Building Bots: Designing and Building Warrior Robots (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Given the amount of power and the number of dangerous items found on a typical fighting robot, it is almost inevitable that someday, something bad..." (more)
Key Phrases: robot tournament, motor data sheet, robot weaponry, Rotational Speed of Shaft, Distance Traveled, Industrial Press (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Bots is compelling because Gurstelle clearly gets a big kick out of mechanical mayhem." -- New Haven Register

"Compelling." -- The Register Citizen

"For anyone who wants in on the metal mayhem, Gurstelle’s manual collects and organizes advice now scattered over the Internet." -- Gannett News Service

"For anyone who wants in on the metal mayhem." -- USA Today

"For techie teens looking to tweak their talents during winter vacation, search no further." -- Boston Herald

"Handy how-to guide for turning your garage into a robot war zone." -- The New Yorker

Product Description

This is the definitive guide to designing and building warrior robots like those seen on BattleBots, Robotica, and Robot Wars. It walks robot enthusiasts of all ages step-by-step through the design and building process, enabling them to create any number of customized warrior robots. With a strong emphasis on safety, chapters include designing a robot, choosing materials, radio control systems, electric motors, robot batteries, motor speed controllers, gasoline engines, and drive trains. Clear instructions are accompanied by photos, line drawings, and detailed diagrams throughout. For inspiration, a color section showcases a variety of glorious fighting machines along with their stats. Profiles of well-known designers and builders also enliven the text. For beginners, there is machine shop 101 and robot physics, and, of course, chapters on weaponry that include spinner robots, thwackbots, cutting blade robots, lifters, and chameleon robots. When the bot of their dreams is built, suggestions on where to compete and game-day strategies and tactics help readers take the next step. An extensive resource section lists parts suppliers, pertinent Web sites, a radio frequency chart, and a glossary.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press; 1 edition (December 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556524595
• ISBN-13: 978-1556524592
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #76,110 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #34 in	Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Models
  #43 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Mechanical > Robotics
  #47 in	Books > Science > Education > Experiments & Projects

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great robot combat book for beginners, November 19, 2002

By A Customer

This book is a must read for those new to the sport and who are interested in R/C robot combat tournaments. It primarily focuses on the basics of robot construction, from locomotion to weapon systems to robot fighting styles. Basic robot physics, tactics and acquiring sponsorship are covered as well. It also presents the issues involved with putting on your own tournament. There are helpful tips from a large assortment of knowledgeable people including top builders, vendors, tournament organizers and more. If you are new to the sport, it is an indispensable source of helpful information. Many `newbie' mistakes can be avoided with the experience gained from the book. If you have already had lots of robot combat exposure you should recognize most of the material as fundamental, yet it can still be an interesting and informative read.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very Shallow Coverage., December 7, 2006

By	Mark Joerger (Salem, OR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book has the feel of something that was dashed off in a few weeks to meet a publishing deadline. The photos poorly illustrate the text, and many of the photos are inexplicably re-used at multiple points in the book -- apparently just as 'filler'.

The text does cover some of the basic questions a robot builder might pose, but there certainly is not enough detail to enable someone to actually construct a sucessful combat robot.

There are many better books available on this subject. Search them out and add them to your library before you consider this purchase.