The%20Physics%20of

1
The Physics of

• Mark Dobbins , Mike Grayson, Jennifer Burton

www.battlebots.com
2
What is a BattleBot?

• A remote controlled combat robot
• Remote control
• Internal power
• Movement mechanisms
• Protective mechanisms
• Weapons

3
Weight

• Weight is an essential part of the BattleBot
  which defines what other bots it will face.

• Every pound counts
• Power Supply
• Motors
• Wheels
• Armor
• Weapons
• Nuts Bolts

Weight Class (lbs) Min Max
Lightweight 30 60
Middleweight 60 120
Heavyweight 120 220
Super Heavyweight 220 340
4
Control

• Handheld Transmitter
• Internal Receiver

• Internal Logic
• Connections to Motors

5
Innovation First, Inc. Robot Controls

• Operator Interface
• Switches and Joysticks
• Radio Modem
• 900 MHz radio signal
• 19200 bps
• FRC Robot Controller
• Data from Operator Interface and Onboard Sensors
• Internal microcontroller with some user
  programming capabilities

6
Power

• Internal Batteries
• Lead-Acid batteries are required to be
  leak-proof
• Battery Hold-Downs
• Wiring and Fuses
• Strong wire connections
• Fuel-Powered Engines are sometimes used in place
  of electric motors

7
Judging Competition

• A bot that is immobilized looses the match.
• Points are awarded for
• Aggression
• Strategy
• Damage

8
Weapons

• Inflict maximum damage without self-destructing
• Cut
• Smash
• Lift
• Throw
• Weapons can be
• Gasoline powered
• Electric
• Pneumatic
• Hydraulic.

9
Saw Weapons

• Most effective saws are gas-powered (more kick)
  and are horizontally mounted
• Blades can be easily damaged by a side impact if
  mounted vertically

• Does very little damage

10
Spinning Disc Weapons

• Often confused with saw weapons, but work on a
  different principle
• Builds up kinetic energy and delivers it in one
  fast blow
• A combination of high rpm and a large diameter,
  which generate very fast speeds on the outer
  perimeter
• But for every action there is a reaction, so you
  had better have a sturdy system to absorb or
  allow for shock on your bot as well.

11
Scorpion or Spike Weapons

• A spike must retract and eject with a great deal
  of speed.
• Usually powered by pneumatics
• Frequent use causes the expanding air to cool in
  the cylinder. Later strikes have less force.
  (pvnrt)
• An ejection mechanism
• can also be achieved
• using a winch and some
• large springs to store the
• energy

12
Flipping Weapons

• Some bots can be incapacitated when flipped
  upside down
• Some bots are invertible and can only be damaged,
  not incapacitated, by flipping weapons.
• Pneumatics or linear actuators are usually used
  to power flipping devices.

13
Clamp Weapons

• allow a bot to grab onto and control the opponent
  and perhaps lift it off the ground as well, or
  use an arena hazard to damage it.
• getting hold of the opponent when they are moving
  around and attacking is harder than it sounds

14
Drill Weapons

• Drills can do quite a bit of damage but they
  probably take too long to be effective under most
  circumstances

15
Types of Movement

• Wheels (taken from remote control cars)
• Single ball (works like non-optical mouse)
• Walkers (fallen out of style because of
  ineptitude)
• Tread (like army vehicles)

16
Defensive tactic 1

• Little to no ground clearance
• Curtains
• Edges close to the ground to prevent flipping
• Disadvantage
• Makes it harder
• to maneuver.
• Not 100 percent
• effective.

17
Defensive Tactic 2

• Speed or Agility
• Advantage run from competitor and its weapons
• Disadvantage not enough mass for impact with
  competitor.

18
Defensive Tactic 3

• Strength more mass
• Advantage able to overpower the offense
• Disadvantage dynamic stability takes a hit, less
  agility

19
Defensive Tactic 4

• Armor Plating
• All battlebots have it to some degree
• Protects the electronics
• There is an inverse relationship between material
  used and dynamic stability

20
Skills

• No matter what defensive precautions are taken,
  skill is what really matters
• The best BattleBot could lose if run by a bad
  tactician or uneducated person.