Competition: Arizona Combat Robotics (ARC) December RoboRumble 2024
Piano Fights
Piano Vs Brick
Piano Vs Brick was the first fight of the day. Brick is an experimental version of Wicked Twister with a hub motor weapon. Horizontal fights are historically difficult fights for Piano. I typically try to keep Piano’s arm out of the way if the weapon blade while I try to control the opponent with Piano’s forks.
As usual, Piano was having some drive troubles once it got in the box and drove straight into the kickplates. While trying to dislodge myself, Brick lined up a big hit, but the hit missed and lightly freed Piano. I crab walked Piano away and try to turn to face Brick. But the hampered drive allowed Brick to get behind Piano and pop its back wedge straight off.
Then one of Piano’s back wheels was peeled off. This jammed the drive worse. However, after a nearly a year of development on Piano, I am well attuned to controlling a robot with only one side of drive. I was able to keep Piano pointed at Brick for most of the fight. The fight ended when I made a driving error, and Brick’s weapon was able to catch on the back edge of Piano’s wrap around wedge. This ripped off the entire drive side and wedge, disabling Piano and giving Brick the win.
Piano Vs Icky Mouse
After some repairs, my next fight was against Icky Mouse. Icky Mouse is a hard hitter that has been competiting at ARC longer than I have been in the sport. Prior to the fight, both drivers had agreed that if one of the robots could not longer move, to hit it again.
In the beginning both drivers were struggling with driving. I tried to line up pins, but Piano would still not drive straight. When we finally engaged, Icky Mouse was able to get under Piano’s arm and tip it up. The forks were now in the path of Icky Mouse’s beater bar, Icky Mouse easily ripped the forks out of their dovetails, flipping Piano upside down in the process. I had cast new wheels in prior to this event which allowed Piano to drive upside down, but I still could not flip Piano back over. Thankfully, Icky Mouse did this for me.
Piano was tossed around for the remainder of the fight until its battery was finally exposed and the fight was called for Icky Mouse.
Goober Fights
Goober Vs Axolotl Questions
Next up was a Goober fight against Axolotl Questions. We had done this fight many times, however, since out last fight Axolotl Questions had a new weapon motor that hit 3x as hard. He also had just switched from brushed drive to brushless. This, combined with a faulty motor connection that made Goober’s weapon spin down, made this fight fairly one sided. Brandon was able to keep pressure on me the entire fight. He was able to get a hit that flexed Goober’s top plate more than it could handle. The entire weapon motor broke off.
I did my best to keep Goober’s wedge pointed at Axolotl’s weapon, but without the weight of Goober’s own weapon, I did a lot of over steering and pirouettes. Goober started to smoke, and I tapped out. Upon further investigation, it was just ESC smoke, but that did not stop it from getting the sand bucket treatment as a precaution.
Goober vs Nobody It’s a Tie!
Goober’s weapon issues were still rearing its head in this fight. The weapon kept spinning down right before I would go to engage. I was able to remove some of the wedglets from Nobody It’s a Tie!, but Goober’s weapon motor lost one of its wires.
Nobody It’s a Tie got stuck in the wall, but moments to late, as the final 10 second countdown had already begun. The fight was a Judges Decision for Nobody It’s a Tie.
Goober Vs Half Sharp (Grudge)
This fight was the last straw in a series of under performance from Goober that made me decided on a heavy redesign. Half Sharp’s weapon was ejected early in the fight, but Goober could not drive well enough to capitalize at all. Most of Goober’s weight is in the weapon, but this places the weight far way from the wheels. As a result, Goober has low traction and, by extension, essentially no pushing power. Goober was able to be pinned by Half Sharp’s one wheel. When it came time to pit Half Sharp, I had to get a run up to push it at all.
To improve Goober, I moved all of the electronics behind the wheels and place the weight close to the wheels.
Goober Vs Cruces Crusher (Grudge)
Cruces Crusher is a developmental NMRC kit bot. Brandon, the kits creator, and I decided to trade robots for this grudge match. He was able to drive Goober very well and prove that Goober is capable of doing damage. The weapon upright of Cruces Crusher was ripped right off. He also was able to snap the wheel and motor shaft right off of Cruces Crusher.
This fight was very fun. I was able to drive a robot with turning gyroscopic forces for the first time.
Rumbles
Chaos Rumble (Mixed Weight Class)
The Chaos Rumble is a mixed weight class Rumble, where everyone with remaining robots throws them all into a box together. I put both Piano and Goober in on the same transmitter. My friend Ella was driving both. Piano unplugged its own power wires nearly immediately, but Goober did well. Its weapon kept spinning throughout the whole fight. It was hit by Brazen, a 4-bar lift full combat ant that has a glow plug attached to the underside of its arm. The glow plug melted straight through Goober’s top plate, narrowly avoiding hitting its receiver.
Beetle Rumble
In the Beetle Rumble, Piano had the same gremlins. I had not opened up the top plate yet to tape down the wires. Ella was able to get Piano’s one and only lift of the day.