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FingerTech Mecanum Wheels

FingerTech Robotics's picture

Vendor's Description: 

See our new Mecanum Wheel Set!

• FingerTech's revolutionary new Mecanum Wheels allow any robotics enthusiast to add omni-directional capabilities to their creation.

Link to store page

Link to YouTube Commercial!


• Kit includes:
• Four Mecanum wheels (two A-style, two B-style)
• Four mounting hubs
• Four 4-40 screws + one 6-32 setscrew per wheel
• One 0.050" hex wrench
• Instructions

 What can they do?
The four mecanum wheels are each connected to a motor for independent control. The robot can move forward, reverse and spin just like four regular wheels. The configuration of rollers at 45° also allows the robot to translate sideways and through a combination of these, in any direction (even while spinning!).

How do they work?
Adjacent corners use mirrored hubs so that the wheels freely roll outward from the center of the robot. This splits the force into two vectors, one forward/backward and one right/left. When the wheels on one side are spun in opposite directions, the forward and backward vectors cancel out while both sideways vectors add up. Doing the reverse with the other two wheels results in four added sideways vectors.

How do I drive?
Control can be accomplished with a microcontroller or simply using an R/C transmitter! When both sticks are pushed in any direction, the robot moves in that direction. Pushing the sticks towards or away from each other makes the robot spin in place.
The easiest way to think of it is that the left stick controls the front two wheels in any direction, and the right stick controls the rear two wheels in any direction. To achieve this control, two of our V-Tail mixers are required. One mixes the front two wheels to the left stick to respond just like a two-wheel-drive robot. The second mixes the rear two wheels to the right stick in the opposite fashion.

Mecanum Hub material: Black Acetal (Delrin)
Roller material: EPDM 50-60D(A) Rubber
Outside wheel diameter: 2.125"
Wheel width at widest point: 1.25"
Customizable mount bore: 3mm (can be drilled to any size up to 1/4")
Weight: 48grams (1.69oz) per wheel

Comment viewing options


is it the speed for four motor is same???....


FingerTech Robotics's picture

The FingerTech website has a full explanation of how to control a mecanum-drive robot:


TotoroYamada's picture

I just remembered that few months ago i posted a video showing an XL version of that kind of wheels...


ignoblegnome's picture

This is primarily directed at FingerTech Robotics, but I suppose anyone can chime in.

Would I be correct in assuming that mecanum wheels are suited to an indoor, or at least a flat hard surface only? 

Also, as I'm in the middle of designing a suspension system, would you advise against using a suspension system with mecanum wheels.

I think I know the answers to both questions, but I thought I'd get an official answer. ; j

FingerTech Robotics's picture

I've never seen mecanum wheels operating on anything but hard and flat surfaces.  I would be interested to see how some of the bigger wheels perform on grass or gravel.

As for suspension, I think it is a good idea.  Unless you can be sure that a rigid chassis has all four wheels contacting the ground equally, some flex is desired.
The chassis in the demo video is made from garolite and allows the wheels to spring a bit.  It works great.  A combat robot I made with a thick aluminum chassis did not work well because two corner wheels were a bit lower than the others.  I will be adding some flex to that chassis before I try to use it again.

ignoblegnome's picture
Thanks, I didn't consider the need to allow some flex in the frame to keep all wheels in good contact. I was more thinking of a suspension with 1.5 to 2.0 cm of travel. I figured that might interfere with the way the wheels interact to get a turn without rotating the body.  Maybe as long as the surface is smooth, mecanum wheels would work.  Think slow rolling hills rather than rocky bumps.
FingerTech Robotics's picture

As long as the weight distribution is equal between the front and back wheels of each side, you could have them at any height you desire!

If you tilt the wheels though, you will have a bumpy ride and probably not translate siedways very well.

Rudolph's picture

Remember guys, Mecanum wheels are not the same as Omni wheels. I don't know why Mecanums seem to cost more than omni most of the time. I do know that when they first started showing up in commercial applications the companies that made them had to license the design/technology from the US Navy. Perhaps the price still reflects that licensing (I also do not know if the Navy still holds the rights to the design).

Just a mildly interesting tidbit, here's the original patent, from the early '70's.  My brain about turned inside-out after "...plurality of ground engaging means rotatably mounted on the centre part about the periphery thereof.", which is the first friggin sentence of the thing. Must locate more caffeine ;)

ignoblegnome's picture
I'm still laughing my @ss off at your quote, Rudolph.  I used to work with military and government systems.  They do have a way of writing most obscurely.
Prettybird's picture
     I didn't mean to ruffle anyone's feathers. I do like the idea of rubber wheels. They do have silicone coated wheels that may be as good. You have to think industrial and convert. I have no money to invest until Ebay is a little nicer to me. I deal with mostly Parallax stuff and surplus motors beyond the toy stage. Parallax does have fantastic support for their products along with an engineering staff for newbees like me.               http://omniwheel.com/transwheel/transwheel-2000.htm