Yes, I linked both mentioned projects in my original post.
Could you explain for me (in dummy terms) what a PID is?
I believe swerve drives point each wheel in the same direction, whereas X drives point each wheel in opposing directions, which requires the use of omni wheels. This project is closer to an X-drive or holonomic drive, but the shifting ability between tank and holonomic drive gives it it’s own category. It seems like “shift drive” is an unused name, so I think that would be a good name for it.
I experimented with 3, 2, and 1 positions between 0 and 90 degrees, and decided to stick with only 1, which is 45 degrees.
The first version had 3 intermediate positions, being 22.5, 45, and 67.5, degrees. This was neat because I could slowly increase my forwards speed and work up to 67.5 degrees, or (optimally) 2.613 times faster than tank drive (1x, 1.082x, 1.414x, 2.613x speed). Realistically, I’m assuming it never reached 2.613x the speed, or 522.6rpm on a tank configuration.
My second version had 2, which were 30 and 60 degrees. The resulting speeds were 1.155x and 2x faster than tank drive. The 30 degree configuration was nice to drive forwards because it was a little faster, equaling the speed of a 231rpm tank drive. The outward and inward forces on the weak pivot points were minimal, making it great to drive forwards and backwards. Strafing however was uncomfortably fast in this configuration. The opposite was true for a 60 degree configuration - good strafing, but rough forwards and backwards movement.
My final product has one position between 0 and 90, which is 45 degrees. This results in 1.414x the speed, equaling the speed of a 282.8rpm tank drive. It was uniform in speed for both strafing and forward/backward driving, and had a casual diagonal speed - optimal for a holonomic drivetrain. However, both strafing and forward/backward movement gave the pivot points a hefty bit of stress, resulting in misaligned wheels. This configuration did not bounce or undulate like the more extreme angles did, but it had plenty of odd and unintended movement going on. The weak pivot points, bulky and faulty mechanical systems, high riding frame, and heavy bouncing which caused nearly every screw to loosen were major setbacks. Because of this, I conclude that a basic, nonshifting 45 degree X drive is best for those who want to strafe.
If you don’t care for strafing but still want to be extra, a simple 3-4-5 triangle tank drive is best for those who want to be extra but don’t care to strafe. This results in a 36.87 degree angle and a speed of 1.25x faster than tank drive, or equal to a 250rpm tank drive. Additionally, the pushing power should be near the same as a tank drive.