Antweight external power switch

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ByteSlinger
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2018 1:22 am

Antweight external power switch

Post by ByteSlinger »

I'm currently building my first antweight bot and have decided to go for a flipper.
I've got my electronics working and have a design down on paper, modelling the frame up now.

The question I have is, what are people doing to address the externally accessible power switch that is required as per the rules?
As far as I can see, any sliding or rocking power switch, or battery connectors that are accessible on the outside of the robot are just asking to be powered down really easily with just a single flip of any weapon or even edge of another robot.

What solutions have people come up with to adhere to the rule whilst not allowing opponents to simply switch off their robot?
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Lincoln
Posts: 128
Joined: Sun Feb 29, 2004 12:00 am
Location: Olney, Milton keynes

Re: Antweight external power switch

Post by Lincoln »

hi, and welcome.

this rule is largely for safety of spinners, thus if you are making a flipper, simply using the battery connector that can be accessed with no tools will do.
if you make a spinner it becomes a different matter, where it has to quickly turned off without going near the weapon. this is kinda the unwritten more detailed version of the rule.

good places i find to put switches is on the underside and slightly recessed. but i only put in a switch if the battery connector is not easily accessed.
sometimes its tempting to just say that you can force open the flipper and turn it off. don't do this, the servos used in most flippers now are strong enough to do some damage to your hand if they snap closed on you (seriously it can be quite painful) and good luck forcing them open if its jammed shut.

hope this helps answer your question. why not make a build thread. and always feel free to ask more questions.
Team RobotMad, home of the Smart robots, and very mean pots :)
Chris and Lincoln Barnes
ByteSlinger
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2018 1:22 am

Post by ByteSlinger »

Hi Lincoln,

Thanks, I've been excited to get stuck into this for a long time.
Hmm, so you reckon just having a hole in the frame somewhere where the battery connector is accessible is the best way to go for a flipper?

I'll definitely setup a build log, thanks :)
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GeorgeR
Posts: 280
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2016 9:53 pm
Location: Bath, Somerset

Re: Antweight external power switch

Post by GeorgeR »

I would definitely recommend adding a switch, if only because unplugging the battery between every fight is a hassle. I've used mini slide switches mounted on the underside for all my bots, and haven't had one hit in over 50 fights so far.

Here's the ones I use
https://www.rapidonline.com/miniature-v ... itch-75724
Team Zero - AWS 58 Champion!
Zero - rambot - - Axiom - axebot - - Valkyrie - drum spinner
Blueprint - rambot - - Vampire - horizontal spinner - - Particle - ???
RBMK - quad spinner gyro walker - - Duality - dual spinner gyro walker
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Lincoln
Posts: 128
Joined: Sun Feb 29, 2004 12:00 am
Location: Olney, Milton keynes

Re: Antweight external power switch

Post by Lincoln »

hole in the frame is maybe not quite right as it would have to be a pretty big hole. first off ill say that i build using a 3D printer to make my robots and that i haven't built a spinner yet so don't know how spinners position their power links. so most of my robots have a missing side somewhere, usually on the bottom, like this, upside down view. which obviously gives accesses to put components in, and to turn it off.
SA9 draft upside down-min.png
SA9 draft upside down-min.png (53 KiB) Viewed 13673 times
(this is my in progress cad of SmartAnt 9, now only 10 degrees between flipper and ground horizontal)
the battery is the blue thing. but this is not finish and most parts are just floating in air at the moment. they will be attached to the yellow frame, producing a frame with access from though the flipper and the bottom, so if the flipper is closed or might try to crush your fingers you can use the access from the bottom to turn it off.

now to actually answer your question rather than say what i do.
if you are not using this method of construction, i would put a switch and have a small hole rather than the massive hole that would be required to get fingers in to remove a battery connector.
Team RobotMad, home of the Smart robots, and very mean pots :)
Chris and Lincoln Barnes
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