FireWire is my second 3lb (Beetleweight class) combat robot.
It went from initial thoughts to fully built in 2 weeks, as I forgot about the day of the competition.
The metal enclosure is from an external FireWire/USB hard drive. Most of the internal frame is 3D printed from PLA.
It has 4 identical gearmotors powered by a 4S (15.4V) LiPo battery.
Circuitry consists of an Arduino Nano, FlySky RC receiver, and three VNH3ASP30 30amp motor driver chips.
It placed 2nd in the October 2020 Utah Bot Brawl.
FireWire/USB external hard drive enclosure
Built the entire bot in Fusion 360
Doing some test fits
Extruded aluminum
3D printing the gears with my Ender 5 printer
Regular weighing happened throughout the build
Test fitting some of the parts with the 3D printed frame
Linear actuator from Amazon. It can lift 13 pounds
Marking the metal to cut
Test fitting the 3D printed frame
Fully cut metal frame
More test fits
A circuit sandwich being test fit
Soldered together circuit sandwich
All electronics installed
Lifting my old bot, Little Mac
Check out the beauty of that actuator!
Complete!
Can drive upside down easily
Front view
Rear view
You can see my 3D printed gears
The power switch is a screw you insert
Side view
Bottom view
Coming home from Utah Bot Brawl
Coming home from Utah Bot Brawl
After fighting Rival, a vertical spinner with some power
Coming home from Utah Bot Brawl. The poor linear actuator is torn in half
Coming home from Utah Bot Brawl
After the Utah Bot Brawl October 2020