[DavidGitz]

Al - A lot of teams could learn a lot by just going through and reading your posts, I know that I do! This is exactly what we are doing. Our swerve drive is designed to support swappable modules using cannon plugs for power/data. Our goal is be able to replace any complete module in around 2 minutes, they are attached to our frame on 80/20 slides. We are actually only using 3 modules, in a triangular design. Did you guys do something like this before? I seem to recall that you have.

Chris - We are sticking (so far...) with the normal joysticks but control it exactly how you are saying, the main joystick controls the strafing and the magnitude of that movement, and the second joystick controls rotation about the robot's center, and probably gyro assisted in the near future. We were going to explore more advanced driving methods besides the standard crab/rotate way when we had 4 modules, but since going to 3 it would be interesting but I don't think that feasible, at least for now.

We might try limiting the travel to 180 degrees if we can't get a successful implementation of the other way, but I don't know if our modules will be rotating that fast that it won't be something to worry about. Plus, you run into the problem if you go left and up or down (outside whatever deadband you have) you are reversing your wheel direction and your rotation, probably not that bad in 2:15 but still it's something to worry about.

Great comments, thanks!