Mecanum vs. Tank Drive?

[MrForbes]

Originally Posted by euhlmann

Tank
Cons: go up to feeder station. You're not aligned. Drive back and turn. Go up again. Still not aligned. Drive back and turn again...

Or....build your collecting mechanism so it does not require precise alignment...and practice driving...

[IronicDeadBird]

The biggest thing that kills me about Mecanum is when I am at a competition and I see a Mecanum robot being driven around like a tank. Unless your design, driver, and auto really utilizes strafing then you should not be using mecanum at all. Look at your strategy and ask yourself "do we need mecanum or will drive practice also get us where we need to be"

[eedoga]

I suppose I have a few questions...

If teams are in a position to pick and simply refuse to select an alliance partner that uses Mecanum simply because they use Mecanum then isn't that a problem? I would hope that teams are utilizing scouting and performance in order to determine alliance partners...though that may not be the case.

One thing that we might consider is, if a team on the opposing alliance is tied up defending however successfully against one alliance partner, then that is one less team member on the opposing alliance that is off scoring points...

Finally I think it comes down to strategy. Saying that mecanum means that a team will be easy to defend against isn't exactly accurate. A mecanum drive robot can work to avoid conflicts instead of engaging in them.

I hope I haven't tipped my hat too much...Oh...and best of luck to all.

Edoga

[Michael Corsetto]

Originally Posted by eedoga

If teams are in a position to pick and simply refuse to select an alliance partner that uses Mecanum simply because they use Mecanum then isn't that a problem? I would hope that teams are utilizing scouting and performance in order to determine alliance partners...though that may not be the case.

I suppose that method is only a "problem" if it doesn't produce the intended results (win the event).

-Mike

[RoboChair]

Originally Posted by MrForbes

Or....build your collecting mechanism so it does not require precise alignment...and practice driving...

+9001 This, Very this. Make the task of driving your robot such that the driver needs little aim.

[niklas674]

While our best year involved us using a mecanum drive (mistake), we practically never used it in matches, the positioning was close enough that we didn't have to make large changes. Bottom line is that with plenty of drivers practice, you won't need to be able to strafe because your drivers will get to the exact spot almost every time.

[Kevin Sevcik]

I'm curious if butterflies and octocanums collect alliance selection dings like straight mecanum. Or is it not relevant because teams willing/capable of these drives are usually pickers?

[wireties]

Originally Posted by Kevin Sevcik

I'm curious if butterflies and octocanums collect alliance selection dings like straight mecanum. Or is it not relevant because teams willing/capable of these drives are usually pickers?

I think the purpose of the butterfly and octocanum is to be the best of both worlds. But what about 2+2? Any opinions about not picking teams with 2+2 drive?

[Rangel]

We did mecanum wheels twice in our team's existence and both times regretted it. I agree with others that if you need precise alignment in the lateral direction(or any direction really) something is wrong with the mechanism design and not the drivetrain. Even if you do use mechanum to fix that problem, the weight of your robot is not likely to be balanced efficiently and you probably won't have a good enough driver to make mecanum worth it in the first place. Literally the only team that comes to mind that used mecanum drive effectively was 4522 in 2014. There may be a few others that actually pulled it off but they are not the norm. In fact most of the time, teams with mecanum just end up driving it like a tank anyways.

[waialua359]

We won a regional in 2015 teamed up with a mecanum bot as the #1 seed.
So while we are not opposed to teaming up with a robot that uses it, we are definitely against using mecanum wheels for our own robot.
Tank drives have way more advantages than the pluses for using mecanum.
Mecanums should only be used for intakes!

[Aren_Hill]

Originally Posted by waialua359

We won a regional in 2015 teamed up with a mecanum bot as the #1 seed.
So while we are not opposed to teaming up with a robot that uses it, we are definitely against using mecanum wheels for our own robot.
Tank drives have way more advantages than the pluses for using mecanum.
Mecanums should only be used for intakes!

You mean vectored intake wheels? why would you use them on the ground?

I'm confused

-Aren

[Abhishek R]

The advantages of mecanum over a tank drive become largely irrelevant with good manipulator design.

Your mechanisms should not require so much precision that it becomes a basis on which to justify mecanum.

[RoboChair]

Originally Posted by Aren_Hill

You mean vectored intake wheels? why would you use them on the ground?

I'm confused

-Aren

#VectoredIntakeWheels is now a thing!

[Lord Basket]

Originally Posted by waialua359

We won a regional in 2015 teamed up with a mecanum bot as the #1 seed.

Having a mecanum drive in 2015 was a lot different than having a mecanum drive in most years because there was no defense. 2015 is the exception, not the rule, when it comes to drivetrains.

[niklas674]

Mecanums are great for an intake, past that I definitely would not recommend.