how to build a antweight robot
team orr first got into robotics when they built a antweight robot called valliant, it was quickly built without a weapon however it still came 2nd at its first event. antweights are great fun and probably the cheapest weight class out there, great for the beginner, so, due to popular demand, here is a antweight build guide, we will be covering the basics here but for more advanced information i would visit robotwars01.com and the fighting robot association.
below is a video that shows you what current antweights are like, and gives you a good idea on weapons and their effectnivness (axe, spinner, flipper etc)
aws 21 greatest hits, thanks to joacim
rules:
when building a antweight (or any other type of robot), you must first take into account the rules, in antweights the 2 main rules are that the robots must fit in a 4 inch cube, and cannot weigh more than 150 grams if your robot has wheels ( roller) or 225 if it has legs (walker) for a full list of rules please visit robotwars101.com
parts:
in this section I will go over the basic parts required to build an antweight and list the various options available. I will also give links to parts suppliers.
Transmitter:
The Transmitter will probably be the highest cost needed to get into antweights,but if you buy a good set it will last you a good number of years. In the UK we are limited to 2 frequencies, 27 and 40MHz.because 35MHz is reserved for remote controlled aircraft and helicopters so this cannot be used. 40MHz is more common and genrally thought of as more reliable than 24MHz however in recent years 2.4GHz sets such as the “spektrum” have grown in popularity and is commonplace nowdays, the good thing about 2.4GHz sets is that they have a unique “binding” system that removes the risk of interferance, and also eliminates the need for “crystels”, little chips that allow the robot to “talk” to one specific transmitter. Transmitters come with number of channels, the minimum required is 2 (1 for each wheel). however i would advise you to go for a 3 or 4 channel set. This will allow you to have a spare channel for a weapons when you come to that stage and want to add one. When you buy a transmitter you may sometimes also get a receiver, servos, battery and charger . however you can also get a lone transmitter, this will save money because the “standard” receivers and servos you get with the transmitter are too heavy for use in antweights.
(hover ovet pictures to get a description)
when i first got into antweights I used a hitec ranger 4 and had no problems with it. I then moved onto a spectrum dx5e which is far better but double the price, however due to the recent “planet 5″ transmitters and the “giant cod” range, 2.4 GHz transmitters are becoming more cheaply availible, and thus more common.
links:
