Goal: Develop a 20cm x 20cm, 3kg sumo robot that is capable of remote controlled and autonomous function. Compete against other Caltech students in 1-on-1 matches.
Result: Third place during the qualifications and second place throughout eliminations.
Project Overview
Photo of our robot during electronics testing.
Brief engineering summary of our final quarter of competition can be found here
Design and Fabrication
The entire robot was designed and fabricated by our team. I was responsible for the majority of the chassis and transmission design and performed much of the mill and lathe work. This project gave me the opportunity to hone my design skills by focusing on manufacturability. “Not everything we draw in CAD can we actually build” was a consistent theme as our understanding of the design challenges outmatched our machining capabilities.
Innovative Solutions
Traditional sumo robots rely on simplistic lightweight designs with permanent magnets to increase their effective weight via magnetic attraction to the steel arena. My team developed two proposals for our robots to give us a distinct advantage.
1) Integration of Electromagnets for “Variable Weight”
Using electromagnets we can modify our effective weight from between 3 kg and 60 kg, allowing us to zip around the enemy when necessary, but also engage high the magnet for better traction while pushing
2) Integration of A Decoy to Confuse Autonomous Systems
A key aspect of the sumo design challenge is the development of autonomous systems to detect opposing robots. We’re currently developing a decoy design using a set of elastic bands and a large flag to confuse other robots and put them in a vulnerable state.
Drivetrain Design
One of the most crucial aspects to a successful sumo robot is a robust and high-torque drivetrain. While speed is advantageous to outmaneuvering the opposing robot, enough pushing power to win a head-on engagement is crucial to a successful design. One of my responsibilities in this project has been to develop a robust drivetrain within a restrictive budget and weight allowance. This led me to develop a trade-study between different motor, motor controller and gearing configurations.
Project Management
This project has a strict budget ($800 across two wheeled robots), a strict weight requirement (3kg per robot), and a tight schedule (20 weeks end-to-end), as such project management and organization are critical to success. One of my responsibilities is to facilitate integration between different team members, manage the weight allocation, and develop a Gantt chart.