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Oh, they're not so tough...

What wannabe mechanical engineer can watch Battlebots and not think they can do better? I have some ideas for better Battlebots, and I'm sure these creations of mine could totally destroy every 'bot I've ever seen on the show. Well, maybe. Maybe not. At least it'll be a lot of fun to try. :-)

The Primary Weapon

Battlebots have to be dangerous, right? Here's the most dangerous weapon I've seen:

The wheel of death (800x600 JPG)

This is an industrial metal-cutting circular saw blade. This one is 12" in diameter and cuts a 1.25" swath with 24 replaceable carbide teeth.

The teeth (800x600 JPG)

These teeth would cut a heck of a swath through anything short of hardened steel.

The bot itself (727 x 702 GIF)

This design, which is preliminary and incomplete, is also available as a more detailed 2-page PDF file. I have also prepared a bill of materials with weights and costs for all the components. The BOM shows that I can build out the bot under the Battlebots 120-pound middleweight limit with one motor per device. The design allows for two motors per device, and with more power I could add more armor, allowing the bot to compete in the Battlebots heavyweight category. I'm sure this design would be highly effective in either category.

The bot would cost a bare minimum of $8,500 in the middleweight category and at least $10,000 in heavyweight trim. I'd like to get a sponsor to help with the costs of construction. If you're interested, let me know.

Pictures and videos of the test stand and some test runs, featuring the famous "Great Balls of Fire" video!

Pictures of the first set of parts I had manufactured for the 'bot—a full-custom hub assembly with components made of 7075-T651 aluminum and S-7 tool steel. Also on this page, some drawings of configurations I considered and rejected.

 

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