I've been taking a break from combat robots since moving across the country for grad school, but I'm getting all my robot stuff shipped up here, so I will be able to get some builds started fairly soon. My goal is to compete in Moto '2015
Here's what I've got planned:
Antweight (1lb, American):
"Nom-Nom 2.0" : a compete control/uberclocker style lifter/grabber. The lifting arm will be driven by a HXT12kg metal gear servo (the ones fingertech sells). The clamp mechanism will be a HS85mg mini servo driving a clamping arm via. a 4-bar linkage.
Drive will be 2 x 22:1 silver sparks driving 1:375" banebots "green" wheels
I competed with the original nom-nom back at DragonCon microbattles in 2010. It also had a lifter/clamper weapon, but unfortunately, never got to use it. My first match was against Jamison Go's "DDT", a horizontal disk spinner. 30 seconds into the fight, Nom-Nom "grenaded" and got sprayed across the arena. They had to get a broom to sweep up all the pieces. This re-build will hopefully be more durable.
I've got all the parts, so I should be able to start building as soon as I get all my robot stuff shipped up here.
Beetleweight:
The Claw: a 3lb lifter/grabber
When I designed The Claw about a year ago, servo city was having a sale. I needed the lifter to be able to hoist 3 pounds on the end of a 6 inch arm, so I went with the HS-7980TH titanium gear servo, which puts out 500 oz/in when it is run off of a 6V external BEC. I mounted a sprocket to the servo horn, so I could run the arm off of a chain reduction. The reduction is 1:1, so I am not gaining any torque, but the chain reduction will isolate the $170 servo from impacts on the arm. I REALLY don't want to break a $170 servo. The "clamping" claw will be driven by one of fingertech servos, using a 4-bar linkage mechanism, like in Nom-nom.
I've got all the parts for this one too, with the exception of the external BEC I'm going to run the servos off of.
"Everything Burrito" : Have you seen Dumb Post Motorama Idea?, basically like that.
All of my robot stuff is in my Dad's basement back in Georgia (I moved from Georgia to upstate New York for grad school). He should be shipping it out soon. I need to talk to the people who run the engineering machine shop, so see when I can get clearance to use the tools. I may have to wait until the beginning of the academic year (sometime in August) to actually get access to the machine shop, but that depends what schedules the engineering school faculty during the summer.
For larger weight classes, I ultimately want to build a 30lb sportsman "replica" of the Robot Wars robot Mortis, but I have not been able to find any conveyor belt chain (the stuff that Mortis' tank treads are made of) that wasn't absurdly expensive. I'll have to keep an eye out for it on surplus.
