cool...

Hey guys, I really enjoy this show, but like a lot of others, I think lately it has been getting worse. This episode was interesting but honestly, a kit? I think the people that are watching this show know how to put together a kit. David even said himself how easy it is to put together a kit. Personally, I would really like you guys to do a few sequential episodes (like the MAME episodes) and build a robot without a kit from scratch. Maybe one that is actually affordable like the one in this episode. Just my two cents.

Is it just me, or does the editing seem a bit...wonky in this episode?

Were you guys having technical problems? It seemed like there were noticeable jump cuts, and even a bit of static.

I thought this episode was great! I hope to see more about this topic, such as explaining each of the parts more in detail (such as gearboxes). I would've loved to compete if you had given us more time to build it! I'd actually love to see more competitions like this in the future!

I already made a topic about this but, I really do want an answer.

Okay so which robot did you guys use, and what website did it come off of? (I know you suggest some websites at the start but which one did you use, and which robot did you get?)

Also you said that they were only $100, but on the site they are $170+???? I did find this one, it looks okay; http://www.trossenrobotics.com/solar...-sumo-kit.aspx but I don't know its only $100 dollars, and doesnt look like it has much.
Also I live in Canada and it would be $100 dollars shipping alone. So I would still end up paying $200 dollars.
This kinda sucks.

For those who don't have hundreds of dollars lying around...

Several years ago there was a very good game called Mindrover. (http://www.mindrover.com)

The game is essentially the same idea as today's show, just on computer. You build your robot using a small selection of hardware components and chassis and then program it to act any way you want. The robots can be programmed in game using a very easy to learn visual programming language. To compete with other players, you only have to email your robot to them. There are also a few websites that hosted ongoing competitions, one of which at least is still active (http://www.battlespot.com).

While the hardware isn't as complicated as that of a real robot, the programming aspect of the game is every bit as challenging as the real thing. And if you don't want to use the graphic programming language, there is also a text based language (called ICE).

More on mindrover

The company cognitoy seems to be defunct now, and mindrover is abandonware. There are also many other games that use the same concepts, but none are as intricate. The demo is still available through the website.

I would recommend this game to anyone who wishes to program battle bots of any sort. And if anyone can get to the top of any of the battlespot rankings they will have my admiration.

(I need to start playing this game again)

Even more on mindrover

And as a final addendum (I hope) battlespot does have a sumo bot competition, if you want to hone your sumo algorithms. They have a good test set, though on a hover craft design (omitting friction).


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p.s. I liked the show on real robots.

I find that only having a 2 week deadline to build and submit a robot is going to be a challenge, since mail order parts can take time.

Since I myself do not have the resources to achieve this by the deadline. I thought at least to share my ideas would benefit others.

For drive motors I think the best solution would be to use motors from a power window regulator. These use a worm gear setup and produce a large amount of torque, your speed will suffer but you'll be able to push just about anything including small children.

The wheel I would recommend should produce a good surface area, a tank tread would probably be ideal, since worm gears are neigh impossible to move when not being driven by the motor.

Also here are some other good micro controllers to look at.
http://www.arduino.cc/
http://gumstix.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=203