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Creating a Battle Bot

A Nature-Inspired War Machine with Animalistic Attack Mechanics

Introduction

I've always been into remote-controlled things—from RC cars to drones—and I still remember the first time I opened up one of my old RC cars just to see how it worked. That moment kickstarted my fascination with how machines move, respond, and are controlled.

Later, when I discovered BattleBots—those wild robot fighting competitions—I was instantly hooked. Watching huge custom-built robots flip, smash, and outsmart each other made me realize: I want to build something like this someday. The creativity, the mechanics, the chaos—it’s all super exciting to me.

So for my final project, I decided to start that journey by making my first battle bot. But instead of just making a simple wedge or spinner, I wanted to bring a twist—taking inspiration from nature. Just like animals have different attack styles—charging, flipping, striking, trapping—I want my bot to take that raw behavior and turn it into a mechanical weapon.

For example, a rhino’s horn, a scorpion’s stinger, or even a mantis's claws—these kinds of natural attack methods could be recreated using mechanical systems like actuators, servos, and gear-driven arms. This gives the bot personality, function, and a story.

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Project Concept

My idea is to create a low-profile, aggressive battle bot that’s inspired by the way animals use their bodies to attack. Just like a rhino charges forward and lifts its enemies with its horn, my bot will feature a front-facing lifting mechanism — kind of like a flipper horn — which can lift or flip an opponent using a linear actuator or motorized mechanism.

Along with that, it’ll have a blunt-force spinner or hammer blade — something strong and destructive for direct attacks. The bot will move using a differential drive system (2 independent wheels), allowing tight turns and responsive movement in the arena.

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Materials and Tools

Materials:

  • 5mm MDF for early prototyping

  • Aluminum or steel sheet (final chassis and armor)

  • High-torque DC gear motors (for movement)

  • Linear actuator or geared motor (for flipping mechanism)

  • Polycarbonate sheet (armor covering)

  • Batteries and power distribution board

  • ESP32/NodeMCU microcontroller

  • Motor drivers (L298N / Cytron)

  • Custom PCB (for clean wiring)

Tools:

  • CNC machine (for chassis cutting)

  • Laser cutter (for polycarbonate top panels)

  • Drill and hand tools (assembly)

  • Soldering iron and heat gun

  • Multimeter (for electronics testing)

  • Fusion 360 (3D CAD modeling)

  • Wokwi / Arduino IDE (code development)

Design and Planning

The overall shape of the bot will be a trapezium or wedge, designed to stay low to the ground for better pushing power. The front "horn" mechanism will be controlled with either a geared motor or linear actuator and will be mounted at an angle for maximum lift.

I’ve broken the project down into 4 major systems:

  1. Chassis and Weapon Structure – Robust, compact, metal frame with weapon mounts

  2. Mobility System – DC gear motors with wheels, driven via motor driver

  3. Weapon Mechanism – Rhino-style flipping mechanism and possibly a rotating hammer

  4. Electronics + Control – Wireless RC control with ESP-based board + custom code

The plan is to prototype everything in MDF first to test the layout, and then move to metal for the final version.

Fabrication Process

Phase 1 – Prototyping I’ll start by cutting the body using MDF, assembling the basic structure, and placing mockups of all components. I’ll test how the bot moves, turns, and balances.

Phase 2 – Mechanism Build Then I’ll design and mount the flipping horn mechanism. I want to explore both servo-based and geared-motor-based lifting mechanisms.

Phase 3 – Electronics + Wiring Once mechanical parts are set, I’ll wire up the ESP controller, drivers, and power system. Control signals will be sent wirelessly from a joystick/transmitter setup.

Phase 4 – Final Bot (Metal Version) Using aluminum sheets, I’ll fabricate the final chassis using CNC cutting and fit in all real components. This version will be competition-ready.

Testing and Evaluation

I'll test the bot in various scenarios:

  • Movement test – making sure the turning radius is tight and control is smooth

  • Weapon test – checking the timing and power of the flipper mechanism

  • Stability test – making sure the bot doesn’t flip itself while attacking

  • Arena test – putting the bot against obstacles and mock opponents

These tests will help fine-tune speed, weapon strength, and overall build quality.

Challenges and Solutions

Weight Distribution – The bot needs to stay stable while lifting others, so I’ll carefully place motors and batteries at the center for balance.

  • Power Supply – Running multiple motors and a wireless controller can drain the battery fast. I’ll use a LiPo pack and add a voltage regulator if needed.

  • Actuator Strength – Lifting an opponent is tough. If the actuator isn’t powerful enough, I might switch to a cam-lever design or faster gear ratio.

  • Code and Controls – I’ll build the code in stages — first getting the motors to run via joystick, then adding the weapon controls.

Check these out for further process and more details, and break down of project:

10. Output Devices

11. Networking and Communications

14. Interface and Application Programming

15. System Integration