Big Dave 3 Design & Build

[emisnug]

Time for an update.

Things have changed. A lot. After a third attempt at getting on Robot Wars and some drivability problems with Big Dave 3, we sat down and had a little (almost complete) redesign with input from all three of us to design something that we're both proud of and is still the same levels of destructiveness...

Presenting Big Dave 3 (MK3)




And even then, it's somewhat changed from the CAD above - now with some more armour sections and a different tread pattern that I wasn't able to render because my computer is now 9 years out of date.

So - the drum, the taper roller bearings and the 100mm axle are all the same. Everything else is modular (because modular) - two drive pods and an electronics enclosure. The drive pods are exactly that - everything we need for the drive sections - two motors, 4 sets of gears, 4 belts and a couple of wheels and many bearings. Changes are as follows:

• We've changed from the Alien Power 8085 motors - we're now running quadruple Turnigy SK3 6374-192Kv motors and coupled them to an 8.75:1 gearing arrangement, allowing us to run at 16MPH with 16Kw/21Hp on the ground.
• The wheels are now cast with 50A Durometer rubber
• HTD Belts! (Because of an inhernent dislike for chains)
• Slightly longer impactors (249.31MPH mechanical tip speed)
• 44.4V (12s) throughout
• There's a wedge
• Polycarbonate top panel with flexinessâ„¢ to absorb hits
• We've decided on an Orange/Black colour scheme
• Marine anodising is happening for extra hardness
• Titanium impactors! We're fully aware that Ti isn't an ideal material for this, but white sparks!)

Our good friends over at GSD Tech in Southampton have started machining parts for us - we should hopefully have a fully working robot by the end of the year.