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12Drive

Drivetrains

Tank, mecanum, swerve, and holonomic - the drivetrain decides how your robot drives, turns, and strafes across the floor.

A robot chassis - the frame that holds the wheels, motors, and gearboxes of your drivetrain.

1Experience
2Reflect
3Theorize
4Apply

What a Drivetrain Does

A drivetrain is the mechanism that turns motor rotation into motion across the floor. Gears from the last module give you the right speed and torque - the drivetrain turns that into driving, turning, and (sometimes) strafing.

Intermediate ~12 min

Four Common Drivetrains

Tank Drive

Two motors, one per side. Turns by spinning sides at different speeds. Simple and powerful.

Mecanum

Four wheels with angled rollers. Can move sideways, forward, and diagonally - but slips under load.

Swerve

Each wheel has its own steering motor. Every direction, full traction. Complex, but unstoppable.

Holonomic / Omni

Three omni wheels at 120°. Compact, omnidirectional, but not great with heavy loads.

Picking a drivetrain: Tank for pure push, mecanum for agility on flat floors, swerve for competitions where you need both. Every choice trades simplicity for performance.
Pause and Reflect
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Apply What You Learned

Pick a drivetrain for a robot that must push heavy crates across a carpeted ramp.

  • Decide whether traction or maneuverability matters more for this task.
  • Pick the drivetrain that best balances those needs.
  • List one downside of your choice and how you would work around it.
  • Sketch the wheel layout on paper, top-down.
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