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1. There would certainly be some increase in maneuverability with a crab drive, but I'm not sure how much. I believe 111 tested their 08 bot with the new wheels and playing surface, maybe one of them could comment on how useful the extra movement was.

2. It is certainly possible for a rookie team to implement any style drivebase or mechanism. That being said, I would not attempt this without building a prototype in the off season, unless you have significant resources (both time and manufacture) to dedicate to your drivebase.

3. I don't know of any particular whitepapers, I suspect that there might not be one simply because of the inherint uniqueness and diversity in crab drives.

4. As far as I know, any team that has used crab drive in FRC custom made everything. You may be able to find off the shelf parts that would significantly simplify making modules, but it all depends on how you would design your particular chassis.

I don't want to discourage you from attempting this, but realize that a crab drive is more complicated, expensive, and difficult to build than skid steer. However, if you have the resources and motivation, it's definitely possible.