Hmm, possibly a bit behind the curve for this post but… We’ve been accepted into PiWars 2022 at Home! Wahoo, here we go again! :0)
And here’s the robot we plan to build for the competition:
For context, the theme of this year’s competition is “Old McDoofus had a farm” (Doofus is the name of the little red robot logo for the competition).
We call our new robot, “PiDrojon Deer” (or “PJD”) and you can find out more here.
Here’s a synopsis of the conversation that took place at PiDrogen HQ that lead to the design…
Dad: “Let’s enter PiWars, entries are open! We could use last year’s robot to keep things simple.”
Eldest son: “Well, we could… But… A tracked robot would be way better than last year’s robot. And last year’s robot isn’t cool enough. We need a new robot. It should have tracks and look cool. Cooler than last year’s anyway. Tracks would be better over obstacles, wouldn’t they?…”
So, this year, eldest son will have it his way. Our new design has tracks, is hopefully cool enough for his nibs, and is bang on theme!
To be honest, I think this design is risky. To do well this year we are going to need a robot that can whizz about the arena autonomously and accurately. I have the feeling that a tracked machine will neither whizz, nor be accurate with its movements. Furthermore, a tracked machine will not offer a smooth ride; I’m expecting a blurred video feed. So, the pressure will be on to upgrade the control system! (But in case that doesn’t work, this design has a trick up its sleeve. But that’ll be the subject of another post).
Take a look at PJD’s page if you want to find out more.
Team PiDrogen 