[alicen]

mecanums make it very simple to avoid pinning by scooting off in whatever direction you choose, it is also surprising how well you can push/pin, but only in the forward direction. It's easy to be pushed when pushed from the side, but from front or back you can just strafe away. the biggest pro (to me at least) between mechs and crab is that mechs are much simple mechanically, than crab, and are usually lighter as well. over other drive trains, mechs have the maneuverability. They can go any direction they please, and turning is not difficult, like it can be for tank or skid steer.


active suspension -- basically it is some kind of force that keeps the wheels touching the ground. if there's a dip under only one wheel, the suspension pushes that wheel further down while the rest of the wheels a pulled a bit higher. Think of the shocks on a bicycle, it's a similar concept. For our team, the way we implement suspension is by using springs captured between a point on the wheel module and the frame. If you'd like, i can dig up a picture of the robot for you