I shrunk the Hacksmiths Battlebot!!! (150g Orbitron build)

[@hacksmith]

That was awesome! You put a ton of work into that, can't believe you got it to ~150g!

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

Thanks so much!! It was a bit of a squeeze but worth it to be as close to your design as possible Orbitron is such a cool bot I hope you guys get onto the show (I know first-hand how difficult the selection process can be) I'll take Nucleus to an event in July and release a fight report afterwards. Fingers crossed it doesn't explode! If you'd like to make your own, let me know and I'd happily send you the files

[@MakersMuse]

Insane you fitted that into 150g dude, LOVE the look !

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

Thanks! definitely my most complicated 150g bot to date, but a fun little challenge

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

Have a great time at Open Source with your badge bot! we should do a bot build off at some point

[@MorrisRobotics]

@@TeamPanicRobotics You guys should each have a random selection to select 3 bots, they would be different for both of you. Then, you each build one of the three of your choice. AND WAR! Or see who does better at a local event or something.

[@WorldofWoodrow]

Honey I shrunk the Hacksmith coming to theatres soon. This is awesome Ben!!

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

Haha I'm glad someone got that reference! Thanks! I'm super happy with how it came out

[@greendragonmakerspace]

PCBway are getting a lot more value from you than from other sponsorships from bigger channels. Good work.

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

I appreciate that!

[@emaloney_]

Thanks so much for the video detail of the actual build. So many times other builders will fast forward though simple but important components,. They forget us beginners need to learn that too and just can't assume.

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

No problem! I really enjoy the build process, (even when its a challenge) so want to show off as much as I can

[@Raven3one]

that pcb is going to crack the moment the weapon contacts anything.

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

Surprisingly not. I've already used pcbs as weapon mounts before on a robot with much heavier weapons, it dished out a lot of hits and the PCB even got hit directly and it was totally fine Check out this flight report: kzbin.info/www/bejne/roTam5KfisSbrqc

[@razer259]

6 motors and 2 weapons in a 150g bot??? That is incredible! Please tell me you're going to bring that to Havoc 7 and at least display it! 🙏

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

Thanks! Its quite the squeeze but I just had to try! It will be at havoc 7 or whats left of it after I fight it in July, maybe I'll make a second one just for display

[@slightlyevilrobotics4271]

Love the Technology Connections reference! And I can't wait to fight this!

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

It will be at the July meet for sure Not sure if I'll run it in the tournament, as its a pain to charge, but it will definitely fight

[@slightlyevilrobotics4271]

@@TeamPanicRobotics unfortunately we won't be at the July meet! I'd forgotten next meet was beetleweights .... I should really fix up my beetleweights ...

[@teamgetwreckedcombatrobots776]

I always love seeing your process for building bots and this video is no exception. Still amazed you managed to make a design that complex work in 150 grams. Great stuff as always mate!

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

Thanks! Honestly I wasnt fully sure I'd fit everything in 150g, I'm super happy with how it came out

[@Mawral]

I wondered when someone would try this after seeing the kits. I like how it turned out.

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

Haha yeah the kits are so close to being ants I had to try Thanks! I'm pretty happy with it too

[@newmonengineering]

Yes as soon as I heard the beeps I knew it was resetting because of low voltage spike when the motors stalled. When you work with RC you learn all the sounds. Its pretty cool you made all of that fit and be within the weight. Amazing work. I don't think I would ever go that small, for me 250g would be hard to stay within weight. Not sure what the next weight class is but i would probably be able to make a 5lb robot any thing less would just make me mad trying to fit everything in. I could probably do 250g but I think I would frustrated the whole build.. awesome work!

[@Kinekitsu]

Looking cool~!💛💛💛 It came out looking so futuristic~ 😱

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

I'm so pleased with the look! flipping the colour pallet worked better then I thought it would

[@Gunstick]

Did you think about using the weapon mount PCBs to route all other wiring around the robot? So the drive motors would just wire directly back to the PCB. Maybe not put the electronics directly on the weapon PCBs.

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

Honestly I didnt, I thought of the PCBs as a carbon fibre replacement and not much else, this was definitely an oversite on my part

[@jong036jong5]

Amazing build Ben. Perhaps the most complicated Antweight out there. Just a thought but I mostly use JST PH 2mm style connectors these days because the the servo style connector and even the red battery connectors just take up so much space.

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

Thanks! Haha it might just be! Thanks for the tip on JST PH 2mm style connectors, I'll look into getting some, I ran into a lot of issues with connectors taking up so space in this build

[@TomasSobutas]

For the battery connections he could use BetaFPV BT2.0 or the competition GB2.0 I think plugs that are very small and carry the same current with smaller size than JST

[@Termini_Man]

maybe you could make one with the bottom plate being a power distribution board to replace all the wiring. this could make it much more compact and should hold up well.

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

Thats a good idea! Oh and I could solder the PCBs together to add more strength

[@ironoreiron]

Awe man, i thought it would actually have the ai and all that, but that is kind of ambitious, the build is still nice by the way

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

That is ambitious but I think I might be able to do the ai externally If not, my plan is to get a "this machine doesn't have a brain, use your own" sticker to stick to the underside 😅

[@ccibinel]

@@TeamPanicRobotics Was the real orbitron actually putting the processing on the bot? I thought it was using external cameras and a pc linked into the radio controller.

[@WhyNotDogie]

@@ccibinelit started with all the computation off the bot but then they put part of it on the bot however it's not needed.

[@richiebricker]

very cool. Im gonna check out your other videos. Ive tried soldering on flat to the board components and that really sucks. Ive never seen aheat plate before, maybe Ill get one . can you solder multi pin chips with it? Cause thats my downfall

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

Yes, as far as I know, never done it myself, but seen others do it online I've also seen people use them to remove multi pin chips

[@JeromeDemers]

amazing work, well designed, I believe the brownout is primarily the batteries then the ESC. Not sure if a capacitors could help with this.

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

It might be batteries browning out as they are tiny, but it might also be a back EMF spike from the motor stopping suddenly causing the ESC to reset If its battery then capacitors would help, unfortunately I dont have the weight or space to add any level of usable capacitance

[@JeromeDemers]

@@TeamPanicRobotics you might not have the space or weight but nothing stop you to at least “test it”! Tape it to the side and add weight, who cares, the goals would be to find/isolate the problems. I been flying drone and can tell you it’s not back EMF resetting the ESC. We crash our drone full throttle in trees and they don’t reset. Just catch on fire 😂. I am willing to bet it’s lipo. Not even sure capacitor will solve it. A new better battery yes. I know this is super hard problem to solve with weight and size. I think you can save weight by redesigning the FR4 that holds the weapon. Have more holes. FR4 is heavy. Anyway. Google “tinywhoop batteries” these are 1S 150-350mah lipo battery that take a good discharge. They are long! Also lower the Kv of motor or size to lower current. Good luck and and keep making cool stuff!!

[@liamspence9763]

Have you ever used protoboards & solder as replacement for wires? Seems like a flat-laying backplane of sorts might help with the wire packing for smaller builds. Absolutely love the mini orbitron build (and Nucleus is such a perfect name lol)

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

I honestly should have done that, but I designed the pcbs during the mechanical design step, so I wasnt thinking about wiring at that point

[@CyberDreZ]

5:00 Was that a Technology Connections reference? 😮

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

It was! good catch

[@Cheeky_Chelsea]

Ridiculous build, so much stuff in this bot 😮

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

hahah it is stuffed full! I dont think I could fit a single extra wire

[@forceofwillgaming8475]

This looks so awesome but I was curious as to why the weapon ESCs were shutting off after each hit

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

I think because the ESCs are tiny and only rated for 6A, which is more then enough to get the bar spinning, but when it hits something there is a large spike of current flowing backwards that disrupts the esc If I had the weight/space for a 20a esc it wouldnt be a problem... I dont think

[@TimInertiatic]

​@@TeamPanicRobotics I'm assuming if you let of power it would be fine, but those weapons have little inertia?

[@TimInertiatic]

That's awesome... ...but Nucleon surely? 😁

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

Damn! thats a great name! cant believe I missed that

[@fromfin90]

Option to use XT30 instead of JST as battery connectors? as they are shorter than JST

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

Oh thats a good idea, I have some xt30s but in my head they are a "beetleweight connector" so I didnt even look at them I could do with shorter connectors in this bot

[@CrimsonHiroX07]

Just a thought. If you're using a pcb for structure, why not use it for some connections as well?

[@Josstrigaming]

This is actually a cool thought. I like this idea, he could easily save a couple grams there

[@strikereureka5081]

yeah lol, go one stop further and design an esc into the PCB for extra compactness.

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

I did think of it, but it would likely only be useful for the spinner wires as the rest run perpendicular to them. Although, might have made the motor wiring a bit easier.... damn, maybe next time I very briefly thought about putting an esc on them too but I havent ever made a custom brushless esc, and the control board had brushed escs on it already

[@AlexusMaximusDE]

You said, you soldered in connectors and I am a bit surprised because in my engineering classes I was taught that soldering crimped connectors (which most connectors are) is detrimental because you are not getting any relevant increase in connection quality (both electrical and mechanical) between a crimped and a soldered connection and the increases stiffness of the solder will lead to early fatigue especially in high-vibration environments. Unless you are talking about soldering wires with pre-crimped connectors and calling that wire/connector assembly a "connector"?

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

They are correct in your engineering class, a crimped connector does not need soldering I was talking about the pre-crimped connectors and calling wire/connector assemblies a "connector" Its not technically accurate, in some ways, but as it is common to call the whole assembly a connector I often do

[@mineman8496]

you would probably get more dammage if you use the weapon meathod you showed before with the 2 strips of PCB with a steel bit at the ends but it wouldn't look as good

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

For sure! And I might do that in future but for this build I wanted the weapons to look like Orbitrons

[@bennuter]

Looks awesome but would it have been lighter 2 run both weapons off 1 motor with a pully or something?

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

Maybe? If you run pullies, you need at least 3 pullies and 2 belts, not to mention axels to run the weapons on (which need to be strong/heavy enough to survive a hit), plus the chassis would need to be bigger to fit the motor into the profile (I really wanted this to look like Orbitron), which adds even more weight, plus something to connect the weapons to the pullies (could have been printed in but steel pullies are heavy) plus bearings to run the weapons on So it might be lighter, but it would be a gamble

[@Gunstick]

​@@TeamPanicRoboticswho knows, maybe next orbitron will use hub motors 😂

[@paydaygh9388]

How much did those 3D printed tool steel weapons cost each? Are they heat treated?

[@RiverWilliamson]

Today I learned that my eyes are definitely not good enough to build ant-weights

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

you dont need to use components as small as I did in an ant weight, I just needed to because otherwise I would have run out of weight

[@bami2]

That's simply amazing

[@ccibinel]

Switching to a track drive on each side would save some critical weight to allow for more allowance for the ESC or weapon motors. I get the goal was an exact repo and you definitely nailed that but as to being effective changes would be needed. Unclear why you made the weapons the same colour - wouldn't different colours make it far easier to drive. PS: No mention of their crazy AI driving system which is the real innovation of orbitron. Since it doesnt actually add hardware to the bot it could be done in any weight but cant say that would be an easy thing to reproduce.

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

For sure, a track or gear driven 4wd would be lighter and probably more reliable but for this iteration I wanted to be as close as possible Different coloured weapons is a great idea for knowing robot orientation, but when I was test driving I found it fairly easy to keep track by looking at the power LED, as long as I know thats the back right, I know where the front is Ps, yeah the AI is very cool and also very complicated. I could probably do it without adding anything to the bot, but this build was already complex, so I had no time to look into the AI system. Maybe in a future video

[@thehmmyone]

ooo new intro

[@lizrrdbreath]

what size weapon motors do you normally use?

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

I normally use 1806 brushless motors, you can get some duds, but most of them have a decent sized shaft and can survive being directly connected to a weapon

[@WackyNinja]

this is a banger

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

Glad you liked it!

[@dragoni_penguin]

"nOw MaKe It MeLtYbRaIn SoMeHoW"

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

🤣🤣 "iTs JuSt SoFtWaRe No ExTrA wEiGhT"

[@decku_yt5446]

I would buy that

[@DieCastoms]

as others have said, you do some remarkable work. May I recommend the youtube channel diorama111 and others like him who build fully radio control cars that are matchbox / hotwheels / "HO" / 1:87 scale, with full working lights and some even have working parts like tractor buckets and trailer landing gear, etc., in some awful tight models.. you may find more hints and tricks and tips and maybe even inspiration too

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

I just checked out one of diorama111s videos, the custom servo using a reflector and a lead screw is interesting

[@l8dawn]

super cool :)

[@jees3474]

I wanna do this lol

[@mrx.0000]

G R E A T

[@tarasaurus98]

I absolutely do not understand why 150g bots are so popular when they're this difficult to work with. Everything is just too darn small for me. Even the 454g US antweights are annoyingly small. Beetleweights are ideal I find.

[@TeamPanicRobotics]

They can be, but this build was more difficult then a standard 150g, With the right components they can be quite straight forward I think the lighter classes are all about accessibility, the tools, upfront and repair cost for either type of ant are lower then a beetle, especially a competitive one Beetle fights are great but I'm glad the smaller classes exist

[@slightlyevilrobotics4271]

Depends a bit as to what you enjoy as a builder. I really like the challenge of fitting something crazy (although I've never done this crazy!) in 150g, and it's also a really good way of testing out bizarre ideas at a cost effective/low friction scale. As Ben said it's also more accessible for builders, but I'd also say for new groups - a safe and effective arena for 150g bots is a lot cheaper/easier to store than one for anything bigger.

[@TimInertiatic]

Cost and safety. Parts are cheap and you can test them relatively easily.

[@Rated-R-Guy]

At the first glance I thought he's blind