Build Your Own Combat Robot

FIGURE 13-6
Mini sumo
construction plans
(units are inches)
the servos between the mounts. Now screw the front scoop to the bottom of the
base plate as shown in Figure 13-7. Use the circuit board spaces as nuts for the front
scoop. Screw the wheels to the servo horns using #4-40 screws, and then onto the
servos using the screw that came with the servo.
The four circuit board spacers are used to mount control and sensor electronics
to the top of the mini sumo. You can also add batteries and other electronic components
to the bottom of the base plate, between the wheels. It is best to mount the
batteries under the base plate to lower the sumo bot’s center of gravity. At this
point, you have a general-purpose mini robot sumo base that can be configured to
your design ideas.
Remote-Control Mini Sumo
Chapter 13: Robot Sumo 285
One of the most convenient features of the modified R/C servos is that they can
still be controlled directly by a standard R/C receiver. The easiest way to make a
remote-control mini sumo is use a two-stick R/C transmitter, and then attach the
R/C receiver and the R/C battery to the top of the mini sumo. Turn the transmitter
on, and adjust the trim settings to make sure the wheels are not moving when both
sticks on the transmitter are centered. Then, drive the mini sumo around like a
tank—each stick controls each wheel. To get better driving control where one
stick is used for forward and reverse control, and the other stick is used for turning