Best products from r/battlebots
We found 34 comments on r/battlebots discussing the most recommended products. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 38 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.
1. GoolRC Flysky FS-i6 AFHDS 2A 2.4GHz 6CH Radio System Transmitter for RC Helicopter Glider with FS-iA6 Receiver Mode 2
- Reliable, interference free 2.4GHz AFHDS2A signal operation.
- Use only 4*AA batteries for transmitter.
- Digital receiver system.
- Simple binding procedure.
- Quick and extremely stable in performance.
Features:
2. Electric Styles Light Up Astrohoodie (Small, Gold)
- Out of this world Astrohoodie!
- Lined with EL Wire
- Made of shiny, illuminating astrofabric
- Takes two AA batteries- (batteries not included)
Features:
3. GreatJoy Cool Fun Light Up LED Shoes Sneaker 7 Colors USB Charging (43 / 11B Women / 10.5D Men, Gold)
- Out of this world Astrohoodie!
- Lined with EL Wire
- Made of shiny, illuminating astrofabric
- Takes two AA batteries- (batteries not included)
Features:
5. Kickin' Bot: An Illustrated Guide to Building Combat Robots (ExtremeTech)
- Used Book in Good Condition
Features:
6. Polymaker PolyMax PLA 3D Printer Filament, fits Most FDM Printer, 3D Printing Filament. PolyMax PLA (1.75, 750g) True White
Extremely Tough: Featuring increased impact strength of up to 9 times that of regular PLA and 20% better than ABS, PolyMax PLA is a sure winner when it comes to toughness.Warp-Free: With PolyMax PLA you can print any part any size without the worry of warping. No heated bed or enclosed printing cham...
7. ThinkGeek Star Trek Enterprise Pizza Cutter - Laser-Etched Stainless-Steel Blade with Solid Zinc-Alloy Chromium-Plated Body
- Star Trek Pizza Cutter - This Pizza Cutter is in the shape of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 from Star Trek: The Original Series.
- Cut Pizza Boldly - The Star Trek Pizza Cutter has its mission to explore strange new pizzas, seek out new toppings and cheeses, and boldly cut pizza where no man has cut before.
- Stainless Steel - The pizza cutter is a laser-etched stainless-steel blade with a zinc-alloy chromium-plated body. Not dishwasher safe, hand wash only.
- Dimensions - Blade diameter: 4". Total length including blade: 8.5". Weight: 10 oz.
- Officially-licensed Star Trek Collectible - This is officially-licensed Star Trek collectible, and a ThinkGeek creation and exclusive.
Features:
8. InstaMorph - Moldable Plastic - 6 oz
- LIGHTWEIGHT & STRONG: InstaMorph is a lightweight polyester thermoplastic which acts like clay when warm, but when it cools, it’s a strong plastic. Mold it with your hands, tools, or press around an object to make a mold. It can be painted, machined, carved or attached to other materials.
- REUSABLE PLASTIC: About 1 ounce of InstaMorph will form a one-inch cube of moldable plastic. It can be remolded again and again simply by reheating it. Make a mistake? Just reheat it!
- GET CREATIVE: InstaMorph is ideal for makers, hobbyists, artists, fixers, cosplayers, tinkers, or anyone else that needs a custom part made out of plastic. You can create everything from masks, costume pieces, brackets, molds, toys, handles, grips or replacement parts.
- EASY TO USE: Simply heat InstaMorph thermoplastic in hot water (150°F), in the oven, or using a heat gun and mold it with your hands, tools, or shape it around an object to create a plastic mold within minutes. Once the beads are clear, let the fun begin.
- INSTAMORPH PIGMENT PACK: You can dye classic InstaMorph into any color you desire by by purchasing our color pack. They come in blue, red, yellow, and black.
Features:
9. DEMOTOR PERFORMANCE 2 Inch 2" Stroke Linear Actuator 12 Volt 12V 225 Pounds lbs Maximum Lift,Black
- Material: Made of high quality aluminum alloy, sturdy and durable.
- Specification: Stroke Length = 50mm(2"); Retracted length: 6.13"(155mm); Extended length: 8.13"(205mm); Travel speed = 10 mm/s; Maximum current draw = 4.6 Amps; Maximum Dynamic Load = 225 lbs (900N)
- Low noise: silent and stable, make sound lower than 50db, suitable for many situations.
- Waterproof: IP55 Rated protection sealed against dust, water, and corrosion suitable for outdoors use.
- Wide application: Commonly Used in Automotive, home furniture, medical devices, industrial construction and agricultural machineries.
Features:
10. Robot Builder's Bonanza, 4th Edition
- 4pcs TT Motor Robot Gear Motor, Size(Approx): 7 x 2.2 x 1.9cm/2.76" x 0.87" x 0.75"
- Maximum torque: 800gf cm min (3V) ; No-load speed: 1:48 (3V time)
- Operating voltage: 3V~12VDC (recommended operating voltage of about 6 to 8V)
- With EMC, strong magnetic, it has an anti-interference ability.
- Use for electric toy products such as RC car DIY, scientific research electronic products, robot electric human body, bubble gun toy gun body, four-wheel drive toy car, aircraft toy, vibration product, etc.
Features:
11. Suntop PLA Filament 3D Printer Filament Carbon Fiber Filament 1.75mm 20% Carbon Fiber Dimensional Accuracy +/- 0.03 mm 1kg 2.2lbs Black Spool
【PLA Filament】 PLA has advantage of no air bubble、no wraping etc. Ensure no clogging、every print with high qulity finish. Fit for complex structure 3D work with high toughness requirement and make sure no brittle during 3D printing jobs.【High Accuracy 】30-40 times laser scan per second...
12. 485 RPM 6-18V Econ Gearmotor
4mm D-shaftWe offer several 4mm bore gears that work with this motor.Gear train damage can occur if stalled (locked)The Digital Manual Speed Controller provides proportional forward and reverse control of your gearmotor.Use our quick connect power input board with this motor
14. UHMW (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) Sheet, Opaque White, Standard Tolerance, ASTM D4020
UHMW is an impact-, chemical-, and moisture-resistant plastic with a low-friction surface, better abrasion resistance than PTFE, and more rigidity than other polyethylenesColor is opaque whiteMeets ASTM D4020 specificationsStandard tolerance
15. Goolsky JX PDI-HV5932MG-180 32KG 180° Angle Metal Gear HV Digital Coreless Servo for RC Car Helicopter Airplane
16. BattleBots Season 3
- Socket Set Only
- 96" Socket set with H-Track Connection
- Uses an A19 or G30 lamp
- White Finish
Features:
17. Canon VIXIA HF R800 Portable Video Camera Camcorder with Audio Input(Microphone),3.0-Inch Touch Panel LCD, Digic DV 4 Image Processor, 57x Advanced Zoom, and Full HD CMOS Sensor, Black
- A 3.0-inch capacitive touch panel LCD screen that is bright and clearly visible, even outdoors in the sun, with rich, natural color reproduction
- SuperRange Optical Image Stabilizer helps correct camera shake quickly, so even handheld video taken at long focal lengths can be sharp and steady
- The 57x advanced zoom allows you to create videos with dynamic variety, and is less likely to disrupt the action you're shooting
- High-resolution HD CMOS Image Sensor features extra sensitivity that delivers beautifully lifelike Full HD video with natural color, even in low light
- Turn your VIXIA camcorder into a high-quality webcam using its clean HDMI output
Features:
18. Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports
- Used Book in Good Condition
Features:
19. 4Pcs SG90 9g Micro Servos for RC Robot Helicopter Airplane Controls Car Boat
High quality and high cost performance.Operating speed: 0.1second/ 60degree ( 4.8V no load)Operating voltage: 4.8-6VSmall size and light weight.Application: Used for fixed-wing, helicopter, KT, glider, small robot, robotic arm and other models.
We got second in the 6 lbs class at Bot Blast and had a ton of fun!
 
Videos of the fights:
Finals vs Plan F: https://youtu.be/xridxprporI
Semifinals vs Marauder: https://youtu.be/AUJgsL_dAjY
Third Round vs Plan F: https://youtu.be/2GYZhm7ABO4
Second Round vs Dynamo: https://youtu.be/odUNREOE6wo
First Round vs 6 lbs Rock: https://youtu.be/wIxcVdQMbhA
 
We learned a few good things too. First off the motors we used were meh for this class. Can push a beetle but not a mantis without teaming up. Perhaps we could overvolt them a tad... but I'm afraid they would blow up. Secondly we really need to glue the tires on, ha! I was super happy with our chassis, which we printed out of PLA (!) and was able to survive (mostly) a direct hit on the base from Plan F (!!!). Cuttingboard/UHMW wedges worked out awesomely. Scorpion Mini ESCs are pretty great too. Overall we are super happy with the results! We ordered the parts a couple weeks ago, designed the first rev of the chassis on Wednesday, bolted it together Thursday and redesigned it for rev 2 which we printed and assembled on Friday. If anyone is wondering, I used 1mm nozzles, 0.5mm layers, 2 layer top/bottom/perimeters, and 15% fast-honeycomb infill. Print time was about 7 hours on a gMax 1.5xt+ printer.
 
Overall cost for everything, minus transmitters & spares, was $152 per bot:
-ESC $45: https://www.botkits.com/collections/all-products/products/scorpion-mini-electronic-speed-control-esc
-Motors $28 total (400RPM): http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-2RPM-1000RPM-Powerful-High-Torque-Electric-Gear-Box-Motor-Speed-Reduction/351900958125
-Hubs $16: http://www.ebay.com/itm/12mm-Hex-Wheel-Adapter-for-6mm-Shaft-2-Pack/192198095398
-Wheels $11 (one pack per two bots): http://www.ebay.com/itm/US-4Pcs-RC-1-10-Short-Course-Truck-Tires-Wheel-12mm-Hex-For-TRAXXAS-SlASH-Car-/391591375091
-Battery $11: https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-nano-tech-1000mah-3s-45-90c-lipo-pack.html
-Cutting Board $15 (local store)
-Bolts $5 (home depot)
-Polycarbonate top (scrap)
-Speaker Wire (scrap)
-3D printing material $20 (one spool makes two bots): https://www.amazon.com/Polymaker-Polylactic-PolyMax-Spool-Diameter/dp/B00YXBNDHY/
 
If there is interest I can post the STL files for the chassis & motor mounts. Could be made even cheaper if you use a cheaper esc (found some on ebay but didn't know if they had BECs?) or cheaper hubs or cutting boards (these were from Sweden! ha, I liked the color...).
It was a joke. Chomp bounces around a lot like objects in a lava lamp, but at a faster pace. (I like Chomp's bouncing, by the way.)
I wonder what other bots would make a for a good lamp or other household objects? Warhead? A Tombstone model could make for a nice air fan. I want a Nightmare pizza cutter. Other TV objects have them.
Captain Shrederator mounted on the ceiling would make a nice lamp. A Smeeeeee toothbrush.
Have you ever played around with this? https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004MFLU4Y/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495313333&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=instamorph+moldable+plastic&psc=1
It's a plastic that turns clear, sticks to itself and gets a texture similar to silly putty when you put it in 55 degree Celsius water. Once it cools, the plastic hardens and is actually pretty durable. I made a cone shape like a party hat and smashed it with a hammer a few times and it flexed but sprung back into shape immediately. The plastic is remoldable if you just heat it back up. You could mold it into any shape or thickness you want, and it is actually pretty strong.
I don't see a weapon motor on your list. Do you already have one? Also, what's the servo for? If you're adding more to the kit, make sure you have the weight for it.
Now the Scorpion is overkill for an ant's drive system. I'd use 2 Vex29's instead for half the price. https://www.vexrobotics.com/276-2193.html The Vex's don't have a BEC, so you'll need one. My BEC of choice http://www.robotmarketplace.com/products/0-dys30053.html.
I'd use the money saved on the Vex's to get a FS-i6 transmitter/receiver https://www.amazon.com/GoolRC-Flysky-Transmitter-Helicopter-Receiver/dp/B013OHJ8JE/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=fs-i6&qid=1562437419&s=gateway&sr=8-8
It's a few bucks more. But all of mixing settings can be done on the screen, saving you the hassle of plugging it into a computer whenever you want to change something. The fs-i6 also allows you to store multiple profiles/receivers. So you can use the same transmitter for multiple robots.
​
I'd assume you'd plug the servo directly into your receiver. In that case you'd need a dedicated BEC anyway because the Scorpion was designed to only power a receiver with its small current supply of .01 amps. Not enough to power a servo. The BEC has a current supply of 3 amps though which is plenty.
Let me know if you have any questions on any of this. I'd be happy to elaborate more. :)
If I was going to make a beetle crusher, I'd probably get something like this and strip as much weight from it as possible. I'm not sure it would be competitive- if you settled for just grappling and put the extra weight towards better drive it'd probably do better. But that's what I think it would take to get through the top armor of most beetles.
For elementary kids, I would highly recommend them checking out FIRST robotics. They have a lot of different age levels for robotic interest. Or if you don’t want to go through an organized group, check out LEGO Mindstorms for building robotics.
Finally, check this book out if you just want a general introduction to building robotics (see if a library has it first before buying it) Robot Builder’s Bonanza
Edit: If you have more questions on FIRST I’d be happy to answer them but this should be a good starting point
I saw where it was made with taulman 910. Do you know if it needs an enclosure to print? My biggest issue with printing some of the more exotic materials is that my printer is not enclosed and I do not have time to build an entire enclosure before the match.
The bot is going to be a super simple wedge, do you think this would make it "more okay" to use PLA as the main chassis?
EDIT: Do you have any thoughts on those "carbon fiber PLA" spools like this
Here you goI'd still recommend ordering from the main site, they may have important information that's not detailed or is better formatted on their own site.
Hold on to the Nextrox motors, they could still be useful for lifting.
I still recommend the riobotz book. It gets to the point, has great information, and answers 99% of the questions most people ask, but don't take the time to actually research. If you read the book cover to cover, you'd have very few questions left. Plus, it's free to download, or you can buy a physical copy (like I did) from Amazon.
Amazon is actually pretty good for this kind of stuff: https://www.amazon.com/Molecular-Polyethylene-Standard-Tolerance-Thickness/dp/B00CPRDLAW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1475004240&sr=8-1&keywords=uhmw
I haven't heard very good things about the Turnigy servos holding up to higher voltages. The best lower end servos are the "red case" ones you can find on ebay, amazon, or banggood under a half dozen different brand names. They generally hold up well to 11.1V. Something like this one. They red case servos are basically knock-off Savox brand servos - virtually the same components inside for about 40% of the cost.
Charles, thanks for mentioning that it's on Amazon Video! I had lost all hope of watching it legally this season and I hadn't seen this option mentioned anywhere else on this sub. I'll gladly pay $20 for a season - that's only a dollar an episode!
Sorry for the late response! I couldn't find this chat for some time and then I forgot. Here is what I wore for the 2018 season:
Jacket (gold) - https://www.amazon.com/Light-Up-Astrohoodie-Medium-Silver/dp/B00RC72EA8?ref_=w_bl_sl_ap_ap_web_8073005011&th=1
Shoes - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LX2VV2K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Glasses - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078GLGWHD/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Enjoy!
Sure thing! After watching other bot fights online my two main goals were:
1: Shut up. People don't want to hear my commentary on the fights.
2: Don't over-use the zoom and try to track the bots. Earlier in the tournament I found myself zooming too much and not catching a nice flip or someone got launched too quickly out of frame.
The camera I used was this one from Canon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N7OAH3I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And while I was happy with the video quality I am honestly pretty disappointed with the audio. If you look at the bundle shot at the bottom you can see that one of the microphones is directly in front of the zoom control, and when you hold the camera your finger naturally covers it. That is why I am finding many of my videos sounded muted or like the sound passed through a wall first. I would try to catch myself when filming but must of the time I didn't remember until after the match started. Overall I'd give the camera 3.5-to-4/5 stars.
Watch for free here
OR
Buy the season pass here
Some reading for any nerds who are interested
https://www.amazon.com/Gearheads-Turbulent-Rise-Robotic-Sports/dp/0743229517
Looks like it's $3 per episode, or $20 for the season.
Link
Well, you could get a Viper kit once they're back in stock and stick one of these in it.
EDIT: Changed the second link to something that's still in production.
Amazon, US-only.
Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports by Brad Stone
https://www.amazon.com/Gearheads-Turbulent-Rise-Robotic-Sports/dp/0743229517
cough... https://www.amazon.com/Gearheads-Turbulent-Rise-Robotic-Sports/dp/0743229517
Whole of Season 3 for $30
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D1MWXXR
why not just???