Tesla's Tornado is a "fighting" robot intended for competition in the BattleBots, Inc. sanctioned events where two such robots from the same weight class compete for 3 minutes inside a 48 foot square arena that includes additional hazards. To learn more about this emerging sport, where one can be aggressive and yet nobody gets hurt, checkout the BattleBots website. Also, the supplier of my solid modeling software Ashlar-Vellum has a case study written up about Tesla's Tornado.
To learn more about the inventor and scientist that is Tesla's Tornado's namesake, visit the extensive PBS site detailing the life of Nikola Tesla: "TESLA, Master Of Lightning". But don't get the wrong idea from this title. Especially relevant to BattleBots, Tesla invented and patented the first radio remote control(!) in patent No. 613,809 (1898) "Method of and Apparatus for Controlling Mechanism of Moving Vessels or Vehicles." For a quick bio you can check this page directly on "Who Was Nikola Tesla?".
2/1/2003
Final Preparations for Steel Conflict
Well, less than a week before check-in at Steel
Conflict. The Laser Remote
is complete and all I am working on now are some timing tweaks in Tesla's
internal control logic. This is necessary, in part, due to the sharper and
shorter
pulses of illumination received from the very tight beam of
the laser. A few new pictures are in the
Rev. 3 preparation photos.
Also, I took some photos while spending half a day helping Steel Conflict add their new steel barrier to the arena. Having just received Apple's new iMovie 3 software and without a video project to use to learn about its new features, I thought I'd throw together some photos and clips from the arena building for the hell of it. Here is the result in a fair quality version in the usual QuickTime format, and a slightly better quality version in MPEG-4. Both are only 320x240 resolution but manageable from a download standpoint (the full DV version is over 200MB).
1/11/2003
Further Preparations for Steel Conflict
Free time is very tight but I've begun to build my new "Laser Illuminator" remote
control. However, my design has been scaled back to an all-in-one unit since
I could not afford the additional complexity of a two-piece arrangement. Here
are a few pictures of
the laser remote as part of the Rev. 3 preparation photos.
12/16/2002
Preparations for Steel Conflict
While waiting for BattleBots to reorganize, I've decided to stretch Tesla's
legs in a robotic competition a little closer to home. Steel Conflict (<http://www.steelconflict.com/>)
is a robot fighting venue similar in format to BattleBots but much smaller
in
scale, and easier to attend given that it consists of just two days up in Pomona,
CA, on Feb. 8 & 9, 2003. Please consider supporting this event (and
BattleBots when they next compete) by being a spectator on one or both
days.
I am hoping to have my Laser Illuminator finished for this competition. This revision of the remote control transmitter is to (hopefully) further reduce stray reflections within the arena by concentrating the infrared beam to Tesla's profile. For a CAD rendering of the head mounting bracket click here.
10/31/2002
Wolfram Research "Mathematica and BattleBots" Article
Wolfram has a write-up on my application of Mathematica to the design
of Tesla (<http://www.wolfram.com/news/battlebots.html>).
Well written from the standpoint of positive press for BattleBots, and I got
a T-shirt out of it, too.
9/18/2002
BattleBots On Hold
It appears that Comedy Central did not pick-up the option for taping the November,
2002 season of BattleBots (Season 6.0). Therefore, my return to the arena will
have to wait until they (BattleBots, Inc.) regroup and establish another venue.
In the mean time I have been designing a new "transmitter" for Tesla.
The original was an array of 250 infrared LEDs that provided a 60 degree beam
that, while being strong enough to stand-up to the television lights in the arena,
also provided too much spill and stray reflections. (My attempts at concentrating
the beam with straws or lenses have been noble, but less than helpful. And did
I mention they were noble?) The new transmitter will be a modulated infrared
laser that allows for concentration of the beam to just the bot, with little
wasted or stray radiation. Stay tuned...
7/2/2002
Mechanical Engineering Magazine Article
The July, 2002 issue of Mechanical Engineering Magazine (Vol.124, No.7), a
monthly publication of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME),
has published
a one page article on Tesla's Tornado (see the column "Input/Output"
on page 64). They post past issues on their web site (<http://WWW.MEMagazine.Org/>),
and the article is available there (click
here).
6/12/2002
Tesla's Tornado Theory Of Operation
After several people asked about the principle by which Tesla moves, I decided
to attempt a simple "Theory
Of Operation" animation. While I could have expanded it, the work is
rather time consuming and I just can't justify a more detailed presentation.
It is rather large at 21 megabytes, so you're going to want to use a fast connection—and
even then, the server's connection is not extremely fast so be patient. I hope
it aids in your understanding of this aspect of Tesla. (The movie requires QuickTime
on your computer.)
5/31/2002
Tesla's (v2.0) First Arena Tests
I've added two low resolution (and only 15 frames/second) movies of one of the
first tests of Tesla in the mini-battlebox arena that BattleBots, Inc. added
to this May's facilities. (The clips require QuickTime
on your computer.) Previously, I had never been able to test my bot under "real
conditions"—streets and parking lots are much too rough, and they don't
have reflective walls that effect how the infrared beam functions. The only real
conditions had been the 3 two minute bouts I competed in last November, so this
test arena is especially helpful for my bot design.
Because these movies are only 15 frames/second you will see Tesla seemingly standing still and even reversing itself (as well as "jumping" a quarter revolution at times). This is an artifact of the sampling nature of the camera, similar to what you might have seen with wagon wheels in your favorite western, appearing to stop and even reverse. (I have some footage taken with a full 30 frames/second video camera and will prepare it when I have time.)
During this first movie clip a few commands to move were issued, and with the transmitter aimed properly the motion was very deterministic. Within the test arena the right half's floor is very rough, having been dented by a new heavyweight bot's hammer. When I move Tesla into that area things get erratic and the rotational speed slows, but I am still able to maneuver back to the left side.
This second movie clip shows Tesla cruising around 500 RPM (viewed from behind the arena so the picture is not as clear). But towards the end of the clip you will see Tesla really getting into a groove. Around 23 seconds (from the beginning of the clip, not total bot running time) Tesla settles down and the speed reaches around 870 RPM. This is close to the predicted maximum (see graph) and I am thrilled it is living up to its design. What happens when striking something at these speeds is another thing. Be sure to turn up the sound when viewing this clip and you can hear how smooth things get at the maximum speed.
The Tesla's Tornado Mailinglist
If you have an on-going interest in events related to Tesla, subscribe to my
mailinglist. It is a "broadcast only" list in that only announcements
by me are posted—no general discussions so the traffic should be quite low.
To subscribe simply send an e-mail message to Tesla-Feed@McHargue.Org.
You'll get a confirmation request and be added to the list once the reply to
this request is received. Also, anyone can view the mailinglist
archive without subscribing.
5/25/2002
This is my first, and likely only, update from Treasure Island and the Season 5 BattleBots competition. Unfortunately, on my very first battle Tesla failed to begin spinning. This, of course, was instant death and I lost the match. I am investigating why, but I know it was not related to the infrared communications. It has been a lesson in disappointment, but it is only a game after all. Here are more photos from the competition (not the arena though, they don't allow photos of that).
Also, there are a few additional photos that are quite large. One is a panorama of San Francisco from Treasure Island, and the other is a 360 degree view of the pit area at the competition—in either a wide JPEG format, or QuickTime VR format. (I just added smaller versions for the pit area and San Francisco.)
This just in: This afternoon I spent a lot of time in the test box (a small 12 foot square "arena") running Tesla through its paces. With the new collimating lens I am able to create a shaped beam such that it has a sharp cutoff similar to a low-beam headlight. Judicious aiming allows Tesla to operate within an enclosure with reflecting walls. When run up to full speed—estimated to be over 500 RPM—it is VERY impressive, and it DOES move rather well. People stare at it and are anxious to see it in the ring. I most likely will come back in November to try one more time (but little or no modifications will be required that time around).
5/16/2002
Finally! After a marathon session working on Tesla, it's back together again and actually worked first time I powered it up. (There are a few new photos here.) The acceleration when all four battery packs are engaged is very impressive. I don't have any quantitative data, but I does seem as though it is faster than before (although I have yet to run flat out yet). This is likely the last update here until after check-in and safety inspections at the May 2002 competition (10:00 Sunday, May 19th). I should have updates and photos from the BattleBot Pits during the competition.
Tesla's (v2.0) First Spin
I captured a low
resolution movie of the first spinning after assembly. (The clip requires
QuickTime on your
computer, which every Macintosh has and Windows machine should.;-) If you view
the clip you should keep in mind that I am not driving Tesla very hard here.
In fact, I hardly even keep the "go" button on and most of what you'll
see is really coasting. Also, there is no testing of having it move sideways—that
requires a wide-open area.
5/8/2002
Well, I've been working hard on improvements to Tesla since late March. No time to elaborate, but I've posted some new photos here. I'll update more as the competition begins (May 19-27, 2002, Treasure Island).
11/8/2001 (PM)
Game over. Oh well... I lost my third bout, but I did get it to translate across the floor a bit more. The other bot was a 2-wheel pick ax design that got several good strikes on Tesla, but did not do any real damage. There is much to be learned here, and many, many people that have been building these types of robots for years. The trick is the balance between ruggedness, agility, and weaponry. Tesla's Tornado has unmatched ruggedness (perhaps too much), and a fairly good punch, but even if I were to add a microprocessor to optimize the translational movement, I doubt it would be agile enough to be considered a serious "aggressor".
I have a few days of watching "the pros" fight it out, and will make notes of what works and what doesn't. Whether I compete again in the future is unknown, but this was/is a fun experience and I can say the my first two wins were knockouts!
11/8/2001 (AM)
Well, I won my second bout but I still don't have it translating across the floor correctly. Both of my wins I don't feel I can take credit for since it was the other robot that came to me—good thing I have a robust design. I managed to do some serious damage to my last competitor: I took out several of their motor drives/gearboxes, but they also did not have it well cross-braced.
The collimator seems to work fine as I checked its beam angle (in sunlight) to be about 5 degrees. However, I now believe that, even with the collimator, I just have too much infrared and it is reflecting back from nearby surfaces to the rear sensor(s). To remedy this I will attempt to add an attenuator to the front. I will find out tonight around 1900hrs whence I next compete.
11/7/2001
Since I am writing this during the November 2001 competition, and have only won one (my first) battle, I have little history to elaborate upon as yet. Also, there is little time to write—I have another bout this evening and must prepare. Hope you enjoy the facts and photos linked to above.
Regards,
Bill McHargue