Three-Pound Combat Robot
Designed and built a three-pound combat robot with a vertical drum and a modular printed chassis, reducing chassis mass by 30%.
A build I could own from start to finish
I wanted a project where I handled everything myself: the CAD, component choices, fabrication, wiring, and troubleshooting. A three-pound combat robot made those choices matter because the weapon, drive, battery, and structure all had to fit the same small budget.
A chassis I could repair
I modeled the robot in Onshape and printed the chassis as nine bolted sections. That made the inside easier to assemble and let me replace a damaged panel without reprinting the entire body. I adjusted the geometry and print orientation for strength while cutting frame weight by 30% from the prototype.
Putting the hardware together
I fabricated the drum, soldered the electronics, programmed the motor controllers, and integrated the radio. An external charging port made the battery easier to manage between runs. I also adapted silicone bracelets into treads for traction.
I ended up with a machine I could take apart, troubleshoot, and put back together without starting over.
Result
The nine-piece chassis cut frame weight by 30%. The differential drive reached 5.17 ft/s, with control response below 100 ms.
A closer look
CAD, build photos, and technical details. Open any image for a closer look.
What I learned
Design for the repair you’ll eventually have to make. Reprinting one damaged panel is much better than rebuilding the whole body.
Project context
I built to competition-style weight and size constraints. I’m reporting the build and control results here, rather than claiming a match result.
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