A Swerve Drive Question

[Dave Scheck]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

why would you have a swerve (rotating wheel modules) drive with omni wheels?

After rereading your question, I think you're asking about a rotating module with an omni wheel mounted to it. The answer below answers the question of why would you mix crab and omni.

In 2004, we had crab on the front and fixed omnis in the back. You can see it in this picture. The treaded wheels are able to rotate and the omnis are fixed.

We learned from past experience (2002, 2003) that with 4 treaded wheels, zero-point turning was hard on the battery. In 2003 we ended up with a skid pad that was dropped pneumatically to turn quickly in place. In 2004, the omnis did the job. They allowed for quick turning, as well as crabbing with a little software magic.