius strip is that clockwise and counterclockwise lose meaning, as the twist causes it to flip from one to the other. Does that mean Möbius strip tank tracks create a paradox? James Bruton built a Möbius strip tank to find out.

The short answer is: no. This doesn't create a paradox and it wouldn't even if the tracks were somehow true Möbius strips. It is true that the twist in the track causes the clockwise / counterclockwise differentiation to become ambiguous, but that is largely a matter of perspective anyway. If you looked at a transparent clock from behind, its hands would appear move counterclockwise. In this case, the twist just changes the side of the track that touches the ground. If you watched a single link in the track, you would see that its outward face flips with every full rotation.

But this is still interesting to see in action, even if it doesn't cause a reality-shattering paradox. Bruton constructed it using 3D-printed tracks that link together in such a way that they have freedom of movement in two axes. The first is what you always see on tank tracks and is necessary to form a loop. The second allows one link to pivot relative to its neighbors, so the loop can twist over on itself.

Those tracks fit over 3D-printed frames with 3D-printed sprockets driven by DC gear motors. An Arduino Mega board controls those motors. Bruton connected that to an OrangeRX DSM2 receiver so that it can receive commands from his universal remote.

This Möbius tank works well enough, but it doesn't offer any advantages over a standard tank. Interestingly, Bruton added grip pads to one "side" of the each track and that causes it to alternate between the grippy "side" and the smooth "side." That makes the tank much, much worse, but it does give us all something to think about. The only potential benefit of Möbius strip tank tracks is that each "side" only receives half the wear.