On the hunt for a suiting design.
Hi there,
i'm kinda new to this (and from Germany, so... could be i use some unusual vocabulary), and thinking about making my first bot. I do have some experience in RC (years ago, but still not everything forgotten), an okay, but not great workshop with a good base of tools, although no mill and other big machines, except for a small forge, however that could be useful. I don't think a bot from smithed iron would be the best choice ;)
It should be a featherweight, since i don't want to/can't spend the money for a heavyweight as first try (that is likely going to do not-so-well), but also don't want to fiddle with those really small ants and stuff... got enough of that size at work. Feather seems right for me.
But i'm quiet unsure about the kind of bot i want to build.
I'd first decide the type of weapon, before i really start designing, since different chassis forms (box, round, wedgy, 2 or 4 wheels...) seem to suit different kind of weapons.
So... after some thinking, i came to a few conclusions:
1. Should have something as real "weapon". not necessarily a powered weapon, but i want more than just a wedge or rambot/pusher.
2. should not have pneumatics/hydraulics in it. There will be enough new stuff to learn for me without that, will save that option for a second or third bot.
3. something not too fragile/complicated. For the first bot, i want something not so likely to wreck itself because i did something just a little bit sloppy.
4. Spinners could be a problem to test, don't know a place yet where i could test a spinner without possibly doing some real unwanted damage...
5. no walker, hovercraft or other experimental drive. just plain 2wd or maybe 4wd, have to start somewhere.
So, for the types of bots that are used (as far as i know) i gathered some observations:
1. Horizontal spinners. Really strong, wide "hit zone", good range, quiet agile when it comes to turning, so hard to get them from the sides. Often sacrifice defense/armor for even more powerful weapons. Feared enough for a lot of (not always successful) attempts to specialise armor or anything against them. Still, a horizontal spinner seems kinda fragile if not done right, with chains coming off, breaking bars/discs and so on. There is just a lot of force involved on every part of these. so i guess i'll leave that for more experienced guys... except you guys tell me it's way easier to do on featherweight.
2. Full Body/Ring Spinners: Offense is defense, since a round, rotating armor is harder to grab, lift, penetrate and everything. Can cause a lot of damage, and every gram put into the weapon is also more armor. Not much range, but if the enemy want to damage you, you almost certainly get to hit him, too. But the slightest bit off balance, and they go full Beyblade bouncing around the arena and doing possibly more damage to them than anybody else. Also sometimes vulnerable to hammerbots and other attacks from above. Kinda like the Idea, but i don't want something with almost the same chance to kill itself as killing the enemy on impact.
3. Vertical/Drum Spinners: Not much range, some designs might actually be hard to hit at all. But if they hit, it's devastating, with a good chance of flipping the enemy, too. depending on drum size even possible to drive upside-down, although a hit then would likely flip you, not the enemy. Could also be build very compact and kinda well-armoured, and even if the drum doesn't work anymore likely to be used as wedge/pusher. Biggest disadvantage is the gyroscopic effect in combination with the small hit zone. it's not as difficult as with most other bots to outnavigate them, since turning around with the drum on full speed would lift one side of the bot, making it vulnerable for a moment.
4. Hammer/Axebot: internal shock damage, and possibly a lot of it, as well as often getting to the weaker spots of the enemy and bending them. can (and often has to) self-right again. Possible to get some nice range and armor, depending on the actual design used. Would really want such a bot, but needs good aiming, and i doubt i could do that. Maybe with a lot more driving experience. But mostly dislike often falling because of an unperfect hit (like beta and chomp demonstrated in the latest battlebots series).
5. Flipper: Fun to watch, most of them even usable as wedge if the flipper stops working, self-flipping is self-righting, and no amount of armor can protect you from getting tossed out of the arena. But you have to get close, get under the enemy (who often tries to do the same to you), and with the right side of your bot. And once the flipper gets a direct hit, it may bend enough to make it impossible to get under the enemy. And needs pneumatics (or a somewhat complex spring mechanism) to be effective, so possibly not for me now.
6. Lifters: somewhat like a slow flipper, possible to build without pneumatics/springs. Still needs to get under the other Bot at the right spot, and since it's slower they get a chance to drive off from it. Self-righting is not guaranteed. Often gets somewhat useless vs. invertible bots or those who can self-right.
7. Grapplers: can work very well and give a lot of control over the other bot, but the grabbing design has to fit
the bot it tries to grab. If not... well, almost like a spinner not rotating.
8. Crushers: Somewhat the extreme form of a grappler. And even if there wasn't the problem with how to make it work with different forms of bots, it would still be too slow for me. Until i have closed that thing, even if i get close enough and the enemy bot at the right place, he would propably have driven off or done anything nasty to me.
9. Drillbots: Never seen such one be effective. Would guess they need at least some combination with grappling.
10. Thwackbots: well... i just don't like them. i understand the concept got some really good reasons to build such a bot, but... somehow just nothing for me.
So yeah... i've done some thinking, and somehow didn't get to what i actually want to do.
But i have to admit, a lot of this comes from either rather old videos or almost only heavyweights, since i didn't manage to go to a live event yet :(
Now the question for you more experienced roboteers:
What design could you actually recommend for a beginner? did i maybe just forget one, or are some of my observations not right for featherweight nowadays?
I'm really kinda lost for now, ideas for different designs flooding into my brain, and get thrown out almost at the same speed due to possible weaknesses, difficulty in building, steering and whatever. Could need a little push into a doable direction from you. Meanwhile i'll just read through old threads and building diaries.
