Omniwheel question

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

I'm just trying to envision how such a thing would even work. What would actuate the locking mechanism on the rollers?

Simple. Add a slotted plate on the axle which turns with the omniwheel and normally lets the small sidewheels spin freely. Rotate the plate a few degrees relative to the hub and the edges of the slots touch the sidewheels, keeping them from spinning. I think a servo with appropriate leverage might have enough oomph to act as an effective brake; all you need is a rotating connection for three wires.

Or maybe I'm all wet -- I'm a programmer by training and inclination, so my mechanical ideas are sometimes rather, um, loosely constrained by physical reality.