http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/8926/protochassis001ld9.jpg
This is RaileRobotics prototype mecanum chassis as of last night.
all I can say is WOW. There seem to be many teams trying out this mecanum chassis! 
Looks good, have any other pics, like closer up, the mecanum modules, and maybe some video?
wipes a tear from eye
It’s beautiful…
how well does it drive?
That is beautiful, I hope it runs as good as it looks. I hope we get a game this year that will better take advantage of these types of these very maneuverable drive systems.
Beautiful.
Would you run it like that, or would there be some protective frame around it? (Or bumpers, even?)
I’d hate to burst your bubble, but are those mecanums in the wrong position?
I think the wheels need to be switched front to back or left to right.
I may be wrong, though.
It’ll work as pictured, but I agree that the wheels are backward (or upside down) and should be rearranged.
We didn’t quite understand the importance of how the wheels were arranged until we made the same mistake ourselves. It became obvious pretty quickly.
The side the wheels are on is irrelevant as long as the angle of the rollers is different from left to right and front to back. In other words the rollers either need to point in or out but not both left or both right.
If the wheels were to be switched from the current position then it would require the oppisite input to strafe left or right.
Actually, the position of the wheels is quite relevant to how the chassis will perform on the field.
As your wheels are arranged currently, it’s possible to rotate your robot in place while under no power. During a match, a competing robot could push you at the corner, causing your robot to spin in the same manner. There’s no way to apply power to oppose that motion.
Also, it seems like it wont rotate as well when the wheels are being driven.
It drives much as a Mecanum should, albeit it does have a tendency to drift around the floor. This is mostly due to the fact that the robot weighs less than 50 pounds and we have been driving on polished concrete.
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/7/img3065bw5.jpg
Thank you very much for your input. Does this look better.
Yep, that’ll do it.
Did you switch them just now?
Yes we did change them now. It took us less than 5 minutes to change our wheels. We pull out the side bearings and the drive shafts and can switch the wheels from the bottom of the chassis.
Coolest feature of this robot? The built-in lifting handles at the top corners of the side plates!
What are your gear reductions from the CIM to the wheel? The gear meshing with the CIM output looks huge? I’m guessing it’s somewhere around an 80 tooth?
Looks very nice. As always, I’d love to see some video.
BEN
Awsome awsome awsome! Great job you guys. I would also like to see some video of it in action.
That. Is. Crazy. I definitely want to see how this fairs in next year’s competition.
Yes, it looks much better
That is an amazing looking piece. Nice to see some quality craftsmanship. One question the front plates are attached to the side by 12 allen bolts. Are these just threaded into tapped holes on the side plates and if so how large are the holes and how solid is the frame since it is a narrow material being held by small bolts.
Did you make the wheels yourself or did you buy them?
Very nice work. i wish my team had a waterjet (if thats what you used)