Swervo is a low-cost swerve drive base for FRC off-season training.
It enables hardware and software teams to iterate and experiment with issues like trajectory following, control tuning, and it can serve as a base for other projects like targeting, at a much lower price point than "real" swerve: if you have an extra RIO, a few hundred dollars in parts is all you need. Unlike other low-cost platforms, Swervo uses a real RIO, so teams should be able to use the very same code on the large and small platforms, with just configuration/tuning differences.
The design goal is simplicity, not lowest-possible cost. Accordingly, the two key enablers are:
- The Parallax 360 continuous servo, which includes an encoder, and which can be driven directly by the RIO at about 120 RPM.
- Slip rings, which allow direct drive.
Both are expensive parts, but they make the design very simple: no motor controllers, no PDP, no encoders, no linkages, etc.
Here's an example, executing a kinda-square path with a fixed aiming point:
