Mecanum vs Treads

[wireties]

FIRST Team 1296 used mecanum the last couple of years. As mentioned in this thread there advantages and disadvantages. To make effective use of a mecanum setup the frame & drive train requires precision design and assembly (so all 4 wheels are on the ground at all times), the weight distribution must be close to ideal (so the same amount of weight is over each wheel), the velocity of each wheel controlled (so encoders required at each wheel) and the software well done. If you do it correctly, mecanum is nice. We rarely met a robot that could block us or push us around, we were just too fast and too manoeuvrable. Our drivers could fake out defensive bots kinda like a running back juking a linebacker, spin around them etc. But we did not make it to St Louis, it might not have gone as well against better competition.

That said 1296 is going with a 6-wheel drive this year and building a climber.