REV Robotics offers three types of wheels for use with the REV 15mm Building System: Traction, Omni, and Mecanum. There are two different traction wheels available: the standard Traction Wheel and the Grip Wheel. The main focus of the traction wheel is to pull a robot in a forward/backwards motion. Omni and Mecanum wheels, however, are omnidirectional wheels. Omnidirectional wheels give additional flexibility to a drivetrain by adding an additional vector of motion, known as strafing.
Most REV wheels are molded with a 5mm Hex Hub. Adding a steel hex hub to any REV wheel provides additional strength when needed.
The Traction Wheel comes in three different sizes to allow flexibility in design and usage of the wheels. Wheels 60mm in diameter and larger have a hole pattern on an 8mm pitch enabling easy mounting to other 15mm Building System components.
Omni Wheels have small rollers around the circumference of the wheel that can passively roll perpendicularly to the direction the wheel is driven. This wheel makes it easier for a robot to turn in a differential drivetrain. Using Omni Wheels in conjunction with each other can create more maneuverable robots in advanced drivetrain applications.
Grip Wheels are wider than standard Traction Wheels, offering traction while still being lightweight in specific drivetrain applications. Designed for optimal grip in situations where the material the wheel is interacting with is compliant like soft foam tiles, carpet, or foam balls.
Mecanum Wheels have rollers around the whole circumference of a steel plate rim, set at a 45° angle. Each side of a Mecanum Drivetrain needs one left wheel and one right wheel required for operation. When set up properly, this allows for omni-directional movement, determined by the direction of the leading edge of the rollers.
