Introduction and a few questions!

Hi everyone,

I’m a new member here but not completely new to robotics and engineering!


I’ve just started what I would call my first proper sized project, a featherweight and in fact I have two designs in progress currently.
Both designs share the same drive components but have very different weapons... This is where I’m stuck, I’d like to really do a vertical spinner, but I’m worried this is going to drastically reduce my availability to attend local matches, in particular (Hampshire south UK). My other option I’m working on is hydraulic this is really my comfort zone as I was a hydraulic and mechanical engineer at JCB for many years, this option would allow me to attend more matches because of the arena limitations I’ve observed so far, I’ve not yet got a concept of by how much so it’s hard to quantify its impact.

None the less I hope to start a build thread under the featherweight section this week, as I have already started on the drive system, and I’ll keep my progress updated there and photos of what I’m doing etc...

cheers

Lew

Hey there Lew, welcome to the forum!

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I’d like to really do a vertical spinner, but I’m worried this is going to drastically reduce my availability to attend local matches, in particular (Hampshire south UK).

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Is this a Robots Live! event or something else? As far as I am aware, the only two events that can handle spinners of any description are Extreme Robots and RoboDojo in Leeds. There is also the element of safety in testing as I am sure you can imagine where I wouldn't typically recommend doing a spinner as a first robot, just surviving the first three minutes in an arena is an achievement in of itself :P

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My other option I’m working on is hydraulic this is really my comfort zone as I was a hydraulic and mechanical engineer at JCB for many years, this option would allow me to attend more matches because of the arena limitations I’ve observed so far, I’ve not yet got a concept of by how much so it’s hard to quantify its impact.

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Hydraulics in the FW class are somewhat rare but not impossible. Robots like Pressure Point are hydraulic and yes, as you mention, they are typically able to go to more events than spinners.

Looking forwards to seeing your creations!

Hello Ocracoke!

I’ve been following the spinner thread a few below you have been active in with interest.

My most local events are live events; I’ve seen a spinner friendly event in Guildford (ER) from memory and a non-spinner event I think in Portsmouth and Crawley (RL) i can already see unfortunately the limitations of having an appropriate arena :( it’s a shame I’d love to see more class 2 arenas!

For testing my spinner I was planning to make a test box/ thing but to minimise cost i was going to use an inspection pit and drop either a single steel plate (the type used for plant crossing soft ground and over trenches come in 13 and 19mm but are readily avalible for sale or hire) over the pit or buy a single thick polycarbonate sheet to bolt down or a combination of the both so i can see what’s happening clearly, hoping this way i have a means to test safely for under £150 and can always sell the road plate on afterwards. id be intrested to hear what others are doing maybe im over thinking it and should just run it in a spare shipping container or field...

Regarding Hydraulics I’ve had a small catchup with Al on his bot he is pretty much mirroring the setup i was looking at and had some good input on running them inverted and the cavitation issues its just a shame the hydraulics eat up such a large ratio of the available weight compared to spinners.


I’m running out of things to work on drive wise so soon will need to make the decision!

Hi Lew, welcome! Sounds like you've got a good background and skillset for this.

Re: spinners, as mentioned they can only be run in a few arenas, two of which are at Extreme Robots events and RoboDojo events. There is also the Robo Challenge arena and they tend to host events around the Birmingham area, however it's been a few years since their last event and not sure what, if anything, they have on the cards for this year.
With testing, it really just comes down to common sense and an awareness of health and safety. Don't stand too close, don't stand in the same plane as the spinner, use safety devices (i.e. locking bar) when arming up and deactivating, and a pair of safety goggles won't go amiss. If you have a piece of steel or polycarb you wish to stand behind, feel free. Also make sure the surface the robot is on is stable; if there's any vibration or wobble in the spinner, it could cause the robot to oscillate or bounce, which in turn could make the spinning mass connect with an uneven surface. I'd only worry about a test box or inspection pit if you want to run the drive at the same time as the weapon, as the gyroscopic forces could also cause the robot to tip or tilt, potentially sending the weapon into the ground too. If you're just testing the weapon on its own, a safe distance will be fine, maybe with a camera and tripod set up closer if you want to get some visual data.

Re: hydraulics, there are more arenas you can run them in however be aware that some roboteers may ask you to hold back from fully crushing their robots at non full-combat events as they don't generally expect to take large or expensive damage at these events. Hydraulics are very limited in the FW class - Pressure Point as mentioned, and Cobalt (not the Battlebots robot) - due to the weight however that rarity makes them more exciting and interesting when they do appear, and since you've got the background, it would be great to see one. A hydraulic crusher will also be easier/slightly safer to demonstrate to friends, work colleagues etc compared to a spinner.

Best of luck with whichever you choose (why not both? ;))

Thanks for the reply jamie!

Ive just started the CAD for a second design today, im exploring the idea of a swiss army bot i can make weapon modules for...

Its not going too bad but its turning out a little heavy (im aiming for 6.5-7kg for the drive platform and armour. Im Currently about 9.7kg with steel armour since this picture ive stretched it 40mm to allow for extra battery space.. Attachment 9934

Prob a good time to start the thread in featherweight!

Welcome to the forum Lew! CAD looks good so far, good luck with the build.