Destructible Armor?

[sthmck]

I think the challenge of putting together a working robot is large enough already without trying to add flair for the sake of spectators.

Focusing on better more consistent robots has and will continue to make this competition grow and gain awareness.

I agree with Upgrayd 100% on this. Seasoned veterans will all encourage you to focus on building a solid mech, which is capable of performing on a consistent basis. While spectator support is important in order for this type of competition to grow, we cant afford to limit the creativity of builders by asking them to put additional event specific gear on their mech. I personally can't stand having to worry about sticking the current scoring system on my mech and it is the bare minimum needed to compete.

Just because I think it is a better idea to focus on building a mech that can be a solid performer under the current rule set doesnt mean that I am not interested in pushing the boundaries on what we hope to accomplish and where we want this to go with this competition. In fact the single biggest improvement we can hope to make at this time with regards to improving spectator experience is getting this new arena completed. While the current set up has served us fairly well over the years it is time to bump it up a notch so to speak. With a new arena we will be able to focus on suppporting the hard core class in ways we haven't been able to. Trust me nothing is going to draw a crowd like rockets and flame throwers and with a full size arena capable of handling the extra abuse I feel like this class has the potential to take off.

What I am saying is that there is already potential for this to be a major crowd pleasing event the guys that have been doing this for a while now do it because they like to build bots and compete though. Every year we see new improvements and innovations. The money we would spend developing destructable armor is much better served going into an arena that can support the hard core class. Start on a mech and be ready to compete next year and the year after that finish in the top five. The year after that throw together a hard core class mech and then draw a crowd.

I hope I dont sound harsh, but we hear this kind of discussion a lot. Usually people dont realize the things the are suggesting are a little far fetched until they actually go out and build there own mech. Hopefully we will see you out here competing soon.

[Mongo]

as I haven't been there so I defer to your experience, but a thought (tracers) for advertising vids or club play mabe a possibility as to the tinfoil idea i was thinking of the armor upgrades the germans did on the Stug III 'S IN WW2 AGAIN HAVE A LOOK IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I MEAN.oops sorry for shouting...heh caps lock won that battle..sheesh!or as in the above move and shoot first.. pretty lights 2nd.

[freethinker]

I got an idea. What about adding an LED that illuminates the FSR acrylic when hit? That'd probably provide sufficient visual feedback for both the player and the spectators. I'll try and make one once I have a robot (heh).

[lnxfergy]

I got an idea. What about adding an LED that illuminates the FSR acrylic when hit? That'd probably provide sufficient visual feedback for both the player and the spectators. I'll try and make one once I have a robot (heh).

New for this year is a high-power LED array that gets mounted on the top of each robot, it will blink when the robot is hit. As for lighting the lexan/acrylic plate, that'd be somewhat difficult since the FSRs are not transparent.

-Fergs

[tician]

As for lighting the lexan/acrylic plate, that'd be somewhat difficult since the FSRs are not transparent.

I think freethinker meant edge lighting the front lexan and not trying to shine through the FSR's. My first though was making the target panels out of a PCB slightly larger than the four FSR's with right angle SMD LED's mounted around the perimeter pointing inward to illuminate the edge of the lexan covering the FSR's (stick the FSR's directly to the PCB with the lexan glued on top). Unfortunately that would leave the LED's exposed to potential damage, but that might be able to be mitigated with small cutouts in the lexan for the LED's (enough to allow the LED's to be somewhat protected from BB's by the lexan). Or instead of right angle LED's, use some of the freaky back-entry/reverse-mount SMD LED's (mounted on the back of the PCB and shine through a hole to the other side) which also makes a single sided board easier.

Of course my input is worthless since I still haven't made a mech. Or a reprap (incomplete pile of parts). Or a complete coil-gun. Or an omni-wheel omni-directional robot vacuum. Or any one of a disturbingly large number of projects to pique my interest.

[lnxfergy]

I think freethinker meant edge lighting the front lexan and not trying to shine through the FSR's. My first though was making the target panels out of a PCB slightly larger than the four FSR's with right angle SMD LED's mounted around the perimeter pointing inward to illuminate the edge of the lexan covering the FSR's (stick the FSR's directly to the PCB with the lexan glued on top). Unfortunately that would leave the LED's exposed to potential damage, but that might be able to be mitigated with small cutouts in the lexan for the LED's (enough to allow the LED's to be somewhat protected from BB's by the lexan).

Yeah, I had basically already written off the idea of edge lighting due to exposed LEDs... and the fact that the PCB would go from 1.5"x1.5" to >3.5"x3.5", and would likely therefore cost 5x as much (and people already complain about the cost of scoring panels, which also have a finite life)

-Fergs

[Tyberius]

I think freethinker meant edge lighting the front lexan and not trying to shine through the FSR's. My first though was making the target panels out of a PCB slightly larger than the four FSR's with right angle SMD LED's mounted around the perimeter pointing inward to illuminate the edge of the lexan covering the FSR's (stick the FSR's directly to the PCB with the lexan glued on top). Unfortunately that would leave the LED's exposed to potential damage, but that might be able to be mitigated with small cutouts in the lexan for the LED's (enough to allow the LED's to be somewhat protected from BB's by the lexan). Or instead of right angle LED's, use some of the freaky back-entry/reverse-mount SMD LED's (mounted on the back of the PCB and shine through a hole to the other side) which also makes a single sided board easier.

Of course my input is worthless since I still haven't made a mech. Or a reprap (incomplete pile of parts). Or a complete coil-gun. Or an omni-wheel omni-directional robot vacuum. Or any one of a disturbingly large number of projects to pique my interest.

I actually REALLY like this idea, but I'm not sure it'd be financially feasible. I lost my proverbial ass on PCB costs this year because I have to buy in such high bulk (needed a dozen FSR PCBs more than I had, had to purchase 100 more units, etc). I wonder if the SMD ones would be bright enough to even be visible though.

[tician]

...and people already complain about the cost of scoring panels...

Guilty as charged... with one of my very first posts no less. Still have not done squat with the piezo sensors, even though I have plenty of solid surfaces on which to attempt multilateration position calculations (I should buy some decent op-amps and a few more breadboards while I'm still thinking about it).

On the topic of actual destructible armor, the extruder for my reprap was originally going to use granulated sugar and/or wax (due partly to me being a cheap * and partly for the possibility of doing lost wax metal casting). I think sugar, if successfully extruded/cast thin enough, should make for a very destructible and delicious** armor. Although it would probably easier to just use a thin sheet of stiff/fragile plastic in a vacuum mold.

**Unfortunately the extruder barrel and tip I bought are a lead bearing brass, and I already have enough mental problems...

[Th232]

I think sugar, if successfully extruded/cast thin enough, should make for a very destructible and delicious** armor.

Indeed. Sugar glass anyone? Used in stunts when people need to smash things without shredding themselves. Here's a quick recipe:

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Sugar-Glass

Just flat plates would be neat enough (to me at least), but with a mould some interesting things could be done...

[cire]

Feel free to implement it in your own robots, but i don't think its something that belongs in the requirements for a robot

I designed my "armor" to be thin enough that it dents from the higher powered guns on my robot.