Re: Mecanum vs. Swerve Drive
 

"Tank" has two common (and different) meanings here on CD.

1) An operator interface which uses 2 separate operator inputs (usually the Y axes of 2 joysticks), one of which controls the left wheels and the other controls the right wheels, in a skid-steer manner.

2) A skid-steer drivetrain wherein none of the wheels are steerable, and where the left wheels have a common power source and and are separately controllable from the right wheels which also have a common power source.

Note that a Tank operator interface (definition 1) could be used to control not only a Tank drivetrain but also a mecanum or swerve drivetrain.

Also, a Tank drivetrain (definition 2) can be controlled not only by a Tank operator interface but also by an Arcade operator interface or any other operator interface which does not require strafing.

So it helps to be specific when using the word "tank".

Re: Mecanum vs. Swerve Drive
 

I understand the whole crab movement + cheesy drive turning thing--intriguing--but I don't see how you have chassis orientation. Where would my fingers move to do this? (Note we lead with a corner after disengaging.) ...And sorry this is a "mecanum & swerve" discussion rather an a "mecanum vs swerve" one.


If "tank" just denotes a specific side you're driving with*, and mechanically that side is arbitrary in any holonomic, what does it mean that tank is "much better over long distances"? (Better than what?) And what is it about swerve that you're "switching" to sometimes?


*Ether - yeah, but I get the feeling we're not talking about either of those. Headscratch.