Drivebase Types

Overview

The drivebase is the foundation of your robot's movement. Common FTC drivebases are tank, mecanum, and holonomic. Each has different movement capabilities and programming requirements.

Tank Drive

Tank drive uses two sets of wheels (left and right), each controlled by one joystick. Forward/backward when both sticks move the same direction; turning when they move opposite directions. Simple, reliable, and easy to program.

Tank Drive Control

while (opModeIsActive()) {
    double leftPower = -gamepad1.left_stick_y;
    double rightPower = -gamepad1.right_stick_y;
    leftDrive.setPower(leftPower);
    rightDrive.setPower(rightPower);
    telemetry.addData("Left Power", leftPower);
    telemetry.addData("Right Power", rightPower);
    telemetry.update();
}

Mecanum Drive

Mecanum drive uses four special wheels that allow strafing (moving left/right without turning). Requires four motors and different math for wheel powers. High maneuverability for driver-controlled play.

Mecanum Drive Control

double y = -gamepad1.left_stick_y;
double x = gamepad1.left_stick_x;
double rx = gamepad1.right_stick_x;

double lf = y + x + rx;
double lb = y - x + rx;
double rf = y - x - rx;
double rb = y + x - rx;

leftFront.setPower(lf);
leftBack.setPower(lb);
rightFront.setPower(rf);
rightBack.setPower(rb);

Holonomic (Omni) Drive

Holonomic drivebases use omni wheels in an X or triangle pattern. Like mecanum, they allow omnidirectional movement. The math for wheel powers differs from mecanum based on wheel arrangement.

Comparison

Tank: Simple, robust, cannot strafe.
Mecanum: Omnidirectional, can strafe, more complex hardware and code.
Holonomic: Omnidirectional, different wheel layout, less common in FTC.