killercarrot

22/9/01Robot Mania at Whitehawk After the huge rush to get KC2 ready for Wilsons Day, I was too exhausted to get repairs done for Robot wars qualification. I'd been up till about 11 each night, cutting grinding, welding, who knows what the neighbours thought? I'd created a whole pile of extra armour after the Dom2 incident, unfortunately it put us way overweight. The flipper alone weighed in at about 20 kgs. After much "lightning" we were down to just about 100kg, and I thought I'd do a test run. That's when the speed controller went poop! I almost cried. So After a couple of attempts at repair, with the help of many people on the forum,(thanks, you know who you are!) and in real life from Paul Chitty, a local electronics wizard,I realised I was stuffed. I had the choice of running KC2 on an old pair of NCC35's for the qualifiers, with virtually no armour, or of going on holiday as had originally been planned. After a small bribr to the kids, I spen...

Team killer carrot started as Team GM Farm, a poor attempt at humour, the idea was that the killer carrot was a genetically modified form of life... however this went down like a lead balloon at Robot Mayhem, so we stuck to Carrots, because the robot was orange.... and sort of pointy... feeble I know but what can I say. Dom  (6)and  Adam (9), the brains behind Team Killer Carrot, enjoy fighting, climbing on furniture and playing Pokemon on Gameboy. Dislike eating normal food, tidying up or behaving like human beings. Dom, alias Monkey boy is prevented from attending Robot Wars due to his age and criminal record. Adam, alias Dodge only wants to build a qualifying robot so he can get his club membership fee back. Rob  (34),alias Zorro, (or Big Rob) Team Captain and tired father. Used to be a fox so cunning and free, now does a day shift at Plumpton College lecturing in Agriculture, IT and stuff, and a night shift as a freelance illustrator. Inept robot builder and vision...

26/7/01- Build for Discovery Just back in after another welding session. The site hasn't been updated for ages because my modems been dead for ages. This is a brief outline of the build over the last 5 months. I finally decided on a shape, and on May 16th I started building, we'd put off building so we could show the whole design process to the discovery channel film crew following our progress. We started by building a chassis with the ERW steel, Hell look at the photos,watch the programmes. So here he is KillerCarrot 2. If you've seen the discovery channel program, "Robots Revenge", you'll know we started the build for KC2 on May 14th, about 6 weeks before Robots@War. The first job was to solder in some bigger leads to the motors, then we welded up a frame, added some spikes, a bit of Lexan body work... and Bob's yer uncle. The flipper took a bit more work, so we put it to one side until after Wilson's Day. The first trial for KC1 was Li...

24/3/01- All together Well... look at this the little fellow is up and running, finally got the drive chains sorted out, We took it for a test in the church hall, and we've got loads more torque thanks to the reduction gearing, unfortunately we've also got quite a lot of wheel spin, and we were starting to make nasty black marks all over the floor, so had to stop. I took KC to work to try and have a good thrash but, the brakes on the car seized on the way so I spent my lunch hour stripping them down instead of testing. Next week I'll take it in, give it a good thrash, assuming the weather is fine, and try and fit the gyro, as the steering remains a little sensitive I've started welding up a pivot for the flipper, and Gary at work soldered up an adapter to the regulator, all we need now is some more flexible pipework, as the nylon stuff has a good bore size but won't bend around the tight turns. finishing touches needed include some ramming spikes on the rear...

13/2/01- Still waiting for the gears.... so no wheels yet Revised Specifications for Killer Carrot 1 Chassis Mig welded 35x15mm 2mm box ERW steel, forming a 400x400x200  cross-braced perimeter frame. Motors 2 x 24v surplus hi torque (weedy) motors from display electronics. (Don't buy these, save your cash and buy something decent from Roger Plant) Speed Controllers 2 x 4QD NCC35-24 through a DCI, pots linked to 2 Futaba S3003 servos. Radio gear Futaba Skysport  T6YFK, 6 Channel Tx, 40MHz fm, FP-R138DF 8 channel dual conversion receiver, with 1 RF-1 failsafe. Weight Middleweight, under 50kg Drive train Motorcycle sprockets and chains 8.2:1 reduction on new 10" pneumatic tyres, giving around 8.5mph top speed Batteries 2  Micro kiel 18AH 12v's Weapons 40mm pneumatic ram giving around 60kg's of lift via a pivoted arm, rear mounted spikes for ramming. Armour 3mm BASF RESART polycarbonate Special features Can run upside down. So here we h...

12/2/01-Big Ram Still haven't done anything much. I've spent time debating the shape of the new 'bot. Traditionally KC has been an invertable wedge. this however prevents us using an oxygen regulator as it would probably ice up if inverted. I've still got a strong urge to fit the air chisel , and the extra 20kg's added in the new rules mean I might just succeed. Mark is keen to use a suction gripper, to stick on to the opponent then pummel it. Whatever, we've got the drives, we've got the speed controllers, we've got most of the pneumatics and we've got the lexan and steel. We've even got some new thicker cable, 6mm2 which hopefully won't get so warm, and some capacitors to prevent interference (Thanks Paul!) Simply need to put it all together. As soon as KC1 is up and running we'll get on with KC2.  KC1 will also give us a chance to get used to driving , as I've probably only clocked up about half an hour of robot driving all told,...

9/2/01- Hmmmm.... I have found that if I feel obliged to get on with something that I don't want to do, i.e. getting down to some illustration work, then I will much more readily get on with lots of other tasks,  hence the recent burst of energy with KC1. I have got the rams, valves, regulator, (currently being adapted at work), have welded up extra struts to the chassis, knocked up a lift arm and covered the little fellow in lexan. I've mounted the ball transfer units and even managed to negotiate with M&P over the chains and sprockets (still haven't arrived though). I have mounted all the electronics and made up much neater brackets for the pot/servo connection. The current aim is to get a single ram operating a lift arm, and maybe set up a surrender flag with the other.   I had fun working out how the solenoid valve operates, and connected it to the battery the wrong way causing  a huge explosion and much melted wire, Graham Leacock sorted me out and I removed ...

In the qualifying rounds at Robot Mayhem we met Mike Hammerton of team Eric (before they beat us)  touting for robots to come to the Uckfield live robot bash. Having spent two days doing very little as reserves it looked like a fine opportunity to actually give carrot a run. We had switched steering to "Speed and Steer "mode on the 4QD DCI and were actually going sort of where we wanted to . We were matched to have a demonstration bout with mincer, but unfortunately his aerial connection broke and required a fix, we then seemed to loose all power and limped about more like a wet lettuce than a killer carrot. On returning home we found the batteries hadn't charged the previous night for some reason, and were down to about 20v,then I blew up the charger. Carrot went down to the workshop for a strip down and rebuild, but with a little time on our hands before it's next outing at Robots@war on June 30th 2001, it was decided to do a complete redesign with very li...

 4/1/01- spending money.... shhh !!! Well what can I say, Very lazy! but hey I've acquired some bits, the axles  with motors attached have arrived and been sitting doing nothing for months, the pneumatics have been sitting doing nothing and the controllers and batteries have also been doing nothing. The only thing I have attempted is to dismantle one of the Litton motors to find out if it has space for a capacitor inside, it does but only just!

28/10/00- Waiting.... Still waiting for the motors and gearboxes. Another parcel did arrive today, an Optimate III battery charger, which seems to be putting a bit of life back into my sad old Steatites. I will post how efficiently it worked after I get round to testing. My students are keen to see one of the robots so I may take KC1 in before he's stripped down, his gears and chains are providing some reduction gearing for our swimmer Keeler Carrot. further comment...(26/4/02) The Optimate has proved a complete boon. It wasn't cheap, about £40, but it works well, if slowly. I believe there is also a version called the Accumate now, that can be switched to cover 6 volt batteries.

28/10/2000  After months of fiddling we finally took our baby for a scrap, at the Antweight World Series at Guilford University. For a full run down check out he comms section on the Dangerous machines website. Suffice to say, I was sick and suffering after a painful Judo injury, and the kids were a bit bored, but we had a successful morning. We had 3 fights and lost them all! But did manage to hurl another robot off the arena. We learnt a lot and new plans for more voltage (6v), smaller wheels with more grip, and a slightly more dangerous weapon are all underway. No photos as the digital camera was on strike and I foolishly left the normal camera behind. Check out the  http://www.robotwars101.co.uk site for all antweight details. Offered my services to design a Tee shirt for the event, and there have been many suggestions. Here's the first draft, all comments and alternative designs welcome. I think either Pete Collier or Hairy Steve will be organising the thing.

16/10/00-  bits and bobs Cylinder, valves and pipe-work have all arrived, I'm now waiting for some axles and motors from Roger Plant. Once all the gear is together The steel which is cluttering up the office can be mocked up to find the most effective chassis shape. I'm inclined to use some steel mesh for armour as I've become infatuated with dead Metal, and it's bizarre Mad Max looks, but I will still have some panels for the Carrots "face". Having trouble with regulators at present, the one I've got only does 2.5 bar which is nowhere near the pressure I'm hoping for, however BOC want £187 for a Co2 regulator. Today I also took delivery of an air chisel, only £9.99 from Northern Equipment, but reasonably rugged and capable of delivering 5000 blows per minute running at 90 psi, I'll test it in the workshops on Wednesday, but it looks to be a most cheap and effective weapon. Pictures to follow.

23/09/2000  Well the SMA axe is proving to be very difficult. In theory the flexinol requires 400mA, and gives a contraction of about 5%, the problem is fixing the ends, soldering de-natures the wires abilities and clamping is a nightmare.  So we're looking at another servo to power a rear flipper/ax/SREMECH, though the liitle guy runs upside down fine. We've got plenty of weight left, as we're only upto 104g so far. The wheels are now sporting rubber bands for improved grip too. Adam and his friend Duncan have been practicing driving the little guy , so hopefully he will be team captain for the Antweight wars in October.  I can smell victory. History: A 4.8v NiMh PCB mount battery provides the juice and at present were working on a shape memory alloy powered axe, which weighs almost nothing, but we keep frying the wire, so for simplicity we may just bung another servo in there. Chassis is now made from an old Rotring pen case, with packing foam armour First outing sho...

22/9/00  Decisions... Term has started back at college so I'm snowed under inducting students, however I have had time to sort out the pneumatics order. I've sent off for an SMC LDT100-125 piston with a couple of SMC VS 3135 3 port valves and some AQ3000quick exhausts, all from  Graham Leacock , who is an unreasonably helpful chap. Following Killerhurtz recommendations on the RW forum I phoned up a local fire extinguisher company "Pyrotec" who service our college, and asked if they had any spare extinguishers I could use for the high pressure side. They very generously gave me 2. Then I found out the regulations require the extinguishers to be under 5 years old, so I e-mailed them and they are giving me another 2, all I can say is Thanks. I'm still chewing over motors, but it looks like I'll be using  Roger Plants  Litton motors and cut down axles as it seems the least expensive route. I'd hoped to get some Bosch GPA's but Wheely big cheese did...

The following sites have some really useful robot building or web site construction information on them: www.Technobots.co.uk  This is what we've all been waiting for. Paul Cooper has created a site selling everything you could ever need to build your robot, and it's not overpriced. Cheaper and more convenient than RS Components! Better friendlier service than anywhere else. Paul knows his onions as well, he runs the robot M2, which we first met as Mincer back in the Summer of 2000 at the Uckfield bash. M2 is a terrific evolution with a terrific flipper running at 16bar. www.bcentral.com/fastcounter/  : Free hit counter that works, unlike the frontpage ones, (freeserve don't support frontpage extensions)However now I'm a grown up and have cast aside childish things (Frontpage), the counter is still useful, and links to a site that keeps stats on your site. www.distel.co.uk  : pages of useful bits, some aren't as cheap as they appear when you add VAT and delivery, Do...

16/9/2000  We gave up on the flexinol, it will return in next years ant, (a walker), as we've got about 4 metres of the stuff. So the flipper axe is now a boring servo actuated affair made from an old packing tape dispenser. The servo itself is a Hi tec HS81MG (metal geared), which was slightly more expensive than standard, but should prevent the gear skipping problems we've had with the drive servos: All that remains is to add scapel blades to every available surface up to the weight limit, we've got plenty of leeway as were still only on 126g and because of the 4" cube rule, we've had to truncate the body a little.  It all seems to work though I can't drive it to save my life, same problem I had driving Killer Carrot at Robot Mayhem, over sensitive tank steer. Hopefully we'll be at  Antwars 3, in Guildford on the 22nd and I'll let the kids drive it.

Ancient History Killer carrot 2 is a much more serious bucket of fish than anything else we've so far attempted. At first we thought we'd like an axe, a flipper, a disc cutter....and these sketches show what we came up with: disc cutter and ramming spikes, keeping carrots original big wheels and running upside down configuration Spiked flipper and nose spike (real back of the envelope stuff) Inspiration comes from those robots that achieved success without fancy weaponry, but by sheer brutal ramming power. Watching Tornado smash Gemini against the arena barrier when we were reserves, I became convinced this was the way to go. However being an agricultural fellow we have access to a range of nasty things to ram people with. The whole design of carrot 2 rotates around a large bale spike, focussing all the punch into one point instead of tornado's multiple points. First step was to visit our local kart race track who  gave  me 4 wheels and tyres, thankyou Crawley indoor racing...