Re: BattleBots Return - And They're Powered by VEXpro!
 

Thanks, Paul, and thanks everyone! TLDR: Battlebots is awesome.

I am not an active of a poster here on CD, but I have been an active reader behind the scenes for about 10 years :)

I was super excited for this event to ask some of my friends and fellow mentors on the Cheesy Poofs to help me with this crazy project. I could not have done it without them! Travis, Cory, Colin, Andrew, and Mani were especially crucial Poofs which enabled my team to compete; they all worked hard for long hours, on a whim, and without question. Having Cory and Travis at the event was huge, really put me at ease and able to just drive the robot, and worry less about fixing it and getting it ready after having little to no sleep for weeks.

It was great to partner with VEX Robotics, and WPI for this event. I have used IFI control products, and speed controllers, in so many winning robots over the years. There is a reason I keep using them, super reliable, and tiny well made products. It was great fun getting to see Bob/Paul/Tony out in CA and cheering us on at the event filming! I am proud to have gotten their logos out on primetime TV! I was able to convince ABC to do some filming with us as FRC mentors with the Poofs, as some back story, and hope they use some of that footage.


I love Battlebots, and FIRST. I have been building combat robots for about 15 years now, since I was 13, competed all over the country, in official Battlebots events and Robogames, others, etc. It has been a fantastic journey, and taught me almost everything I know about engineering and building robots.

Combat robots introduced me to FIRST. At WPI, the lab I was given some space in also house Team 190, and I quickly became friends with those mentors and I tried my hand at mentoring with them from 2006 and on. FIRST was huge for me, because I loved working with the mentors and students. Competitive robotics is my passion in life, eat, breathe, and sleep robot events. After moving to the west coast in 2013, I knew I had to join the Poofs!

For anyone that dislikes Battlebots, I feel bad for you, you just don't "get it." It is OK to love FIRST, and Battlebots, Robogames, and whatever other competition pops up. It is all fun, and certainly all inspiring, and all very educational. My favorite part about Battlebots? When I was 13, I was calling industrial companies, sourcing parts, creating a budget, researching how to cut metal and drill holes, learning how to organize travel and shipment of a team and robot, and what can go wrong (everything). My favorite part, is that you actually learn those things the most when the project is a small effort, a 1 person or 3 person team for example. Nobody is just "along for the ride" or "part of the team", you are the team. I think there is much to be learned from working in teams, and team projects, but even more when you go out on your own some time for something you are truly passionate about.

I am a huge advocate of having students go out and try some projects on their own, I think it is the only part missing from FIRST. I would love to see kids going out to find sponsors, design their own machines, compete, make products, anything, on their own for a personal project, as the culmination of the FRC experience. Combat robotics is just one simple area which lets people try that.

If you want to follow along and learn more about my current team, this page will be the most active: https://www.facebook.com/AptyxDesigns

Please respect that we have signed some very restricting documents, and the season is still airing on TV, so there are many things we cannot talk about. The rules and details around the event were made not public for various reasons, but I am sure more information will be available in the coming months.

-Paul Ventimiglia

Re: BattleBots Return - And They're Powered by VEXpro!
 

I saw a youtube video for Battlebots where one of the tv guys went around to each of the pits and talked to the builders. When he came to you, you said that you put magnets on your tracks to get better traction in the arena. Did you do that after you saw the arena or was that a pre-designed/pre-knowledge of the arena decision?

Re: BattleBots Return - And They're Powered by VEXpro!
 

I have used magnets to help hold my robot to the arena floor since 2004. Many others have done this before me too, not my own original idea.

The floor of the Battlebox has always been steel, with traction paint, and Robogames etc also have steel floors.

However, the magnets in Bite Force are not adding a whole lot of additional downforce. There wasn't time to properly tune or test that, or the entire robot. The robot was only finished the night before, no driving testing on steel.

The tank treads are primarily for TV. They look cool, and people like them, that is it! For engineering purposes, they are horrible. Heavy, expensive, time consuming to make, single point of failure, etc.

But... tank treads are neat, and Battlebots is an entertaining show for the masses! I want their to be a toy made with tank treads for Happy Meals.

-Paul Ventimiglia

Re: BattleBots Return - And They're Powered by VEXpro!
 

Re: BattleBots Return - And They're Powered by VEXpro!
 

Looks like that minibot hit 88MPH. It's probably roaming around the wild west or something.

-Brando

Re: BattleBots Return - And They're Powered by VEXpro!
 

I had no idea that Donald did this before. That's awesome!
We won Inland Empire with him this season and back in 2011, we teamed up also losing in the Vegas Finals to 987 and company. Donald was pretty hyped since it was their very 1st regional win in the 11 years he's been with 1572. I just forgot his name earlier.:p

Re: BattleBots Return - And They're Powered by VEXpro!
 

FRC/battlebot merger confirmed again: That's awesome...

Re: BattleBots Return - And They're Powered by VEXpro!
 

Wow, Battlebots is back! That was a fantastic show. I can't wait for next Sunday!

Re: BattleBots Return - And They're Powered by VEXpro!
 

I can add some details here from what I heard... and know from past events that seem to have carried over.

Team's were pooled mostly from existing groups of known builders that were still semi-active, groups that competed in such things as ComBots/Robogames and smaller events around the USA/world). I believe teams had to submit a video/designs for a robot/updated robot, some which are floating around on the youtubes.

Battlebots 2015 has a 250 LBS weight limit, and no weight bonuses given to walkers (like it did way back during the first few seasons of the original ie: son of whyachi). "Mini bots" are factored into weight, all "bots" are weighted together and the total weight has to be under 250lbs. As stated earlier the 250lbs is calculated on what you have sitting on the arena floor, so you can reconfigure all you want, just what you fight with is under 250lbs. (Unlike FRC the 250lbs includes batteries/etc)

The best thing about battlebots imho is that it has a very OPEN set of rules. Almost any motors/ESC/power system/building material/etc is fair game, along with no budget limitations. (I could be wrong about the new show but it seems every "battlebot" competition has been like this). Some competitions have stricter rules on weapons (places that don't have a battle cage) such as no flame throwers, no spinners/etc obviously because of the cage most of that area is pretty free for battlebots itself as far as I can tell. Also I don't know numbers but I assume there are some basic dimension rules so the bots can fit through doors and such, as well as basic safety guides (IE no firearms/bombs/EMP/radio jammers/etc).

Matches are 3 minutes, if any robot is disabled within the 3 minutes (ie cannot move) the other robot wins. If both robots are still functional the panel of judges decides who is the winner of the match based on number of hits, severity ofs the hits, who dominated etc. And I believe there's a button where you can forfeit the match if it's going that badly for you.

Now I know a lot of people seem to be bashing certain robot(s); not all builders are driven with the main goal of building the most engineery/techy solid killer robot possible. Some people build them for fun and express creative designs and weird fun things often just for TV, sure they don't do as well as the hardcore battlebots but that's not the point. Sometimes a design just doesn't work out, happens all the time, often time/season(s) builders iterate just like in FRC! I don't want to speak for anyone but aftering seeing some of the posts on reddit/fb/etc I felt like mentioning something along these things here.

I have followed all the "battlebots" alike competitions (battlebots, robotwars, robotica, combots, robowars) since I was a little kid, and am glad to see it back. And pretty happy with how it went, sure there was some TV fluff and drama added in but some great flights as well. All of just just reminds me I need to go finish designing my 30lber- for the competitions around me...........

PS: Most of the teams have pages on FB if you wanna see more photos/etc hit them up since as the show is now on air some NDA restrictions have lifted.

Re: BattleBots Return - And They're Powered by VEXpro!
 

Thank you for correcting me on this. I appreciate that people on CD are always willing to help correct misinfomation.

I would like to add that it is always cool to know about all the FIRST associations that people have in these engineering competitions.

Re: BattleBots Return - And They're Powered by VEXpro!
 

Do you think (assuming there are future seasons) that BattleBots will ever become an open competition?

Also: Definitely cheering for Capt. Shredderator next week!

Re: BattleBots Return - And They're Powered by VEXpro!
 

I just found out that I'm working alongside a competitor from the previous seasons.

He built No Tolerance 3 (and 2, and 1).

See time 14:30 and time 20:30 in this video No_Tolerance_vs_Toe_Crusher

He said that he was planning to go watch, and found out that the entry fee was not much more than the cost of a spectator ticket, so he quickly whipped together his first robot using IFI (now VEX) and Black & Decker parts, and headed west (I remember being young, employed & single ... those were the days).

If the past is prologue, and if the show lasts more than one season, the producers might have casting calls.

My colleague's robot was purposefully built to be both eye candy, and have some chance at winning. He echoed the previously posted comments that the show is about good TV as much or more than it is about good/effective robots.

Build a robot. Make a demo video. Have someone get it in front of the right person, and maybe you will get invited next season...?

Blake

Re: BattleBots Return - And They're Powered by VEXpro!
 

Yes, I do think that for sure. Every single other Battlebots event has been open since the beginning.

This one was simply unique because they had so little time from announcing, and couldn't firm up details with the network deal. Additionally, they wanted to work with people they knew would have functional robots to make the filming a success for the pilot episodes, and not risk first timers showing up with non-functional, or non-exciting robots.

-Paul Ventimiglia

Re: BattleBots Return - And They're Powered by VEXpro!
 

Best robot there was Ice Wave, there's not really any way to beat it... The mower blade is awesome.

Re: BattleBots Return - And They're Powered by VEXpro!
 

I flipper extension may do the trick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVsQoM-i4mw