Table of Contents
Drivetrain
A drivetrain is an essential component of a robot, responsible for its movement on the field. It's crucial to understand the different types of drivetrains and their advantages and disadvantages to make informed decisions for your robot design.
Main Types of Drivetrain
West Coast Drive (WCD)
The West Coast Drive is characterized by having six wheels, three on either side, with the center wheels being lower than the front and rear wheels.
Pros:
- Easy To Assemble
- Easy To Maintain
- Easy To Program
- Extremely Well Documented
- Reasonably Maneuverable
Cons:
- No translational capabilities (can't move side to side)
- Lowered center wheel means the drivetrain will rock back and forth
- 2-3 inches on either side of the drivetrain are taken solely by the drive system and can't be used for mounting.
Mecanum/Holonomic Drive
A Mecanum or Holonomic Drivetrain is a drivetrain with four independently powered Mecanum Wheels. This allows for translational (side to side) movement with minimal complexity.
Pros:
- Can do translational (side to side) movement without the complexity of Swerve
- Relatively low mechanical complexity
- Relatively easy to assemble
- Good documentation
Cons:
- Less Grip Than Other Wheels (More likely to slide around and struggle to get over inclines)
- More difficult to program
- Generally slower than other drivetrains
- Capable of most tasks, but not particularly good at anything.
Swerve Drive
Swerve drive is a drivetrain with four independently powered wheel, but as opposed to other systems, each of these wheels can rotate independently to each other. This allows for extreme maneuverability and control without the reduced grip of a Mecanum drivetrain would have.
Pros:
- Extremely fast and maneuverable
- Capable of simultaneous translational and rotational movement
- Equivalent grip to West Coast
- Sold in kits
- The best choice (in terms of capabilities) in most scenarios
Cons:
- Expensive
- Mechanically Complex
- Difficult to Program
- Requires a significant time investment to calibrate and test.
- New(er) Drive System meaning it lacks some of the documentation and maturity of West Coast and other drive systems