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Robot kits


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kkeerroo
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Joined: 17 Jun 2004
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Robot kits

The robot god (builder of BioHazard, Carlo Bertocchini) has just released a series of robot kits. They range from feather-weights up to heavy-weights and are all driven by magmotors using the same drive train as BioHazard. Have a look:
http://www.battlekits.com/
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Post Fri Aug 26, 2005 6:08 pm 
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Nick
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Not particularly cheap though - they make my robots look shoe-string by comparison!
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Post Fri Aug 26, 2005 7:06 pm 
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Rotwang
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As usual this is only my own opinion Confused

Boring. Boxes with nasty sharp edges that look like they belong in a 2 dimensional universe; designed by someone with only a ruler to work with. Please give him a compass someone.
Too many screws and not enough welding. Ok I have my own way of doing things and it is so different to this that those words fail me
. Ok everything is of great precision and the material specs are doubtless impeccable but by the very nature of the design they have to be.
Chains are a very un forgiving mechanism. Drive one of these boxes into an immovable object at full warp [The arena wall in a strong spot or an identical opponent with an equal and opposite velocity] and imagine what happens.
Chains don’t like to stretch and absorb energy, when stretched they get loose, sprocket teeth tend to bend to, Chain adjusters are tricky to make work in both directions long chains naturally stretch more , chains are heavy, chains de rail unless alignment is very good and they are adequately tensioned.

So what I am getting at is it is a sort of self fulfilling prophecy in that the craftsmanship design skill material specs have to be very good or it would not work at all.
To me these ads up to a bad idea, just a very expensive brick bot and the feather version would by no means do any better in our local comp than any of the better built local bricks or wedges. Wink

Post Sat Aug 27, 2005 10:52 am 
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Nick
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If you read the fine print, I don't think these things have chain tensioners - by design. Once the frame has been bent, you would have a permanently loose chain. I also don't like the use of live axles and bronze bearings; once the frame is bent, the bearings sieze up and the axles don't add any strength, like they would if they were fixed.

The individual modules would be pretty cool for a non-combat robot that needed to move a heavy load but otherwise it looks like a bad idea to me too.
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Post Sat Aug 27, 2005 11:32 am 
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Glen
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the lightweight and up kits are fine by me as they seem to be just a base you can build up your weapon and armour onto.

the featherweight seems like a bit of an odd ball though dont you think... whats the purpose of having two mag motors for drive, one nimh battery and some pretty thin armour.

i wouldnt mind having one of the bigger ones though Smile
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Post Sat Aug 27, 2005 11:43 am 
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Knightrous
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I wouldn't mind the Lightweight one to use for a NarKart or electric skateboard Razz Some work has gone into these kits, but I believe the use of Magmotors and Ampflow ESC's is the biggest problem. They are just so damned expensive. For the small kits they could have looked at things like the Dewalts, or NPC 3inch motors.

The contruction method has actually given me an idea for Windstorm Razz
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Post Sat Aug 27, 2005 12:17 pm 
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kkeerroo
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These kits (except for the feather) are only ment to be the base of the robot. And considering the heavy-weight looks to be almost identical to BioHazard without the lifter or skirts and BioHazard is one of the highest ranked robots ever I believe there might just be something to the design. As for chains these kits use #35 chains while the origional BioHazard only used #25 chains and it never lost due to a drive-train failure.
So while they are expensive I definatly believe there is something to be learnt from their designs.
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Post Sat Aug 27, 2005 5:44 pm 
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Rotwang
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I think you will find that the assessments being made by some of the experienced local builders were primarily concerned with the feather version.
That being the number one class locally.

As you freely admit the feather version with two battery packs and very thin skin uses all the weight points, Only 2 wheels and one third of its weight dragging doesn’t sound like the ultimate wedge to me.

So sorry if I came across as unappreciative; thank you for brining it to my attention, I would be very interested in any observations you would care to make regarding useful ideas that can be gleaned from these designs.

I tend to agree with the other guys as far as a lighter motor chain combo would be better in a feather but that wouldn’t help them sell mag motors would it?
As far as the other guys lightweight Ideas yes; if money is no object but as there doesn’t seem to be a lot of activity locally with the lightweights lately; it seems a bit overkill to me at the moment.
Narr carts; I have never really understood, at sidetracked we can just use the go-carts.
The bigger bots, Medium and Heavy as far as Robowars is concerned are still designed for an all terrain arena.
Motorised door mats need not apply. Smile

Post Sat Aug 27, 2005 7:20 pm 
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