Die Gracefully Robotics Stuff and Things

All things antweight

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DieGracefullyRobotics
Posts: 152
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2018 7:39 am

Die Gracefully Robotics Stuff and Things

Post by DieGracefullyRobotics »

So I guess it's the cool thing to have one of these team threads, huh? I have an old one buried in the depths of the forum somewhere. But fresh start, new pastures and all that.

AWS55 was a hoot. I sort of put my own robots on the back burner once I'd been given the role of shouty organisation guy, but no complaints, I do enjoy all that. Hoping everyone took all my comments in good humour. If I came across as controlling or bolchy at all, my humblest apologies. You were all super.

As to my robots, I did alright all considering. I never spend more than a couple of hours building antweights and use quite crude, rudimentary construction techniques. I like doing it this way and I think the advantages are over-looked (instant repairs, design flexibility, uniqueness etc). Then I had to post them to England a couple of weeks before the event as I fly in from Northern Ireland and airports don't like sharp, pointy things. So I hadn't driven them much.

Bramble was as expected - useless but fun. The oldest walking mechanism still fighting, I believe.

Considerable did what I intended it to in the first fight against Wedge Wedge Wedge but one of the "wing" props got bent in the post and I didn't get a moment to fix it so from then on it flopped the wrong way and only half expanded. Good concept, lousy execution.

Insject was doing alright until it died mysteriously whilst sitting on the bench between fights and I had to withdraw it. Not a clue why. When I get it back, I'll have a look. I may have wrenched a wire off the speed controller with my ham-fisted unplugging at some point. The concept worked though, and I liked how people underestimated it; another bonus of 'bad' building, robots look less competitive than they may be!

Sasquash performed best. It was very twitchy on the drive which made things tricky but I seemed to get the knack. The grabber was relatively immaterial beyond scoring points and self-righting. And it drew a lot of spinners, took a lot of damage but kept on trundling along.

And now, as tradition dictates, they will all be dismantled for an entirely new team in future. I may or may not enter my own AWS in October, it depends how busy I get with it, but I hope to see you all out to play.
Dave
Die Gracefully Robotics - Barely Even a Proper Team.
Derek Dudge
Posts: 135
Joined: Thu Dec 07, 2017 9:32 pm

Re: Die Gracefully Robotics Stuff and Things

Post by Derek Dudge »

I look forward to this thread! Despite what you say about them being bashed together I saw plenty of them doing ok for themselves! Including putting Third Law out of his misery. Gave me time to fix him properly for the rumbles at least.

As someone that still takes weeks to build one, I'm a little bit jealous of you guys that can just sit down and knock together a whole team of ants. To have the skill/confidence/bits box of some of you vets! :D

You should definitely do the team thread thing again. Between the vets showing off their creations and the newbies figuring problems, this forum is the best place anywhere online for this stuff. Build diaries with lots of photos are massively helpful.
My robots:

Third Law (antweight) - push/ram bot
Manticore (antweight) - hammer bot
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DieGracefullyRobotics
Posts: 152
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2018 7:39 am

Re: Die Gracefully Robotics Stuff and Things

Post by DieGracefullyRobotics »

Thank you, sir. The "bits box" was pretty much all new for this AWS. Only the walking mech on Bramble and the hinged wood from Considerable were already in existence. But I have picked up a lot of experience in my time, that helps. And I'm OK at driving when I'm on form.

The problem with build diaries is I don't like revealing my robots until the day anymore! I think it's more fun that way. :wink:

Maybe I'll knock together a "dummy ant" so I can reveal my shortcut techniques.
Dave
Die Gracefully Robotics - Barely Even a Proper Team.
Derek Dudge
Posts: 135
Joined: Thu Dec 07, 2017 9:32 pm

Re: Die Gracefully Robotics Stuff and Things

Post by Derek Dudge »

That could be cool. Or perhaps if you don't usually want to show them pre event, then if they are recycled maybe a tear down type thing? A reverse build diary lol.

Basically I'm just a nosey git who wants to see inside all your guy's bots.
My robots:

Third Law (antweight) - push/ram bot
Manticore (antweight) - hammer bot
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DieGracefullyRobotics
Posts: 152
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2018 7:39 am

Re: Die Gracefully Robotics Stuff and Things

Post by DieGracefullyRobotics »

I can do that, sure, when I get them back.
Dave
Die Gracefully Robotics - Barely Even a Proper Team.
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