So, there is a new series of Robot Wars on TV.
Which means there are probably going to be a few posts like this one, because I think 'I can do that' is part of the appeal.

But, you know what?

I think I can do that.

I think I can build something competitive. I think there are a lot of people trying new, interesting and wacky ideas that don't actually work that well. I think if I don't try and be clever, if all I try and do is avoid making textbook mistakes and build something simple that actually does work - I think there is a lot of mileage in that. Lots of drive power, lots of hard steel at oblique angles so spinners can't get a firm 'bite' on me. Probably an axe/pick of some kind as the active weapon. In my mind I have something like the bastard child of Chaos 2 and Thor.


Core build objectives would be:

  • Should be legal in all national/international events. If I'm building a war robot, I want to be able to use it.
  • To Finish First One Must First Finish. Build for durability, reliability and repairability rather than out-and-out power/performance. Lots of robots seem to be losing fights because people can't get them back into fighting order in a couple of hours.
  • KISS. Where possible, try and build with off the shelf parts that just work right out of the box. Don't try and be clever, just try and avoid doing anything stupid. Stick to proven concepts that I know work.
  • Target budget £1k. If I can't afford to build it then I can never compete. If I can bring it in for not too much money then it's achievable.



Some of which are more realistic than others, but if that's what I aim for then hopefully I won't end up too far off the mark. Unsurprisingly, lots of ideas rattling around in my head.


I think the next stage is design. Spend some time with CAD, get the ideas into a coherent form and see how it all fits together. Try and get a firm idea what exactly I am trying to build and how. Try and work out how best to package lots of electric drive motors, an axe thing, and all the ancillary hardware into a robust box. How much said box weighs, and therefore how much weight I can use for the drive-line and axe systems. Figure out how the axe is going to work. Figure out just what 'and all the ancillary hardware' actually is.


Which takes me to the question/purpose behind this post.

Where is the best place to find out component specifications that I can plug into a CAD package?
Things like electric motor size, power/torque output and cost. Wheel sizes, battery pack sizes, what control hardware I need, etc, etc, etc?

Thanks.