Best Drive Train

[cgmv123]

We like our 6-wheel tank drive that we've used in some form or another since 2010.

2010: Long Kit Bot frame. Wedgetop wheels in center. Omni-wheels in the corners. 4 Toughboxes with One CIM each powering each of the back 4 wheels.

2011: Long Kit Bot frame. Plaction roughtop wheels in center. Omni wheels in corners. 2 CIMple boxes with 2 CIMs each powering center wheels only.

2012: Wide Kit Bot frame. Plaction roughtop wheels in center. Omni wheels in corners. 2 CIMple boxes with 2 CIMs each powering back 4 wheels.

2013: 29*25 Kit Bot frame. Plaction roughtop wheels in the rear. Omni wheels in the front. 2 Kit Toughbox Minis with one CIM each powering rear wheels only. (I know there's only 4 wheels this year, but the design was inspired by our success the 6 wheel drivetrains in the past.)

Omni-wheels mean you can spin in a circle with no issues. It's about as maneuverable as you can get without a Swerve drive, Holonomic or Mecanum, with way more traction than Holonomic or Mecanum, and I'd argue Swerve as well and it blows them all away in speed and ease of building/programming.

That said, I agree that there is no one drivetrain that works every time. You might want Swerve if and when we get a maze game.