Nothing new on the Computer Circus front. Except that the Cheyenne Bitware software that I have doesn't seem to work. Or at least it doesn't quite identify my modem properly and is not configuring it to answer the phone. Not sure what the deal is - it is not very intuitive. I guess I'll just have to write my own answering machine software.

Anyway, with the BYTE magazines and all the Amiga stuff out of my shop, I had a little room to breathe. So I filled it with my old BattleBot robot. I decided to reassemble it so that I could try to sell it. That's what I spent my time on last night (for two or three hours) and today (most of the day). But now that the thing is back together, I don't want to part with it.

I can't believe how few issues I had with putting it back together. I happened to have all the parts and all the bolts and all the screws, nuts, washers, spacers, etc. It was amazing. It was like it wanted to come back to life. It took me some time to examine some old pictures I took of it to figure out how some things were mounted and where some of the wires connected, but for the most part, it was pretty smooth sailing. The only thing I could not find were the connecting cables between the RC receiver and the motor controllers. Fortunately, I had another set, but I am perplexed as to where the other cables have disappeared to. But I'm not too worried, considering all the problems I remember having while working on the beast a couple years ago.

Here's a shot of the robot:


I even had the antenna, still, with Jack perched atop. This thing wants to live again! And it is alive again! I took a spin on it around the shop - just like old times (i.e. sat on top and drove it around...slowly). :-) I haven't taken it out for a real test run, yet, but I am charging the batteries now. I'll probably run it out in the carport tomorrow.

I thought it would be funny to mount a car seat on top of the robot so I could ride it around. It would fit right in at Burning Man, I'm sure. Here's how it might look:



All it needs is a seatbelt and a joystick and I'm all set! And maybe a beach umbrella and a cup holder.

The robot is sitting on top of a green hand truck in these pictures, so ignore the green parts - they're not part of the 'bot. The main armor of the 'bot consists of a 24" truck tire. Unfortunately, it is not steel-belted, and it took a beating at BattleBots a couple years ago. A spinner bot I went up against actually cut right through the tire (and took out one of my battery packs!), and another bot I went up against took some chunks out of the tire. The kill saws did a number on it, too.

The turret (which was eventually going to pivot and have a pneumatic hammer on it) consists of a steel frame with Lexan walls, overlaid with aluminum. It took a beating under the pulverizer a time or two.

Its name? Oh, that would be "Road Rage." And it weighs somewhere around 280 lbs. It is a super-heavyweight. I'll tell you, if I ever compete again, it will be with a robot I can put in the trunk of my car. I can't take Road Rage anywhere, anymore, because I don't have a van and it won't fit in my Honda Accord.

I thought I might add an embedded computer to it (hey - why not just one of my old '486 boards!) and some sensors and turn it into a very large autonomous robot. I could just see it chasing after the mail man. I don't think airport security would be too happy to see something like that trying to get through the checkpoint, either. Not that I could get it on a plane... I can envision some Candid Camera scenarios. Hmmm... Maybe it's time to break out the video camera!