[Exotria]

No, I know about kiwi drive and all that. I'm just thinking of certain types of drive trains that would be really fun to build with a better kind of Omniwheel(since my team apparently wants to do holonomic next year and I want to have a more unique drive train than that). There's this design I've been thinking of that would be hexagon shaped, with one wheel at every side parallel to the side(not on the corners) It could be an octagon too, but that would take too many motors. But the omniwheel design is the important part. You know those rollers that are often under teacher desks or projector trays? Just put a smaller version of those into the slots where the sideways wheels usually go. Make a small modification so that it can't rotate enough to make itself go the same way as the larger wheel, and bang, you've got an omniwheel that can move more than just forwards and sideways on its own.

I think it would be great fun to develop. Except for the mill operator. He got mad at me when I mentioned I was thinking up an omniwheel that would take longer to make. Anyone else agree that this kind of omniwheel would be spiffy as anything for oddly shaped drive trains? Even for holonomic drives, I can imagine that the little wheels being about 45 degrees off from their usual range of movement. These little dealies might save some power normally spent moving omniwheels the wrong way.

By the way, does anyone have links to videos of mechanum and holonomic drives, specifically with the wheels showing? I haven't gotten to see either in action, and I'm curious as to their real maneuverability.