pic: "Omni Grenade" Wheel

[D.Fahringer]

Originally Posted by GMKlenklen

what could i use to make those?!?!?!?!

Maybe the threads should be connected thanks!

GMKlenklen,

I would be glad to give you the files needed to make your own, but you might want to use them for making a machined roller out of rubber as opposed to our cast version. You can read about what I and my student Sam Elzarian did at NASA Langley's Technology Development and Integration Branch. Using Rapid Prototyping techniques we, with the help of Gary Wainwright also in TDIB made molds and a fixturing device to produce these wheels very quickly. I am not satisfied with the cure times for urethane plasics that are soft enough for traction. So, if I were going to do this again I would invest the time to machine rubber such as you would find in a trailer store that sells trailer rollers to roll boat hulls on. They already have a hole through and are reasonably priced.

I love the concept of an Omni Wheel but I have to say to be careful what you wish for, the extra mobility you recieve in your robot is unfortunately the extra mobility in your robot that an opposing robot takes advantage of when he pushes you! In 2002 our robot had omnis in front and we had 8 X 8 traction wheels in back but a very wide track distance, we were somewhat hard to push sideways only because of that wide stance mechanical advantage. That robot was five feet wide and 3 feet long!

We in 122 have been solid wheeled for two years, still very manuverable and great at pushing I might add.


Here is the link:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...t=omni+grenade