I know of one team that did exactly what I think you're trying to explain using modified laser mice, sitting half an inch above the ground (no contact = no slipping). I'm still trying to figure out exactly how they did it, though. I think they probably used a coprocessor to interpret the information from the USB cables.
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put an encoder on each of three appropriately placed unpowered omni follower wheels and use those 3 signals to compute the three independent motions of the vehicle (X,Y,rotation).
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I've been trying to figure out how to perform the math behind this for two seasons! The idea I'm working with has four unpowered wheels, though, arranged in a square.