Caster Wheels

[IndySam]

Originally Posted by Mk.32

What about ball caster, how well do they work?
If they don't really work i think we probably just go with a 6 wheel drive system.

Ball casters can also be problematic.

Best practice says if it touches the floor it should be driven. A ball caster slightly lifted off of the floor by under floor structures like the pole support can unload one of your drive wheels and make control very difficult.

Can plastic omni wheels break, yes but so can any other wheel when abused. AndyMark changed the amount of reinforcing fiber in their omni wheels after their first year and made them stronger. We have used these wheels for every year since their introduction (except for Lunacy) without a single failure. This includes last year where they were slammed into the humps in the field over and over again.

If you are still concerned about them breaking, double them up (as shown on their web site) and get twice the traction and redundancy.