Quote:
Originally Posted by Ether
If you are using the word "efficiency" in the usual sense of power_out/power_in, the only loss in efficiency of mecanum wheels compared to standard wheels in the forward direction would be due to roller motion caused by roller axial free play or compliance of the flooring surface or the roller material or flexing of the vehicle.
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I should probably have been more precise: that's not an efficiency loss in the wheel,
but only about 70.7% of the torque available at the wheel can be used for forward motion, because of the sideways component of the wheel's friction force. (I suppose this assumes equal frictional coefficients in all directions.)
Edit: The reference to "forward motion" only applies in the limiting case where the wheel is about to slip, and even then, the relationship above is not quite right. (See below.)