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Contents page

1. Cover
2. Contents page
3. Introduction, disclaimer, safety and weight categories
4. Competition rules, advice to teachers and useful websites

Designing

5. Standard robot designs

6. General design advice and recommended CAD software

Building – Electronics

7. General wiring advice and ESCs

8. Removable links and remote control
9. Wiring diagrams
10. Relays and fuses
11. LiPo batteries and safety
12. LiPo batteries, safety and alternative battery types

Building – Mechanical hardware

13. Drive and weapon motors

14. Power transfer methods

Building – Chassis & armour

15. Robot layout and suitable build materials

Misc

16. Competitions and troubleshooting

17. Shopping list
18. Glossary

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 Introduction
This guide is designed to give someone interested in building a combat robot a good foundation of
knowledge to safely take part in this hobby. The information is suitable for an enthusiastic builder
but has been written for teachers looking to run a combat robotics club in a school context, some of
the information therefore may not be required by the individual builder.

Combat robotics is an engaging hobby that stretches competitor’s abilities in; problem solving,
engineering, design, CAD, fabrication, electronics and much more. As a vehicle for classroom
engagement the learning opportunities are vast; maths, physics, engineering, materials science,
team work and time management are all skills required to successfully build a combat robot.

This guide is not exhaustive, the information found here is the key information for someone to safely
design and build a robot, but additional research will usually be required throughout a build.
Hopefully with this guide, and a few basic workshop tools, you and your students will have the
satisfaction of designing and building your own combat robot.

Disclaimer
Combat robotics has some inherent dangers associated with it. This guide covers the essential
information required to safely build and compete in this sport, but personal safety and the safety
and wellbeing of students involved lies with the teacher in charge. Machines can be built safely in a
school context, but the teacher must assess the risks for their own workshop and pupils. No
company, organisation or individual mentioned in this guide takes responsibility for any injury
caused while designing, building, testing or competing in combat robotics.

General information
1. Safety
There are some dangers in building and competing in this hobby. For the most part these risks
can be managed by understanding the building processes and components being used.

a. Fabrication – The majority of accidents occur during the build of a machine.

Standard workshop risk assessments are necessary to minimise the potential danger
to yourself and students.
b. Electronics – The batteries used in combat robots have the potential to be quite
volatile, if using LiPo batteries make sure you read the guidance on p11 +p12
thoroughly. Short circuits will quickly get very hot and can instantly damage
electronics and cause burns. A visual check of the wiring loom, and close teacher
supervision, is advised each time the robot is powered up
c. Testing – Make sure the robot is tested in a safe environment. Be aware when
testing that there is always a small a chance of radio interference. Plan where you
will test so the robot won’t endanger anyone, should control be lost.

2. Combat robot weight categories

a. Antweight up to 150g
b. Beetleweight up to 1.5kg
c. Featherweight up to 13.6kg
d. Heavyweight up to 110kg

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The featherweight category would make a good starting point for a school based team. A
heavyweight requires expensive machinery and often welding equipment to fabricate, the cost is
also considerably larger. A beetle weight is a viable option for students, but with the small weight
limit and resulting size constraints Beetleweight robots need to be built with a higher level of
precision, and have a greater potential for an unsatisfactory outcome.

3. Competition rules
a. Familiarise yourself with the rules for the competitions you are looking to enter. The
FRA build rules are a good starting point, but each competition may have its own
variances on those rules.

http://www.fightingrobots.co.uk/documents/Build-Rules.pdf

4. Advice to teachers
a. It is advisable to keep the group size to a maximum of 6, but 2 to 4 is preferable. Any
larger and students will struggle to have work to complete each session.
b. Consider carefully where you should assist with the fabrication to keep the project
progressing and students engaged.

Useful websites
FRA – Fighting Robots Association - www.fightingrobots.co.uk

VEX Robotics - www.vexrobotics.com

BattleBots - www.battlebots.com

RobotWars - www.robotwars.tv

Ranglebox - www.ranglebox.com

Banebots - www.banebots.com

Robot Market Place - www.robotmarketplace.com

Robot shop - www.robotshop.com

Aluminium warehouse - www.aluminiumwarehouse.co.uk

Bearing boys - www.bearingboys.co.uk

RS Components - http://uk.rs-online.com/web

Botbitz - www.botbitz.com

Technobots - https://www.technobotsonline.com

Rapid - www.rapidonline.com

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 Designing
Standard robot designs
Pusher or ram bot - These are the simplest machine to build and should be considered for a first
time builder. They rely on their power and armour to ram their opponents. Be aware that some
competitions do not allow ram bots to compete.

Horizontal spinner (Cobolt*, Tombstone*) -

Horizontally rotating disk or bar, usually with a large
diameter.

Vertical spinner (Biteforce*, Nightmare*) -

Vertically rotating disk or bar, usually with a large
diameter.

Drum spinner (Minotaur*) - Wide vertically rotating drum

with a small diameter.

Fully body spinner (Ringmaster*) - Effective, but complex

design where the entire outer shell rotates, acting as both armour and weapon.

Rear hinging flipper (Bronco*) – A compressed gas (pneumatic) piston lifts the
front section of armour. With the hinge being at the rear competitors are lifted
up and forwards.

Front hinging flipper – This less conventional flipper configuration has the hinge at the front,
meaning opponents are more pushed forward than up.

Axebot (Beta*, Bombshell*) – These machines use

compressed air or electric motors to drive an axe, or
hammer, down onto opponents.

Lifter (Stinger – The Killer Bee*) – Compressed air or an electric motor

raises a plate, or arm. Designed to give the driver control over the
opposition, more than flip them over.

Non-standard weapons - Flame throwers, crushers, grab/lift and 4 bar lifters should be avoided by
beginners due to their complexity and competition regulations (most events ban flame throwers).

* Images © copyright BattleBots Inc, and used with permission

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General design advice

1. Start simple - Designing, building, wiring and testing a simple 2WD ram bot is a huge
accomplishment, and a great learning experience for students.
2. Look at what people have entered already, read through a few build diaries (see FRA forum).
3. When designing remember your machine will not be the same shape after combat. Include
an air gap between the outer armour and the inner components, this will allow the outer
armour to distort without damaging the internal components.
4. With the advances in material technology sharp weapons designed to cut through armour
are generally ineffective. A blunt weapon designed to transfer large amounts of kinetic
energy are more common.
5. Reliability is key, try to find any weak links in your design before you start to build.
6. Try to design your machine so it can be easily assembled and disassembled.
7. Avoid designing around a weapon that look suitable. Off the shelf cutting / grinding disks for
example are rarely capable to withstanding the forces of combat.
8. Avoid the temptation to build something never seen before. It is better to have a successful
simpler robot, than a ground breaking machine that is unfinished or unreliable.
9. Having a robot that can either run inverted, has a self-righting mechanism (SRMech) or the
ability to right itself using the weapon is strongly advised.
10. All active weapons (ones with moving parts) must have a locking bar or other means of
physically preventing the weapon moving when not in the arena.

Design process
Draw out a range of designs on paper, try and weed out design elements that are overly
complicated. It is strongly advised to build a full 3D CAD model of your robot before you start to
build. Try to include as many correctly sized components as you can and make sure you leave room
for the wires. This is a time consuming process, but will greatly increase the success of your build.

CAD software
Autodesk Fusion 360 and SketchUp are great 3D CAD packages to use. Autodesk is more capable and
free to schools, also a number of suppliers will provide Fusion CAD files of their components (VEX
Robotics)

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 Building - Electronics
General electronics advice
1. Work out what drive motors you will be using first, this will determine the voltage of the
batteries you will need. By looking at the motors spec sheet you should be able to determine
their maximum amperage draw, and this will help you select your ESCs.
a. It’s essential you consider the voltage (V) you are supplying the motors with and the current
(A) that they will require. If you apply too many volts to a motor it will burn out, and if the
motor requires more amps than the ESC can handle it will damage the ESC.
2. Make sure all the wiring is of a suitable gauge for the amperage you intend to use. 10 or 12 AWG
silicon wire should be suitable for most featherweight applications.
3. Having a dedicated BEC (Battery Eliminator Circuit) rather than relying on the BEC built into the
ESC is advisable. Dedicated BECs will not be negatively affected by fluctuating output voltage
that the BECs in ESC can sometimes suffer from.

Connecting wires together

As a general rule, regardless of the connector type used, you want to avoid any exposed wires. Make
sure you cover all joints in heat shrink to prevent the risk of a short circuit.

1. Ring terminals and bolts – These require a special crimping tool but provide a solid connection
that can be easily modified, prepared or replaced during an event.
2. Soldering – Standard school soldering irons can be used, but you may find that the large gauge
wire conducts heat away too quickly. A high power soldering iron or gas powered iron is
recommended. This method can make repairs in the pit difficult and time consuming.
3. Terminal blocks – These are easy to use, and good for testing but are generally avoided in
competitions as they can work loose during combat.
4. XT60 connectors – These are easy to solder and widely used (For higher amperage applications
consider Anderson or XT90 connectors). Once completely assembled hold the two connectors
together with a zip tie to ensure they won’t disconnect during combat.

A good technique for soldering 3 or 4 wires together is to remove about 15mm of insulation from
each wire and ‘tin’ (pre-load) each wire with solder. Then bundle all the wires together and tie them
with a loop of thinner gauge wire. Apply the soldering iron to the whole bundle then feed in the
solder, this technique requires quite a lot of solder but makes a strong connection. Trim what
protrudes of the thinner wire loop after soldering and cover the whole bundle in heat shrink.

Electronic Speed Controllers (ESCs)

These take the power from the battery and distribute it to the motors. ESCs are one area worth
investing in as they frequently get re-used in future machines. They connect to the R/C receiver and
regulate their output depending on how the sticks on the transmitter are moved. Fully forward will
give full power forward, if the stick is half way back the motor will run at half speed in reverse. There
are 2 main motor types to be aware of; brushed and brushless, each requires its own ESC.

1. Brushed – Brushed motors are an older technology, but still the most widely used option for
drive motors, brushed motors will require a brushed ESC. One point to note is that a lot of
brushed motors are used for R/C planes or boats, in these applications reverse isn’t required so
make sure you buy an ESC that has forward and reverse. Research the maximum amperage draw

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 of the motors you are using for drive and buy an ESC that can handle at least the right voltage
and ideally more amps than required.
2. Brushless – Brushless motors require brushless ESCs. Traditionally these run just in one direction,
but some new brushless ESC can run a motor in either direction during use. ESCs that run in just
one direction can be set to run in either direction when being wired, but this can’t be changed
during use. As with brushed ESCs find the maximum current draw for the brushless motor you
plan on using, at the voltage you will use, and buy an ESC that exceeds that amperage draw.
a. To reverse the direction of a brushless ESC swap any 2 of the 3 wires around.

Removable link
1. Every robot needs to have an easily accessible means of disconnecting power to the robot. This
has to be in the form of a removable link. The easiest way to accomplish this is to have one wire
from the battery go through an XT60 connector and loop back on itself.
2. The removable link must be on the positive side of the battery
3. The wire must be of a suitable gauge for the maximum total current your robot can draw.
4. It must be able to be removed without tools

Remote control
1. The standard R/C equipment used in the hobby is 2.4 GHz. You will need to have a 2.4 GHz
transmitter and 2.4 GHz receiver. It is advisable to buy these together to ensure they are
compatible.
2. Transmitters generally come in either ‘pistol grip’ or ‘airplane (two stick) style’. Although some
teams use a ‘pistol grip’ transmitter, it is advisable to start with a traditional two stick model.
3. Transmitter and receivers have a number of ‘channels’ of information they can deliver.
a. Each channel can control one ESC, R/C switch etc.
b. A standard robot will require at least 3 channels, one for each wheel and one for a weapon.
It would be advisable to invest in a 6 channel receiver, this small additional initial cost will
future proof your radio gear. The Spektrum Dx6 or Dx6e are popular choices.
c. Usually competitors use the right stick to control the movement of the robot, to achieve this
the vertical (elevator) and horizontal (aileron) channels must be mixed together. If you
search elevon mixing for your transmitter you will find out how to achieve this. Alternatively
you can buy off the shelf mixers that connect between the receiver and the ESCs
d. ‘Airplane (two stick) style’ generally come in 2 configurations; Mode 2 and Mode 1. These
refer to the layout of the sticks, Mode 2 is the most common configuration used in combat
robotics.
4. Fail safe – It is important that should the radio signal get interrupted or the transmitter loose
power the robot enters a ‘fail safe’ state. In this state the weapon shouldn’t be running and the
robot should remain stationary. Most receivers include a ‘fail safe’ mode, you must ensure the
robot will ‘fail safe’ in order to compete.

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 Electronics
Here is a wiring loom for a basic ‘ram bot’ style robot.

Here is the wiring harness for a robot with a brushless spinning weapon

Key
Red wires = Positive wires

Black wires = Negative wires

Yellow wire from the ESC = Brushless motor wire

The wires going to the radio receiver from the ESC will either be Brown, Red,
Yellow or Black, Red, White. Brown or Black wires are the negative (ground) the
Red wires are positive and the Yellow or White is the signal cable.

Note that only 1 red wire connecting ESC to the receiver remains intact, the
others have been cut. This is because the receiver is powered by a BEC (Battery
Eliminator Circuit) inside the ESC, and requires power from only one source.

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Relays and R/C switches
1. If you are using a brushed motor and require a simple on/off function (a spinner for example)
you could use a combination of a relay (ensure it can handle the voltage / current your weapon
motor requires) and R/C switch
2. In the diagram below the high current supply for the weapon motor enters at pin 30 and leaves
at 87. The switching connectors 85 and 86 use a small amount of current from the R/C Switch to
operate the relay. When current passes through 85 and 86 the high current connectors (30 and
87) close allowing the electricity to flow to the weapon motor. Ensure you have the polarity
exactly as in the diagram below.

Fuses
1. You need to include a fuse directly after the battery just below its safe burst discharge rate.
2. You can also install fuses on the positive input wire of the ESCs. Ensure the fuse amperage is just
below the maximum amperage for the ESC, this will protect the ESC should a motor draw
excessive amps (If for example a wheel were to get jammed)
3. Some competitors choose to use a fuse as the removable link. You need to ensure it cannot work
loose during combat and check that it is allowed within the rules.

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 LiPo batteries
LiPo (Lithium Polymer) batteries are the most common type of battery used in combat robotics
today, they are low cost, light weight and powerful. If used correctly these batteries are safe, but
they do have the potential to be quite dangerous if not handled and used carefully.

Important information for using LiPo batteries safely

1. LiPo batteries voltage range – All LiPo batteries are made up of individual cells, to operate safely
each cell shouldn’t be discharged below 3.0V or charged above 4.2V, the ‘nominal’ voltage for a
cell is 3.7V.
2. The number of cells (S) will determine the battery packs voltage. For example a 3S pack contains
3 cells. 3 cells at 3.7V each = 11.1V
3. Capacity – All batteries will indicate their capacity in mAh (milliampere hours). For example a
2000mAh pack can output 2000mAh (2 Amps) for 1 hour
4. Discharge rate (C Rating) – LiPo batteries will indicate the maximum safe rate they can be
discharged at and a burst rate that it can withstand for 10 seconds at a time. This is known as the
C rate.
a. Continuous - If a 2000mAh (2Amp) pack has a continuous discharge rate of 30C it means it
can give out (30 x 2A) 60 Amps of power continuously.
b. Burst rating – The same pack may have a burst rating of 50C. This would mean that for up to
10 seconds it can output (50 x 2A) 100Amps. This is useful for spinning weapons that draw a
lot of amps to start spinning and fewer to maintain the weapon spinning.
c. Calculate your maximum total amperage draw from your robot, and make sure the battery
you buy can supply that amount.
5. Charging rate – It is advisable not to charge a LiPo at a rate higher than 1C (Modern packs may
withstand higher). A 2000mAh battery pack charging at 1C means you can charge it at up to 2A.

Main power
Balance lead cable

XT-60
connector

Capacity
in mAh

Capacity
in Ah

Continuous Cell count /

discharge rate Voltage

Burst (10 second)

discharge rate

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6. Mounting – You need to ensure the batteries are mounted securely and safely inside the robot,
while maintaining the ability to be removed from the robot for charging. Most event organisers
require LiPo batteries to be removed from the robot when being charged.
7. Charging – When charging a LiPo battery it is important that each cell has the same voltage at
the end of the charge. To use LiPo batteries you will need a special LiPo charger that can
‘balance charge’ the pack. A LiPo battery will have 2 main output cables, the positive (red) and
negative (black). There will also be a balance lead that connects to each individual cell. Some
cheaper chargers just charge via the balance lead, more expensive models will charge through
the main positive, negative leads and will plug in the balance leads to check, and top up each cell
to ensure they end up balanced. These charge much quicker.
8. Safety – Low voltage alarm. When in use the voltage of each cell must not drop below 3.0V or
the pack will swell and will not be able to be safely recharged. A low voltage alarm plugs into the
balance lead of the LiPo battery and monitors the voltage level of each cell while the battery is
draining. When one of the cells drops to 3.0V it will sound an alarm, at that point stop driving
the robot and recharge the batteries.
9. Safety – Charging sacks. It is essential that LiPo batteries are always charged inside a flame proof
LiPo charging sack, in a safe area a good distance from any combustible items. Generally LiPo
batteries only catch fire when damaged or charged with an incorrect charger.
10. Safety – As well as ensuring the LiPo doesn’t over charge, or the voltage doesn’t drop too low,
you need to make sure they are handled carefully. If these high power batteries are punctured
they vent harmful gas or even catch fire.
11. Storage charge– Most dedicated LiPo chargers have the ability to apply a ‘storage’ charge to the
battery. LiPo batteries can be damaged by storing them fully charged. A storage charge will bring
each cell to 3.8V, where a fully charged pack will have 4.2V per cell.

Alternative battery types

LiFe (or LiFePO4) – These are similar to LiPo batteries, with slightly lower peak power output but
generally more tolerant to discharging / overcharging and have a longer lifespan. Being a more
stable power sources they also have a lower potential for combustion. Most builders favour the
LiPo packs for their increased power to weight ratio, but LiFe packs could be a good option for a
school team. They will require a charger that can support LiFe batteries. A123 batteries are a
popular option for LiFe batteries.

NiMH – This older technology is safer but heavier, more expensive and less powerful. You will
require a NiMH charger to use these batteries, but do not need to worry about them being
overcharged or discharged to dangerous levels.

NiCd – These are similar to NiMH batteries but have a lower capacity, although can supply higher
current and can suffer from memory effect if not fully discharged between uses.

SLA (Sealed Lead Acid) – These batteries are very heavy, but as with the NiMH & NiCD batteries
overcome most of the issues surrounding LiPos.

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 Building – Mechanical hardware
Drive motors
Deciding what motors you will use for drive is a good starting point for any combat robot project.
There are a range of options available.

1. Drill hack – This is the cheapest method of driving the wheels and makes use of a battery
operated drill that is dismantled and made suitable for robotic drive. (Instructables has a good
article on this titled – ‘Hacking Drills- Cheap/Powerful Gearmotors for Robotic Applications’).
a. It is worth noting that the screw thread in the end of a drill motor is a reverse thread. Make
sure to keep the bolt safe, and use thread lock to ensure it doesn’t work loose.
2. Off the shelf motors. There are many companies selling motor/gearbox combinations for robotic
applications. VEX Robotics, Ranglebox and BaneBots are worth considering. Note the BaneBots
gearboxes have imperial threads not metric.
3. Motor with custom gearbox. Many top teams will design and build their own gearbox around a
motor that provides the power they require. This complex option should be avoided when
starting out.
4. Some teams are using Brushless motors for drive, this is a more complex option and not advised
for a beginner.

Securing motors to chassis

There are 3 main ways to secure motors into your robot, all methods rely on securing the
gearbox to the chassis with the motor being secured to the gearbox.
1. Mounting to the bulkheads via screw threads on the front face of the gearbox.
2. Mounting to the bottom armour plate via screw threads on the bottom of the gearbox.
3. By cutting the correct profile in a bulkhead for a hacked drill motor and gearbox to be mounted.

VEX’s VersaPlanetary and Ranglebox’s Mounting a hacked drill motor in the bulkhead is
Saturn-16 gearboxes have multiple threaded usually achieved by cutting a hole that matches
holes on the front and bottom for mounting the profile at the end of the gearbox. A grub screw
to the bulkheads or armour plating is often used to stop the motor slipping out.

Weapon motors
a. Increasingly featherweight weapons are being powered by brushless motors. These are
smaller, lighter and spin faster. For high torque applications a gearbox or brushed motor is
advisable. Research what robots of a similar design have used, and try to match the spec of
their motors to your own.
b. Brushless motor ratings – Brushless motors come in a range of voltages and also have a kV
rating (This is not kilovolt). The kV number indicates number RPM per volt. For example a
3,000 kV motor on a 3S (11.1v) LiPo battery will rotate (3,000 x 11.1) 33,300 revolutions
every minute! Generally the lower the kV the higher the torque of a motor.

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Alternative weapon systems to be aware of: Linear actuators (Linacs) are very high torque
motor/gearbox combinations that move in a linear motion very slowly. Solenoids also move in a
linear direction, but far faster with much lower torque.

Power transfer
1. For the drive motors the simplest method of transferring power to the wheels is to have a wheel
that mounts directly to the output shaft from the gearbox. VEX Robotics and Banebots supply a
good range of quality wheels and adapters. These wheels often have hexagonal holes through
the middle, ensure the hub adapter matches the hexagonal profile and the diameter of the
motor output.
2. Sprocket and chain – Useful for transferring power in high torque applications where ‘slip’ isn’t
acceptable, a lifter mechanism for example. These are generally heavier and narrower than drive
belts, but easy to make to a desired length. It is advisable to have a chain splitter tool to make
custom length chains easier.
3. Belt drive – Timing belts and pulleys are very popular methods of driving featherweight spinning
weapons. Having a pulley with teeth on the motor and a smooth surface on the weapon is a
popular option as the smooth surface will allow ‘slip’ on impact. This prolongs the life of the
motor as the weapon can stop dead and the motor can continue to move.

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 Building – Chassis and armour

The materials included in your robot will largely depend on the fabrication facilities in school,
abilities of the pupils and the size of your budget. Although many teams will be making use of CNC
machinery very successful machines have been built with little more than a hacksaw, soldering iron
and a drill. If you have very limited facilities there are a number of companies who sell adjustable
frames that can be customised to suit your design. The VEX Robotics Versa frame is a good example.

Robot layout
A standard combat robot layout consists of flat top and bottom plates of armour with vertical
‘bulkheads’ mounted between them. All electronics, motors and weapons are then be secured to
either the top/bottom armour or to the bulkheads.

Suitable chassis/bulkhead materials:

1. HDPE – Easy to work with, high impact resistance. Susceptible to melting when machined.
2. Nylon – Very easy to work, can crack under extreme loads. Easy to cut with CNC machines
3. Aluminium – There are lots of different grades available, all are suitable for robot chassis but
2014, 6082 and 7075 are particularly strong.
4. 3D printing is becoming increasingly common and school and can feature in a combat robot, but
shouldn’t be used externally. It can be used effectively to make internal housings for the
electronic components.

Suitable armour materials:

1. Steel – Effective low cost, but heavy armour.
2. Polycarbonate (Lexan) – Bulletproof glass. Low cost, low weight, reasonable impact resistance
and easy to machine, although not suitable for laser cutting. This clear plastic is widely used in
armour, but can crack under high impact. 8mm would be suitable for most applications.
3. Hardox – A heavy wear plate steel. Extremely popular due to its resistance to impact. 3mm
Hardox is frequently used in featherweight armour. Thicker sections are often used for spinning
weapons. If you are considering working with Hardox be aware it is very difficult to shape
without a CNC plasma or water cutter. Machining of Hardox is usually outsourced to specialist
fabricators. Drilling, cutting and tapping Hardox in school will be almost impossible.
4. Titanium – Very expensive, hard to machine, and bend but extremely reliant to distortion and
makes effective, lightweight armour.
5. HDPE – In thick sections HDPE can make effective armour.

Methods of fixing the bulkheads to the armour

1 Tapping threads - This works well if the bulkheads are made from aluminium or nylon
2 Nut and bolts – Make sure you use Nylock nuts or thread lock compound to prevent the nuts
working loose. Avoid using them together as the thread lock can degrade the nylon in the nut.
3 Threaded insert - A larger diameter hole is drilled where the thread is required and an insert
screwed in. Both wood and plastic inserts work well.
4 Avoid using adhesives or welding as they do not allow for easy disassembly or replacement of
damaged parts.
5 Other fixing to consider would be clinch nuts and cross dowels. It is advisable to avoid rivets as
they can fail under high load.

15
 Competitions
Entering a robot into a local or national competition is a great result for a team of students and a
valuable opportunity to test their machine against other builders. There are a few considerations
and rules to be aware of when taking students to a competition.

1. Pit safety – The pit (work area) at a competition can be a brilliant opportunity for students to see
other team’s machines and learn from others, but it can also be dangerous with power tools,
soldering irons and LiPo batteries common place. Clear guidelines for your team members are a
must to ensure they remain safe.
2. Pit space - Space is often limited at competitions with teams usually having one table to work
on. It would be advisable to contact the event organiser to inform them that you are bringing
students, they may be able to provide additional space or position the team is a quieter part of
the pit.
3. Cradle – All robots must be sat on a cradle when being worked on. The cradle needs to fully
support the robot with its wheels off the ground.
4. Tools – Bring a good range of basic tools to the event, but due to the tight space limitations be
prepared to only be able to store a small tool box under the table.
5. Food – Make sure students have plenty of food, drink and snacks. Events often take place at
exhibitions where food can be very expensive and a distance from the pit area.
6. Battery transport –You must have a safe means of safely transporting and charging LiPo
batteries. Each event will have guidelines on the safe handling and charging of batteries, make
sure you are familiar with these.
7. General advise
a. Make sure you thread lock every bolt so it won’t work loose during the competition.
b. Check all wheels can freely rotate after each fight.
c. Carefully check to see if any components are too hot.

Troubleshooting
Due to the nature of robot combat problems often arise during the course of an event. Usually these
can be overcome in the pit, below are a few common issues.

Always have the robot on a cradle and remove the battery before conducting any troubleshooting.

1. A low power supply – Often a loss in radio link or intermittent drive can be solved by simply
changing the battery pack for a fresh one. Alternatively you can use a BEC that can convert the
input voltage from your main power supply to a voltage suitable for your receiver.
2. Poor radio signal – Sometimes your robot will be working well outside the arena, but not inside.
This can be down to a range of factors, but checking that the receiver’s antenna isn’t obstructed
helps to reduce interference.
3. Poor radio signal –The signal cables that connect the RX to the ESCs are susceptible to electrical
interference from the high current cables powering the weapon and drive motors, where
possible try to router the signal cables away from wires that carry a large amount of current.
4. Loose connections – Often connections and fixings can work loose during a competition. Try to
check all connections between fights.

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 Shopping list
Use this space to research and record what you need to buy:

Item Model Cost Recommendations

Radio transmitter Spektrum Dx6 or Dx6e in
Mode 2, or a FRSky
transmitter.
Radio receiver Spektrum DSMX receiver.

Battery

ESC Botzbitz 85a ESC and the VEX

Robotics Talon SRX are good
options.
Motors VEX Robotics VersaPlanetary
and Ranglebox’s Saturn-16
gearboxes.
Weapon motor

Wheels Banebots with suitable

hexagonal adapter.
Wires 10 or 12 AWG silicon wire

Fuses MIDI fuses and automotive,

blade fuses are good options.
Connectors XT60 or crimped ring
connectors.
Power indicator LED

Bulkhead material Aluminium, Nylon or HDPE.

Top and bottom armour Lexan or Hardox.

Battery charger

LiPo battery tester

Misc

Misc

Misc

Misc

Misc

Misc

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 Glossary
Polarity – Some components have a specific way in which they must be wired. Traditionally with red
wires indicating they require wiring to the positive terminal and black wires to the negative.

Short circuit – When electricity can flow from the positive to the negative without traveling through
any components. This usually occurs when terminals are exposed or two wires accidently touch.
Short circuits can generate a lot of heat, especially if using a LiPo battery as these can output a large
amount of amps.

Memory effect – Some battery types require being fully discharged and recharged between uses. If
these batteries repeatedly gets drained to 50% and recharged the battery will develop what’s known
as ‘memory’, when this happens the battery will no longer be able to be drained beyond that point.

Link – Part of the wiring loom that can be easily removed. These often take the form of a standard
connector looped back on itself. These ‘links’ are the main means of turning the robot on and off,
switches are usually banned in combat robots. See P8 for more information.

Bulkhead – The vertical portions of the chassis. Not every robot makes use of an armour plate /
bulkhead design, but it is the most common layout.

Brown out – When signal between Transmitter and Receiver is lost. This generally is only resolved by
turning the robot on and off again. Poor antenna location or low power supply to the receiver can
cause a brown out, a dedicated BEC or battery supply for the receiver is advised to prevent this
happening.

Flashing ESC –Brushless ESCs can be reprogrammed to run brushed motors. These are far cheaper
than buying suitable brushed ESCs. There are many guides online for flashing (reprogramming) ESCs

Mixing – This is where 2 channels on the transmitter are combined together. Traditionally the right
stick of a Mode 2 transmitter is used to control both the left and right motor. With each motor being
on its own channel without mixing the stick would have to be simultaneously moved to its horizontal
and vertical limit (top of bottom diagonal corners) to achieve full speed. By digitally mixing the two
channels a forward movement of the stick moves the robot forward, backward back etc. This is a far
more intuitive means of controlling the robot. See P8 for more information.

Amperage draw – This is the amount of current a component will require during use. Most
manufacturers will state the maximum amount of current (measured in amps) a component will
require. You need to ensure whatever is controlling the flow of electricity to that component (ESC,
relay etc.) can handle the maximum amps that will flow through the device during use.

R/C Switch – A small electronic device that acts as a switch. Generally they cannot handle large
currents and are switched via a signal input from a radio receiver. See P10 for more info.

BEC – A Battery Eliminator Circuit. These replace the battery pack that would usually power the
receiver. Most ESCs will have a built in BEC, but they can be affected by the load placed on the ESC, a
standalone BEC is advised.

TX & RX – RX is a short hand way to write receiver, and TX a short hand version of transmitter.

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