Time for a bit of fun with insects! Though insect events like last year’s Hive events or MACRO events are less frequently written about, they do often happen in the background of the larger robot activities. Since the big ones get so much more attention and development energy, the insect-weights tend to be after-thoughts which has led to a decrease in their quality. Now with reigning NHRL 3lb world champion Pinevictus and multiple golden dumpster winners in my backyard it was no time to hold back and with Phenomenon on break it was time to look at the lower classes again.
Phenomena
The first robot to get some updates was Phenomena. While it had previously existed in this 2WD spinner form, it was important to add modularity for a anti-horizontal wedge. Inspired by Jackalope, using a combination of dovetail geometry and aluminum standoffs created a system that needed only the top plates to come off to replace the front end. While there are certainly other parts of the robot that will require further refinement to match the design of most 3lb robots today, it will hopefully prove a strong start.
Phenomenito
Phenomenito was the first insect to gradually get more serious. It’s steady growth led to some respectable finishes and the goal was to continue leaning into that. The wide shape and short 4WD became the architecture of the new Phenomenon. The wedgelets (though unused) became a form of circular refinement as they were inspired from Phenomenon. Small-scale prototyping is a huge part of R&D!
Play’n Krazy
The new surprise arrival for this event is the DRV kit provided by the team’s new sponsor Just Cuz Robotics! This is the first prototype of the kit and was lent with the expectation of gathering data especially for the Scarab drum. The name comes from one of the earliest robots on the team which was built from the popular Weta kit way back when it was first debuted. The name itself comes from the Play’n Krazy monster truck as given by my brother and roasted by Max Morningstar. In more ways than one it was full-circle moment so the name returns for duty!
Event
Air and Armor is unique as it was held at the Pax River Naval Base as part of their air show (hence the event name). It was a bit surreal having these little machines flanked by such enormous structures and airplanes. In fact, the grand final was run under the thunderous sound of the Blue Angels! But will these robots reach the final? Time to see…
Phenomena
Sadly Phenomena had a fairly uneventful event. After drawing Peekaboo, a bot that relies supremely on control, Phenomenon provide uncontrollable due to constantly wheelying and gyroing. While the robot was undamaged it lost the fight handily without much fanfare.
In its second fight against Lifeline, a saw robot that had cut through even AR top plate earlier in the event, Phenomena had no special top plate for it. The 1.5mm G10 Garolite would prove completely useless against the saw. To avoid unnecessary fire and excess part destruction, a gentlemen’s agreement was given where if Phenomena was caught in a pin with the battery side out it would tap. Lo and behold, after a bit of scrimmaging this very thing happened and so it tapped out.
While not “damaged” there were many lessons learned with the machine and a complete new version would be required.
Play’n Krazy
Despite the strong competition, Phenomenito had a very strong showing. With an ultimate record of 2-2 (though it also received a first round bye) its ultimate loss was more to fatigue than to design issues which was a positive sign. While its first fight against AKU! was lost due to a wire being caught by the blade and jamming it, its fights against Newberry and Flurry (which is a functional clone of AKU!) were powerful declarations of its strength. However, due to maintenance time given to Play’n Krazy and accumulated damage on the weapon (such as a crack), the weapon flew apart against Knightmare which forced a loss. There were still plenty of weapon spares ready to go but not the time to do it. Ultimately this version performed well and further refinement to the wheelguards and forks should allow it to pierce the top levels again soon enough!
2-2, 5th Place
Play’n Krazy
PK’s first fight was against Athanatos, a large horizontal spinner. While PK was zippy, the conforming wheels and UHMW uprights were dug into by Athanatos which ultimately locked up the drive and slowed the weapon down over time. In the post-mortem it appeared the Blitz Lite was also a bit crunchy so another was replaced along with the torn wheel. In not too long the robot was back and ready for the next round!
The next fight was against HoneyBadger. HoneyBadger was built around the 2820 hubmotor used in Minun and Plusle so it would be a very intense weapon-to-weapon fight. Though HB’s drivetrain was compromised, multiple direct weapon shots vindicated the Scarab’s durability until it stopped spinning. This later proved to be a case of the ESC resetting during the match as it spun up easily afterwards. High points for the Scarab!
PK’s third fight was against Voidling. With the high pedigree this robot came from and the indirect weapon drive adding additional strength to its system, the Scarab would be tested thoroughly. In a brutal fight, PK was able to win with a damaged but still fully functional Scarab. With that, it was on to its Loser’s semifinal against Zenith!
PK’s final fight was against Zenith. Much like the fight with Athanatos, the horizontal blade was able to cut the wheels and eat away at the uprights. In the same way, one of the Blitz Lites got a bit crunchy and required further evaluation at home.
All-in-all, this new version of Play’n Krazy was a success. Compared to Phenomena’s showing it already showed itself quite capable. Though it will likely need a few upgrades such as better resistance to horizontals, it was an excellent base to refine later.
2-2, 5th Place
Post-Mortem
Upon disassembly, it seems one planet gear on the second stage of the Blitz Lites had failed which led to the crunchiness. As the teeth get sheared, they dig into the outer ring creating a mushed tooth which limits future motion. While not the worst failure mode (the drive motors and first stage gears were all fine) it is certainly something to keep an eye on. There were no marks to the drive motor shaft, so it is possible that the chassis or wheels were somehow transferring force into it. One hypothesis is that the wheel coming apart and jamming the shaft from rotating could mean the internal gears were still trying to rotate which let them dig into the ring gear.
As the Hive Hysteria quickly approaches, PK was buttoned up and reset for deployment. Black and green armor (more in-line with the team’s colors) were thrown on to the machine alongside newer, harder wheels. There are still some changes and upgrades to make to the machine, but for now its looking good!
Check out more robot histories and event reports!
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