Have you been thinking about the possibility of getting into combat robotics? If so, this blog post is just for you.
I decided to write this because I’ve talked to several folks lately who said that BattleBots stuff looks really cool, but they wouldn’t even know where to begin. After all, robotics can be some pretty complicated stuff. And it can be, but the robots competing in the lower weight classes (fairweight, antweight, beetleweight) are not terrorabally technical.
You don’t need a degree in electrical engineering to enjoy fighting robots. All you really need is a desire to learn… plus a little cash (or credit). And even though money could be tight, I think most would be surprised how cheaply you can get into the hobby.
Your Ticket to Fun
There’s basically three ways to get into the sport. You can buy a package with everything you need to get started, all pre-built and ready to rumble. You can buy a kit which includes all the parts needed for a little shredding machine and build it yourself. Or you can design and build your bot from scratch, which is very attractive for some.
So if you are technically-challenged or not, there’s an avenue for anyone to get into the hobby.
Ready to Rumble
The easiest way is to purchase a all-in-one package with a fully built robot and radio transmitter. With just a little practice, you can be competing in local tournaments in no time.
There are several reputable companies selling these kits. Palm Beach Bots is just one offering “ready to fight” packages. They include FingerTech Robotics’ Viper in such a package. They have several other bots with different configurations, from lifters to vertical spinners, that can be made ready to fight with just a few add-ons.
A google search will direct you to other companies offering all-in-one options.
Don’t Forget Spares
Hopefully, whichever kit you purchase, it comes with a few extra parts because you are going to need them. There’s many times in-between matches you will need to repair the damage your bot incurred in the last bout. In some instances you will need to make repairs to be able to continue. Several people in tournaments will bring more than one robot just in case repairs can’t be done.
This leads us to the major disadvantage of buying one of these “everything included” kits. If you haven’t actually built the bot, you may not have the knowledge of the inner workings enough to make repairs. If that’s the case, you are dead in the water.
A Better Option
In my humble opinion, a much better option to the pre-built kits would be a kit that requires you to actually build the bot yourself. This gives you a working knowledge of how your bot works. You will understand every little thing about the workings of the robot, making repairs much easier.
These kits include all the individual components including a chassis, drive motors, wheels, an electronic speed controller (ESC), a weapon system (if using one), a battery, and all the necessary wiring.
A few kits even include a radio transmitter and receiver. If the kit doesn’t include a radio, you will need to make sure the receiver that comes with the kit is compatible with the radio you have or plan on purchasing.
Check out radios in my shop pages
Once again, if the kit doesn’t come with spare parts, you will need to purchase those separately.
Which Witch to Watch
For those wanting to start this way, I’m going to point you to the YouTube channel of one of the prominent BattleBots teams – Team Witch Doctor. Those familiar with BattleBots will associate the name with the hugely successful vertical spinner bot with the ribcage design as armor. Team Witch Doctor has not only been successful fighting the big boys in BattleBots, they also have a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to promoting the combat robotics community. They also provide STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs, enabling young builders outside of the “BattleBox”. In my opinion, that’s super cool!
On the Witch Doctor Youtube channel, look for the “Witch Doctor Junior” playlist. In this series of 9 videos, team member Andrea Gellatly covers everything you need to know to build and compete an antwaight (1 lb).
Andrea walks you through everything from the drive train to competing in your first tournament using the FingerTech Robotics Viper kit mentioned above.
I feel very comfortable recommending these videos as they are one of the most complete build series I have found on the net. You can view the videos here.
For Those That Like A Challenge
A third option would be to design and build the bot from scratch. This would be the choice for all the makers and creators out there. There’s some that get into the hobby just for the challenge of designing and building a combat robot.
Of course, building a fighting robot from scratch can seem pretty intimidating to many. But the bots built for the smaller weight divisions are typically pretty simple. Especially if a less complicated weapon or a wedge is incorporated into the design. More advanced weapon systems can always be added to your bot later when your technical confidence is higher due to more experience.
The good news for those wanting to get started this way is there is tons of information available with a lot of these resources being totally free if you have an Internet connection. There’s several great websites and YouTube videos with detailed info on building combat robots from scratch. Google (or your favorite search engine) is your friend. But I think I better save that one for a future blog post since this one is getting a little long.
Putting This Post to Bed
In conclusion, not only is fighting bots loads fun, but it’s easy to become part of the growing combat robotics community – no matter your current technical level. Between books and the Internet, you can easily learn everything you need to get involved. And get your friends involved too. There’s no greater satisfaction than total destruction of your best friend’s bot.