I finally <FINALLY> tried out the bot. I don’t know why, but I’ve been nervous, plus I’ve had plenty to procrastinate on. I mean, this project isn’t even in my top 3 projects I’m supposed to be working on, so…
Popped it on the floor, fired up the tele-op on the desktop, and immediately realized…
Omni-directional wheels suck. Wheels should be directional.
This guy on X is always posting about bot topics I also recently learned (and got excited) about, like he’s a semester behind at that same school. Right on cue, he posts about how cool omni-direction wheels are, lol!
Someone comments, if they’re so great, why do I only ever see him on little tiny robots. I nearly answered something about more moving parts. But then I’m like, why comment instead of actually trying them out myself..?
So I finally put the robot on the ground, pressed forward (aka: the ‘W’ key), and watched it wiggle sideways and twist a bit, then wiggle the other way.
IMMEDIATELY, I start debating with myself, normal wheels or tank tread…?
Mark the kiwi experiment, along with omni-directional wheels, a failure. I love-me a clever design, but only if it works.