Questions Regarding Combot Building and Storage Safety
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MoonSet416
Joined: 25 Sep 2016
Posts: 436
Location: Sydney
Questions Regarding Combot Building and Storage Safety
I am recently planning to build my first combot, and I have been reading rules of different events, but I still have questions regarding building a combot and storage (when not attending an event).
For example, do I need to register a combot at some governmental agencies prior to building? And also, if I would like to test my robot but I am not at an event, where can I test it?
Thu Sep 29, 2016 1:17 pm
pilleya
Joined: 31 Mar 2016
Posts: 91
Location: Sydney
You don't need government approval to build and possess one.
What weight class are you thinking about? because that decides storage and where you can test it.
You will need to be able to store it yourself along with all your parts and tools and that will use up a fair amount of space.
Testing wise, a robot that has no spinning weapon can be tested pretty much anywhere that has enough space for it to drive around in and no one about. But for spinning weapons you need to be very careful. For a heavy weight bot say 250lbs it is very difficult to test it, because the official arena uses something like 1.25inch Polycarbonate which is super expensive to replicate.
Thu Sep 29, 2016 4:07 pm
Nick Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 11802
Location: Sydney, NSW
Empty car parks are a good place to test - they have a nice flat surface and plenty of pillars to hide behind . _________________ Australian 2015 Featherweight champion
UK 2016 Gladiator champion
Thu Sep 29, 2016 4:25 pm
MoonSet416
Joined: 25 Sep 2016
Posts: 436
Location: Sydney
Thanks for the info!
I'm planning on building a featherweight with a spinning weapon...
As an international student who does not really have a garage or something like that, I guess I will have to find a teammate with somewhere to build and test the bot.
Any idea on where to find teammates?
Thu Sep 29, 2016 4:35 pm
Nick Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 11802
Location: Sydney, NSW
Other students perhaps? _________________ Australian 2015 Featherweight champion
UK 2016 Gladiator champion
Thu Sep 29, 2016 4:45 pm
MoonSet416
Joined: 25 Sep 2016
Posts: 436
Location: Sydney
Yeah if I can find someone at our school it will be great.
Thu Sep 29, 2016 4:57 pm
pilleya
Joined: 31 Mar 2016
Posts: 91
Location: Sydney
I know most of the Uni's are pretty bad with letting students use shop facilities. There is like a maker/hacker space at UNSW which has some stuff like soldering irons and 3D printers, and they have made smaller automated robots. Perhaps you could ask there, I'm sure there would be people interested in teaming up with you and they would probably let you use their space for assembly and stuff.
In regards to storage if you plan it well, the 30lb bot could probably easily fit into a small storage box in your room. Just be careful with the LIPO batteries as they are the only real "dangerous" thing in terms of storage of items.
I might be going to UNSW to study mechatronics next year in which case I will be happy to help you. Even if I don't end up going to UNSW, I can still probably help you with storage of stuff if you want ( I have plenty of space at home) or even construction/building but I live about an hour and a bit on the train from UNSW.
If you want CNC manufacturing for your parts cheap my FIRST Robotics Team has just purchased two large CNC routers. We are planning to do CNC milling of sheet metal parts from Aluminium( probs not 7075) for a much lower rate than other manufacturers ( but with a longer lead time) when we are not using the machines ourselves as a fundraising method. We probably won't be able to start doing it until next year as we need to get used to the machines ourselves.
Thu Sep 29, 2016 6:29 pm
MoonSet416
Joined: 25 Sep 2016
Posts: 436
Location: Sydney
That's really nice!
I'm now in the first year of my Mechatronics degree and I will be more than happy if we can join forces.
Thu Sep 29, 2016 7:06 pm
MoonSet416
Joined: 25 Sep 2016
Posts: 436
Location: Sydney
And a few days back I saw a thread in the new builders section and it so happened that he is studying Mechatronics at UNSW, too.
Maybe there is a magical link between UNSW Mechatronics and combots XD
Thu Sep 29, 2016 7:10 pm
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