Combat Robotics I: Purple Pain

Individual project to construct a combat robot within the constraints of the ant-weight class. Teams and individual robots compete in club competition in December for fall semesters and in April for Spring semesters. Fall 2024 competition held December 07, made final round and finished 2nd place.

30A brushed electronic speed controller connects to two brushed DC motors that are used to drive the wheels. Major structural 3D printed components of the design are composed of TPU filament to facilitate impact absorption. A 2S Lithium Polymer battery is used to power the robot. Exposed batteries during battle immediately forfeit match, so I implemented tight internal connections and small pilot holes (so M3 screws can dig into TPU) to protect electronics. An A2212 Brushless DC Motor was used to spin a kinetic weapon, which was designed on Onshape; dxf file sent to sendcutsend to be cut out of AR500 steel.

Weapon sits atop a TPU housing that hugs the Brushless motor. The motor shaft is inserted into a small hole in a PLA attachment that pops into main TPU body. This attachment is easily replaceable, and also serves as a way to minimize contact between the robot and the ground, as it needs to be able to move over shrapnel and wood splinters as the match continues.

Improvements for next competition involve an acrylic lid, which will be laser cut, to avoid motor shaft escaping the PLA attachment. This is what caused the blade to rip a small portion of the TPU lid, just enough to stop the kinetic weapon from turning, resulting in an inability for the robot to defend against opponents in the ring.