How to make a Combat Robot

WARNING : This is just a short outline. You will have to refer to books/websites available in the market/internet for complete reference of making a combat robot.

You have to read.A lot. You cannot escape from that. Are you ready to do that? Then let's move ahead...

The entire process of competing in robotic combat events involves reading, researching, reading, asking pointed questions, reading and generally turning into a sponge of everything technical.                                                                                                     - Team Delta 

Books you should google right now if you haven't already...

• Chris Hannold’s “Combat Robots Complete" and “Combat Robot Weapons,” 
• Grant Imahara’s “Kickin’ Bot.”  

Checkout list of web links here : Websites-to-look-after-for-combat-robot
  
Now the Steps :

Choose a weapon :

•         This is totally a personal decision. You choice is influenced by many factors. The first bot that inspired you to jump into this, quest of which brought you here :)

Amount of money you are willing to spend on your first project. Since this is a blog for beginners, start with simple designs.(again,only if you want to.)

• Every design has it's pros and cons. Pros and Cons listed here on this weblink.

Choosing parts for the bot :

Before designing? you might ask. You will know why on your own

Here comes Researching the market for the parts you want and  the parts which are available.Check out and compare Weight and Size specs.

This involves reading catalogues of wide range of products of different companies. The list can be narrowed down if you have slighter idea of what exactly you wanna make.

Some quick go-through points 

• Choose LiPo over NiMH. It saves weight.And it's costly.
• Wheels - Your choice. Don't forget to choose bigger wheels if you want to make your bot invertible. Mind the clearance.
• Transmitter/receiver -  For wireless bots. Go to HobbyKing.Suggest if there are other options.
• Servos - Because No Speed Controller.Saves money plus weight.Give preference to torque over speed.
• Weapon motor- Servo for flippers, DC geared motor for spinners.

Our bot had Nylon gear DC motor. It couldn't handle the stress and it broke after a match. Make it of some other strong material(metals).

• Material - Click on  Materials

Design using a modelling software :

        This takes the most of the time of the complete process. Ideally 50% of the time should be spent  here. You will know where your parts will go.

Cost Analysis : This is usually done at the end of  whole process, this is more helpful when you make the bot next time. Rough calculation helps predict the total cost.


BUY AND ASSEMBLE.

& Practice.

When you decide to go for more custom and complex designs

Fabrication : Ain't a part to worry.Right ? NO.
If you mess up this. You are doomed. This is gonna take me some time. Will do it later.

Getting started.

For starters, a 4 episode video series for a simple combat robot is here :

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4 Part 1

Episode 4 Part 2

Episode 4 Part 3

In the end, the book I found very useful 

For more resources, click on this reddit link :) Battlebots

Read this books which I found to be extremely helpful :)

• Build Your Own Combat Robot (How to)

•  Combat Robots Complete: Everything You Need to Build, Compete and Win (TAB Electronics 

•     Technical Library)Combat Robot Weapons

BUY - Kindle - 6" Glare-Free Touchscreen Display, Wi-Fi (Black)

Competitions for Robowars in the year 2015

Robowars in the year 2015 in India

*.Technovanza,VJTI Mumbai
    Starts From             :     26 December, 2015
    Ends At                  :      28 December,2015
    Prize Money           :     Rs. 125,000                Holy-Moly(last year it was Rs.80,000) !!!
    Weight Class:         :     Middle Weight 60 Kg
    Website For Rules :      http://www.technovanza.org/robowars.php

*.TechFest IIT, Bombay
    Starts From             :   Dec 2015
    Ends At                   :   Dec 2015
    Prize Money           :    Rs.125,000                  Holy Moly again !!!
    Weight Class          :    Middle-weight 60 Kg
    Website For Rules  :    http://www.techfest.org/


Mail your College's competition details to python00078@gmail.com

    Buy Books From Amazons !!!

Group battle

Royal Rumble...

Couldn't help but post this video here ...
It's good to post a video once in a while !!!!
This one is awesome...Enjoy...

• Buy books From Amazon

Critical speed of the shaft and how to control vibrations in your bot

Critical speed of the shaft of a rotating shaft is the speed at which the shaft starts vibrating violently in transverse direction.
At critical speed amplitude of vibrations will build up continuously and system may break into pieces.

This applies to bots with high speed system elements only. Obviously. And can be ignored. :)

In drum bots, material of  the shaft of the drum can be chosen wisely using this understanding.

                                     Cure to this disease is

(1) to provide damping at the ends of the shaft or

(2) to use properly aligned shaft in which the geometric centre, COG of shaft and bearing centre line are in line.

Here is the link of pdf file on how to calculate critical speed of the shaft.

                                                            Critical Speed of the shaft

On a side not...Read this

                  A Practical Review of Rotating Machinery Critical Speeds and Modes

Websites to look after for a Combat Robot Enthusiast

 Some of the best Websites to look after for a Combat Robot Enthusiast

*An account of Counter Revolution bot can be found here in this personal website and   

other awesome works done by an enthusiast. Must Visit 

                                          http://www.meloneewise.com/

*This is a dedicated forum and please refrain from Asking a "Dumb Questions" there.

It is run by Mark Joerger(Undoubtedly the person who knows most about this sport).

There are hundreds of Questions answered beautifully. Link to his Website down here.

http://members.toast.net/joerger/AskAaron.html

Definition of a Dumb Question : A question whose answer can be googled easily.

* Robotcombat

*Delphiforums - Rules and regulations, Mechwars. It's a forum.

*  Team Delta - http://teamdelta.com/ Check out it's FAQ. It's more motivating and interesting than this blog.

*  Do visit this. Simple and awesome.

                                          https://www.dimensionengineering.com/appnotes/simple_robot/

*Design Comparisons of Simple designs 

* Too much stuff on this Reddit Link : Battlebots

* Intersting stuff http://patrickrowberry17.wix.com/worldofrobotcombat#!home/c129a

* Getting started - https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/3euojn/what_now_getting_started_in_robot_combat/

Best Stores in India for buying Robotics/Electronics Equipments

Websites 

 For AmpFlow motors click on this link - AmpFlow motors


Best Stores in India for buying Robotics/Electronics Equipment. Please Comment below the addresses of the respective store/shops from your city so that others can know. :)
Or Simply Mail the details to python00078@gmail.com.

*Mumbai

*Pune

*Kolkata

*Surat

*Bangalore

*Ahmedabad

Best Services available for All kind of machining, Water Jet machining, CNC parts

Best Softwares commonly used.
      *Solidworks
      *Creo Pro engineer
      *Autocad

For batteries, you can order from here :)

TECHNOVANZA, VJTI 2014

                                                           TECHNOVANZA, VJTI
In order to make this blog complete, I decided to put all video links of recent events together at one place. And in process of doing so, I found that I need to create a different post for this college events.So here it is, the list of links of the videos of Technovanza of VJTI College :)

In no particular order,ENJOY!!! :)

• Death Warriors v/s Neolashers 

• Death Warriors v/s Snipers

• BOB B vs Zeus 

• Drums v/s A.O.D.

• BOB A VS ZEUS

• Sniper v/s Rampage

• Death Warriors v/s Zeus

• Death Machine v/s LJ 

• VJTI Robowars 2014 Round 1

Send us Links for more videos so that we can put it together at one place..i.e. Here ;)

Build Reports of Famous Indian and International Combots

Build Reports of Famous Indian and International Combots

1. RIP - Rust In Peace, Pune, India

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B83y9kAfFDqcQWJiM3RHUHNfTlE&usp=sharing

2. Shivaji Raje, Pune, India

Unavailable

Send us your build report so that ohers may appreciate your work by learning from it :)

RoboWars TechFest IIT, Bombay(2-4 Jan 2015)

                                          RoboWars TechFest IIT, Bombay(2-4 Jan 2015) 

Recent Event at IIT Bombay had some very good fights during the course of event. And hates off to the organizer team for the arena _/\_

Here are some YouTube links to the videos. Enjoy.Way to go ...

  Astro Vs. Bob 

Bob Vs. Zeus 

Sniper VS Innovators

Zeus Vs. Virgin 2.0

Robo wars( IITB TECH Fest) 2015 

Robowars 2015 epic battle Round 2 

Robowars IIT bombay 3-1-15 

Robowars Techfest 2015 Sniper VS. Lifter bot 

SNIPER VS DEATH WARRIORS 

Morpheus (NMIMS, Mumbai) and GCET

Some Old Videos

• R.I.P. v/s Virgin 2.0 

Send us Links for more videos so that we can put it together at one place..i.e. Here ;)

Abstract(build report) of Rust In Peace bot

Hey Guys...This time I take the chance to present you abstract(build report) of Rust In Peace bot, Pune.
I thank One of the creator of the bot +Rohit Patel  for providing me this report.
This bot along with Shivaji Raje, Pune bot has inspired people engage in this sport. Since we are not veteran in this sport, we have many things to explore in this area(many ways of fun I should say:) ).
So without much ado...download it from here and don't forget to thank Rohit Patel for this ;)
I would very much want to have a build report of Shivaji Raje as well.It will just be a blast of information then...Click on the link to find the abstract..Cheers ;)

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B83y9kAfFDqcQWJiM3RHUHNfTlE&usp=sharing

Things to keep in mind before you make a combot

Things to keep in mind before you make a combot :)

*First,If you are intending to participate in a competition then start as early as possible. Testing is one of the most important thing because you don't want to be repairing your bot for the problem that was uncalled for just after you made the bot.

It is usually a scene at the event that guys are running here and there for tools and batteries(ohh yeah!) just before fight is about to start!

*Always call the organizers/in charge of the event  about the floor of the arena.(mentioned in arena article)!

*Check availability of the parts...remember you will always end up compromising for some parts ...so be prepared for that as well.

Arena

                                                                             Arena

One of the important parameters which decide winning or losing of your bot ?
Surprised How ?
Once we landed at a competition where they kept a SURPRISE elimination round in which bots were supposed to traverse a certain distance on the ground.yes...bare-naked ground!
We had an anti-wedge fitted which sunk into the ground right at the moment we kept it on the floor :(
What a sad moment it was!

Alright now off to the arena...

In international competitions people have SAFER arena.
Generally, It weighs up to 35 tons, has 48 cross 48 ft steel floor and is 24 ft high. Walls are made up of Lexan(a highly resistant polycarbonate ) which is 1 inch thick at the bottom and 3/16 th inch at the top and 8 cross 8 ft entry doors.
Whereas in India we have smaller and unsafe arenas which needs to be changed.

 How do we do that?

Cage : For the start, choose 1/4" polycarbonate for 15 kg category. It's better if you go for 1/2", that way you can use it for other heavy weight categories as well. Stacking a 1/4" inch poly. over 1/2" inch is a good idea so we don't have to replace the whole sheet after hits of the bots.

Floor : Arena floor materials

Other things : Lighting, Hazards.
http://blogs.solidworks.com/Arena

Warning : Please confirm from other organizers about the thickness of the poly. for the weight category of your choice.

Update on Indian Arenas soon ...

Wooden Arena

Open at the top arena...umm dangerous if you are not wearing IronMan suit

Even this isn't safe!!!

Image credit: http://www.teamtornado.co.uk/photos/rm21fo1.jpg

That's what I call an arena :)

Cool..Isn't it?

Optimizing the time for making a robot

Optimizing the time for making a robot....

Sure experience is the plus factor but you have to know few things about mechanics,motors and li'l bit electronics.
It generally starts with a designing process.
There will be times when you will not have what you want.You may have to compromise. You are going to apply your sense of JUGAAD which you are definitely best at by birth :)
In no particular order...
1. Check availability of parts and workshop tools
2. Find a place where you can keep all your components(putting things here and there consumes a lot of time).
3.Divide your building process in number of days available before the competition,so that you have your buddy ready and tested.
Update soon...
Suggestions are welcome

Sport Spirit

                                                            Sport Spirit... :)


This may seem unimportant to you but it's really necessary. Patience and persistence is what you need :)
Also building a bot is not a tough task as they say.
  The most important thing is you "Use your imagination"

Usually people who participate in this kinda competition become aggressive when they feel they are biased.When you are in this type of situation, please handle that situation with sportsmanship because that way it's easier to handle the situation.
Make good relationship and behavior with your opponent because it's not the last time you are competing with them.  You may need his support anytime soon :)

Sad reality of Indian arena and bots 10/12/14

10/12/14 
12:17am
 Sunday
General Discussion...

1. It is very sad that in India, people refrain from making SAFER ARENA owing to the large amount of money it takes to make one.We generally have open-from-top-arenas which in no way assures safety of the contestants and spectators as well :(
You might probably have heard about the recent accident in IIT Kharagpur. It is definitely a shame that leading institute like IIT Kharagpur doesn't provide safe arena.


2.Cutting short the bad part,we finally have arrived at the moment where some TRUE enthusiasts from Pune are trying to make an arena according to the international standards. Arena will be provided to the institutes on reasonable amount of rent. It is going to cost about 50 Lacs for making it which is a huge amount.

The time is not far when we will be hosting an international event :)

Check out this post : Robot arena

Transmission Elements

 Transmission Elements

Shaftings

Bearings 

Couplings

Belt/Chain


Shaftings - It is the essential element for transmitting power. It's made up of steel and may be cold-rolled or turned.. To avoid unnecessary loss of power due to friction in bearing to facilitate fixing wheels or pulleys at any point, it's important that shafting should be round and straight.

Power transmitted by shafting-

horse power=2*pi*NT/4500

N-Speed of the shaft

T-Torque on the shaft

T = pi*d^3*f/16

Couplings  -  Coupling should always be placed as close to the bearing as possible and should support and align two ends of the shaft rigidly.

Coupling insert

Iron Jaw Coupling

Simple Coupling

Bearings -  The support in which shaft rotates is called bearing.Proper lubrication of bearings is necessary.

Belt drive - It is one of the most effective devices for transmitting motion and power from one shaft to another by means of thin inextensible band running over two pulleys.

Velocity ratio for belt drives 

                                              = (RPM of follower)/(RPM of driver)

                                             =(Dia. of driver)/(Dia. of follower)

If t is thickness of the belt then,

To calculate approax. length of the belt following formula is used ....

Horse power transmitted by the belt = (pi*D*N*P/4500) hp

where P is the driving force in kgf and D is the diameter.

Pulleys - 

Chain Drive - 

Gear Drive - 

Call For Help

Hey Everyone, I just thought this blog will be more helpful if I could provide the information of available robotic parts/components to you :)
We always face problems when we build high velocity bots because we can't have AmpFlow motors(which people mostly want to use in their bots here) in India easily without paying 33% custom duty :(
Same goes with high discharge batteries. So if anybody knows someone having motors/batteries/components for sale, just get it out of your mind in the comments :) It will be very helpful for other readers(and me).
Update...

Order batteries here(Click on the image)

Hello Friends, I felt that people should know who is writing the blog or at least few things about the writer. :)
It's been just 8 months before now that I actually came in contact with this sport...So I will share almost everything I know about this sport.
 I am writing this blog for beginners. From all the information I can gather from the internet and friends I try to put it in a way that it's easy for you to understand.
I welcome suggestions from friends who can guide me to organize the contents of this blog better and rich of information. :)
 Thanks in Advance.

Major Events in India of Combat Robotics

                                          Major Events in India of Combat Robotics 2014

In India,  This sport is popularly known as Robowars and is included in the major technical events of Technical Festivals that are held every year. Also it is one of the most crowd pulling events.


If you know the details of any of the following events,Then Please PM me or comment it below :)
Thanks in Advance ;)
Here is a list of some recognized fests...
*.Technovanza,VJTI Mumbai
    Starts From             :     28 December, 2014
    Ends At                  :      30 December,2014
    Prize Money           :     RS:80000
    Weight Class:         :     Middle Weight
    Website For Rules :      http://www.technovanza.org/

*.TechFest IIT, Bombay
    Starts From             :   2 January,2014
    Ends At                   :   4 January,2014
    Prize Money           :    RS.90,000
    Weight Class          :    Middle-weight
    Website For Rules  :    http://www.techfest.org/

*.TechKriti, IIT Kanpur
    Starts From :
    Ends On :
    Prize Money :
    Website :                      http://www.techkriti.org/
*. MindBend, NIT Surat
   Starts From :
   Ends On :
   Prize Money :
   Weight Class :                 Middle-weight
   Website :                        http://mindbend.org.in/
*.Apogee Strike, BITS Pilani
   Starts From :
   Ends On :
   Prize Money :
   Weight Class :                 Middle-weight
   Website :                        http://bits-apogee.org/
*.Cognizance, IIT Roorkee
   Starts From :
   Ends On :
   Prize Money :
   Weight Class :
   Website :                      http://cognizance.org.in/
*. College Of Engineering, Pune
   Starts From                   :
   Ends On                        :
   Prize Money                 :
   Weight Class                :      Middle-weight
   Website                        :       http://www.mind-spark.org/
*.Anna University, Chennai
   Starts From :
   Ends On :
   Prize Money :
   Weight Class :
   Website :
*Pragyan, NIT Trichy
   Starts From :
   Ends On :
   Prize Money :
   Weight Class :
   Website :                               http://www.pragyan.org
*. Robotix, IIT Kharagpur
   Starts From :
   Ends On :
   Prize Money :
   Weight Class            :          Middle-weight
   Website                    :          http://www.robotix.in/
*. Quark, BITS Pilani,Goa
   Starts From :
   Ends On :
   Prize Money :
   Weight Class            :          Middle-weight
   Website                    :          http://www.bits-quark.org/
*. Atmos BITS Pilani Hyderabad
   Starts From            :             9 October,2014
   Ends On                 :             12 October,2014
   Prize Money          :
   Weight Class          :            Middle-weight
   Website                  :             http://bits-atmos.org/
*.
   Starts From :
   Ends On :
   Prize Money :
   Weight Class :
   Website :


Check out Some Special Deals here at Amazon. Click the icon :)

How to balance single tooth drum ?

                                                 How to balance single tooth drum ?
The single most problem faced by  Drum bot builders is BALANCING the drum as the geometry is asymmetric.
The only thing you have to keep in mind is that centre of mass should not be displaced from geometric COM. So that imbalance will not rise.
So here are few easy ways you can balance your drum :)
       * First Way:
            1. Make a CAD model of the part
            2. Then simply click "Find Centre of Mass" button in order to find geometric centre of mass of the drum.

not my design...but like this

MIT portfolio

       * Second Way :
           1. Generally the shapes are such that you can easily find the centre of mass just by using pen and paper.