What is your project about?

RMIT BattleBots is a student-led engineering project where we design, build, and battle custom combat robots. Think "Robot Wars" or "BattleBots" on TV, but built from scratch by university students. Each robot is equipped with weapons like spinning disks, hammers, or wedges.

Our club, RMIT BattleBots, was created to give students a fun, hands-on way to apply engineering principles outside the classroom. It’s a mashup of mechanical design, electronics, software control, and a whole lot of team spirit.

Why did we decide to make it?

We started this project because we wanted to build something so we can learn from it. University theory is great, but nothing teaches teamwork and engineering better than racing to fix a motor hours before a match.

We also saw an opportunity to build a strong maker culture at RMIT, where students from all backgrounds mech, elec, software could collaborate.

How does it work?

Each BattleBot is built from the ground up. Here's a basic breakdown of how they function:

• Chassis: The armored frame, often made from aluminium or UHMW, protects the internals.
• Drive System: We use powerful brushed or brushless DC motors for fast, agile movement.
• Weapon System: Every bot has a unique weapon system spinners, lifters, or wedges that are controlled independently.
• Electronics: A radio transmitter/receiver, electronic speed controllers (ESCs), and LiPo batteries tie everything together.
• Controls: Operators control the bots using RC transmitters, allowing precise real-time movement and attack strategies.

We iterate through CAD models, 3D prototypes, and eventually cut real metal. The final builds are tested in mock battles to fine-tune performance.