Team something or other robotics

[Scorpion]

Well me and a few chums have decided to try and build a real robot.

We've got a design for a small 4WD wedge shaped bot (think storm 2 from newblood) with 3 holes to fit 3 angled, pneumatic spikes (kind of a small piston popup design) to be fired out when the bot's underneath the other bot.

Any help or advice would be VERY handy, e.g part advice, buying places advice, whether the designs even possible advice.

Oh, and we'd probably want it to be at the most a lightweight.

[Stagfish]

I suggest only one spike, 3 would drain the gas supply.

[Scorpion]

I suggest only one spike, 3 would drain the gas supply.

Can it be a big spike 

[MikeNCR]

It can be whatever size you want, but really anything that moves more than a few inches out isn't all that useful and will be prone to bending. As far as number of spikes, the best pop will be with a single cylinder with a large diameter, as pressure is lbs/in^2, so the more area on the piston, the better. Beyond that, flow rate is huge, as you can have an insanely high pressure system, but without the flow rate to back it up you won't be doing much.


Also, from a practicality standpoint, design it as a wedge/rammer that can either have a lot of armor added, or the piston, that way if the piston doesn't work out or gets damaged, you'll still be able to fight.

[ThunderFish]

is there a good website where we can get information on this type of stuff as we are just strting out and could do with some good websites for parts and information

[MikeNCR]

http://forums.delphiforums.com/THERFL/? and http://battlebots.forumotion.com/forum.htm have lots of people that can help.


http://www.robotmarketplace.com/store.html has lots of parts you can buy.

[Naryar]

Do gut-ripping pokers even work IRL ?

[Scorpion]

Do gut-ripping pokers even work IRL ?

Don't know, that's why we wanted to try it.

I imagine if you had enough power it would, or atleast flip the other robot over.

We may need a redesign anyway, Don't really want to build a rammer for various reasons.

[Vertigo]

If you live in England, we don't use lightweights, you would probably want to make a featherweight
Pneumatic spikes are useless, would be better just to make asimple 4WD pushbot
Oh, and use HDPE if you want to make something simple, its great and really easy to use

[Scorpion]

If you live in England, we don't use lightweights, you would probably want to make a featherweight
Pneumatic spikes are useless, would be better just to make asimple 4WD pushbot
Oh, and use HDPE if you want to make something simple, its great and really easy to use

Oh thanks for the advice.

And we're gonna change the design to incorporate a better weapon (i really don't want to make a pushbot, and I think the spike idea was tooo optimistic  )

I'd love to make an invertible drum, but i'm not sure about the others, do you think an invertible drum would be a decent idea?

[Vertigo]

You can only use spinners at robochallenge events, which only occur at a maximum of 2 times a year
Honestly, the only simple, effective design is a pusher

[Scorpion]

You can only use spinners at robochallenge events, which only occur at a maximum of 2 times a year
Honestly, the only simple, effective design is a pusher

Grr, I thought there was some kind of rule against them from looking at live videos 
Anyway, thanks, i'll see what the others say later.

[Thyrus]

Or you come to germany. We don`t have spinners banned :P

[Scorpion]

Or you come to germany. We don`t have spinners banned :P

This is another reason why Robot Wars should be back on telly.

[Clickbeetle]

Do gut-ripping pokers even work IRL ?

Nope, the spike would just push the other bot up, rather than puncture the armor.  Basically would be an inefficient way of building a flipper.


Now if you had some kind of a clamp that came down over the top of the other bot, then the spike might do some damage.  But that would be hard to do, even for a veteran builder.


Also, if you don't want to build a boring pushbot, just add spike(s).  Presto, instant rammer.  If it's fast enough, it can even cause some damage.

[Vertigo]

SPIKES ARE USELESS!!!!
They don't do anything, you are much better with a wedge

OffTopic/Do robots use hardox in america?

[MikeNCR]

SPIKES ARE USELESS!!!!
They don't do anything, you are much better with a wedge

OffTopic/Do robots use hardox in america?

Spikes are all down to how you use them.


I don't, my steels of choice are 4130 and S7

[SKBT]

There is no way to make an affective gutriper IRL. If you are going to use pnuematics just go flipper.