Mecanum vs. Swerve Drive

[pmangels17]

Have you given any thought to a crab drive? We did one in 2011. It is similar to a swerve except that instead of spinning each wheel individually by a steering module, pairs of two or in some cases all four wheels are spun by one gearbox. The two pairs method makes turning easier.

You could also simplify a swerve in an easy way. Drive all four wheels from one center gearbox with chain, then spin each wheel with individual steering in order to control direction. This method allows the use of two, three, or four motors, or as many as you choose, and then you can more easily impliment a two-speed drive with your swerve.

Side note: In our 2011 crab base, we steered the front wheels in tandem and the back wheels in tandem. Then, we drove the left wheels with one gearbox and the right wheels with another. We used custom shifter boxes to our advantage. So. much. power. I highly recommend using shifters with common gearboxes.

You could also look at one of the more notable swerves this year, Team 1640. They have four individual modules, one for each corner. I believe they use a CIM on a single speed gearbox and a separate steering motor for each corner. I could be wrong, but that is how they explained it to me at Hatboro-Horsham. Seriously, look at them, they made it to Einsteins, and their drive is awesome. And remember, it takes a different mindset in the driver to handle a swerve versus a crab, though from mecanum they are pretty similar.