

Today we will be looking at RoboJackets’ current attempt at the design with the 12lb robot Hocki.Ĭurrent CAD of Hocki with and without the top plate. However, controlling these robots is a hard problem, so you don’t see them often in competitions. On the other hand, melty brains leverage their entire weight while spinning, which lets them have a high energy output without spinning too fast. At very high speeds, however, the robot cannot move close enough for the weapon to make good contact with the opponent and usually glances off the opponent’s armor. Increasing the weapon’s speed or mass will increase the energy that is transferred to the opponent. This design is called a melty brain (sometimes called a translational drift robot) and, in theory, they hit harder than traditional spinners. These kinds of robots spin their entire bodies instead of spinning an isolated weapon. But occasionally, you have a robot that is the weapon (no, I’m not talking about wedges). Other approaches include building an external shield, like a ring or shell, and spin it around the robot’s exterior.


In general, that typically means having a robot with a weapon attached, like a flipper, a spinner, or a flamethrower. The goal in combat robot competitions is to make a weaponized robot that can either destroy its competition or demonstrate enough control and aggression to make it a clear winner.
