It’s time for an update that leaves the robot looking largely the same as it did before, but with lots of little bits changed internally that are hard to see.

Continuing from last time, I have finished mounting the baseplate to the chassis. I followed the advice and tapped the holes for the fixings with the battery drill, much quicker and the tap is still in one piece, so many thanks there. After that, it all came back to bits for re-assembly, but this time with the hydraulics back in. I took the opportunity to remove a couple of sharp edges I had found on the chassis sides, and also to add a smear of grease everywhere I have moving metal on metal contact

I found the back plate was little harder to fit this time, the reason being the force the arm puts on the chassis when it is all bolted together. I had left room in this area for some support bars, so I made one from some aluminium tube and that brought it back into line. I have also made some wheels and fitted them to the drill gearboxes. They are not the final wheels as these are too heavy, but they are the correct size so I can at lease see how the robot is sitting. At this point I was able to sneak the robot in to work for a check on the weight. We have some scales we use for weighing things we are sending out and they are the most accurate I have access to. It came out about 250g up on what I have calculated for what was assembled so for. Not a disaster and I have a couple of places I can shave some weight off if need be.

Next job was to make a start on the electronics. Both drive ESCs sit between the chassis sides and under the ram, so hopefully will be fairly well protected there. Likewise the weapon ESC sits under the steel valve block for the weapon. The weedy wires that the drill motors come with were replaced with some 12AWG silicone insulated wire and bullet connectors added. Everything electronic has remained fairly compact but it has been at the expense of ease for running wires and connecting up cables. Battery placement has been sorted and the battery connector and removable link have been made too. That was as far as I could take things as I’m waiting on the fuse, power LED and a case for the RX to be delivered which I should have before the end of the week. Here it is as it currently looks:

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After I have the parts and the electronics are finished I should be able to power it all up together on the bench for the first time. This will also give me chance to try and get the mixing for the drive working on the TX.

Before I can stick it on the floor and drive it around I have to sort out the front wedge. I have given myself 2 ways that I can run it, but I could do with a bit of advice on the arena floors having never seen one. My first option is to take the front of the wedge down almost to a ‘blade’ and let it contact the floor and take the weight of the front part of the robot. This would get it the lowest but if I do this am I likely to keep hitting the edges of the floor panels and suffer from it as a result? My second option is a pair of skids behind the front wedge. These would instead take the weight and hold the edge of the wedge just a hair or so off the floor and with the shape of them I should be able to ride over the joins and unevenness (if there is any!?) of adjacent floor panels. Would this be a better solution from people’s experience of being in the arena? Thanks again for any advice you can offer