Holonomic robots are omnidirectional robots that can move in any direction
from any orientation, creating an incredibly mobile robot. So, it's easy to move
the robot in a congested area. A four wheel drive (4WD) omnidirectional robot
can be built using either mecanum wheels or omniwheels. Both wheel types
are similar in that they have rollers mounted around the wheel's circumference
allowing for sideways movement of the robot. The difference between the two
types is the angle at which the rollers are mounted at. This article looks at
omnidirectional robots constructed with both types of wheels and includes
software code for providing this control. The robots are constructed using the
VEX Robotics building system.
A Look at
Holonomic
Locomotion
44 SERVO 09.2013
VEX omnidirectional wheel.
by Roger Tang
and Dick Swan
VEX mecanum wheel (side view).