Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Sevcik
So you mean "normal" wheels aren't 100% efficient either because the field surface shifts backwards when the wheel drives forwards, right?
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Yes, indeed it does. But it can probably be safely ignored for the purposes of FRC robotics.
In the case of mecanum wheels whose rollers have axial free play, the problem is exacerbated by the axial motion of the rollers. As each roller comes into contact with the carpet, it is forcibly pushed along its axle until the free play is taken up. As it does so, there will be some rotation. When the roller leaves contact with the floor, gravity and vibration re-open the gap. High quality (expensive) mecanum wheels with well-designed bearings in the rollers suffer less from this phenomenon.