Beetleweight "walker" - build diary

[dotDominic]

So my CAD has been refined and upgraded significantly since my last post so it's time for an update!

This design is meant to look like a sentient machine from a derelict sci-fi junkyard. The logo in the middle will light up in cyan when the robot is turned on. I've decided to call the robot Omikron - I think it sounds weird and futuristic which matches the overall theme of the robot. Omikron is a letter from the Greek alphabet and literally means "small o".

In terms of tech specs there has also been some changes. It turns out that the 2.25kg weight bonus is not universal across all beetleweight competitions. After asking about this on facebook it sounds like the limit is currently 1.8kg, which is significantly less than I thought it was. This has been the main driving factor behind the design changes.

I'm now using lighter Pololu 25mm 99:1 gearmotors for drive. Thanks to mark_m's post in this thread I'm pretty sure they will be able to move Omikron on a 4s or even 3s LiPo.
Chassis and front scoop is mostly 8mm HDPE, baseplate 5mm, top armour is 2mm.
The legs are 8mm hdpe and will be watercut - linkages will be 3-D printed due to their shape.

Unfortunately I'm not sure if there'll be weight for my beefy drill motor to power the axe. I might have to step it down to something lighter down the road, but I will concentrate on getting the walking mech working first and seeing what weight I have to spare. Sadly I've had to replace the chunky mallet with a slimmer axe-head to save weight, but I do think it suits the aesthetic of the robot better.

I think that's most of the new details down, once I'm 100% happy with the CAD I will order in the legs and chassis materials.

I'm still having trouble uploading images to my posts so I hope you can view these images

https://www.flickr.com/photos/159759...posted-public/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/159759...posted-public/