The Mecanum Wheel Is So Weird, It Is Genius. How It Works

I want to clarify something I said about energy being wasted in the video. Energy is clearly being wasted, but not as mechanical work. Energy (work)= force x distance... Because the distance moved was technically zero the "work" or "energy" is also technically zero. I was thinking in terms of energy wasted from the battery or gasoline from an engine etc. I just didn't flesh it out clearly/correctly in the video. But Electrical energy was converted to heat via friction as both wheels push inward with some force but can't overcome each other. This was not conveyed clearly in the video. But for my engineering friends who want to be technically correct (that includes me :)) this note is for you!

"What is this going to do?" Answer: "Nothing. It's just cool." ----- This guy gets it. Well done.

Jeremy you are a true mentor to this 70-year-old gear head with a basic electronics back round. Blessings to you and your family.

I'll tell you, that line about seeing that kind of wheel in person and immediately thinking of MJ performing? Same, the exact same thought came to me the first time I saw one in operation in a warehouse. That was a forklift, too.

Thanks Jeremy, that was pretty damn interesting. I watched 4:17 at 0.25% speed to really see what was happening,

Mecanum wheels absolutely have a huge cool factor. But you might also want to consider omniwheels, which are similar in concept, or wheel mountings that are 360 degrees rotatable around the vertical axis.

This video was wheely good.

Your love for engineering is contagious, never change!

You are incredible! Miss your videos!

Jeremy, I always enjoy your content. You are a very good presenter- thorough and enthusiastic about the information you are sharing. It is my hope that you will be able to continue to share for as long as it brings you joy to do so. Thanks!

We talked couple years ago. I have been a fan since the space saver shed and repurposing older motors time. And just like this, I still appreciate the breakdown. It's very well done and easy to comprehend. I'm glad you are doing this. It is cool to me as well. The potential and problem solving is very satisfying. Thank you

Thanks! "So satisfying to watch..." is very apt.

I would exploit the Mecanum Wheel maneuverability platform by adding a paint pen to the robot so that it can be used to write on the ground in two modes. One mode would print text, the other mode would print a simple vectored image. An optical mouse may need to be added for position feedback. The more expensive version would have ground effects fans so it can print on a wall. Both versions are controlled by a ESP32 phone link with onboard picture capabilities.

I never get notifications when you upload.. so glad I randomly rediscovered this channel (that I've been subbed to for years).

As someone who was in FIRST robotics I always thought these were so cool, we mainly used them in material centering applications not locomotion. What FIRST used for locomotion was what we called "swerve drive", I think that could be a really cool video going into the deep dive of "swerve drive" in real world applications. I also think you would maybe find it as a fun drive train for your bot because it has both precision and maneuverability.

I love your enthusiasm when explaining these things. Your videos are fantastic to watch. Thank you!

Great start, it's the right direction, and you can also connect a whole range of end effectors to a robot as well.

About 10 years ago, I had my students (cc) design & build a mecanum wheelchair that was controlled by an Arduino, joystick and solar PV panel for recharging the batteries. We demonstrated it to @60 middle schools around S.E. Michigan and a Maker show at Henry Ford Greenfield Village. It was a HUGE success! It was also bulit from recycled materials, except the mecanum wheels & Arduino.

I'm living vicariously through your projects, so thank you for sharing these videos. I'm gonna go play with some software now.

I appreciate your down to earth approach to engineering. Keep up the great work!