Quote:
Originally Posted by thefro526
Realistically, if you're building a Mecanum Drive you shouldn't really ever need to push someone because you can drive around them. In the situation that you were being pushed, then you would drive around them. Your increased mobility is what you would use instead of the ability to push.
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I agree with that, but I'd say "theoretically" instead of "realistically".
Our experience with mecanums is that you do give up brute force, and in return gain a fair bit of finesse.
Without well-tuned software and a talented driver, you can't take advantage of the finesse. Any idiot can take advantage of brute force. (Admittedly, there aren't a lot of idiots playing FRC... but you get my point.)
So in Rack'n'Roll we built a mecanum for many of the same reasons you're likely considering it for this game. After two regionals we had everything tuned in just perfectly, and our driver executed some amazing plays. In one match, he faked right, went left, and executed a 180 degree spin while strafing sideways past one of the best defensive bots at the event, finishing with a "slam dunk" of the tube onto the rack. It was probably the nicest maneuver I've seen our team do... ever. Unfortunately it was our last match as it had taken us two regionals to figure out how to really take advantage of the mecanums.
BUT... if you want to build a mecanum... do it. They are really, really cool, and whether you win matches or not, you'll have a bit of robot "bling" in your collection for years to come... one of my favorite things is watching grade 10 students explain mecanum wheels to engineers who've never seen them before!
Go for it... but be aware.
Jason