Building a better caster.

[Madison]

Originally posted by srawls
The last two years we, along with a lot of other teams, used Omni Wheels. Basically, omin wheels act as "powered casters." Imagine a wheel that can be powered like any other, and yet has almost zero lateral friction.

I wish I had a picture handy, but I don't. Take this example, however: one team uses a round object with washers all around it. You can use this as a drive wheel, with the washers digging into the carpet for traction, and since the washers are circular, they will spin when you move them laterally, and create very small amounts of friction.

Is that helpful, or were you looking for a better concept for a non-powered caster?

Stephen

Omni-wheels offer the unique distinction of being able to be driven, and while that has its advantages, it's a design that's readily accessible to teams that might want it.

What I've been trying to do is develop unique solutions to problems that may or may not arise in this year's game. Some of my solutions are overkill, but it keeps me thinking outside of the box.

This year, for the first time, omniwheels are within the capacity of my team to create. However, they offer some disadvantages which I'm trying to overcome. Namely, they still rely on skid steering and they don't resist being pushed from the side.