Crab Drive Questions

[craigboez]

Hello All

I'm a rookie mentor on a rookie team, and we're in the process of trying to determine which drivetrain will the best while also being feasible for us to implement. We have a kitbot that we've experimented with, and after yesterday it was driving around with skid steer on Regolith with less than spectacular results. This test has prompted me to look into a swerve or crab steer setup, but I'd like to ask for some veteran leadership before going off in that direction. Some questions I have are:

1. Has anyone tested a previous crab drive bot on Regolith with the new wheels and trailer? Are there significant improvements to manueverability vs a skid/tank steer drivetrain?

2. Is it within the realm of possibilities for a rookie team to implement a crab drive robot?

3. Is there a whitepaper on how to build a crab steer? I've looked, but come up empty.

4. Does anyone sell a "crab module", or are those all custom built?

I don't want to embark on a journey that is destined for failure, but I also don't want to "settle" for a skid steer bot if a crab drive is going to be significantly better.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.