3-Wheel Holonomic Swerve Drive

The three-wheel holonomic swerve drive was developed as a next-generation mobility platform for future MIT Tech Team robots, designed to combine the omnidirectional freedom of holonomic motion with the traction, stability, and precision of swerve steering. Each of the three wheel modules integrated an Alien Power BLDC motor for translation and an Odrive-controlled BLDC motor for yaw steering, with onboard absolute encoders providing high-resolution feedback. In total, six Odrive S1 controllers managed the drive and yaw subsystems, executing closed-loop current and velocity control in real time. The drivetrain was paired with an MPU6050 IMU for drift correction and global orientation, while a 24V 8,000 mAh 10C battery pack powered the system. To support continuous 360° steering and seamless integration of both power and signals, the system employed custom-sponsored JINPAT slip rings manufactured to team-specific requirements — one of the major highlights of this project.

We also implemented and validated the swerve kinematic equations in embedded code, enabling correct wheel-angle transformations and coordinated omnidirectional motion. A dedicated STM32 microcontroller handled real-time computation, while an ESP module provided Bluetooth connectivity for controller interfacing. The system was fully assembled, calibrated, and tested in live trials, validating its ability to achieve drift-free omnidirectional motion, smooth yaw steering, and robust power delivery. This project not only deepened my expertise in embedded control and power electronics but also laid the groundwork for its integration into future Robocon competition robots.