pic: Vex Mecanum Wheel

[Chuck Glick]

loading photo ...

[Lil' Lavery]

Are you using this for prototyping purposes for FRC, just to be cool, or intended to be used for FVC?
If being used for FVC, how much labor is involved in creating the wheels, and would the results really be worth it over the new "large omni wheels" (also 4" diameter)? Granted, if the game has large inclines (or obstacles) like "Half Pipe Hustle", a mecanum system would allow much greater ability to climb (although still requiring a fair bit of precision). Otherwise I don't see a whole lot of advantage for much greater effort put into producing the wheels.
Also, what materials are the rollers made out of?

[Rich Kressly]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

Otherwise I don't see a whole lot of advantage for much greater effort put into producing the wheels.
Also, what materials are the rollers made out of?

Yeah, that's what I told him a year ago, but he just keeps working on it . It's a"challenge project" more than anything. If he is successful he gets to rub it in my face.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

16 collars per wheel?! Wowza... that's gonna be one heavy wheel... not to mention that those aren't cheap, either. I have yet to find a shaft collar that is exactly like the Vex ones, but cheaper... I have some that are a little bigger. Anyone got an exact size or where to find them? PM me.

[JesseK]

I'm curious as to what the actual wheel & roller supports are made out of.

It LOOKS like it's a VEX gear with machined supports(?), which could give a performance degrading flaw: Most of the mass of the wheel is on the outside and will therefore take alot of torque to overcome inertia, relative to if most of the wheel mass is around the axle. If the center is machined VEX metal, then you won't see this performance hit so much.

Looks like it would get the best traction out of all of the VEX mecanum designs I've seen though. Excellent idea for the roller hubs.

[Tytus Gerrish]

Impressive

[Chuck Glick]

Sean: The wheels are more for the cool factor, and it's something I've been trying to do for about a year now. The rollers have a solid plastic core(abs) and neoprene heat shrink for grip.

Kres: I am going to get them done, and I WILL rub it in your face...

Budda: Yea, collars aren't cheap... I've checked places like McMaster, but Vexlabs still is the best price. Any ideas for alternatives to shaft collars?

Tytus: Thanks. I was inspired mainly by your designs and wanted to bring the mecanum to vex.

[Rich Kressly]

Originally Posted by Rich Kressly

Yeah, that's what I told him a year ago, but he just keeps working on it . It's a"challenge project" more than anything. If he is successful he gets to rub it in my face.

Remember Chuck. I get to define what "successful" means

[Chuck Glick]

So...because of the large amount of weight that 16 shaft collars would add, I'm planing to change the design to use the 1" screws with nylock nuts. Much lighter and much cheaper.

[DB_UPS]

I like the idea of the heat shrink, we should try that. This frc1675 mecanum vex wheels, we are thinking about making molds and casting a couple sets and give them away for the MVL (Milwaukee Vex league).

[Jeremiah Johnson]

Originally Posted by DB_UPS

I like the idea of the heat shrink, we should try that. This frc1675 mecanum vex wheels, we are thinking about making molds and casting a couple sets and give them away for the MVL (Milwaukee Vex league).

Would you be willing to sell a set? Those look awesome... but I probably don't need them. *Sigh* I've gotten to the point where I don't want to take my robots apart anymore and that's what I would have to do if I got mecanums, everything is perfect on my 2007 game playing robot. I just built a "poor man's rack" today... maybe I'll upload a picture.

[Greg Needel]

Originally Posted by DB_UPS

I like the idea of the heat shrink, we should try that. This frc1675 mecanum vex wheels, we are thinking about making molds and casting a couple sets and give them away for the MVL (Milwaukee Vex league).

I would be interested to see the cad files for these wheel. From the picture I am assuming that you rapid prototyped them. I am looking as the many different ways people design mecanums for a different project I am working on.


Greg

[DB_UPS]

The wheel was base of this wheel,
Half Scale
which is base of this wheel,
. Full Scale

The vex wheel are a third scale of the big alum one. The wheel are made on a 3d prototype that one of schools owns.

[JesseK]

So the white ones aren't quite competition legal I take it?

[DB_UPS]

yep, you get it right, but they work every will.