Joe with
Ramming Speed at BattleBots in Nov '01

Mike and Joe with Ramming Speed at BattleBots in May '01

The robot I brought to San Francisco in November 2001 was a slight redesign on the original which fought in May of 2001. It was smaller, sleeker, and slightly better designed. After fighting in November, the short comings of the design were apparent. An observer commenting on fights noted that "Ramming Speed is surprisingly slow, and more a pusher than a rammer". Though both of my losses could probably have been overcome by better driving skills, their are still underlying physical changes that must happen to improve the design.

Time for Ramming Speed 2. The goals for RS2 are:

1. Increase the drivability

The original design was based on a two wheel bot, and used the narrower rear wheels mainly for stabilization. I found steering to be less predictable than a more squared off 4 wheel design. RS2 will be a true 4 wheel design, with the wheels oriented very close to a square, to allow for predictable skid style steering.
2. Increase the reliability

The original design utilized Dewalt 24v Hammerdrill motors for power. They were chosen based on their high torque, which I hoped to use to win pushing fights. These motors are hard to mount, and failures in this area resulted in both SF trips. I also found that my ability to out push others was not significant. I am switching to Dewalt 18v Hammerdrill motors, which have been proven in combat by many. They are smaller, lighter, and most importantly, the components secure to each other well, making them easier to mount securely.
3. Increase the potential speed

The original design used the drill motors in low-gear (for a focus on torque), with sprockets gearing them up slightly for a potential high speed of 11mph (17 feet per second). This is fine for a pusher, but not a rammer. The new design will switch to high-gear, but with smaller wheels (both for stealthness, and to reach a more reasonable final speed). The potential final speed will be 16 mph, better enabling me to duck and RAM.

See the buttons on the left side for categories of information about Ramming Speed 2.