Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
24 Circular Antweight Battlebot (Shovel/Lifter)
 Junyan Bai
Yuxuan Guo
 Zhuoer Zhang design_document1.pdf
proposal1.pdf
# Circular Antweight Battlebot (Shovel/Lifter)

Team Members:

* Yuxuan Guo (yuxuang7)
* Junyan Bai (junyanb2)

# Problem

ECE 445 antweight (≤ 2 lb) battlebots must be mostly 3D-printed (allowed plastics), include locomotion + an active tool, and be controlled from a PC over Wi-Fi/Bluetooth using a custom PCB (MCU + wireless + motor control). The robot must support manual shutdown and automatically disable on RF link loss.

Many robots fail due to getting stuck, losing traction, or motor stalls that cause brownouts/resets and wireless dropouts. Our problem is to build a compact robot that stays controllable and safe under impacts and stalls while meeting competition shutdown requirements.

# Solution

We will build a circular “UFO-shaped” robot focused on control and robustness. A recessed two-wheel drivetrain sits inside a low-profile circular chassis to reduce snag points and survive collisions. The weapon is a motor-driven front shovel/lifter used to get under opponents and lift/destabilize them for pushing and pinning.

A custom ESP32-based PCB receives PC commands via Wi-Fi (Bluetooth optional) and controls both mobility and shovel actuation. Safety is layered: a manual kill switch, a firmware link-loss failsafe, and hardware current-sense protection that can disable motor drivers during overcurrent/stall events.

# Solution Components

## Subsystem 1 — Control & Communication (ESP32 + IMU + LEDs)

**Function:** Receive PC commands, run safety logic, and output control signals for drive + weapon.

**Components:**

* ESP32-WROOM-32D (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth)
* MPU-6050 IMU (I2C, planned)
* LEDs for power/link/fault

**Key requirements:**

* Control update rate **≥ 50 Hz**
* Link-loss failsafe: if no valid commands for **> 300 ms**, disable all outputs and require re-arm

## Subsystem 2 — Power Supply & Safety (Battery + Kill Switch + Distribution + Current Sense)

**Function:** Provide stable rails and enforce fast shutdown + stall protection.

**Key requirements:**

* Logic rail: **3.3 V ± 5%**, budget **≥ 500 mA**, stays **> 3.0 V** under worst-case load
* Kill switch disables motion quickly (target near-instant motor power removal)
* Overcurrent/stall protection asserts **FAULT** and disables **EN** within **≤ 50 ms** (threshold TBD)

## Subsystem 3 — Drive Motor (Mobility)

**Function:** Provide reliable motion and pushing power with a differential drivetrain.

**Components:**

* Motor driver + **2x** gearmotors (candidate: N20 / 16 mm)
* Recessed wheels

**Key requirements:**

* Speed **≥ 0.5 m/s**
* Push a **1.0 kg** test sled at **≥ 0.1 m/s** for **≥ 2 s** without reset/brownout

## Subsystem 4 — Weapon Motor (Shovel/Lifter Actuation)

**Function:** Actuate the front shovel/lifter for opponent control.

**Components (planned):**

* MG996R servo + shovel linkage

**Key requirements:**

* Lift a **0.9 kg (2 lb)** test block by **≥ 15 mm** within **≤ 0.5 s**, hold **≥ 5 s**
* Jam/stall safety handled via FAULT/EN gating (disable within **≤ 50 ms**)

# Criterion For Success

1. **Weight compliance:** Total mass (including battery) ** 300 ms**).
3. **Reliable operation:** Drive for **≥ 3 min** with no MCU resets; logic rail stays **> 3.0 V**.
4. **Performance:** Push a **1.0 kg** sled for **1 m**, and shovel lifts **0.9 kg** by **≥ 15 mm** within **≤ 0.5 s**.

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