Swerve Drive [Bit Buckets]

Bit Buckets Robotics is working on prototyping a drivetrain seldom seen outside the world of competitive robotics. This is known as a swerve drive. It is omnidirectional, meaning it can translate in any direction as well as rotate in tandem. This unconstrained movement is very useful in robotics competitions, as it provides a perfect balance of dexterity and traction.

One of the more popular places swerve drives are being used is at Disneyland, where the new-ish Star Wars Rise of the Resistance takes riders through an animatronic wonderland via swerve-driven carts. The ability of the carts to strafe and rotate while moving is quite a thrill.

The modules seen on each corner use two motors: one to drive the wheel, and the other to rotate it to any direction. This particular flavor of swerve is known as coaxial, where the drive path shares the same axis as the rotation. Since the drive motor is then positioned away from the wheel, each module can rotate infinitely, greatly simplifying the wiring and software.

The swerve modules themselves are relatively challenging to make - the team opted to purchase modules from SwerveDriveSpecialties, though there are many others hitting the market.

Our students are all fairly new to mechanical and electrical design, but they are learning quickly! Everything you see was either designed, fabricated, or assembled by Bit Buckets students. We are using the Trotec laser cutter to create the bellypan (attached) and electronics panel (in process) to the chassis, along with bumpers to keep your ankles from exploding when this hits you at 16ft/s. 

We hope to have it up and running by the 12th of December. Stay tuned!