pic: Team 221 LLC. - Wild Swerve Module

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by pacoliketaco

as far as i can see, swerve drive is very complex, and should only be attempted by teams with the capabilities to make one themselves.

Why?

I think perhaps you are mistakenly characterizing swerve drive technology as some kind of nectar and ambrosia that only the elite gods among FIRST teams are permitted to consume.

If so, consider Team 221's gesture to be akin to Prometheus "stealing" fire from the gods and sharing it with humanity for the benefit and education of all *lesser-equipped* mankind.

I'm pretty sure I've seen a few pics this year of teams with more "pedestrian" resources who pulled off some form of swerve successfully. It is not necessary to think that advanced robot features are off limits to all but those who are characterized as the "gods of FIRST". You can become your own "gods of swerve", if you try!

FIRST is about learning, not buying pre-built modules from other teams.

Team 221 LLC is not a "team" per se. It is a legal COTS business source of parts per the FRC rules as we know them, just like AndyMark.

48 used to fabricate our own custom transmissions. I know we've learned much and gained MUCH TIME by first studying, then understanding, and finally integrating AM's COTS transmissions into our robot, as using these components has allowed us more time to develop knowledge and capability with other robot mechanisms. Even if these 221 swerve modules WERE a simple "drag, drop, and swerve" product, which they aren't, a team would still gain a ton of extra time to pursue the learning of *other* still-unfamiliar robot systems.

my team has always had extremely limited machining capabilities (hacksaws, hand held drills, and maybe a circular saw to cut 8020) but we still manage to make effective robots. this makes me very jealous when a team comes out and says "look at our brand new CNC mill"

It is commendable that your team has been able to succeed with limited access to more high-end resources, but with the availability of these modules, perhaps you no longer have to be jealous of those "CNC" folks - perhaps having one or more of these in your possession will help you better understand swerve concepts and find ways to fabricate a working swerve system using the resources at your disposal? You can learn to both appreciate AND effectively integrate high quality, precision-fabricated technology into your robot WITHOUT access to a CNC. Who needs those $35,000+ contraptions, anyway?

maybe if you were willing to teach other teams how to, but not to actually make the parts for them.

in addition to selling them as a business venture, they also offer up their product designs freely, which I think is plenty of a head start for teams who elect not to buy their product to try and learn how to design and build the modules on their own. I'd bet they'd also answer any questions people have as they attempt to pursue their initial swerve prototypes.