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The Destructobot For The Man With Everything
bewert writes: "Heavy duty metal-ripping hardware is going up for auction on E-Bay next week. The "Son of Wyachi", winner of the Heavyweight Championship on Comedy Central's BattleBots, will be auctioned on E-Bay. The inventor, Terry Ewert, practiced on old washing machines while developing S-W's triple rotating metal meat grinder apparatus.
With a 12 hp. electic motor driving three hardened tool steel meat tenderizer points spinning at 71 mph, Son of Wyachi quickly renders most objects into smoking ruins. A must have for your next Halloween bash!" Auction aside, this is a scary robot. Do not use near kids, pets, or anything you like intact.
As a proud frenchman I insist that you rude Americans remove your silly "battlebots" from our ebay. This is clearly a weapon of malicious intent that represses innocent robots and gives robots around the world a bad name!
... but it weighs in a 315lbs and has an impact of 10,000 ft lbs... YIKES!
There is no longer anything that can be done with computers that is nontrivial and clearly legal. -- Paul Phillips
What does 71 mph mean? How about RPMs?
I send it to do battle with the evil Hilary Rosenbot of the RIAA! She doesn't stand a chance!
GAME ON.
They were right! You can find almost anything online, from bomb recipes to killer robots - There ought to be a law!
..Although I'm guessing this thing could come in handy with unwanted house-guests..
air and light and time and space
Of course, it is somewhat tough to take the anchors very seriously -- they've got this "God, put me anywhere else, even Fox Sports" look in their eyes the whole time.
It'd be really nice to see them expand the rules somewhat to allow more interesting weapons, however. I'm getting sick of seeing bots push or flip each other -- I want to see sparks and flying metal. Of course, they'd probably have to move that away from the audience, but I think it'd be worth it.
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
Anyway, the auction is here
According to the specs:
71 mph * 5280 ft/m = 374880 fph
374880 fph / 60 m/h = 6248 feet per minute
The diameter of the rotor assembly is 5 ft, and thus the circumference is 5 * pi = 15.708 ft
Therefore 6248 fpm / 15.708 ft = 397.759 RPM
Classified rotating weaponry. Hmmm That must be where those weeks of engineering (which by the way are counted in the total cost of manufacture) come into play.
These are radio controlled cars.
If the machines had to be totally autonomous, now that would be interesting.
I gots ta ding a ding dang my dang a long ling long
The inventor, Terry Ewert, practiced on old washing machines while developing S-W's triple rotating metal meat grinder apparatus.
Just because it was an Old washing machine, does 1) make it his to destory 2) mean that it doesn't funcation correctly.
Grrr, you know how hard it is to get a date when you clothes smell funky?
and while we are on the subject, what about the $250 for his half of the security deposit and where the hell is my dog?
He better sell that dam machine, he owns me a ton of cash that deadbeat roommate from hell.
Grrr
"`Ford, you're turning into a penguin. Stop it.'" -THHGTTG
Does the video game come out? I'm thinking a game along the lines of that old (Commadore?) game where you "built" monsters and faught other monsters.
On a whim I did a Google search for a more recent version (kinda like what these two great guys did with Xscorch). Someone seems to have liked it enough to make a GNU version, although there's not a lot there yet.
-B
Ash and Hickory, straight-grained and true, make excellent bludgeons, dandy for the cudgeling of vegetarians.
If the usual military-industrial suspects were developing robot prototypes and testing them against one another, they would cost the taxpayers $156 million per. But slip Comedy Central a couple of bucks to create a TV show, and folks will dig into their own pockets to build them! What a bunch of saps!
Enjoy the show folks!
"How perfectly Goddamn delightful it all is, to be sure" Charles Crumb
Anyone who saw the finals knows what I'm talking about here. The refs called a knockout against Biohazard while both bots were still moving. They decided to send it to the judges from there. This would have been fine, except at the time, one of the braces which keeps the pounding mechanisms at constant distances from one another had come off at one end, so the bot was just spinning beneath it's stationary weapons frame. The odds that Biohazard would have been able to overturn it seem fairly likely. I don't know about anyone else, but I would still like to see a rematch, though I realize this is now impossible.
BTW check out the other auctions, for those of us with out 25k
Does anyone actually have a Java program designed to control air traffic, or for the operation of a nuclear facility?
WEll the Hawker genesis batteries are quite popular here in the UK for robotwars (we use panasonics but thats becasue we get them free), they are rated at 17Ah and so could supply 300A for 3 minutes (possibly a little longer). Also the motor is unlikely to be drawing 300A continuously. I would imagine once the weapon is spun up, unless it is very unbalanced (not likely looking at the quality of machining on the thing) then the current requirements would be much less.
Alex
http://www.firestorm2.co.uk
p.s. Design is different from building, if you don't design your build goes wrong see our robot groundhog for an example of not what to do, and Firestorm for a robot we actually spent ime desiging.
Those earlier vehicles with just two opposite rotating wheels that could only spin (and not laterally move) really sucked. They just sat there and waited for the other guy to come over and commit suicide.
You don't think this is just the same idea?
Personally these types of bots should be in a separate class -- there's no real point to trying to battle something with an impenetrable defense shield whirring around it waiting to hit anything with 10kf/p of torque. I'd classify this bot as purely defense. It can run around and defend. There's no real offensive tactic involved (spin up the rotor and attack? Please...)
I agree with some of the other posters -- the UK television show where the robots had to have good offense, defense and manouvre abilities was best. This show is simply "make it last and try to hurt the other guy" -- bo-ring.
Of course, you couldn't use it if you had pets or kids, but just imagine... give the thing infrared sensors to find heat sources, radar to keep it from running into cold objects, all the necessary AI to control movement, and an RF on/off switch similar to the keyring unlock switches that come with most new cars now, and you've got the home security system from hell.
;-)
Just imagine the look on your unfriendly neighborhood criminal's face when he breaks into your house or apartment, only to be pursued by a vicious-as-hell robot. The only problem you'd ever have would be explaining to the cops what had happened to the perp after you got home and found the mauled body on your carpet (perhaps the AI would be able to figure out when it "scored" and back off so as to avoid killing the guy?). Actually, cleaning the blood out of the carpet and off the walls would be a bit of a pain, too.
Now if I could just figure out a way to keep it from attacking my Athlon, I'd be set.
That robot had an average KO time of about a minute and a half. It destroyed the other robot in 90 seconds. I watched the semi-finals and the finals of the Heavyweight division and SoW dominated. There were some other robots that had efective spinning disc weapons too. The days of the flip and push battlebots are numbered. It's obvious that the judges and fans like to see physical damage and sparks. More importantly, how do you take out a bot like SoW? You can't get in close enough to push or flip it. Can't add thick heavy armor, because that would effect the weight class you are in. Only thing left is to take it out with a stronger, better weapon. SoW is just the beginning.
Yikes. That sure is a $25,000 auction. Massivly over-priced if you ask me... What are the uses for such a machine? 'Bout all I can think of is silly destructive weekend adventures (can be done for cheaper), and competing in BattleBots. However, with this handy clause from the Auction Page:
This offer does not include rights to the name, ranking or image of the bot, therefore it cannot be entered into any future BattleBots competitions.
That kinda takes the competition thing away. But that begs the question, why are the auctioning it, and not competing it next season? I'm taking a guess here, but here's a quote from their FAQ:
5) Why build a walking bot?
The rules for Treasure Island allowed walking bots to be 50% heavier than the wheeled bots in each weight class. If you can design and build a walking bot that is maneuverable and somewhat fast, without adding much weight for the walking assemblies, you end up with extra weight for motors, batteries, and weapons.
...
7) Now that BattleBots changed the walking rules for the next competition what's next?
We were in favor of changing the rules so that there is no weight advantage for a walking bot. The cost of building a competitive walking bot is very high. We have a new design that uses wheels which will be much more destructive.
So, there you are...recouping costs on a robot they can't compete with next time anyway. I'm a bit disillusioned with Whyachi now...it's walker really didn't work all that well, but it gave 'em an extra 50% of weight. I wonder what the bonus is for a bot that doesn't move at all...(a valid strategy for a spinner like Whyachi)
Robot is originally from the Czech word 'robota' meaning compulsory labor, ie slave. So in this sense they are robots - in this case they are modern gladiators, and gladiators if I remember rightly were slaves for the most part.
The online Merriam-Webster is a good place to check your word definitions.
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
I agree that certain types of Bots will usually beat other types;
Yes, but that's not my complaint. My complaint is that if you build a bot capable of EMP it will always win, barring its own mechanical/electrical failure. You're no longer battling in the sense of "true" battle -- it's an unfair advantage. In fact, I believe that EMP armed bots are already disallowed.
(I also feel that the wedge-only bots are really lame. No offensive capability by anyones definition, no fight, no fun....)
I agree. This is the basis for my disapproval for the super-offensive bots: You pit bots of close calibre together for a real fight. It's no fun watching some $8000 superBattleBot go against a $400 robot built by a parent for his kids so they can get on the show.
but how could you realistically define multiple types of competition in the same weight class? Anyone could enter and win by default if they were the only stomp-bot with six alternating hammers, gas drive, CO2 flipping-arm-equipped, kevlar _AND_ lexan _AND_ titanium shielded wedge with battery backup.
My point exactly. And this is exactly what this battlebot is: A super-engineered robot killer. It should only be pitted against other super-engineered robot killers!
They aready have weight classes; why not damage classes within the weight classes, and then the winners from the various damage classes battle each other regardless of weight? I think that would be far more fair and (at least to me) far more entertaining. Yes it'd be more difficult to classify but then again that is why you have your weight classes and experience levels win martial arts (at least I believe this is so) -- the lighter, more experienced guy is still capable of trashing the heavy, inexperienced martial artist.
Lend me this baby and two minutes at the local BMW dealer and I'll personally increase the viewing audience of BattleBots by an order of magnitude. Guaranteed.
I doubt they'll even get one bid. Since the robot cannot be entered into the competition $25,000 dollars is a little much. If the Battle Bots is just a fad, their would be little collectable value. Since it cannot be entered into another competition, it's just a really expensive paperweight. There isn't much reverse engineering that needs to be done on it, just what you see on TV. I didn't think their could be clauses to a sale on Ebay though, you might be able to enter it under a different name and win the right to enter it in court.
There's loads of things that could withstand the abuse of a 10kf/p impact at least once. Biohazard lost because it wasn't built heavily enough and it sheared off the armor skirts at the hinge points.
:-)
The impact stops the hammer wheel long enough to buy you purchase to attack the inner part of the bot with a vengeance. There's some design ideas my friend and I ran through while discussing the final match in detail this weekend. Right now, we're in the design/shopping for a sponsor stage (There's no way we could afford the gear we'd need for this beast we came up with...
I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
Just what do those guys have against classw, anyway? "THere will be other losers today, but you're the biggest loser of all?" And then gratuitiously attacking the disabled bots??? Who needs another show for this; you can already watch Raiders games . . .
Overall, I was disgusted. We'll stick to the other two . . .
hawk
Something like that has to be tethered- otherwise it's against the rules.
Now lamelar armor plates that would shear off under SOW's assault but not under anything else, on the other hand...
I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
[Flash back to 5 years ago in the NFL, when the Cowboys fans whined that the 49ers ad tooled the team just to beat Dallas. Well, *duh*. They could thrash the other 28 teams in the league; of course they targeted to remaining team . .
There's a rule about deliberately entangling with a projectile weapon. I'm not sure that that would apply to attacking the hammer system, but the solution is sytraightforward: a secondary weapon, perhaps a small spike, that has the side effect of fouling the hammers as it attacks.
This bot worked because there was no effective defense in the existing pool, and nothing that could effectively foil its weapon. But *knowing* that that weapon is out there, it doesn't look to hard to beat. Could it have taken any damage once you took out the hammers?
hawk
> appreciating it, though. That's what slows me down.
If this is indoors, on the cat's home ground, I think I'[d put my money on the cat. There's only so many times you're going to come home and clean up what the catled it to.
*never* underestimate a threatened cat . . .
hawk
"Revenge of the Lilliputians"!
hawk
it weighs in a 315lbs
That's pretty impressive for one 12HP peak motor, let alone two with batteries and the rest of the robot. I was a skeptic when I read "12HP" in the article, but then I read the motor's current ratings: 300A at 48V. 14.4kW. Since 1hp=746W, and given that the motor isn't going to be more than about 75% efficient, that sounds about right. Urk.
Surfing a couple of links, I've discovered that the motors are Briggs and Stratton Eteks. Very nice; I didn't know B&S were building electric motors at all. Apparently, they're a new generation of high-tech electric motor for golf carts.
The only golf cart motor I've ever played with was a fairly inefficient series-wound universal motor. It ran off 24 volts (very comfortably off two series-wired car batteries) and it certainly wasn't something that you'd want to mount tool steel hammer to. It would be quite terrifying.
Note also that a loaded series motor would tend to be pretty self-regulating in speed - there will come a point where the reactance of the windings will limit the current (and therefore power) as the commutator frequency increases.
Modern motors are electronically controlled, and depending on control, can be more efficient at a far broader range of speeds.
If these Eteks are anything like what Briggs and Stratton claims (and I love Briggs and Stratton, they make terrific gas motors, so I'd be inclined to believe them), this bot must be insanely terrifying.
Does anyone have any links to photos of this thing doing its destruction?
Fire and Meat. Yummy.
Now if you think AI design is easy, why don't you go program one?
Heh. I think for something with a high-tech golf cart motor spinning sharpened tool steel anvils, it would be very easy; here's a simple flowchart which could be implemented in the language of your choice:
Just make sure you don't accidentally turn it on when you've got it in the workshop. Or, worse still, when you're enjoying your new-found celebrity by showing it off in a booth at the local shopping mall. Granny probably couldn't out-run it, even with her walker. (Can't you just imagine the CNN coverage for that kind of shopping mall carnage?)
Fire and Meat. Yummy.
Just because it was an Old washing machine, does 1) make it his to destory 2) mean that it doesn't funcation correctly
I know the Slashdot article mentions the washing machine carnage, but I have yet to find any references to it on the bot's website.
I wanna see pictures! I wanna see pictures!
Fire and Meat. Yummy.
A hammer might work, if you could position it so that the hammer's end hit the spinning supports close to the base (where they're not moving as fast) without having the outer parts of the spinner hitting the hammer's shaft. Alternately, you could just send in another spinbot, with hard and sharp blades on the end, trying to rip apart SOW from the outside in...
Well, you know what they say. What do you give the man who has everything? A Son Of Wyachi to smash it all into tiny pieces.
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When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is no longer our friend.