I see a lot of teams using this type of setup, but I don’t know why. I’m asking since we have a limited amount of Omni’s, so using less would be better so long as it doesn’t cause problems. I’ve also created a bunch of drive gearings (using parts that we have) that I’ll post here later for feedback.
small wheels = more space for wheels
more wheels = more traction and less sinking into mats
less sinking into mats = motors need to work less
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Will this be more of an issue since we have like 80% steel parts, or is it just one of those things that’s just nice to avoid if possible?
I’ve never actually used steel before.
Depends on the rest of your design.
But with steel parts, the weight of the wheels doesn’t add that much (relatively) and 6/8 wheels is generally better.
Prototype and share your results I guess
I meant to ask whether the extra weight from the steel would necessitate having more wheels (I guess I phrased my question pretty badly). I’m definitely not worried about the weight of the wheels.
you are going to have a LOT more tile sink
ok, I’ll see if I can get our coach to buy more aluminum then. also, here are the drivetrain models I made:
There are better ways to make some of these with longer c-channel, but we dont have that, so I compressed some of the longer gearings by using stacked c-channel instead.
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I’d say one reason why people have more wheels is there is more surface area than with fewer wheels, which allows for more traction, and more traction means you can push better, you slide less, and you have better acceleration.
In my opinion, you don’t need to have more than four wheels, unless
a) you have a really heavy bot, >15 lbs.
b) you plan to push other robots around
c) your drivetrain drifts a lot otherwise
I wouldn’t be too concerned about a lack of wheels, because when my school was short wheels and we had a four wheel drivetrain we still did fine.
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Let me amend my statement, we still did terrible, it just wasn’t because of our drivetrain.
I mean, we’re usually a one event team, so it’s not like we need worlds level performance anyways 
. So longs as it works without overheating, it’s good enough for me
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