Since the first combat robots emerged around three decades ago, it seems as though every conceivable configuration has been tried at some point or other. Whether it’s a two-wheeled wedgebot, a walker, a four-wheeled flip-bot, or whatever, someone’s already been there. But how about a self-righting taco with a novel two-wheel drive system? It’s called Taco Tuesday, its team lead [Carter Hurd] has sent us the video below the break, and it’s worth a second look because the technique might find a place outside the arena.
![The robot with [Carter] sitting behind it](https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/taco-tuesday-drive.jpg)
So what exactly is novel about this bot? It has a single big fat wheel near the front in a longitudinal direction, and a larger slimmer one at the back in a transverse direction. The former wheel propels it around the arena while the latter wheel acts as a rear-wheel steering system, allowing it to pivot round and face an attacker very quickly indeed.
It’s this maneuverability which we think could find an application in other machines, though the same problem they have of sideways friction on that rear wheel would need to be overcome.
The video follows the bot through a BattleBots competition in Las Vegas, and shows us some of the damage they receive in combat. The drive system needs a bit more refinement, but this outing certainly proves it has plenty of potential.
Some of us here at Hackaday have a bit of a soft spot for fighting robots.
Put simply a massive metal indestructible gömböc in the ring.
Thanks!
I had never heard of such a thing!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6mb%C3%B6c
The BattleBots rules state “your bot must have at least one
independently powered weapon that can seriously affect the operation of another bot”, and be able to “display some kind of noticeable translational or rotational
movement on the Arena Floor”.
Not so simple to do while retaining the gömböc shape, but an interesting idea. Also Gömböc sounds like a great bot name.
It’s not moving but he can build in a microwave canon in his structure that melts the opponents electronics.
Is the shape and weight not wapon enought? If he roll over his enemy it will bent or break it.
It is like huge relaxo (Pokemon).
Gömböt.
Also, “Relaxo” = “Snorlax”. Things you learn raising a kid in a foreign land. :)
That’s a really clever locomotion idea.
Use an omni wheel or a mecanum wheel on the back to reduce horizontal friction.
I guess they’re reluctant to do that because omni wheels are that bit more fragile, and more vulnerable to debris too.
If they get their front wheel pulling harder they might forget about the back wheel issues though.
However much they don’t want to, they need to. No need for a mecanum wheel. A simpler omniwheel will do. Basic hoop of curved rollers that aren’t powered. Could build it from a steel or aluminum plate with roller mounting blocks bolted to the forward face of the plate and tack welded.
Yeah, omni-wheels are required. Mecanum wheels won’t work in this setting because by definition the subwheels are turned by around 45°, so one would need two of them. But the concept is essentially an omni-drive with a single forward wheel.
When they don’t fight in robot matches they can do food delivery in rough neighborhoods
TACO
Things Against Criminal Organizations
People would just shoot it to bits with their AK47’s and rocket launchers.
Did the Newyork police not startet some types of Police Robots?
It seems to me that the solution is to make the rear wheel out of a ring of small free spinning wheels.