First team with swerve drive?

[JamesCH95]

I have been wracking my brain trying to think of the first team in FRC with a swerve drive system, can you help me out?

Edit: why not also mecanum, "kiwi", or other omni-drive setups.

[thefro526]

Originally Posted by JamesCH95

I have been wracking my brain trying to think of the first team in FRC with a swerve drive system, can you help me out?

Earliest one I know of was Team 47's in 2000.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/12949

I believe someone had one in 1998 or 1999 but I can't remember who it was.

[Jared Russell]

First mecanum drive in FRC I believe was in 2005, team 357 (showing my regional bias here...I want to say other teams had them in 2005 as well).

[Joe G.]

Originally Posted by Jared341

First mecanum drive in FRC I believe was in 2005, team 357 (showing my regional bias here...I want to say other teams had them in 2005 as well).

190 also had one that year

[Al Skierkiewicz]

I remember the big stir when Chief Delphi lifted up the hood on their robot that year. It was a coaxial drive as I remember. A lot of chain running around the top of the chassis.

[JVN]

Chief Delphi 1998 had a 2-wheel swerve. This was the first swerve drive...
Sometimes referred to as "delphi drive" in the old days.

-John

[JamesCH95]

Great info. Any idea when the first 4-wheel swerve was made?

[Ether]

Is there a shorter name, widely understood within the CD community, for a 4-wheel independent-steering and independent-driven drivetrain, with unlimited rotation of the wheels and sensors, and no gaps in the sensor feedback?

If not, could a longtimer here please invent one? It sure would be useful when discussing control methods.

[JVN]

Originally Posted by Ether

Is there a shorter name, widely understood within the CD community, for a 4-wheel independent-steering and independent-driven drivetrain, with unlimited rotation of the wheels and sensors, and no gaps in the sensor feedback?

If not, could a longtimer here please invent one? It sure would be useful when discussing control methods.

The Unicorn drive?

[Ether]

Originally Posted by JVN

The Unicorn drive?

Well, that's what it is then, christened with JVN gravitas.

This will save me a whole lot of typing.

[AdamHeard]

The closest I know a team came to this task would be 469 in 2007.

4wd independently steered, independently driven (and 3 speed shifters).

However, it was motor in module so was not infinite rotation.

They did nail the control aspect well, which few teams with such drives do.

[Chris Hibner]

ChiefDelphi did 4wd swerve for the 1999 game, as well as the 2001 game.

[Ether]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

The closest I know a team came to this task would be 469 in 2007.

4wd independently steered, independently driven (and 3 speed shifters).

However, it was motor in module so was not infinite rotation.

If slip rings were permitted, could this design be modified to be a true Unicorn drive ?

[MCahoon]

Originally Posted by JVN

The Unicorn drive?

Could you provide some context for this name?

[Peter Matteson]

Originally Posted by MCahoon

Could you provide some context for this name?

It's unatainable.

Like a unicorn you can never attain it.