No, I've little engineering experience myself so still learning what things are and what they are used for. Looking at an example, I can see that working though. The flange is threaded to fit onto a M12 shaft.
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No, I've little engineering experience myself so still learning what things are and what they are used for. Looking at an example, I can see that working though. The flange is threaded to fit onto a M12 shaft.
Ok, so motor shaft is M12 thread also and screws into flanged shaft? if that is the case then have the end of the flanged shaft castellated like on the end of a car wheel shaft. make sure the castellations are deep enough so as not to cover any of the motor shaft hole. You can then screw the flanged unit onto the motor shaft get it tightly home and press ? gently knock the roll pin through the castellations and motor shaft. this will stop the flanged unit from unscrewing. If you want belt and braces a little loctite doesn't hurt. If unsure google castellated nuts.
So a bit of a sea change. I really did need the time off from building this thing, just having The Honey Badger and Shu! plus all the ants and BotFest has really taken it out of me. I came back to it just before BotFest and decided to stop making this and start again. I wasn't happy with the overall build quality of the thing and having seen Voodoo's bodywork, it would have been a lumbering mess by comparison.
So this time around, taking a little inspiration from the likes of Griffon, I've made the robot shorter in all directions and gone for polycarbonate panels this time, likely make 12mm thick on the top and 10mm at the bottom (recycled from the original attempt). 4mm thick steel box section make up the "chassis" of the thing and will likely not paint it in an attempt to make look junkyard chic. :P The main body, discounting the wheels, is 66mm tall. Same sort of build methodology, massive bolts will hold the top and bottom panels together through the box section for compression fitting.
Been making new motor mounts and learning lessons from The Honey Badger 3.0, these are far stronger. Two are done (save for a bit of trimming) and two are on the way. I've also recycled the axe from The Honey Badger 2.2 as that never saw any action in Manchester. I've weighted the head a bit more and will reinforce it with stuff from the original attempt at Kaizen soon enough. I have a CIM motor around so what I'll do is make some side panels for the wheels for protection and then use the left over from that to make an external axe mount to sit on top of the robot.
Attachment 8349
I'm actually really jealous of how that looks, absolutely love that compact rectangular shape, and it looks nice and simple to make, what with the box-section and polycarb sheets.
It is deliberately simply to build, got one and a bit months to go until Chatham :P I'll be working on the other 2 motor mounts and securing them to the chassis panel. Who knows, I might even have it running by the end of the week.
Oh don't remind me. Still have quite a lot to do, mainly sorting out these pesky wheels. The nyloc wasn't put far on enough, so the wheel slips forwards and backwards out of its key. Sadly the nut has rusted onto the shaft now so any more force trying to free it will mangle the gearbox. Plus just lots of testing to get done - I've never had a robot that drives in one direction without veering violently to one side, it's all a learning curve! :p
So I've had some free time today to actually get the robot built. Thankfully, the uber simple design means that I am nearly done with the bodywork. Had a slight hiccup with the pillar drill in that all the bolts needed to hold the drill in the air and the drill in the holder decided to strip their threads so a new set of M6 bolts for that. Also managed to destroy a HSS drill bit. Think I went too hard too fast.
Anyway, a few hours drilling and the end result actually doesn't look too bad. Even the M10 bolts are relatively perpendicular in the holes! (I know, a little sad). The top panel is a single sheet of 6mm polycarbonate but I plan to double that with the left over sheets from the original attempt so it has 12mm on top.
Attachment 8371
I also has a go at getting the machine to run. A bit hodgepodge but it is definitely moving. Needs better batteries in it (the video only has 4S LiFe batteries in it, going to see what 6S looks like with all the extra material on it now but definitely moves. I might fit some more grippy rubber on the front wheels, not decided yet.
https://youtu.be/XIKs8zmZgd0
Well, 22 days to go until Chatham and a lot has changed since. The electronics have been screwed down, the new 2x 4S1P batteries arrived and I am awaiting a few connectors to get them wired in series to 8S1P. The axe weapon has also been made and it actually works!
The axe, as I noted before, is powered by a CIM motor, overvolted to 19.8v (6S LiFe). I had intended to have it driven by a single channel FeatherTwo that drove the axe from The Honey Badger 2.2 but the horrors of Extreme Robots Manchester came back to haunt me. The PCB had split, taking out a chip in the process. So now it is being powered by a TZ85A until I find another controller to drive the axe. The axe is going through a 3:1 custom gearbox on a dead shaft. Drilling the reduction gear was a bit of a faff but worth the effort.
Attachment 8388
I've still got a fair way to go with this one, such as fixing the electronics, fitting a safety pin to the axe and so on. The big issue is weight, or rather the lack of it. It weighs 20.5kg at the moment and the minimum for a Middleweight is 30kg. I've got a substantial amount of 25mm HDPE around to add more armour on with and if all else fails, I'll add a solid brick to the thing. :P I have a worklist of things to do to this one but I've signed up for EXR Chatham, Maidstone and Gloucester in anticipation for this one making it.
Here is a video of the axe firing. The axe arm definitely needs reinforcing before combat but it works for all intents and purposes. The issue here is the grub screw undoing itself through shock (you can hear the motor spinning after the axe arm retracts). I suspect some threadlock might be enough here but I am open to drilling the shaft to allow for a pin of some description.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9uYfvT-UO8
Next video will be of it moving about under its own steam on the 8S batteries and hopefully "done" before Chatham. :D
I wondered how you get your drilling accurate enough for making your own gear reductions. Would I need a pillar drill to be accurate like you? Or have you found a way to do it accurately with a cordless drill etc? Any help with this would be appreciated.
I have a pillar drill attachment for my corded drill. It isn't the most robust thing in the world (I've had to replace all the hex head bolts with a set of M6 bolts already) but it does the job well enough.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0119K2XIQ
Worth the investment but does need securing down to fully work (I use mine freestanding as I have nowhere in the house to mount it to yet). I cut a panel of HDPE in half, marked out where I wanted the hole on one of the panels, mounted the second panel underneath the first panel, taking a bit of time to line them up (ended up clamping them down together when I had it right), drilled a 4mm pilot hole through both and then a 10mm hole through both again.
Thank you that's brill!
Plenty happening with Kaizen at the moment as the championship looms ever closer (15 days!). The side panel armament is coming along and I've exhausted my local DIY store of their M6x50mm bolts in the process :P I also did a test assembly today and seems to be OK.
Attachment 8407
Weighs 26kg at the moment, the batteries will add another 1.5kg or so and with the long side HDPE panels and bolts to go, we should be over the 30kg limit no issues though still light for this. The last things needed are:
- Finish the side armour
- Add a bump stop
- Add a locking pin mechanism to the axe
- Mount the LEDs/Removable links
- Install batteries and tidy wires
- Paint box section
- Test drive
Well it has been a bit of a trial with this one but finally, the major assembly is completed It needs a bit more bracing on it and work doing to the axe to make it more potent but here is Kaizen as it will enter the Middleweight event in Chatham.
Attachment 8410
The last little niggles on it, apart from the above, is getting the batteries wired in (the charging lead for them is a no-show at the moment), getting the LEDs visible on the panel and screwing down the removable links but otherwise, it is done for now. I am sure after Chatham I'll have more to do on it but... squeee!!
When the batteries are charged and such, I'll be able to report on a test drive. Should be here this Wednesday.
That is some number of bolts, sir...
I'm liking the general shape though, are you putting something on those forward edges to make mini wedges? Can't wait to see the drive video!
I think it is north of 120 bolts when fully bolted up. There are more to go. Probably has more armour in bolts than actual armour. :p
The wedge outline might get something before Chatham but at this point I doubt it. By EXR Maidstone it might have something extra, still need to weigh it but probably mid 30s. Should be a good test drive.
120!? I've got this image of prepping for a fight, 'I'll just nip these bolts up' :uhoh:…
You've come in well under weight then? That's a bonus for future development at least.
what weight class is this for ?
The Middleweight class. I think it meets the minimum for that now. This is why I didn't enter the Featherweight championships this year.
Hmm just let you know john the mad man is meant to be working on a lighter shell for cyclone. I would be very worried about using 775s Vs 800w scooters overvolted to 12s or Bosch 750d
Yeah, I did hear that someone was entering a robot called "Cyclone 360" but didn't know who. The 775s are not ideal and weren't intended for Kaizen, more just needing something that works. Now that I have a bit of confidence in building a gearbox, if I wanted to stick with brushed motors, I have a chance of being able to build a drive gearbox from a pair of E30-400s for example.
I would take overvolted scooters over e30-400s cheaper and less burny
Interesting, did not know they were prone to burning up. I did briefly consider fitting one to the axe but it would overrun the main section of the robot if I did that without a bevel gear.
Have been very impressed at how this build log has gone. Nice work!
Hi Michael,
Good luck at Chatham.
Thanks Eoin and Cliff! Hopefully it'll come back in one piece. :S
Spent a bit of time rewiring the robot today so it is neater in there, important as space is at a premium in here.The 8S battery set takes up a lot of room, as does the Cytron ESC. Still, I hope to have it running soon to get some practice in driving it.
Haha, oh boy....
Have you seen the lineup, looks gruesome to say the least
Kaizen does look really solid though, plus will probably absorb many hits, good luck!
I've not seen any pictures of the competition so a complete shot in the dark. XD I expect Kaizen to come out with some battlescars.
Stay tuned.... you’ll see what the playing field’s like. In fairness, we’ve got a fantastic blend of different classes to really show off middleweights as a whole, couldn’t be prouder to see them all
Well here we are, 31.2kg of Kaizen 1.0. The good news is that it moves fine, even on a very uneven wooden floor. Bad news, the pinion gear for the axe has slipped off again so I'll get that reseated back on the shaft and then I might actually have a weapon for Chatham. :P I'd say ~10mph which isn't fast but the small wheels mean it does at least get up to speed quite quickly.
https://youtu.be/wQtNsrVSNjg
So Kaizen is ready as it will ever be. At the last minute, I fitted a 10mm thick polycarbonate wedge plate, primarily to square off the the side armour panels but also to deflect the ubiquitous spinners in the event. Held in with M8 bolts (of course) so should handle a fair bit of punishment in theory. The rear I've left as is but I'll bring a panel of HDPE just in case.
Only trouble is, on the uneven dining room floor, I may have set the wedge too low so it might catch on the arena floor. I'll find out during the event I suppose (Dremel at the ready :P). I've also added some extra weight/reinforcement to the axe arm but after Chatham, I am likely to rebuild the axe completely.
Attachment 8429
Looking good Michael, best of luck, let us know how you get on.. :D
The wedge looks very nice! Good looking angle, I'll be keeping an eye out for the results.
Good look!
Thanks folks.
Had a whiteboard match today with Audicious today, a fellow Middleweight. Kaizen did me proud, charged straight into it and Audicious eventually stopped moving (thnk they were having ESC issues). Managed to warp the steel brackets holding the side armour on and the wedge plate had to be taken off before the match, needs some serious surgery to get it to fit without dragging on the floor. The wiring was pretty hot as well but it moves at something approaching 15mph with Featherweight acceleration.
The axe is a bit pants. It moves but ponderously and seems stiff. Will examine tomorrow before the competition fights.
So Kaizen came out of Chatham in one piece which I was most grateful for, despite meeting a couple of spinners. All videos are from Team Ironclads
Whiteboard - Kaizen vs Audacious
So I described the match in the last post but the warping of the steel brackets was actually more serious then I first thought. They were rather weakened by the initial impact and the front steel brackets had to be replaced with the ones from the middle of the side armour. That initial impact also shattered several bolts in the robot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSoYkjAkpvE
Competition Melee I - Kaizen vs Voodoo Chile vs Audacious vs Crackers
Before this match, I finally got the front polycarbonate wedge panel cut to clear the ground clearance and thickened up the leading edge with yet more bolts. Glad I did, Cracker's drum spinner was working. :S Kaizen was driving a little awkwardly and I think it was down the to the bent brackets which I tried to straighten but I couldn't get it straight which in turn caused the side armour to drag on the floor.This is the only match in which the robot broke down. The axe stopped working about halfway through the match and then Crackers launched Voodoo to land right on my axe motor but not before the drive packed up. I honestly have not got a clue as to why this happened but it did not happen again this weekend. I assume it was some kind of cutoff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8f3ppRh8OM
Competition Melee II - Kaizen vs Voodoo Chile vs Backflip vs Gaston
This was the fight I was happy I fitted the polycarbonate wedge on because I charged straight at Gaston (not sure if the name was Nogas) and the only mark was a long but shallow gouge in it. I ended up shunting Voodoo to the far end of the arena, forgot about the arena flipper and Kaizen did a 180. Just prior, Kaizen pushed not only Voodoo and Backflip! Voodoo got trapped under the floor flipper. Eventually managed to wiggle free but only at the very end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwM4jlrjF70
Redemption fight - (Gnasher + Audacious) vs (Kaizen vs Voodoo Chile)
This was staged as the tag team match but in reality, this would the decider for 5th - 7th place (Sentinel would be 8th because they couldn't enter) as I understand it. Gnasher is a Heavyweight of 65kg. This match went badly for Kaizen as the landing on the back from the last match bent the side armour even more so even getting into the arena was a challenge. The match ended up with Kaizen stuck with Audacious after they broke down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hDOTl3zGjs
So ultimately, I ended up 6th in the competition, which given this is the robot's first outing, is awesome. Improvements are enroute, largely focusing on rebuilding the side armour with more box section and eventually rebuilding the axe with a new motor. The robot is very fast and a little uncontrollable in places. Some rubber on the front wheels will help no doubt. I think I can have Kaizen rebuilt with new wheels and replacement brackets by EXR Cheltenham for a day out.
A couple of photos, one on the Friday and the other on Sunday just before the redemption fight in reverse order.
Attachment 8433Attachment 8434
It was a pleasure to meet you. Good Luck for your next Fights.
PS: We were just able to Fight on Sunday with Sentinel which was more some Kind of FUn FIght for us cause we had to get back to Austria on Sunday very early.
Thanks, It was great seeing you too with your robots! I hope to see you next year ;)
Yes nice to meet all of you as well. If all you need is grip, then buy a knobbly bike tire and fix it to your existing wheels using screws. You could use Box section on the sides or (although I cannot remember fully) regarding the side "brackets" could you rotate every other one 180 deg to make it stronger?
I have some Neoprene rubber strips that I was meant to attach to the front wheels but didn't have time to do. As for the sides, yes, same size box armour on the sides to replace the brackets and then remake the side armour. Also properly square it off with some threaded bar to mount front and rear wedges on.
Loved Backflip, definitely an imposing Middleweight, so pleased when it did self right ;)
Just wish i could have got a flip in. Next time.
Definitely get a flip in, it does look pretty impressive when it does do a flip ;)