I'll stick this here since the video wasn't out for the other threads.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ether
Mecanum rollers do not have to be slick.
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True, but I do sort of revel in being able to 'pick up' mecanum bots
and drop them on the other side of the field. You know we love you, Jesters.
We're happy to use swerve to push, but more often we use it to run fast cycles, which can't be intercepted the way mecanums are, and toss in a little jostling of nearby opponents. Swerve basically means the above plus
that and
that (sorry, STORM) as well as this
this,
this, and
this.
Things like octocanum* can theoretically (Ether?) move similarly, though most people seem to concentrate on strafing. But they can't push or prevent being pushed while doing it, which we do rather constantly. I've never met a mecanum--or octocanum, if I put them in the right situation--that we can't push. Most basic tank drives will go where we want them to, and we can at least slow down and vector most of the crazy ones off course. It's better at two-speeds, you could check with 1717.
In short, swerve gets you from A to B while drastically minimizing the number of people that can...redirect you. That said, it's no cakewalk. It's the best investment we've ever made (we've been making it since summer 2009), but it is an investment.
*Switching traction & mecanum wheels. Lots of threads if you don't know the details.