Real robot "replicas"

[MR. BONESTRIPPER]

I've seen a lot of replicas of robots from Robot Wars and battlebots in the RA2 threads. I've built and competed with insect weight class (1 and 3 pound) robots before, but I would like to enter a 30lb sportsman eventually. Mortis is my favorite combat robot, and it's design, if shrunk down to 30lbs, would be compliant with the sportsman rules.

I've been thinking of building a "mini-mortis" (don't know what I'd actually call it), using it's original series 1 design as a guide. My primary challenge is finding a source for conveyor belt chain (What Mortis' tank treads are made of). I have found them available, but they are stupid expensive. I need to find a surplus source.

[Natef]

you'd have to remove the wedge though

[I Like Tacos]

That would be pretty cool actually. If I were doing it I would just use wheels though.

[SKBT]

if i was going to do treads, i'd use rubber conveyor belting http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-conveyor-belts/=svw40l

[MR. BONESTRIPPER]

Thanks for the link. I was actually looking for a source of conveyor belting.

Ultimately, I'll still probably go with attachment chain for the drive of this robot (I may use conveyor belting in another project). I've seen several combat robots that have run it to decent success, and it has a strong following in the RC tank combat community.

For traction, I will attach (via. machine screws or rivets) pieces of sorbothane rubber to each link for traction. This will be a sportsman (no spinners, high KE weapons), so I am not terribly worried about the disadvantages of using tracks.

I will use conveyor belting if I cannot find an affordable source of attachment chain.

[R1885]

Why rebuild an overrated bot?
Also, why treads?

[MR. BONESTRIPPER]

I don't know, Mortis has always been one of my favorites.   Why track? Because of the coolness factor. I like winning as much as the next guy, but if everyone always built 100% to win, all robots would be heavily-armored wedges, brushless bar spinners (or in the case of the UK, high pressure flippers), also, there would be no Mechadon!  I've already got the parts for a really nasty #30 axe weapon, so I figure, if I fan get the tracks built, why not?

[MR. BONESTRIPPER]

Some good news: I found the main manufacturer of the sort of attachment roller chain I would need to replicate Mortis's drive system


The bad news: The manufacturer (Renold Chain, I think) was, yep, you guessed it, one of Mortis' main sponsors back in the early robot wars days, and is completely unaffordable outside of that sort of sponsorship deal or a VERY lucky surplus find.

[RFS]

If you're building a Mortis replica you also have to build that ridiculous remote dock that the driver wore, otherwise all you have is a glorified Suicidal Tendencies with nicer tracks. 


When I was building ants and beetles I salvaged/created tank tracks from Lego Mindstorms and model kit tracks. Not sure if that would hold up to the 30lb class (on a larger scale at least) but it's a possibility.

[Natef]

If you're building a Mortis replica you also have to build that ridiculous remote dock that the driver wore, otherwise all you have is a glorified Suicidal Tendencies with nicer tracks. 

do it.

[Badnik96]

You aiming to finish this for Franklin? If so I'll probably see you there.

[Resetti's Replicas]

Some good news: I found the main manufacturer of the sort of attachment roller chain I would need to replicate Mortis's drive system


The bad news: The manufacturer (Renold Chain, I think) was, yep, you guessed it, one of Mortis' main sponsors back in the early robot wars days, and is completely unaffordable outside of that sort of sponsorship deal or a VERY lucky surplus find.

Why does it have to be the exact same thing?  No one's going to notice if it isn't.

[MR. BONESTRIPPER]

 Why does it have to be the exact same thing?  No one's going to notice if it isn't.
[/quote]

I wasn't talking about attachment chain manufactured by Renold specifically. What I have found is that the vast majority of attachment chain is used in industrial applications and that most manufacturers only sell wholesale. Renold is one of the few manufacturers to actually offer retail sales, but they are prohibitively expensive.

I have found some very nice (and affordable!) tracks made by a hobby robotics company company called Lynxmotion. They are plastic, but everything is professionally machined (the tracks themselves and the sprockets/idlers) and build quality looks very high. They look to be the perfect size for a Mantis (6lb) or Hobbyweight (12lb) robot, so I will have to build for a different weight class. Like all tracked robots, I will have problems with spinners, but the track drive assembly will be fully armored (like Mortis).     

As far as competition goes, I am shooting for Motorama in February. I have a couple things holding up my build progress at the moment so I doubt I will have anything ready in time for Franklin. All of my robot parts are still at my parents' place (they will be shipped next week), and I will not have access to the Cornell University machine shop until the fall semester starts in late August.

If you see my general build thread, I already own all the parts I need to finish the re-build of Nom-Nom (my ant) and two new beetles, so those will get first priority build-wise. "Micro-Mortis" is slated to compete sometime after Moto, probably next year's bot blast, since I'm close by geographically.

[MR. BONESTRIPPER]

If you're building a Mortis replica you also have to build that ridiculous remote dock that the driver wore, otherwise all you have is a glorified Suicidal Tendencies with nicer tracks. 

I've got no plans at the moment to re-create Rob Knight's ridiculous "hands-free" transmitter thing, but give me a few months notice and I can grow a pretty accurate "replica" of Arthur Chilcott's beard.