BattleBot
Designed and fabricated a full combat robot — chassis, drivetrain, and weapon system. Competed in collegiate events.
Overview
A full combat robot designed, fabricated, and competed with in collegiate battlebot events. The robot features a custom chassis, four-wheel drivetrain, and an active weapon system.
Design
The chassis was designed in SolidWorks with structural FEA to survive impacts from opponent weapons. HDPE panels and a steel frame were chosen for their balance of weight and toughness.
Drivetrain
- Four independently driven wheels with brushless motors
- Electronic speed controllers (ESCs) tuned for quick directional changes
- Custom motor mounts machined from aluminum
Weapon System
The weapon system is a spinning horizontal bar designed to store rotational kinetic energy and deliver impact force to opponents.
Electronics
- Arduino-based control system receiving RC signals
- Custom wiring harness with fuse protection
- LiPo battery packs with active monitoring
Competition Results
Competed in collegiate combat robotics events. The robot demonstrated reliable driving and weapon spin-up in the arena.
Lessons Learned
This project taught me the full product development cycle — CAD, fabrication, electronics integration, and real-world testing under adversarial conditions. Structural failures in practice led to several design iterations that made the final robot significantly more robust.