Build Your Own Combat Robot

Saw Design
FIGURE 10-9
Robots wielding
saw blades.
Chapter 10: Weapons Systems for Your Robot 223
Now increasingly rare, the saw was tried many times in the early days of robot
combat, usually with little success. The idea of disabling the opponent by slicing it
apart has proven to be a difficult challenge because the materials most modern
combat robots are made of take too much time to cut, even under controlled circumstances,
let alone when the target is actively trying to get away from the saw
blade. The concept has been largely abandoned, aside from a few brave robots
that use saws in combination with other attack styles.
Combat trials have shown that the best saw blades to use are the emergency rescue
blades used to rescue accident and building collapse victims. Thick steel disks
coated around the edge with hard abrasive make these blades able to cut a wide
variety of metallic and non-metallic materials quickly—just the thing for a combat
situation. They are, however, heavy, expensive, and available only through certain
specialty dealers, and they require a seriously powerful motor to be used to full effect.
Figure 10-9 shows some examples.