Hi All! I’m Joe, some of you might’ve bumped into me at antweight events this year: BBB March, June, and September, plus a quick visit to GROCs in August.
I currently run ROTATO, a little vertical spinner that’s been a labour of love and utter distain over the past year. It’s now on MK4 and (fingers crossed) improved. And because one robot clearly isn’t enough, there’s now a second one in the works: SPUNION. Bonus points if you can guess what that one does…
This build log is to ramble about ROTATO’s journey so far and share what’s coming next, both for the bots and for me as a builder. (I’m hoping it will help them to fight better… maybe)
Cast your mind back, November last year, a few friends and I decided to take the plunge into the completely addictive world of antweight combat robots… and well, there was no question “I’ll make a vertical spinner!” (I like breaking things) and to make life that much simpler, I figured, “Hey, to save weight, I’ll make it a cantilever design! One support will be fine…” Thanks, past me… thanks.
Early doors into the project and the first prototype was forged. PROTO-TATO! Hune out of the finest of brittle plastics money can buy* and deemed good after been thrown on the ground a few times and driven around a table. This was it, the ultimate combat robot material. PROTO-TATO featured a sacrificial front ram and a modular design that used far too many bolts and parts. The intention, to be able to hot swap any one part out if it was broken.
*All jokes aside. It was Resione K+ ABS like resin. Amazing to print with and beautifully accurate but does NOT like high-speed impact (I learnt this a bit too late). I still use it for prototypes and some small internal parts that need to be tough and precise but won’t (if lucky) be smacked with 30 grams of high velocity steel.
The PROTO-TATO although looked smart had some flaws. The body can flex and twist, it didn’t have really enough weight for a metal weapon, and the weapon hits the chassis when cornering as the (stupid) cantilever design can’t support the gyro. A drastic redesign was in order… its only January (plenty of time till BBB March). Swap the top and bottom plates with 1.5mm Carbon fibre for strength and to save some weight in the process (and completely blunt an m2 tap… didn’t want it anyway). Remove the ram and swap to TPU forks, thicken up the motor mount and the big one! swap the plastic weapon for something shiny. 7075 aluminium. Lightweight, cheap(ish), strong (around low-grade titanium) and doesn’t shatter the first time you test it, driving around your mate’s kitchen floor and a light breeze wafts in.
22nd March 2025. MK1 ROTATO! Is ready. The time stamp on my phone suggests this was taken at 10:30 in the morning, so well over 24 hours out from the event (this becomes a running theme). The weapon still bends over under turning and it won’t get a name till 20:30 that evening… but we are ready for the first antweight event.