[Paul Richardson]

I think there is a fundamental issue with your approach. Many people have tried to solve this problem over the years and I think they're all solving the wrong problem.

What benefit does pushing another robot provide?

On offense, if you engage a pushing match you've done exactly what the defense wants you to do: waste your time. FRC isn't about what you can do, it's about how efficiently you can do it.

On defense, you've placed yourself in your least maneuverable orientation as a tank drive. A good offensive robot will avoid pushing matches and try to just go around to the side. It's hard to move sideways when you're facing forward.

As a defender you have the advantage when you sit perpendicular to an approaching offensive robot. By using your wide side against their narrow side you can be in the wrong spot by a bit and still get in their way. You can react to jukes by just driving straight while your opponent has to turn. It's also really easy to build a robot that's good for this, you just need traction wheels, quick acceleration, and a long wheelbase that's hard to spin. A great driver could play perfect defense without ever touching the other robot just by being in the right spot at the right time.

Now, that works great until they actually do get around you, in which case you still want to slow them down. The majority of robots are still susceptible to the T-bone pin, which almost any drivetrain can do. Just drive into the side of their robot and watch them drive helplessly in circles wishing they had some omni wheels or an angled frame.