"Fun Stuff" - Holonomic Drive Systems

Lego's aren't just for kids! The Mindstorms kits provide enough intellectual challenge for adults too. Check out Steve Hassenplug's holonomic drive robot called Omni. The holonomic drive allows the robot to move in any direction.

Holonomic drive, in the realm of robotics, refers to the ability to move in all direction and rotate independently. For example, a tank, which has to rotate before it can move in a different direction, would not be holonomic. But the robots featured in this MIT video, taken during the FIRST Robotics Championship in Atlanta, GA, are.