How to Service a Battlebot (Copperhead)

[@Dangineering]

I have been watching Battlebots since I was 4 years old and I was instantly enthralled. Long story short, after 22 years I finally have enough money to start building some beetleweights and participating! Thank you for introducing me to the smaller weight classes, I had no idea it was so easy to get involved. Your videos have been instrumental in giving me a foothold into the sport and thank you for lending us your knowledge and time with these videos. I am going to try and start a combat robot club at my university thanks to the knowledge you and several other teams have provided. Also Copperhead is a beast and I really look forward to how you guys do in the finals! Good luck!

[@WhipLashJimmyFrank]

Pog

[@monirulmaruf]

I Won't be surprised to see copperhead in the final.. This thing is solid

[@TheDonkeyFLOPPER]

Yea his side of the bracket is definitely winnable. Rotator and end game being his toughest potential challenges

[@bradysrcs216]

@@TheDonkeyFLOPPER or Witch Doctor

[@impossiblejonathan9650]

Copperhead really has come a long way over the last 2 seasons.

[@spaghetticoconut658]

*Mammoth has entered the chat.*

[@lootabene8059]

Sike

[@iunary]

I love it, seeing this up close is AMAZING , seeing it in the box really does not do it justice, the thickness of all the pieces....the heavy duty construction, its absolutely beautiful. Its not some hollywood prop, it´s a real working machine. Seeing this indestructible looking construction .... and then how machines like this are ripped apart in the battles, really puts the forces into perspective that are let loose by these weapons.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

It's really hard to wrap your head around until you see them in person. The weight and power becomes very apparent.

[@kedmark]

Copperhead is my favorite Battlebot, and the superior design overall. This video was a real treat for me, and only convinces me even more so of it’s excellence. Please get back in the battle for the giant NUT I know you can do it!!!!!!!

[@TheQuinto2010]

Lol at the bandages.

[@chartle1]

I thought as Robert was wrestling that drive assembly around somebody is going to lose a finger. 😬

[@GotWake4]

When I first saw the one on her forehead I thought it was a legit injury... Then I noticed all of the other ones and got a chuckle... Great video!!

[@melissabaker5655]

What a beautiful couple that work so good together, and thats why Copperhead is one of the best bots ever. I really think that Copperhead has a very good chance to win the championship and bring home that NUT.

[@betzbotz]

Lifting a heavyweight in crocs. I love it. Awesome breakdown of the bot. I've always been curious why heavies are so hard to service, but seeing some of the intricacies of it all as well as the questionable screw access puts it into perspective.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I've lifted this thing a zillion times, I'm quite familiar with it, and it's not THAT bad.

[@islandprepper5194]

Chinese work boots!

[@JonathanRansom]

I've enjoyed the subtle comedy you have been putting into your channel.

[@webstercat]

Not all presenters are equal. Your presentations are as professional as your bot. As a new person to this sport I like to see the engineering. Where can I find the rules that apply to arena safety & are there limits on rpm’s? The energy these machines produce can be lethal.

[@pietrom2642]

I think you gave out some interesting strategies to the other teams on how to defeat copperhead, now I think that unscrewing the top panel and unplugging the batteries could be a clean way to end a fight

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Ha, if someone can design a bot that can avoid the drum, unscrew the top plate, and unplug the battery, I'll hand-deliver the giant nut to their house.

[@lukasdimmler2622]

@@RobertCowanDIY Does that imply you have it?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@lukasdimmler2622 Ha, no. It implies the sheer absurdity of even trying it ;-)

[@chartle1]

So hear me out, Rusty had that overhead arm thing. Replace it with a longer arm with an impact wrench on it. Think about it. 🤔 But alas Rusty is no more. RIP Rusty. :(

[@pietrom2642]

@@chartle1 I'm just hoping you are joking because I, in fact was really ironic

[@mastrake]

Thanks! I'm impressed by how solidly Copperhead is built.

[@bale7297]

"Vanquish Configuration" Well alright then.

[@nodsib]

Haha, could’ve just hired IceWave, would have had that drive pod out in no time. Actually, scratch that, I don’t think even IceWave could do jack to that beefy frame. The more videos I see of Copperhead, the more I think the design is absolutely awesome

[@LouisLee08]

Good luck for the round of 32!

[@TasFirinErkegi]

🤐

[@bigjerry8259]

Thank you so much showing us the inside of your bot. A friend and I are thinking of trying to build one ourselves.

[@liquidsleepgames3661]

Good luck

[@miketimms7952]

I'm a machinist by trade and enjoy the behind the scenes stuff and how they are made. With that being said I have questions I hope you don't mind answering. What is the thickness and material of the top, back, and bottom plates? What are the size of the 2 different drive chains? What is the information on the drive motors and weapon motor? What kind of Speed Controller do you use on the drive motors? What is done to protect the motors ,speed controllers, and batteries from combat, cause a weapon on weapon hit like a bot like Copperhead is a big shock throughout the bot ? Told you I was Curious. LOL!

[@broski499]

Just found your channel. Love battlebots, thanks for making such beautiful machines to entertain us commoners :-)

[@MrSolPow]

Impressive engineering

[@robray7106]

Been watching battlebots lately, and love copperhead. I never realized how freaking big he is lol. The show makes them seem much smaller.

[@dmitrywilliams8525]

The fact that you use a trampa esc and the same lipos that i do for my electric mountainboard make me smile. Cool video tho

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Right? There aren't any "combat robot" specific components, we just use whatever is already out there. We just run them HARD. We had over a dozen VESCs for the drive alone going into this year...

[@dmitrywilliams8525]

@@RobertCowanDIY I do have one question or maybe a future video from it. What rules are there for battery voltages and stuff. Can you go to 18s and above which is like a wicked 100v or something like that? Or is there a restriction like 44v and under or something. Itd be nice to see a video on explaining actual robot limitations and how the selection process goes for even being on the show IE rejected bots and so forth. But keep up the awesome content friend. Im always rooting for ya

[@ryancollins5111]

Great video ! And make sure you get all those injuries healed up.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Thdkanrs! Wrfjdks wldf sndddl rr s srkrrksl;k ssppm!

[@ryancollins5111]

Haha! Btw I have copperhead winning it all in my bracket. But no matter what happens much respect to what you guys have made.

[@lldlldlldlld]

Thank you for showing us this! It's so cool to see how this works!

[@Outland9000]

Rob... It's valentines day, this is not the sort of 'servicing' you should be doing.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

haaaaaa

[@cornmaized]

Pffffffffffffff

[@aserta]

Bow chika wow wow.

[@vincentlewis93]

@@RobertCowanDIY so Robert how do you feel when you're up against mammoth because it's similar to huge but does copperhead have enough venom to take out a fully grown mammoth and what's the tactic or strategy going to be for mammoth and how are you going to make exstinict? But good luck guys bye🖐️👋👋👋

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@vincentlewis93 As with every fight, I will make a fight recap and go into all those details, stay tuned!

[@objectivelyjoe]

@5:00, does the right-hand drive pod say 'wonky'?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

because it's wonky. ;-)

[@cypherbrittainnethegodofsl4988]

Are there more bots similar in size to Copperhead and Tantrum in 2020 season? I'm pretty sure Pain Train is kinda similar in size.

[@cornmaized]

Yah answered your own question

[@cypherbrittainnethegodofsl4988]

@@cornmaized Are there any other bots?

[@necrom66]

I love it !such a sturdy strong design

[@drawingman3342]

Thank you. Your video is a great help to my robot modeling.🙂

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Great to hear!

[@nodsib]

So just for fun, I sat down at filled in what I think the bracket is going to look like for the round of 32. My guess is you fight Bloodsport after a couple of opening rounds, I have you winning that fight, then facing either Tombstone or Uppercut in the final. I think you have a really good shot at the nut this year

[@3drcworkshoppe-39]

Gotta say, awesome!!! But.... IMO Your lifting techique would be better if performing a deadlift manuever instead of a bent-over row and then rolling your back up. Try engaging your core, keep back straight (disperses load inbetween intravertabral discs) and shoulders back. Sounds like you hold your breath to perform a valsalva manuever while lifting. Try exhaling, this too will prevent injury. also never lift/put down a heavy object held away from your body (hernia) keep it close. I was excercise science, sorry i had to speak out because i dont wanna see you injured (some can last a lifetime). Anyway, enjoyed the video, take care

[@heartofdawnlight]

curious how often you guys sharpen your wedgelets. and how difficult it is to get them to lay even after taking damage. (that is if you just dont replace them)

[@beachinrc101]

Wow like a badass hoverboard on steroids “I want a ride “haha again good stuff man & I used your diy solder my pinion gear trick tks works great!!

[@cornelrebegea1451]

One thing I don't understand. How are two wheels bots like yours stand up straight? Do they just drag on the floor? How do you manage to balance it, with all the hits and blows and all the weight?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

The front forks have around 100 pounds on them, the wheels carry the other 150. This means we tend to get under people, since we have weight on the front of the bot. This means it drives worse since we don't get as much traction with the wheels.

[@tedz74]

Love the safety toe crocks ;)

[@JTweedy_]

4:42 I take offence to that section title, you bastard.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Is it funnier than it is offensive though?

[@caganali4712]

@@RobertCowanDIY Yeaa

[@JTweedy_]

Unfortunately it is funnier than it is offensive, here I was hoping people would forget.

[@JonathanSchultz]

@@JTweedy_ They never forget, and they'll never stop mentioning it no matter how strong you make everything :P

[@Nick-dq5zn]

Sorry dude, that's on like every compilation ever. I do feel sorry for you though.

[@TheRealMRS]

What is the motor model number and what is the gear ratio?

[@jimmyfinke6759]

WHAT AN AWESOME VIDEO. THANK YOU

[@robertwood6297]

Always informative - great stuff!

[@tylermcbride2807]

What motors do you use for the drive wheels sorry if you said it in the video.

[@Alhussainba]

Hi Robert I remember crippling depression had pockets in the aluminium walls which you mentioned are for weight saving. In one of the versions you filled these pockets with epoxy and during the fight recap you showed that the epoxy had cracked, probably duo the shocks the frame gets. 8:41 Can filling these pockets you guys have in copperhead with epoxy or rubber reduce the shocks travelling thru the frame and breaking things?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

MAYBE. The problem is that the epoxy broke out of the panels, it would need to be undercut somehow so it can stay in place.

[@Alhussainba]

​@@RobertCowanDIY Maybe the answer is in a different kind of fillers, carbon fibre, chopped carbon fibre, carbon fibre nanotubes…etc, even if the epoxy shatters or break, the carbon fibre will still hold the composite together. Or just use pure epoxy as a lot of epoxies are ductile.

[@christinahua7560]

I never knew that copperhead was that big

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Copperhead is also the second smallest bot, next to Tantrum. Battlebots are BIG.

[@ManIkWeet]

I love the bandages at the end :D

[@shadow7037932]

You need to take the entire side off to replace a wheel? For the next year competition/design, will you be accounting for this? I'd imagine if you participate in Bounty Hunter especially, you need very quick turn around in the pits no?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

They act like the bounties are all in the same night, but they're spread out. You have plenty of time to take things apart. So for Battlebots, it doesn't make sense to compromise durability for serviceability.

[@chartle1]

Wow you got to service a battle bot on Valentine's day as a couple. We got heart shaped pizza. :)

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Ha! We did pizza yesterday. You should get a battlebot.

[@chartle1]

@@RobertCowanDIY My sons and I had plans. My oldest son had notebooks full of designs but we thought it we would have a chance to go anywhere to fight but then Michael Fuzzy" Mauldin opened the Robot Club and Grille just outside Pittsburgh and it was like it really could happen. But it only lasted a year and closed. 😪 But I'll ask my wife. 👍

[@sethmo38]

Wouldn't you have to re-weld the front horizontal bar once it's back together? Not sure if mentioned or I missed it.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Yep. A weld is the only thing that will hold.

[@eformance]

What is the back story to the "wonky" labeling on the side plates? Also, why is there a bunch of weld buildup on the weapon?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

The weld build-up is from balancing, it was there last year as well and I explained that in the first overview video. Regarding the 'wonky', they were the drive sides we were less confident about.

[@eformance]

@@RobertCowanDIY re: wonky, does that mean this is the "B" bot? I assumed the weld was for balancing, but I wasn't certain if it was because material had been removed in battle and you had to build it back up to balance the rotor.

[@motionsick]

this channel is awesome

[@loriumartinez]

I've been waiting for this for a while!

[@vincentlewis93]

At the start of the video you guys as couple were so cute and adorable plus a beautiful kiss at the end and I'll look forward to copperhead,s next fights good bye

[@charleyboy74]

Really enjoyed that's, thanks guys

[@nazimuddinsakib6291]

What types of material you use in this bot

[@RobertCowanDIY]

All of them. That's a broad question. The frame is AR500, drum is S7, most of the internal parts are aluminum, there's also some 3d printed parts in there as well.

[@astarrobotics]

Question: Why do battlebots use gearboxes instead of directly driving the wheel with a motor?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Motors almost always use some sort of gearbox to 1) make the RPM more usable and 2) increase torque. Most motors spin far too fast and have too low of torque, so you need a gearbox to slow it town and increase torque!

[@aserta]

If you plan to keep this configuration for a long time (upwards of a year) you should probably just make a dismantling cradle. Nothing complicated, but enough to help you ward off old age backbone problems. There are engine hoists oriented for motorcycle use, which i think are about half the size of their bigger counterparts. So for a small shop, they're perfect as handling tools, especially if you put something like a heavy duty roller bearing wheel on them.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

We've thought about it, and it's tricky. Holding the body might work, but it would need to basically bolt into the body to hold it, it gets unbalanced quite easily when you remove the drum or a side.

[@shadow7037932]

@@RobertCowanDIY I think on one of the episodes, they showed Hydra mounted on something similar to a car body rotisserie. Maybe something like that can be built for Copper head assuming you're able to design the chassis with some mount points to match.

[@sky173]

Wow, I had no idea. Is that 1/4in. steel plate? That's crazy.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

The frame is 1" thick, and the top plate is 3/8". It's all Hardox or AR500.

[@sky173]

@@RobertCowanDIY Amazing. When I was younger, I was considering building but at the time the cost was prohibitive. I was just watching the very first episode I recorded on VHS (Mark Setrakian's 'Mechadon '). It's nice to have some insight on how it's made. Thanks for sharing.

[@SKULCRUSHR]

The complexity of copperhead is defined by the fact that you, the maker of bot is still discovering tricks about it. 😂😂

[@arjuns1599]

Which motor do you use for the weapon system ?? Love your bot.best of luck❤️❤️

[@RobertCowanDIY]

We use a Neumotor 8038 I believe.

[@MrDksmall]

What’s the reason for taping the connectors? I’m going to guess to keep metal slivers out?

[@leighhargreaves4104]

To stop the connector accidentally pulling apart during a match.

[@RiderLeangle2]

When you're messing with a lot of kinetic energy, like a fight in the battlebox, it's very easy for plugs to get disconnected.

[@andrewjeffries8721]

You are exactly right, Robert! While watching the bots fight in the arena I get no sense of accurate scale or weight of the bots. And the bot fansites give me more win/loss stats then anything that helps me to understand the bots scale. A good way to show the bot scale (and thus the power of the bot) would be to film a bot tearing into a: refrigerator, easy chair, old and rusty VW or Corvair?? Thank you, Robert!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

The problem with kitting stuff for scale is most of those things are far too flimsy, they just kinda break. We would need to hit an engine block or something more solid. ADDITONALLY, it's dangerous and quite messy. We could punt metal shards hundreds of feet, so safety and cleanup is a concern.

[@andrewjeffries8721]

@@RobertCowanDIY , I dig the safety issue. I've seen how fast the parts come off as they bang against the battle ring walls. I would be interested to see how powerful a battlebot would be but, yes, the filming should be very isolated from spectators and the driver of the bot would be behind a seriously strong protective shield. No blood just bot carnage.

[@jodyleder5406]

Is there any reason why you guys chose to drive the weapon with a belt instead of a chain?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Belts help act like a clutch and will slip and smoke instead of breaking. They can transfer gobs of power and are much lighter.

[@andrewsarchus6036]

Don't those exposed tires get shredded every time you fight another spinner?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Have you ever watched the show?

[@andrewsarchus6036]

@@RobertCowanDIY Yes, sorry Robert, I watched your other show where you explain in detail the wheel construction and how they constitute actual armor but only after I saw this one. Thanks for the reply. I've become increasingly impressed with Copperhead and just love the retro artwork!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@andrewsarchus6036Gotcha, I was just checking. No one has actually managed to damage a wheel where it couldn't still function. We had a shaft fall off before, but the wheel itself was fine!

[@andrewsarchus6036]

@@RobertCowanDIY Ya, now I saw you bounce those bad boys I can readily appreciate how hefty, dense and super-resilient they are. Cheers!

[@antonwinter630]

what a beast

[@sammclain6040]

Yo could someone explain why the one section is called the Vanquish configuration? I’m guessing it was a bit that got ripped up but I can’t find and internet clips of such a thing happening

[@MattyDeeFatty]

If i remember right I believe icewave ripped vanquish into two pieces in battlebots which I think is what Robert is referring to in the video :) hope this is helpful

[@sammclain6040]

@@MattyDeeFatty thank you for this! Your comment helped me find the clip

[@Aragorn450]

It looked like those two end pieces had "Wonky" written on them. Is that really what it said or was I not reading it correctly? And if they DO say "wonky", why?

[@vagabondrobotics]

Are there any differences between the "Frankenstein" drum and the regular drum bot this year? Last year you mentioned the two were geared slightly differently. Also why would you keep the Frankenstein drum instead of making a new one, was it an cost issue?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

They are effectively the same, and both have the same pulley and radio. One just has weld for balancing where the other one was ground down for balancing. But other than that, they're identical. And it is a cost issue, it's about $3K to make a new drum.

[@nickloeschke8209]

@@RobertCowanDIY huh,. When both weapons were black rather than copper this year, I thought perhaps you had replaced the lumpy welded one... At that price though guess not!

[@AKAtheA]

how reliable have the VESCs been for you?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

fairly reliable. the motors are the problem. we need better motors and sensors on the drive side of things.

[@Racerflea]

If you don't mind sharing, what is your drive motor size and what are the gear size's? Curious what your final drive ratio is! Awesome bot!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Browse around my channel, I have many other videos on Copperhead and we reveal all we want to reveal.

[@TheInvertedFollicle507]

Even at 1:52 you can hear how beefy the top panel is when placed on the floor.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Right? These things are TANKS.

[@Nunya_Bidnez]

using a chain fall or two may make this a bit easier.

[@MrSolPow]

Also ART

[@blueday8806]

Nice robot

[@vbtrobotics3652]

What size are those drive motors? 80mm?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Check out my other videos, I have more details. I think they're 63mm?

[@BLUEMUFFIN-xi8zl]

Bueno que coperhead tuviera 2 poleas para que el arma gire mas mas rapido y pueda hacer mas daño me gustaria.

[@crazydogman677]

Hey that’s pretty danger moving that around by hand you should design some sort of sizer lift or car lift but smaller and call it your bot hoist

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I usually just use a cheap furniture dolly, we pull it around on a string.

[@cornmaized]

Oh man don’t forgot to locktite everything again if you fight again! Would suck to go “oh it snapped in half because I took it apart for valentines and forgot to reapply”

[@cornmaized]

Something something, some generic joke about wearing protection

[@williamatta5935]

I love battle bots 🤖❤

[@cadenkorzan]

was the wrapped hands and the band aid on the forehead for fun or was that actually something that just happened. lol

[@RobertCowanDIY]

both. we did actually wrap our hands in bandages, and it was hilarious.

[@cadenkorzan]

@@RobertCowanDIY it made it seem like a good end to the video cause in the previous scene, no band aids and the next scene it looked like the bot whooped ya, lol

[@stevedefranco6311]

This disassembly method looks to require welding the U horizontal bar back together. For the original assembly, was this the case? Or was the original assembly without the horizontal cross piece? If you left the horizontal bar uncut, could you get at a drive motor by removing a wheel? ( A much more complicated process, you said.) Thanks.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

You are correct, if the horizontal bar isn't used, it doesn't require any welding or cutting. It's only when we use the horizontal bar.

[@stevedefranco6311]

@@RobertCowanDIY Thank you for your courteous reply. I must apologize for wasting your time with the question: this was the first of your videos I watched. You actually answered my question in a couple of earlier videos, which I've now watched - as a subscriber!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@stevedefranco6311 No worries, we all start somewhere! Enjoy the channel.

[@yashpatel3123]

How did you both get injured at the end of the video? I hope you both are okay.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

It was a joke...

[@yashpatel3123]

@@RobertCowanDIY lol. You got me.

[@Brute4rce1111]

Where can someone buy a huge chunk of s7 tool steel for weapons? I tried ebay, google search and only come up with big companies that want you to fill in info about yourself. They don't like to sell to one-off type of customers 😒

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Hudson Tool Steel. Lube your wallet first.

[@Brute4rce1111]

@@RobertCowanDIY Haha! Thanks

[@shadow7037932]

You probably don't necessarily want to run S7. It's very brittle. Look at what happened to Witch Doctor this year.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@shadow7037932 You're not wrong. But Witch Doctor improperly treated their S7. If it gets too hard, it gets brittle. There is a very fine line in hardness. Too hard, it's too brittle. Too soft and there's less benefit. We run an S7 weapon shaft and S7 drum, and have yet to have an issue.

[@Brute4rce1111]

@@shadow7037932 I agree. I was just curious. It does seem like the people who were responsible for witch doctors heat treatment didn't do it right. If I made a huge spinner, I would go with ar400 for the weapon body with beefy interchangable s7 teeth

[@mattpoteshman1431]

What happened at the end? Both of you are bandaged up!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Battlebots are dangerous!

[@vbtrobotics3652]

That's the joke. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rnamhqWio712p80

[@teeman9266]

yeah...ill stick with playing with Antweight plastics

[@TheColinputer]

With 10000 fights in the season left surely at some point we get to see Copperhead Vs Copperhead?

[@alvin41712]

Start off the video, wife no band-Aid. End off the video, wife with a band-Aid on the forehead and hand Servicing a robot most be hard.

[@kevinbullock8837]

11:29 LOL! Subtle!!! (You guys are just too cute!!)

[@34k5]

I knew I saw you on a recent episode!

[@kedmark]

Copperhead #1 Copperhead #1 Copperhead #1 go copperhead!!!!!

[@ericsandberg3167]

It looks like Copperhead has really good odds at taking home that giant nut this year....I'll keep my fingers crossed for you guys.

[@kftc1980]

Probably Vs Hydra

[@BrianGefrich]

How can Copperhead be my dark horse when YOU'RE SEEDED SO HIGH

[@shadow7037932]

You two are adorable.

[@beachinrc101]

FYI heat is best friend for unlocking threadlocker

[@RobertCowanDIY]

You say that... Think about how much heat you need to break the threadlocker, and that the whole robot is metal and we're usually trying to work quickly. The risk of getting burned and the extra time it takes to hold a torch on each bolt isn't worth it. Additionally, a blow torch on the top is a bad idea with the batteries inside. Maybe the weapon bolt, but a sufficiently large ugga dugga can take care of it much quicker.

[@beachinrc101]

It doesn’t take much heat I’m just thinking how many times I have rounded off the heads of bolts before I learned that about the threadlocker but the way your bot is built all the bolts are prob grade 8 deff doesn’t look like you skimped anywhere on your bot I kinda reminds me of my old chipper the drum was 800lbs I’m shire the weapon works awesome for dismantling opponents lol

[@garynew9637]

Why dont you guys work on a table or bench?

[@misharialjamea3502]

I wonder why no one uses chain instead of belt in the weapon ... chain seems last longer than belt

[@RobertCowanDIY]

They each have pros and cons. Belts act as clutches, chains don't. Chains CAN last longer, but I think the perception is just skewed since more people use belts, you see a lot more broken belts. But broken chains 100% happen.

[@RiderLeangle2]

It really depends on the bot, some bots do actually use chain on their primary weapon like Tombstone or Bite Force to name a couple prominent examples, belts are more common since on big impacts you'll actually want that slip a belt can have instead of all that force pulling on your chain and breaking a link (which means the whole chain is out)

[@misharialjamea3502]

@@RobertCowanDIY thank very much

[@misharialjamea3502]

@@RiderLeangle2 i see .... can gears be used instead of belt and chain ...... will gear damage the weapon motor if there is too much load ?

[@brianboxell]

When are you planning on bringing your bots out to Norwalk Havoc? Around 40-50 beetles every competition and I’d love to see Crippling Depression in the new 30lb arena.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

When there's a vaccine and it's 'safe'. I'm very tempted, but not thrilled with the wood floor ;-)

[@daveanderson2316]

@@RobertCowanDIY lol. You are WAY more likely to die traveling there than dying from cv-19.

[@brianboxell]

@@daveanderson2316 that’s not a particularly good mentality to have... while he looks and seems like a perfectly healthy individual, it is very possible that he or someone he is close to is high risk. That said, Norwalk covid guidelines have been pretty good so he should definitely come anyways ;)

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@daveanderson2316 Maybe there are other factors that I'm not telling you?

[@dergutehut3961]

Lets hope we never see the interiors during the tournament. Good luck!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I don't think there's enough kinetic energy in any bot to split Copperhead open. It can be disabled for sure, but breaking it apart isn't something that's gonna happen anytime soon.

[@dergutehut3961]

@@RobertCowanDIY I hope so...would break my heart if such a beauty gets hurt. Last time I mostly rooted for it based on its looks...but that year...the performance blew my mind. Such an impressive work. Have fun in the next fight. You know how we say in Germany...the bigger they are the deeper they fall.

[@RaptorRotorHead]

What would be very interesting is to make the robot fully AI using an arduino nano technology chip and sensors, that way it can make decisions faster than a human can how to attack and apply drive power.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Go for it. Others have tried. Mike Tyson said it best, "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face". Sensors are great, until they experience impacts that will warp 1" thick steel plate. The problem isn't the idea or the implementation, it's keeping everything working through the hits. Also, what decision would you expect the Arduino to make when the bot is 10' in the air upside down?

[@RaptorRotorHead]

@@RobertCowanDIY they have all kinds of sensors nowadays accelerometers can tell the attitude of the object weather upside down whether it's moving left or whether it's moving right it just a matter of placing it behind the armor what armor does it usually get hit you guys would have to figure that out. The more important thing is the code to write the code to do it need programmer, I'm just surprised that someone hasn't tried it yet where the robot drives itself all you do is turn it on with the remote control and it does its thing, that would truly be a robot. The military has it why not BattleBots.

[@PelleKuipers]

@@RaptorRotorHead You didn't read the part about impacts warping 1 inch thick steel? That's the reason.

[@George_M_]

Well that explains why the wheels still had early season damage on them. Wow lol.

[@t_c5266]

needs redundant belts that arent direct-drive. too often spinners throw a belt or the motor gets busted.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Let's get through the whole season and see how well this post ages.

[@t_c5266]

I know you compete, but dont you watch the matches? I mean you did good on housing the belt, but bots like witch doctor throw 1 or 2 of their belts every single match. even tombstone throws his chain. cmon you have to admit that watching the matches a huge cause for spinner failure is belt failure. every episode theres spinner belts on the ground.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@t_c5266 Watch my recap with Black Dragon. The belts don't just decide to come off on their own, it's usually because of very large hits. With Black Dragon, we completely jacked up their whole pulley assembly, even with belts, it would have been broken. Belts are JUST fine, if they are protected and suitable for the load. Everything can break, and there's no way to make it so it cannot. So you just have to deal with it. If you have some ideas, build your own, and take the nut.

[@automatedingenuities]

@@RobertCowanDIY spoiler

[@PelleKuipers]

@@RobertCowanDIY Man you're really patient with everyone telling you what to do. I just want to thank you for the videos and I'm looking forward to the Mammoth fight recap.

[@FranktheDachshund]

Much bigger than it looks in the box.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

And remember that Copperhead is one of the smallest robots there. I think only Tantrum is technically smaller. Most are a LOT bigger than this.

[@SilverHuskyYT]

Holy shit did you guys fight copperhead in the battlebox by the end of this video? In the beginning you guys are fine and then at the end you guys are covered in bandages.

[@delscoville]

Bloody bandages.... I guess the battle goes on outside the arena!

[@lootabene8059]

"Heavyweights are heavy" You don't say, Robert.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

You'd be amazed at how many people can't wrap their heads around "250 pounds". I've had a lot of people see Copperhead in person and think they can just casually lift it up. 250 pounds is heavy, and most people can't really conceptualize it, so it's worth saying. Heavyweights are heavy. ;-)

[@MrGarkin]

this thing is HUGE

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Ha, everyone always says that. But Copperhead is the smallest Battlebot in 2021. Some are literally twice this size. It's TINY for a Battlebot.