Drive is a crucial component in FRC. How your robot maneuvers around the field can be a key factor in determining whether your design is ideal or not. For different applications on the field, different drives may be suited, here are a few basic versions. It can also be beneficial to choose certain drivetrains over others from a defensive standpoint.
Tank Drive
A configuration of wheels with 3 or more wheels on each side of the robot. This is the most basic drivetrain in FRC, and is very beneficial in terms of defense and strength. When omni-directional wheels are added on the front or back, this increases the turn radius enabling smooth transition.
Note: many tank drives feature a drop-center to help reduce turning radius
Swerve Drive
A swerve drive consists of a complex module involving two motors; one rotating the orientation of the wheel, one rotating the actual wheel. There are 4 modules on each corner of a square chassis moving the robot. Using encoders and precise code, the robot will be able to move in all directions wherever desired. This is one of the best drive systems that modern FRC offers. A few cons of this however, is that it is very difficult to program, and can sometimes struggle with defense.
