Combat Robotics | Hammer Down

From the team that brought you Ted Cruise, our next endeavor was a full combat 1lb robot. This time around we decided to take a crack at the hammer saw archetype, which consisted of a vertical spinning blade mounted on an arm that could swing up and down, aiming for the opponent's battery. What it had in weapon power, it lacked in almost everything else. While it was a very educational experience to design and test, other important aspects of robot got overlooked, such as drive and protection. The drivetrain was nowhere near competitive in terms of controlability, and the armor was an afterthought due to weight constraints. This was reflected in out 1-2 record at the one competition we attended with it before retiring it for good. That being said, I learned a lot working on this robot and will carry that to future combat robots I work on.