Re: Easy OmniTrack
 

I've been doing some thinking on this idea, and Here's what my brain has come up with:

Without any idlers along the main bulk of the Omnitrack, the weight and grounded traction area (pardon my incorrect terminology, I'm very tired) is only the two drive sprockets. In any track system, the presence of many idlers is what gives it the advantage over a standard wheeled system. However, the track would give it the ability to climb over stairs, assuming the links could hold up to that force.

So this design wouldn't really aid in the pushing ability, it would more of make an omni system that can climb stairs, which hasn't really been seen before in FIRST, unless I'm mistaken.

Re: Easy OmniTrack
 

I never really saw a reason for this. It would only help and moni get up stairs or a ramp if you hit it prefectly cause otherwise the tracks would lift and you would have a point contact anyway.

I also didn't see the traction advantage since well... You guys seem to have that one covered. I could see it if you were rolling across a very soft sureface like pluch carpet cause there would be more rollers to grab the carpet but still seems like a lot of work for not much gain.

After three years of doing omnis I will safely tell you that they DON'T go up ramps, stairs, or any major feature in the ground. Minor ones are easy enough to roll over but if its more than half the heght of your roller then you have a problem. I also have found that you won't be pushing your opponents around the field, this does not mean that you can't play defense but you won't win a pushing war, or macht, or even scuffle :p .

However, I can see why you would want to do them from a cool standpoint. When people first started talking about these a year ago I got into it and modeled an omni track and went a little overboard and also did a mecanum track (My comp hated me for that one). Sadly however my old comp died and I lost the models.

Re: Easy OmniTrack
 

Perhaps I'm misinterpreting your use of "omnis," but if we're talking about using omniwheels on a robot, I'd argue that none of what you've written above is true.

Re: Easy OmniTrack
 

not omnis when used in the terms of a standard drive train. they can and are very useful and powerful for that application but in the case of a holonomic what I have written is indeed true from experience.

I'm sorry for not being clear on that. i just always saw the application of the omni treads for a holonomic and so didn't think to clarify. Also when I said that it can't roll over anything that isn't half the height of the rollers I was exagerating there too.

sorry

Re: Easy OmniTrack
 

I have been working with omni drive systems for years. I first come up with the design in 2002 but in 2004 we built one and wone a Xerox creativity award at Great Lakes. Visit our webb site for pictures and tech tips @ www.team1322.org . Per your Idea about tank track omni drive, your idea is a good one and thier are different ways to make it work but the key is when you install the two tracks for your drive you can add two more at 90 degrees. Doing this it will look like a four sided drive. When you drive the different motors it will allow you to go side ways forward, back, angles and rotate. Thus you have a omni directional system. With the number of wheels you will have good traction and can become a pusher robot. the only problem is keepng down the weight. We used omni wheel drives with the motors in the wheels.
http://team1322.org/robotics_04-05.htm

Re: Easy OmniTrack
 

I have been working on a design also that will incorporate 3 different driving selections: 4 wheel steer (swivel steer), crab bot steer, and normal 2 wheel forward backward steer. I have been working hard, and this post I am pretty sure has inspired me and put me over the edge. I will post my drawings as soon as they are done, but I think so far that these are extremely intelligent designs, and I can see them working very well in the future.

Re: Easy OmniTrack
 

I do find it intersting on the differnt ideas for omni drive wheels or track. In 2004 we used omni drive wheels and was able to climb the stairs of that game. The wheel segments acted like teath to grab the steps to climb. I also came up with a omni track design, My idea was to design the track like beads on a pearl necklace and the drive sprockets looked like paddle wheels with each V shaped paddle would come down between the beads and the weight would be on the axle thus alowing for the rollers to turn free. The steel axles would have enlaged ends that would snap into the holes of the Plastic balls. You than can Paint rubber (avalable at Granger) on the wheels for traction. This does not sound that heavy but a lot of work. check our web site for all the wheels we Painted. http://team1322.org/robotics_04-05.htm also check the tech tips for our omni wheel designs