Getting Began With Fight Kitbots

Ever since I used to be a child, I’ve needed to struggle robots. I noticed BattleBots on TV and knew that in the future I might have a robotic of my very own to compete. It wasn’t till I reached faculty, pursuing a level in engineering, that I received the prospect to construct my very own robotic. Most individuals who watch BattleBots don’t know that there are a lot of weight courses outdoors of 250lb heavyweights. In reality, there are a whole lot of competitions for 1lb and 3lb robots across the USA and the world.

However getting began in fight robotics with a totally customized design generally is a huge hurdle to recover from. There are hundreds of decisions for motors, batteries, and pace controllers, and having to resolve every little thing by yourself could be overwhelming.

Fortunately, a number of distributors have designed package robots that you could buy, assemble, after which actually compete with. These builders have performed all of the onerous work sourcing motors, programming pace controllers, designing customized weapons, and fabricating many of the components. This destroys any limitations to coming into your individual bot into battle. In case you suppose preventing robots feels like enjoyable, then I extremely suggest beginning with a package robotic.

You’ll study greater than you’d count on out of your first occasion, and many of the kits are fairly aggressive for his or her value.

Most kits include every little thing it’s good to compete, aside from an RC transmitter and a lithium polymer battery charger. These two parts, bought individually, could be shared between many robots and are issues that you just’ll hold utilizing if you transfer ahead and begin constructing your individual bots.

I’ve now designed and constructed 11 fight robots and fought over 100 fights. I’ve had an opportunity to struggle in opposition to nearly each package in the marketplace, and the few I haven’t fought, I’ve watched struggle at a number of occasions. Right here’s my recommendation on getting began with antweight (1lb) kitbots.

BEST FIRST KIT: THE VIPER

When you could be excited to get a package robotic with a giant spinning weapon, I warning you in opposition to a kinetic weapon to your first robotic. These bots should not toys, and might simply launch extra power than a handgun. When testing the spinners with out correct security precautions and a take a look at field, it’s very easy to finish up within the emergency room. I like to recommend beginning with a wedge or lifter package robotic and when you get some expertise, shifting to one thing extra harmful.

The primary package that anybody venturing into fight robotics ought to get is the Viper from FingerTech Robotics. This antweight bot includes a bent sheet steel body, two drive motors connected to foam wheels, and a polycarbonate wedge. It really is the only package round, meant for somebody who hasn’t touched a preventing robotic. There are actually good directions at their web site, and the $156 value level makes it the most cost effective package on my listing by a protracted shot. When you may suppose a easy package just like the Viper can’t win matches, they’re really very onerous to kill. Upgrading the entrance wedge from polycarbonate to metal or titanium permits them to take heavy spinner hits, and wheel guards can simply be added to guard their drivetrain. Total an excellent funding and one of the best starter package in the marketplace.

When you’ve completed your first competitions with the Viper package, you don’t need to throw it away to maneuver on to one thing new. FingerTech affords three improve choices for the Viper:

• The lifter module is the most cost effective of the three, including a servo-operated lifting arm product of polycarbonate and metal. This attachment provides you an lively weapon that isn’t harmful, and could be examined outdoors of a take a look at field. It provides your Viper the flexibility to flip different bots over to trigger knockout wins!

• The overhead horizontal spinner module is by far the most typical of the Viper weapon kits, because it sports activities a large weapon and might create thrilling fights. Watch out preventing it in opposition to vertical spinners, as huge hits can detach the blade or motor.

• Lastly, the vertical spinner module comes with a clamping drum with AR400 metal enamel. This weapon hits onerous and is probably the most sturdy of the three modules. Watch out testing it by yourself: the spinner is harmful and requires correct security precautions.

FingerTech additionally sells an antweight-scale model of their fashionable aluminum beater bar weapon system. This isn’t a full robotic package; slightly, they promote the weapon and the weapon electronics as a separate package. That is nice for a second or third robotic, however not nice for somebody who hasn’t made issues earlier than, as you’ll need to design the chassis and drivetrain your self. I’ve seen a couple of fights with these weapons, and if designed effectively they provide an excellent steadiness of weapon energy and robotic reliability.

DURABLE AND DESTRUCTIVE

One other good vendor for antweight kits is Battle Robotic Package. They promote 4 completely different kits that every one sport highly effective drivetrains and intensely sturdy single-piece chassis product of UHMW (extremely excessive molecular weight) polyethylene. All of those bots begin at a base value, with a $100 “competitors improve” that swaps in premium components and equipment. Total these kits are extraordinarily strong and constantly have nice performances on the occasions I’m going to. Every is effectively price their price ticket, as they’re a number of the most sturdy package bots in the marketplace.

• Homicide Hornet is a forked wedge bot with 4-motor drive, and AR500 hardened metal forks up entrance; it’s most secure for freshmen.

• Taserface is a extremely popular vertical spinner that’s straightforward to assemble and hits onerous. It has AR500 forks that may simply get beneath its opponents as effectively.

• Lobotomy includes a large undercutter that I’ve seen rip opponents in half. It’s really a terrifying bot to face.

• Hellraiser is a drum bot that makes use of bolt enamel to tear components off its opponents. Whereas it may not have the identical spectacular listing of occasion wins that the opposite bots have, it packs a punch and is extremely harmful.

VIRTUALLY UNKILLABLE

In case you’re searching for a protected bot to observe driving with that gained’t take a lot injury, look no additional than the Sweet Wasp wedge from BotKits.com. It is a excellent bot for the first-time competitor who’s frightened about spending cash on a package and getting it ripped aside. The Sweet Wasp is created from two items of billet aluminum with polycarbonate high and backside plates, and a titanium wedge with all aluminum mounting parts. It options 4 highly effective 16mm motors with foam wheels that assist take in shock and shield the internals.

Similar to its greater brother, the D2 (Dozer Two) beetleweight package, the Sweet Wasp is nearly unkillable and, with a great driver, a contender for any occasion it exhibits its face at. And it is available in 7 completely different colours of anodized aluminum, giving it extra visible flexibility than every other package accessible. At any time when I’m up in opposition to one in all these bots I do know it’ll go the gap. They’re extraordinarily robust to kill it doesn’t matter what weapon kind they’re going through.

ADVANCED WEAPONRY

Do you want chaos and destruction? The Shock! undercutter package from Absolute Chaos Robotics has the most important weapon of any of those antweight kits. I’ve seen these bots hit their opponent and ship each themselves and the opposite bot into opposing enviornment partitions. Fortunately I haven’t needed to face one in all these kits at an occasion, as a result of I imagine they may’ve utterly destroyed nearly any of my bots. If you’d like a robotic that does most injury and places on a present whereas doing it, that is the package for you. However as a result of its weapon is absurdly large, it’s not appropriate for freshmen. The package requires soldering and superior meeting, making prior expertise a should. It’s additionally extraordinarily harmful if operated outdoors of a correct take a look at enviornment, and I might by no means suggest doing so. It’s best to at all times ensure you’re protected when testing any fight robotic, however these kits are probably the most chaotic bots I’ve seen, so I might take further security precautions.

The ultimate kitbot I’ll point out is the Saifu drum robotic from Kitbots. Just like the Sweet Wasp and the Shock! bot, this package’s design was based mostly on the success of a 3lb beetleweight robotic (Weta-God of Ugly Issues). It includes a machined aluminum drum with an built-in motor, eliminating belts as a potential failure mode. The aluminum weapon has hardened metal bolts as enamel, that are replaceable, making the entire bot extra serviceable. The chassis is UHMW, with wheel guards and carbon fiber high and backside plates. Whereas this bot is the most costly package on the listing by a big margin, it makes up for it in sturdiness and competitiveness. Saifu kits are contenders to win any occasion they enter, and might stand as much as abuse from even the toughest-hitting bots. Their weapons simply by no means appear to die. This bot has been iterated over time, and the present model 2.1 is the results of years of evolution and tuning. As with the opposite bots with lively weapons, this bot is for superior and skilled customers solely.