Omni wheels are unlike ordinary wheels in their unique ability to provide a zero-constraint connection with the floor in the direction parallel to the wheel axis. In robotic cars,they are commonly used in a configuration of two coaxial pairs with the axis of each pair perpendicular to the other. This configuration allows the car to be commanded to move:
- forward and backward
- sideways (right and left)
- rotatationally about its own vertical axis
Kinematically speaking, the car can be commanded to move in X, Y, and θz, the three independent (2D) degrees of freedom.
The goal of this project is to build an Omni-wheel type robotic car, wirelessly controled using a 3-axis joystick (in tele-operational mode). As the joystick is moved to any deflected postion, the car moves accordingly. Deflections of the joystick in all three degrees of freedom combine in superpositon to drive the car's motion. A larger deflection of the joystick results in a faster motion of the car.