An Omni-wheel is a wheel that has bearings built into the tread of the wheel to allow sideways movement. These bearings, usually rubber, can be motorised depending on vehicle task but all designs give the wheel more degrees of freedom on the horizontal plane.

If F1 cars had Mecanum wheels, more driving lines would be possible and a better discrimination between drivers skills would occur.The range of complex turns and maneuvers would be exponentially increased.

Because the cars are more nimble, baring new tyre rubber to hold the G forces, new tracks could be engineered. Tracks could have 90 degree turns, zig zags and normal curves with abrupt changes against standard lines.

Since the changes in momentum will be quite varied and from many angles, the drivers seating and safety gear may have to be redesigned to give support for strenuous moments of lateral forces.

Racing would be artistically beautiful. The F1 cars could dance around the track with such moves as a 360 degree spin of the car because that was one driving lines that was the most efficient to handle that track section. The overtaking game would become a live, seperate interplay of motion, between drivers as the circuit is completed. F1 might even become more about this magnified dimension of drving styles by different drivers, their art, and winning, although the goal, becomes secondary.

Although, drivers might have to donate their brains to science to study the effects of G forces not unlike concussion. But there's always a cost.
-- wjt, Dec 14 2019

For [wjt] https://www.youtube...watch?v=xr7n3y3enPA
The back wheel is technically a doubly-powered omni-wheel... [neutrinos_shadow, Dec 16 2019]

Drift Wheels https://folders.co....with-sideways-drift
The radio-controlled version. [neutrinos_shadow, Jul 07 2020]

At some point, hovercraft would be simpler.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 15 2019


Actually, Formula 1 Hovercraft would be awesome.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 15 2019


Hovercraft have the fail that they don't have sharp turns, totally opposite to this idea. Graceful maybe.
-- wjt, Dec 15 2019


//Hovercraft have the fail that they don't have sharp turns// Nothing an anchor on the end of a rope can't fix. Though, some(most?) racetracks have curved banks.
-- FlyingToaster, Dec 15 2019


The turning radius of a hovercraft is limited only by the mass and velocity of the projectile it fires.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 15 2019


So F1 Hovertank racing on this idea's F1 omniwheel circuit.
-- wjt, Dec 15 2019


That's absolutely not true, except in a vacuum. And certainly not true of things that trade velocity with the ground.
-- Voice, Dec 15 2019


Yes, but it's better to operate hovercraft in a vacuum, otherwise they're unspeakably noisy.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 15 2019


Great minds think alike... I saw some drift racing recently (on YouTube IIRC) and thought "why not just use Mecanum wheels and a better control system; show the boy racers how it's done".
Having thought about such things before, you need 3 controls:
1: Speed (obviously)
2: Direction of vehicle relative to it's "normal forwards"
3: rotational velocity of vehicle around it's own axis
So basically 2 "steering wheel" type devices and the usual floor pedal pair (no clutch; this will need to be electric).
-- neutrinos_shadow, Dec 15 2019


I've not seen Meccanum wheels operating at significant, or even interesting speeds. Are they capable of so doing?
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 15 2019


eeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYY YYYYYOOOOOOooooooooow SSKkkreeeeeeee THUD

Tinkle tinkle tinkle hisssssssssss ....

No.
-- 8th of 7, Dec 15 2019


Is a Meccanum wheel anything like a Mecanum wheel? Because a Mecanum wheel could be redesigned by the F1 speed brains.

Shouldn't there be a probable set of electro-magnetic wave forms for powerfully inducing different drive states of the wheels within the main controlled wheel.
-- wjt, Dec 16 2019


// eeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYY YYYYYOOOOOOooooooooow SSKkkreeeeeeee THUD Tinkle tinkle tinkle hisssssssssss .... //

Has somebody given [8th] Orange Fanta again? I've said before that it doesn't agree with him.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 16 2019


Some sounds are friendlier to the ear than racecar sounds. They could do focus groups on people of different possible sounds the Mecanum wheel could make, and then design its sound around whatever is most physiologically measured as exciting, yet pleasant. In other words engaging the Mecanum wheel would be an even more exciting addition to watching racecars.
-- beanangel, May 07 2021


I used to watch hovercraft racing when I was a child. It was good fun.
-- pocmloc, Mar 15 2022


//Yes, but it's better to operate hovercraft in a vacuum, otherwise they're unspeakably noisy.//

Not if you fill them full of eels.
-- RayfordSteele, Mar 16 2022



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