Omni Wheels Vs. Mecanum Wheels

[EricH]

Originally Posted by RunZach

Do mecanum wheels have more traction then omni wheels, or KOP wheels for that matter?

For omnis, in general, yes, mecanums have more traction. General caveat that there are omni setups that would that statement would not apply to.

As far as KOP wheels, most mecanums won't have quite as much traction. That tends to be due to the fact that mecanum traction surfaces happen to be rollers... However, a mecanum system can give a fair amount of pushing power--not that you EVER want to have to USE that pushing power! In the individual wheel, the effect is more pronounced than in the whole mecanum system.


By the way, one thing that I should make clear: The above statements are for the whole drive system, not just one wheel. That's something that you need to take into consideration.


Some other things to consider: Plaction wheels (or other wheels with conveyor-belt tread attached) are very good in a pushing match. Blue nitrile tread is favored, but wedgetop and roughtop tread are common. Colson wheels are reputed to give good traction--I've never dealt with 'em in FRC applications, so I can't comment on that.


(Side note: you're asking about mecanums having more traction than KOP wheels--you do know what a mecanum wheel is, right?)