But I don’t know much about robotics. How do I learn how to start building the things? Are there hobbyist robot kits that get more and more advanced (like model rockets? I used to build those). Any good books/websites/mags to read?
I read the official Battlebot rules and was disheartened to find out that my plan for mounting a bigass shotgun on a remote control car is not allowed.
And my idea of having a high-pressure water gun to short out the other bot is also nixed.
Umm, my suggestion is go to your local hobby store, and they’ll hook you up with the radio control equipment that you need, beyond that find some really handy guy to put the thing together for you, and best of luck!
You might want to talk to your banker or to a venture capitalist firm. I believe one of the super-heavyweight bots cost around $15,000 to build.
I was about to suggest Lego Mindstorms as a base, but having checked the page, I’m rather happy I didn’t. These beasts are scary!
And the grand prize is only $5000. Only do it if you’re doing it for love.
One quick correction: the bot you’re thinking of, Mechadon, cost $14,000 in parts. No telling how much the labor cost…its builders, as I understand it, construct animatronics for the movies and such, and thus have the background you’d need to build such a beautiful machine. I think we should send Mechadon to Mars and let it strut around…
Note also that advertising on the body of the bot is permitted as long as it’s not too distracting (Biohazard looks like a billboard, all covered with advertising stickers…). You could try corporate sponsorship as well.
We’re discussing battlebot weaponry in MPSIMS, in this thread: BattleBots weapons development
Well, just think of them as radio controlled vehicles with power tools and/or sharp objects attached to them, which can also be radio controlled. When you apply “robot” to them, it makes them seem much more complicated, while they are quite the contrary.
You’re not alone in this battlebot venture. A few friends and I actually decided to build one. It’s nowhere near complete yet, but it does run. Like a lot of people have said, be prepared to spend lots of money on it (often more than the $5000 purse). Not because of the parts directly on the vehicle, but on the tools you’ll need to construct it.
Battle Bots big enough to ride, film at 11.
http://battlebots.com
http://www.delphi.com/n/main.asp?webtag=battlebot_tech&nav=messages&ctx=1&msg=4202.1&start=Star
Myself
Some good sites can be found by going to the battlebots site, click on “Meet the Robots”, click on a weight class, and clicking on “more details”. In this hi-tech world, most of the robots have a Team Website linked from this page, and most of the builders provide handy tips on how to build them. For instance, here’s a good page by the creators of Nightmare: http://www.robotcombat.com/tips.html
Also, something that’s easy to overlook watching Comedy Central is that ALL the shows were filmed on one weekend. They only have 1 or 2 tournaments each year, and if the one you want is on the West Coast, and you’re on the East, it might be quite a challenge just to get your robot to the competition.
Does anyone know what the knob box on the outside of the ring, in front of each operator, actually does? There’s no apparent connection with the radio control system; perhaps it just activates the hazards.
I don’t know, technically, but it seemed clear that it lit the light at the top of the ‘christmas tree’ for that team. When both are lit, the lights start to descend to start the match.
I wonder if hitting it after the start signals forfeiture? Seems like it would be nice to have a way to opt out of the match if your bot is getting completely chewed. You’d lose, but at least you’d have something left to rebuild.