Product design, Mechanical, initial concept, prototypes, control, software, frame, weapon, discussion, prototype, battlebot, concept sketch
The "Minitron" battle bot is made by Group 1, comprising of 7 members from mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and material science. Principles of product design, electrical circuits, and report writing were inherent in the group due to this. Minitron weighs in at 2.3 kg, with a height and footprint of 13 cm and 20x35cm respectively. An MDF frame houses all electronics, with an extended, horizontally rotating drum weapon on the front. Movement is powered by four rubber wheels. The battle strategy is to either damage the opponent using the weapon, or simply using the weapon to push the opponent into the sand pit. The electrical systems allow for remote control of all wheels and the weapon itself for a maximum of 8 minutes.
[...] It is suspended with ball bearings by the side walls at the front of the bot, using a belt to transfer power from the DC-motor housed inside the main box. A belt support tightens the belt around the gears on both the motor and the drum to increase grip during operation. The threaded rod also protects the front wheels from direct hits. Figure Weapon Movement The four rubber wheels are placed in each corner of the frame. This gives the bot a wide stance, making it harder to flip. [...]
[...] Figure 4 shows the completed bot before tightening the last zip-ties. The key design features are as follows: Frame - Laser cut MDF-plates zip-tied together in a box shape Weapon - Horizontal rotating steel drum with protruding bolts Movement - Four-wheel drive with rubber wheels Control - Provide power, logic and remote control Top-view Iso-view Figure The Minitron Battle Bot Frame The frame is a simple and stiff box containing and shielding all electronic systems. The side walls extend from the box to hold the weapon-drum. [...]
[...] The final solution ended in the first option with the small wheels, based on the high agility and maneuverability they provided. Internal strengths of the Minitron are high agility, low complexity, strong and stable weapon, low center of gravity, good steering, wide stance, four-wheel drive, and a stylish look. Based on these strengths, Minitron has the opportunity to drive away from the opponent, has an advantage against opponents with a low turn rate and exposed wheels. The stable and strong weapon could in contact with flimsy weapons break them. Over to the negative sides and the weaknesses of Minitron. [...]
[...] (If relevant) How do you expect to lose: The wheels are currently not able to get the bot out of the sand pit, so falling down in the pit will be critical and likely lead to defeat. In addition, being flipped will lead to no more controlling and therefore lead to defeat. Losing wheels will also disable the bot. How do you expect to rank: It is expected that the Minitron will make it to the semi-finals, as long as the sand pits are avoided. Driver-skill is regarded as the most important factor to get high ranking. SWOT analysis: Map out key characteristics for your bot/strategy in the form of a swot analysis. Be concise. [...]
[...] Discussion From the beginning, the main focus was to design something not too complicated to make sure the bot got finished in time. Therefore the frame is a simple box, which is light to save weight, yet stiff enough to stabilize the weapon. The frame is made of MDF and not aluminium which was an alternative, because the group deemed the MDF to be strong and stiff enough to fulfill its purpose. This also turned out to be the case. For the wheels, there have been a lot of iterations. [...]
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