Team Kaizen - The Honey Badger

[Maxamuslead]

I believe it is Aluminium. I am not sure why it would need bending though... cutting down certainly.

The idea behind this is that when the opponent drives on (or is is driven onto) the wedge, there is going to be a pair of non return ridges on each side of the robot (in a similar shape to the robot itself thinking about it) which prevents the opponent from sliding back down. Once the opponent is in place, the spear will jab diagonally straight into the underside of the robot.

i was thinking a more central spike might help

[Ocracoke]

It would in terms of aim but placing the spear in the middle means the weight is off balance so could affect handling. If I lay my hands on a suitable replacement, I'll swap the motor over.

Did a rough weigh in and it comes to about 11kg on the Bathroom scales. I assume there is a better way to weigh it?

[RogueTwoRobots]

Short of taking your robot to the post office or local supermarket and asking them nicely, get a set of these if you can afford it: http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/LARGE-Digita...%257Ciid%253A9

[Ocracoke]

Thanks, I'll see about ordering one fairly quickly.

For the metal front, I think a door "finger plate" will be suitable for this application. Once acquired along with some right angled strips to cover up the joins in certain places, I'll get some brackets shaped into ramming spikes and non return ridges.

Whilst that is going on, I'll gut the Badger, drill out the spear and removable link holes (using some XT60 connectors here), rewire it with the links in and mount the weapon motor properly, which would leave just the weapon itself to shorten and then done sans any cosmetic work, hopefully by next Monday.

[Ocracoke]

Well the last couple of days have been eventful.

First, The Honey Badger is not going to Insomnia. I got told just before I found out that the Badger was accepted that I was meant to be in Oxfordshire for a wedding on the Sunday. I pinged Robo Challenge to see if we could still compete in the side events but they are reserved only for folks who have competed in (and have been knocked out of) the main competition, which is fair enough. However, since I can't compete fully over the weekend, I've had to withdraw, which has really, really annoyed me as I wasn't aware that we were meant to be going.

Second, the weapon motor has decided to break on me. It had been running OK on and off for the last few days but there seems to be an issue in the gearbox, which is riveted shut and I can't undo. I've dismantled the motor, clean up what I can see and it still doesn't want to play ball so with the withdrawal from Insomnia, I am going to put the spear on hold and just sort out the running gear first.

Apart from this, The Honey Badger is pretty much complete, bar the removable links. The last of the XT60 connectors arrived this morning so I'll be soldering all that together tonight. Power light is in and adjustments to that back panel are done so it shouldn't ground out any more.

[Ocracoke]

Make a effort to tidy up the wiring in The Honey Badger yesterday. I had originally planned to drive both drive motors off of a single battery set but it wasn't having it (one side was OK, the other wasn't) so I changed back to similar wiring used on the original Badger, 1.2ah battery per side. Made some minor adjustments to one of the side panels and it seems to run cleanly in my uneven garden so that is a plus.

I'll be making a effort to get the removable links sorted out this week however, whilst one motor spins correctly in forwards and reverse, the other side works fine going forwards but at 100% reverse, it suddenly stops. I suspect a fault in the wiring loom somewhere but I can't think where it might be.

For the moment, I've removed the weapon motor, battery and wiring. Though it is all intact, the wiper motor is completely stuffed. I'll take a bit of time reconsidering the weapon on The Honey Badger but I expect I'll stick with my decision, albeit with a different motor and a custom built cam mechanism to drive the spear.

Photos of before the tidy up, after the tidy up and a example of just how wonky my first go with a jigsaw went. :S

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[Albear]

looking sweet! Cutting isnt too bad, just needs a bit of sand paper or such!

[Ocracoke]

Thanks! Been touching up where it needs it with a Dremel to make sure it clears the floor. Once happy, I'll get some edging metal, such as carpet threshold or similar and cover the unsightly bits up.

[Ocracoke]

Removable links and LED power light installed now. Batteries need securing down with a metal brace (sitting on Velcro tape at the moment) to be compliant with the rules but really, the robot is now together and would probably survive a fight or two, unlike it's predecessor.

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Speaking of the predecessor, I've put the drive motors into the test frame I had laying around, remade the wiring from one of the speed controllers that failed and put in the weapon speed controller for the other wheel and now they are running. Unsurprisingly, one of the motors is rather gravelly (where the hammer hit it has probably bent the shaft a little) but slackening off the screws between the gearbox and the motor appears to have helped. The original shell does fit over the test frame as well.

So with the original now running and the successor running as well, I am seeing a old vs new fight between the two now (although still open for any car park matches).

[daveimi]

I'm nearly ready to go with my feather for our underground series. First rule of fight club....

[Ocracoke]

Indeed so.

Been a bit light working on this one as I am still miffed about having to pull out of Insomnia (due to a wedding). However, I've got a removable link cover held in place with some masking tape for the time being. I've shortened the links so the go under the cover and now looks vaguely respectable.

I've finally got time to go to the DIY store and get a door finger plate for the front. Using a proper metal hammer (I think it was a metal working hammer in a past life), I've bent the edges around so that it covers up the rather unsightly ends. I'll make some ridges in it to make the non return tangs and then drill out the holes to mount it to the front.

Also, my father-in-law sharpened up some steel bars to work as chisel type spikes, one to each front corner of the robot. They are not mounted yet as I need to drill out the holes in the side panels for them. Oh, and a packet of googly eyes arrived so it'll soon look a little more menacing

[daveimi]

It's looking good though I like just keep having a go, and over time you just get better at it like anything.

[Ocracoke]

Aye, very much so, the initial version and the rebuild has and continues to improve my lacklustre construction skills :P

[Ocracoke]

A bit of progress on the Badger this evening as I finally got to fitting that front plate on the front. Still needs a little fettling but it basically is complete. As noted before, I've bent it in certain places to make these non return tangs on it, though I'd still like to make it a little higher. Also been trimming off excess plastic where needed to make it all fit a little more flush.

More importantly, placed the googly eyes on the robot!

Photos are of (from left to right):

• A shot of the shortened links before I've covered them.
• The rear of the robot with the dome covering the new shortened links and the power light (the masking tape hinge will be replaced as soon as I can find a suitable hinge).
• The front of the robot with the plate held in with some tape so I know vaguely what it will look like.
• Googly eye goodness with the plate attached! Also comes with masking tape eyebrows. I know this is strictly aesthetics at this point but with it now effectively compliant, I wanted to at least make it look like it was finished for the time being.

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Weirdly, without the front plate painted black, it looks more like a Platypus to me. :S

Next things are to add on the side chisels and implement the weapon and then that is it, The Honey Badger will fight again.

[Albear]

love the eyes! reminds me of my fav robot Diotior from back in the day