I love these videos. I’ve never seen a robot competition (other than your recap videos) but I love the combination of electronics, subtractive and addictive manufacturing, and basic problem solving. Such a neat hobby.
The controller looks like a nice weekend project to me :) PWM to PWM converting with a litle micro, some mosfet´s maby curent sens shunts and some polyfuses, done! Even would have done every motor individual to shut dem down if the get jamed somhow. Nice little robot!!
It would be interesting to see some kind of connector pins placed under each module held together by the top plate pressure, so you don't have to de-solder the wires each time.
Really like the design. The modularity goal is greatly executed ! Kind of reminds me what a cnc router / mill can be used for, thanks it's motivating !
@@RobertCowanDIYwait, really? I've known about this bot and your naming scheme for a while, and it appears to fit in perfectly. Maybe my perception is coloured by a certain Metallica song. Maybe I'm okay with that.
I will most likely do a video in the near future on the machining of the body. It was done on the AvidCNC and the attachments were made on the Tormach.
I wonder if you are using some kind of inserts (HELICOILS?) in those threaded holes in order to protect them from degrading over time? In my experience threaded holes made directly in aluminium degrade over time, if you are screwing and usncrewing something repeatedly (eg. LLM bottom cover).
Yeah, not a bad idea. I didn't do it for this bot because I knew it wouldn't really last beyond this version. The first version of a bot (for me) is always the test platform. I already have some new ideas for V2, so the next version might get inserts. But you are correct, I've found that aluminum threads aren't very durable over time.
Not that you need any kind of range, but I'm surprised the receiver can work at all inside a pretty good Faraday cage - I guess the gap around the baseplate sides is long enough compared to the wavelength used.
I've not had issues with my receiver in solid blocks of aluminum before. It worked fine in Long Long Man as well. Just goes to show how good the radios are at working through metal ;-)
wouldn't it be better if the flat bar was pike shaped? like starting thick (14mm) at the bot and narrowing to a point. I think it would help deflect any blow, at least make the need for a wedge smaller.
whoops used this (the predecessor to Duck! on battlebots). It would get stuck in the floor a lot, and bots would have just be pushed to the side, rather than ride up it.
If the wedge-lettes get knocked at an angle where they're under the bot, is there enough clearance for the back wheel(s) to still touch the ground (and presumably reverse & get them un-stuck)?
It was made for me by endbots. This was a one-off project specially for Low Low Man. But he has other ESCs that would work well for more straightforward designs.
I wold like to know how you gonna make the motor to not brake, in my experience in combat robot this kind of motor is very weak, the gear box break too easy.
Wouldn't one powerful dual channel ESC suffice? From the looks of it, each side of motors gets the same throttle signal so each side of motors gets the same voltage and it would be the same as hooking up the whole side of motors to single ESC.
you are correct, a single dual channel would work. But what happens when a back corner is hit and knocks out a set of motors/wheels? the extra channels ensure that even if a motor module fails. the others will still work.
that's an odd question. the whole bot is less than 1" tall, so yes, they are significantly lower. they are also sharpened to a fine point, so they ride right on the floor. but comparing a beetle and a heavyweight is problematic, they are a drastically different scale.
imagine an absurdly flat 250 lb bot like this... Just a wide flat hunk of metal that's basically indestructible and unstoppable... tho idk what weapon you could put on it to compete somewhere like battlebots... but anywhere that allows just wedges it would be really bizarre
Are you worried about the wheels getting clipped by a horizontal spinner? While yes a blade will just go over the edge of your bot and over the wedge/wedgelets. The next thing that it would hit is your wheels. I do understand that's probably why you have so many but I'm still curious.
Thanks. I guess I was wrongly thinking of my experiences with government entities where all scales must be calibrated to known standards. I was likely mistaken.
@@sylvainforget2174 There is always an 'event scale'. It may or may not be calibrated, but that's how everyone is judged, so it's at least consistent. You generally want to be a few grams lighter, and then you can always slowly add some weight.
@@RobertCowanDIY Thanks! I actually went searching for all low low man content and found it. The lack of decent low profile n20/30 tires is kind of weird considering how popular the motor and ant weight class is. Time to get printing and dust off my panapress. Thanks for all your great content and as always rooting for Copperhead this season!
I'm surprised those lovely, warm, generous, friendly people at Apple haven't started legal proceedings to prevent you from making any reference to anything 'thin', 'low profile', 'flat', or 'narrow' in association with your fine design. Oh yes. It's well known that Apple invented the rectangle. And the square. And the apple. And the letter 'i'. And the bevel. And the radius. And the concept of thinness. And the state of not-being-thick-ness. Robert, my friend, your robot clearly infringes numerous original Apple ideas. Even 'air' is their intellectual property. (Highly profitable, too.) Their legal department will be in touch; you can expect a fine of $300,000,000 and a jail term of between 12 and 56 years. Cease and desist, you reckless man, before it's too late! ;-)
Props to you for making me rewatch 0:30 a second time.
Hehe, right? I was pretty happy with that shot.
It blended right in with the background, like Olive Oyl hiding behind a sign post.
That's hard to see lmao
Great idea!
Love that custom PCB! I foresee this being one of those "oddly competitive" bots.
Well it won first place at its first event so...
Very interesting. The Macbook of beetleweights.
Robert, the Steve Jobs of robot combat
I love these videos. I’ve never seen a robot competition (other than your recap videos) but I love the combination of electronics, subtractive and addictive manufacturing, and basic problem solving. Such a neat hobby.
My wife's comment: "It looks like a fancy kitchen scale."
Woooooow that beginning. How frickin awesome!
Best intro I've ever seen
Sneaky.
The controller looks like a nice weekend project to me :)
PWM to PWM converting with a litle micro, some mosfet´s maby curent sens shunts and some polyfuses, done!
Even would have done every motor individual to shut dem down if the get jamed somhow.
Nice little robot!!
A countermeasure is drop ball bearings that are large enough to lift the wheels off the ground. :)
This robot is going to do incredibly well.
Until it encounters an under-cutter, like a mini-Valkyrie.
That would be Foiled Again (team Valkyrie’s beetleweight)
It would be interesting to see some kind of connector pins placed under each module held together by the top plate pressure, so you don't have to de-solder the wires each time.
Really like the design. The modularity goal is greatly executed ! Kind of reminds me what a cnc router / mill can be used for, thanks it's motivating !
Excellent video... good luck in the competitions!
Thanks!
If your bots are named after psychological disorders, shouldn't this bot be named "Low Self-Esteem"?
oooh, that's a good name. but this is in the Long Long Man family, not in the psychological disorders family ;-)
@@RobertCowanDIY oooooh ok. 😁
@@RobertCowanDIYwait, really? I've known about this bot and your naming scheme for a while, and it appears to fit in perfectly.
Maybe my perception is coloured by a certain Metallica song.
Maybe I'm okay with that.
this is still one of my favorite combat robots of all time!!
Fantastic! Any video of machining Low Low Man on your AVIDCNC?
Bloody hell, you love to push the boundaries. I wouldn't be surprised if you make a robot invisible at this rate.
I will most likely do a video in the near future on the machining of the body. It was done on the AvidCNC and the attachments were made on the Tormach.
I wonder if you are using some kind of inserts (HELICOILS?) in those threaded holes in order to protect them from degrading over time? In my experience threaded holes made directly in aluminium degrade over time, if you are screwing and usncrewing something repeatedly (eg. LLM bottom cover).
Yeah, not a bad idea. I didn't do it for this bot because I knew it wouldn't really last beyond this version. The first version of a bot (for me) is always the test platform. I already have some new ideas for V2, so the next version might get inserts. But you are correct, I've found that aluminum threads aren't very durable over time.
Alternative names you could consider: Whackbook Air, MacBook Scare, NoColor Tile
Macbot air is also up for grabs
Or you could paint it and call it the blue square
Love those names
Thank you Robert. Have you tested it against the crack of doom in the Colorado Combat box? I think the wedgelets may hang. Good luck on the combat!
Amazed. Thank you!
I love everything about this
Sweet bot! Have you ever made a walker?
Will the signal from the remote control go through the housing?
I think your opponents will be thinking “How do you fight a floor tile with wheels?”
you could low low man as a waiter robot and put your dinner plate on it!
Looks awesome!
Where is this awesome creation going to compete at?
👑
Not that you need any kind of range, but I'm surprised the receiver can work at all inside a pretty good Faraday cage - I guess the gap around the baseplate sides is long enough compared to the wavelength used.
I've not had issues with my receiver in solid blocks of aluminum before. It worked fine in Long Long Man as well. Just goes to show how good the radios are at working through metal ;-)
@@RobertCowanDIY Clearly
Keep the good work going
Wow! I'm very impressed with this design. It is truly elegant. Did you machine the unibody on the 440 or on your router?
On my router! It's too big for the 440.
Did I miss something, I don't see any bulk capacitors on the ESC?
Special ESC. Look in the description.
Put some heavy duty tape over the screws, that way you don't have to tighten them, making for easier swaps.
It only takes about a minute to take off the bottom panel. I wouldn't want to ruin the aesthetics with tape. I would just use thread-locker instead.
wouldn't it be better if the flat bar was pike shaped? like starting thick (14mm) at the bot and narrowing to a point. I think it would help deflect any blow, at least make the need for a wedge smaller.
whoops used this (the predecessor to Duck! on battlebots). It would get stuck in the floor a lot, and bots would have just be pushed to the side, rather than ride up it.
@@RobertCowanDIY okay i worded it badly, i meant to say having an edge on the front rather than a flat surface.
@@Olav_Hansen I'm still not sure I understand, there are three separate attachments, two of which have a wedge profile.
Now we just need tall tall man!
there will be a third bot in the series. not sure what it will be just yet.
This robot reminds me of Hal Rucker’s Black Widow!
If the wedge-lettes get knocked at an angle where they're under the bot, is there enough clearance for the back wheel(s) to still touch the ground (and presumably reverse & get them un-stuck)?
Yep, just barely.
I really want to know how you do the custom esc pcb because brushless esc doesn't work with brushed motors
It was made for me by endbots. This was a one-off project specially for Low Low Man. But he has other ESCs that would work well for more straightforward designs.
@@RobertCowanDIY omg thanks alot because I would have start to make a beetle weight robot
Couldn't you have both of the outer wedglets resemble the sloped sides of the whole wedge? It would make the big wedge obsolete. Wouldn't it?
Bar spinners could still hit between individual wedgelets
Are there any rules about beetle weight arena floors being steel?
I wold like to know how you gonna make the motor to not brake, in my experience in combat robot this kind of motor is very weak, the gear box break too easy.
Wouldn't one powerful dual channel ESC suffice? From the looks of it, each side of motors gets the same throttle signal so each side of motors gets the same voltage and it would be the same as hooking up the whole side of motors to single ESC.
you are correct, a single dual channel would work. But what happens when a back corner is hit and knocks out a set of motors/wheels? the extra channels ensure that even if a motor module fails. the others will still work.
@@RobertCowanDIY That makes a lot more sense. Thank you for clarifying.
@@bigcheese9530 Of course!
Is it Biteforce low wedgelets
(What I meant is, are the wedgelets as low as Biteforce's)
that's an odd question. the whole bot is less than 1" tall, so yes, they are significantly lower. they are also sharpened to a fine point, so they ride right on the floor. but comparing a beetle and a heavyweight is problematic, they are a drastically different scale.
@@RobertCowanDIY
Okay understood
imagine an absurdly flat 250 lb bot like this... Just a wide flat hunk of metal that's basically indestructible and unstoppable... tho idk what weapon you could put on it to compete somewhere like battlebots... but anywhere that allows just wedges it would be really bizarre
Oh, I've thought about it a lot. I think 6" is the minimum I could go...
Are you worried about the wheels getting clipped by a horizontal spinner? While yes a blade will just go over the edge of your bot and over the wedge/wedgelets. The next thing that it would hit is your wheels. I do understand that's probably why you have so many but I'm still curious.
There's twelve of them
I am curious: are there disputes over the weight of any robot? How is a dispute, if any settled?
There are no disputes, there's a scale at the arena, you weigh right before it goes in to fight.
Thanks. I guess I was wrongly thinking of my experiences with government entities where all scales must be calibrated to known standards. I was likely mistaken.
@@sylvainforget2174 There is always an 'event scale'. It may or may not be calibrated, but that's how everyone is judged, so it's at least consistent. You generally want to be a few grams lighter, and then you can always slowly add some weight.
Do you think this can win against D2 kits?
So a beetleweight version of biohazard without the flipper
I know I’m a little late but did you mention what wheels/tires you are using?
Check out the video on the drive: th-cam.com/video/mV5Dpm_QUSs/w-d-xo.html They are 3d printed hubs with o-rings as tires.
@@RobertCowanDIY Thanks! I actually went searching for all low low man content and found it. The lack of decent low profile n20/30 tires is kind of weird considering how popular the motor and ant weight class is. Time to get printing and dust off my panapress. Thanks for all your great content and as always rooting for Copperhead this season!
Low low man vs tiny huge (or whatever the smaller version is called)
Where do you get funding for all these, also, since I am a highs school student, how should I get money for beetle weight/ ant weight robots?
impervious I’m 14, the job I have only wants me one day a week in the spring
38! not first but close
Haha. Great cold open!
Why do I want you to partner with Endbots and make this a kit?
I feel like that would be an expensive kit. The motors would be $84, and I'm sure the chassis would be pretty pricey.
Never hurts to dream
It looks like a plate of aluminum
That's pretty much what it is ;-)
*_Storm III_*
Its ao tiny....and so damn good
Low Low-Man reminds me of Biohazard :( Please install a lifter!
That's...err... quite low :)
anodize it black
I'm surprised those lovely, warm, generous, friendly people at Apple haven't started legal proceedings to prevent you from making any reference to anything 'thin', 'low profile', 'flat', or 'narrow' in association with your fine design.
Oh yes. It's well known that Apple invented the rectangle. And the square. And the apple. And the letter 'i'. And the bevel. And the radius. And the concept of thinness. And the state of not-being-thick-ness.
Robert, my friend, your robot clearly infringes numerous original Apple ideas. Even 'air' is their intellectual property. (Highly profitable, too.) Their legal department will be in touch; you can expect a fine of $300,000,000 and a jail term of between 12 and 56 years.
Cease and desist, you reckless man, before it's too late!
;-)