How I Got Started, and How You Can Too! (How Team Just 'Cuz Robotics Came to Be)

[@teamgetwreckedcombatrobots776]

It’s was really nice hearing you talk about your experience getting started in Combat Robotics and informing others how they could do the same. There’s nothing better a builder could do then help the sport grow.

[@mrbk5916]

Got to admit it's pretty intresting hearing how you got into the sport. I have only been doing it for a few years in heavy weights in the UK live scene but finally getting into the smaller weight classes and your videos have been very helpful

[@HuskyMachining]

I had no idea regular folk like us could do combat Robotics too! These videos you make are gold, thank you! it makes me want to go back to school and get a ME degree

[@pineapplekiwi7804]

I started work on an ant weight combat robot because of watching Alta’s projects, team panic and your vids after watching battle bots on both abc and discovery

[@JustCuzRobotics]

Awesome!

[@kevinpowell5201]

Ayoo same! Also Robert Cowen too for me

[@elitedogger7142]

As a highschool senior with a rapidly growing passion for combat robots, this video was so helpful and interesting to see. Love it, hoping to make a beetle weight soon!

[@JustCuzRobotics]

Awesome! That's exactly what I was hoping to inspire people to do, really glad to hear it from viewers.

[@MikeysLab]

Thank you for making these videos, I just rejoined my local makerspace and learned of a local league they run. Been interested in combat robots for a very long time and with my software engineering background I think I can take advantage of a lot of things other teams ignore lol. I will of course like you, be documenting my journey.

[@CENTRALEAGLE68]

Okay glad that I came across this channel

[@Flameymeme]

This really helped me to start combat robot thank you so much :)

[@greggv8]

I want to see a spinner bot use a viscous coupling on the weapon as a shock damper. That should dissipate the shock force instead of heavily stressing (and often breaking) the drive system. Such a coupling would need a lot of surface area and a filling material that stays stiff and sticky to be able to transfer power, yet can shear under a hard and sharp load so it'll slip. For high surface area in a small-ish space use multiple nested rings (deep concentric grooves cut into disc faces) or flat rings like an automatic transmission clutch pack or limited slip unit as used in many all wheel drive vehicles. In vehicles the viscous limited slip is filled with a thick silicone oil and transfers no or little power until the primary drive wheels slip. That causes a speed difference across the VLS. The shearing makes the oil heat and thicken. What's needed for a battle bot weapon (or wheel) drive that can slip to protect motors, belts, gears etc is a substance that's thick and grippy until there's a sharp shock. It needs to be able to shear and slip then quickly return to thick when the resistance is gone. My suggestion is a silicone grease. To make more area for the coupling filling to grip, drill holes through the rings, perpendicular to the faces of the flat rings, radially through the vertical concentric rings.

[@JustCuzRobotics]

Sounds like you are describing a more or less standard clutch system which is already in use on many of the larger battlebots spinners and hammers. For the smaller bots the amount of stretch in a belt or slip from a belt on a smooth pulley is sufficient to prevent shock loads from damaging components.

[@EleanorPeterson]

Hi, greggv8! That's an intriguing idea, and definitely worth investigating. I'm in no way trying to be negative, but I can see a couple of possible problem areas: weight and complexity. In my limited experience [I'm not a qualified engineer, but I've been building and fighting heavyweight bots since 1987], if something can go wrong, it will. I think that's why things like tracks and walking mechanisms don't get used on combat bots very often. You do see some very clever stuff on military-style bomb-disposal robots, but they're not faced with weight restrictions and only have to deal with booby-traps and high explosives, not monster kinetic weaponry. ;-) Repairs to belts, sprockets and chains are reasonably quick and straightforward in the kind of 'table-top' service areas you get at many events; the sophisticated additional coupling you describe might need some pretty advanced servicing facilities. Like a garage, a hoist, and a guy in greasy overalls with a clipboard shaking his head about what the repair's going to cost. "You see, lady, the problem is, we just can't get the parts..." The weight of the unit itself might be an issue, but sound engineering could probably get around that. I've no doubt that a viscous coupling could be made sufficiently robust, because there's nothing much to break internally. (A rally car's 4-wheel drive system can take a lot of abuse.) It's just that today's bots are so powerful that when things like shrouds and housings get hit, they explode; and it's not uncommon to see an entire chassis bent out of shape. Flexible belts are light and will usually keep working after that kind of major impact; I'm not sure it'd be possible to keep a 'bent' viscous coupling running smoothly, and protecting it would mean surrounding it with a lot of fairly heavy/massive protection. I'd love to see someone working on the idea, though.

[@EleanorPeterson]

@@JustCuzRobotics - Ah, right. Sorry. I was thinking in terms of something huge and complex fitted directly to the motor's output shaft. Direct drive, splines, keyways, um... yes. That would do away with the need for belts and pulleys and gearboxes and whatnot. Spin-up and stall-protection would be a case of clever electronics and custom ESCs and so on. But as I know next to nothing about electronics, this is where I bow out, blushing, and you step in, laughing at my idiocy...

[@greggv8]

@@EleanorPeterson Not so complex. For a horizontal disk like PP3D I'd use a shaft within a shaft. The outer shaft driven by the motor, the disk attached to the inner shaft, with a pair of car wheel bearings and races supporting it in the outer shaft. Might use a plain bushing and a thrust washer on the bottom because the inner shaft isn't going to be running at high RPM relative to the outer shaft. The viscous coupling I'd mount on top, with one grooved disk connected to the the outer shaft and the other held to the inner shaft with the same nut that holds the inner shaft. The bottom disk of the coupling would have an outer wall extending upward to keep the silicone grease inside. With a lid on it, grooved on its underside, the upper coupling disk would be the middle disk with grooves on both sides. I'd also use the silicone grease on the bearing and bushing on the inner shaft for more stickiness for getting the weapon disk moving. The design for mounting on a motor shaft or an intermediate shaft would be similar. Thus the coupling is inside the robot, inside the heavy/massive protection already there for everything else, and protected from getting bent/damaged while it's protecting the motor and drivetrain.

[@Pier-MarcCRivet]

Great video thank! I could add that the main Advantage of ABS/ASA is it's weight. With a density of 1.05 g/cm3 compare to 1.5 of nylon in antweight it become quite relevant.

[@JustCuzRobotics]

All of the nylon filaments I have used are between 1.1 and 1.2 grams per cubic centimeter.

[@AlexFlores-fc7cc]

Great video I’m currently a metal fabricator in a shop with all the machinery I need I want to get started I’ve always had a love for robots and fighting who would have known 😅 thank you I will research robot fighting in my area and get something started thank you

[@JustCuzRobotics]

Awesome!

[@yashpatel3123]

Can't wait for the episodes to air.

[@kendralepp6477]

I'm glad you posted this, I'm a senior in highschool and have already been accepted into some colleges to study mechanical engineering. I'm hoping to continue on to getting a masters in robotics engineering, but I don't want to wait that long to get into combat robotics. I don't have any previous experience with CAD or basically any machines other than bandsaws, though I do know a bit about arduino. I'm looking into making some rc bots for practice but I'm not sure if I'll be able to do that before I get into college.

[@JustCuzRobotics]

That's great! Don't worry if you can't get started before college, I hadn't really used any machining tools before then either. If you can take a class to learn to use machining equipment or there is a makerspace type of place on campus, just make sure you get involved there early on. Good luck! 😊

[@lucasphillips2852]

Thanks for sharing

[@JustCuzRobotics]

My pleasure :)

[@EleanorPeterson]

3:05 - Daniel Parish... Who used to play killer bass guitar with The Stranglers circa 1978 under the pseudonym 'Jean-Jacques Burnel'? That's uncanny, Danny!

[@NICKCIN]

Nice vid, as a HS robotics guy, thanks for the tips :P

[@Lumberjack_king]

5:23 great name 7:53 that’s a cool job what are the lazers. Made for

[@bhoirobgogoi667]

Your video is awesome ❤️❤️❤️

[@JustCuzRobotics]

Thank you!

[@kyhillbillys10]

Your videos have been a big help.

[@andersdaun3950]

Thanks for this video :)

[@JustCuzRobotics]

You're welcome!

[@andersdaun3950]

@@JustCuzRobotics building some antweight robots myself, but no fights in Sweden that I know of. Might host an small lokal event later on so people can try and drive some pushrobots.

[@mdandry]

Ha “subscriber count creeping on 500” in this video and now you’re over 5k 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@Teamnightmarebots]

That first rc car is pretty decent for prototype but girlfriend at time for engineer really stings as an engineering student

[@tflatman7]

Cheers for FB comment, Seth. I'll take a look at your videos

[@KaijuMannix]

Yooooooo this awesome

[@nwc2392]

"NEVER EVER DO THIS FOR F*CK SAKE" That made me laugh! At least you are letting other people that you should not do this!

[@JustCuzRobotics]

Yeah... the full version of that clip was a lot worse... photos.app.goo.gl/aV6fNhSELyxxhxYW8

[@nwc2392]

@@JustCuzRobotics oh no! At least it didn't hit the window.

[@dragonboyvr-o1d]

Can you please help me make my first one? My parents would never let me buy one of your sets but I really want to get one of your sets please

[@JustCuzRobotics]

Not sure how to help you if they won't let you buy the best starter kit available. Feel free to have them email me with any questions they might have at [e-mail]

[@teurba-chiredfurrball787]

This so good

[@Middyman43]

Great video you are underrated (I know a generic comment, it is for the algorithm)

[@LukeQuin]

looks more like a VersaPlanetary than a p60 :)

[@JustCuzRobotics]

Oh man you're right, that was a mistake. Haven't thought too much about those bots in a long time! I think we used a 49:1 for Conduit's weapon and two smaller ratios for drive, and also two of similar ratios for KARMA's drive.

[@KatanaBart]

What happens when the name you want to give your robot has already been used? Is it OK so long as it's different weight classes, and/or if the previous bot is retired? I've fantasized about building a bot ... named Karma.

[@JustCuzRobotics]

If the robot is retired and no longer active usually it doesn't matter. There is not any official approval process for robot names. My KARMA hasn't fought since 2017 and I heard after naming it that there was a much older robot that used the same name years ago that I knew nothing about. So feel free!

[@JorkMuller-nn2uo]

I (m14) would love to get into this sport but sadly its really unpopular in my region in Germany, How can i start when there is really no one within a radius of tens of kilometers who does this sport? Those events just doesnt exist in my region I hope some day this will get more popular

[@JustCuzRobotics]

For a long time the closest competition to me was about 150 miles away (242km). There are now a couple closer ones but I still go at least 40-50 miles for them. In time hopefully more events open up near you!

[@JorkMuller-nn2uo]

@JustCuzRobotics closest to me is Like 80-100km away but its pretty hard to get there for me cuz while i do have a Deutschland Ticket ( basicly a Ticket you can use nearly every Public Transportation in Germany with),you Cant rely on the deutsche bahn but maybe my parents will be able to Drive me some times next year

[@haylisten9616]

since 2021 I have made 3 american ants and 4 american beetles

[@Lumberjack_king]

1:09 yeah pretty much everyone did

[@freestylingjordan5924]

I didnt know division was blue😂😂

[@JustCuzRobotics]

Blue Division was bad. We don't talk about Blue Division anymore.

[@Dia1Up]

Well I think for most it's not not knowing how to get started, it's more a where. You'd better hope you're on the east coast. Minus a few on the other side. (and Norwalk). I'm sadly in the middle of nowehere BC. I just really hope it starts to take off. Even just more 150g antweights. Anyone with a 3d printer an be competitive

[@JustCuzRobotics]

I agree - more events in population centers is the best way for more people to get involved. That's why I designed an open source arena design that anyone can download for free to build their own. With a bit of money, space and time, you can start a competition for 150g and 1lb bots. justcuzrobotics.com/shop/p/just-cuz-antweight-arena-plans

[@nightrider5420]

Big shout out to the Framingham Maker's Space, A great place to hone your craft... Literally!