For geeky engineer varieties (we all know our readers), the BattleBot idea is without doubt one of the most interesting “sports activities” possible. Operating round whereas holding a ball is boring athleticism. However designing and establishing robots that combat to demise in a contemporary televised Colosseum? That takes brainpower and fabrication ability, which turns into particularly obvious within the decrease weight courses. If you’d like some proof, check out Team Panic’s antweight replica of Hacksmith’s Orbitron.
Crew Orbitron is a bunch of scholars from Ontario, Canada’s College of Waterloo. In 2023, the huge Hacksmith Industries YouTube channel mixed forces with the crew. The ensuing Orbitron BattleBot is a 250-pound behemoth that competes within the heavyweight class. Its distinctive weapon setup consists of two chain-driven vertical spinners, which flip over opponents. Orbitron even has autonomous functionality and might assault different BattleBots with out direct management from a human operator.
As a enjoyable option to work together with followers, Crew Orbitron launched a small 3D-printable scale mannequin of Orbitron. That may’t combat and even transfer beneath its personal energy, nevertheless it gave Crew Panic the thought to construct an antweight model of Orbitron that may. Guidelines for antweight courses fluctuate, however Crew Panic determined to stick to the everyday 150g weight restrict. That’s a couple of third of a pound, which is extraordinarily restrictive and difficult.
Just like the heavyweight Orbitron, this antweight Orbitron is a four-wheel drive BattleBot with two spinner weapons. 4 tiny DC gearmotors sit within the robotic’s 3D-printed plastic body to drive the wheels. Every spinner has a extra highly effective brushless DC motor, like what you’d discover on a small drone.
And that is the place Crew Panic began to get intelligent with weight discount. The spinners and their motors connect to mounts constructed from PCBs. Not solely are PCBs sturdy, however this additionally eliminates some components. The spinners themselves have been fabricated utilizing PCBWay’s metal 3D printing service. That permit Crew Panic design them to be very light-weight, but in addition sturdy.
Crew Panic doesn’t specify the controller used for this construct, nevertheless it seems to drive the wheel gearmotors straight. The 2 brushless DC motors appear to have devoted miniature ESC (Digital Pace Controllers). Energy comes from a pair of itty-bitty lithium batteries.
In testing, the antweight Orbitron labored effectively. It’s nimble and the spinners again an enormous punch as they rotate at very excessive pace. That’s spectacular contemplating it’s only about 1/750th the burden of the actual Orbitron.
