How many first students do battlebots, etc.?

[Greg Perkins]

I know a whole bunch of kids on our team do battlebots, robotwars, and N.E.R.C., i was curious if any other people do battlebots too?

I myself am working on one, though I am short on funding, but oh well!

Greg
(badjokeguy)

[Matt Reiland]

I am not a student but I am working ona Battlebot

[Greg Perkins]

matt,

what r u making for a robot?

I am building a 2 pound bot for a compeition in NY, next year

greg
(badjokeguy)

[Norm M.]

This is my first year on First, my son's second. We have participated in the last three Battlebots events.

We are getting ready to start rebuilding robots for the event coming up in May.

Oh, yeah. If you want to see our robot, we will be on the show Mar 5th. MOE.

edited: Forgot how to use a calender...

[Matt Reiland]

Hey Greg

I am working on an intermediate size battlebot (Silverado) with a mix of features not yet seen out there. Our most important feature is the clampbot action like 'complete control' but instead of a small air cylinder to clamp we are trying to get an air-over-oil hydraulic system (AMPAC) in this system usually has a pressure of 10-15 times hydaulic to air pressure. The other benifit is that it closes a gap really fast then intesifies up to pressure. I also want to put in a 4 wheel steer system like we have on this years FIRST bot. (Its our prototype). The robot will have some type of front wedge with protruding forks then the crushing bars hidden in the top. You align with the other bot run into them, the crushing bars rapidly come down on the opposing robot to clamp them then intesify. Should be fun, I just got a CNC kit for my smithy milling machine in my basement to make the parts faster. Some of the guys I work with want more and more power so it should be interesting. We will use some mag motors from robotbooks.com for the drive. Lastly we are designing an anti-spin bot defense that can absorb the huge forces that the rotating robots exert. I am designing most of it in ProDesktop which is free from PTC.com and it is really sweet program for 3-d mechaincal design

[Greg Perkins]

matt,


i am almost done my 2lbr, i made a hovercraft in my basement out of random stuff like first muffin fans and a whole lot of zip ties! I am gonna need to put a rudder on the back attached to a servo and i still need a radio! ahh, no money sucks!!

I want to build a bot for battlebots in the near future that is a tank drive with some sort of flippper built on it. i really need a place to start and i don't know where to. if you could give me some insight on how you started i would like some advice.

thanks,

greg
(badjokeguy)

[Matt Reiland]

Hey Greg,

I started building by working with some people that do machining to get a better handle on different metals. (strengths/weakness machinability) I also started working on this years drive system to get a better feel for what a robust drive would be like and how to make it easily replaceable. I really like tanks but be careful, most tank tracks get destroyed in the battle arena by spinners and the kill saws where as you can take a pneumatic wheel fill it with something like greatstuff (foam) and you can cut it and it still keeps working. Also to be successful make things redundant. If you can, don't use 2 motors for the drive, use four or more since a loss of 1 or 2 won't get your bot counted out. So far my drive is all spur gear driven and fully welded supported by ball bearings. No set screws, keyways only welds. When I have 2 dissimilar metals we weld a flange on the steel and bolt the 2 together. On most of the gears on this years robot we turned them on a lathe and drilled out holes in them - the result: 70 weight reduction still tough as nails. Check out BioHazards website on robotbooks.com

Seriously find a fast connection and download ProDesktop from PTC it is a 3-d design software that has kinematics inside that allows you to make linkages and 'animate' them. Many of the BB use this you see it all over at the arena. From what I hear its best to start in the lighter weight divisions but everything I build seems to weigh in too much so we went for intermediate. To build a battlebot I truely believe you must have or have access to large machine tools such as: milling machine, lathe, drill press, band saw, possibly welder.

[BSMFIRST]

Matt,
sounds like the perfect Battlebot. Crushing weapons definitely have the most destructive capability, it's just a matter of getting a quick clamp and a powerful crush--which you seem to have.

Are you planning on entering it in the May event? Hope to see you there.

Dan

[Clark Gilbert]

I think i'm going to back up Matt on saying that anyone who wants a good CAD software for free should defintely download Pro/Desktop.......

Heck...I'm on a 56k and it only took about 1hr and 40 mins. and it was well worth the wait...

From what i've played with so far...this program is a cheap (heck its free) alternative to programs like Inventor and Solid Edge (i own a copy of both and i think its basically a free version of either one)..

[Greg Perkins]

I am planning out on how to build my middleweight bot for Battlebots. I just did some pre-liminary drawings for it, It wil be 1/4 inch tube steel i found at Home Depot. 33ft of it, is needed to construct my bot. I have 4 identical motors that i bought a while ago, they are high-speed/high-torque motors that would help in the box. I need to make brass bushings to make the shafts on the motors stay straight, they weIre missing them when i bought them. I still need to buy a radio! which i have found for $85, I think I will use tekin Speed Controllers that were donated by my First Team. I have a big bag full of them. I am gonna run 24vdc through my system. I need to purchase the batteries still, i think i found some on American Science And Surplus, for cheap money.

Does anybody have a good thought of what I should cover it with? I was thinking Lexan or maybe sheet metal? If anybody has any pro's or con's against any of these i would love to hear them!

[Matt Reiland]

Lexan is reat for hammers and spikes but any spinners will quickly wreck it (Last night Killerhurtz got really mangled) We are planning on making the outer skin of Stainless with aluminum over the top of that.

[Greg McCoy]

WOW! Free CAD software that's decent! I would buy Inventor, but it's kinda out of my price range...that's awesome, thanks for the link...

Why not just use the programs that FIRST sent us for free, they dont care, those are the ones that i use.

And how does one get involved with battlebots, do u just be like yea hey wehave a robot? and there like come on over and destroy it?

[Pteryxx]

How to "get involved" with Battlebots:

Go to www.battlebots.com , read the rules, build something that complies, and register for and come to the next event (looks like May in San Francisco again).

Go to www.robotcombat.com , check the pictures of bots that attended the last few events to see what's been done. Use the builder search engine to see if there's anyone in your area, go to their website, ask politely if you can come ask advice and watch them show off. Also go to the links page for advice on building and getting parts.

Alternately: contact Battlebots and offer to volunteer. They always need more help at the events.

Good luck, Pteryx

[SSwaszek]

I'm trying to build a robot, but I think its gonna end up being a piece of junk. I just want the satisfation of building it. Hopefully it will either do good or get demolished in a round so they could show it on t.v.