https://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=RickRollerNHRL - User contributions [en]2026-04-28T08:53:42ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.41.1https://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=17437Gh-Astley2025-02-20T03:51:09Z<p>RickRoller: </p>
<hr />
<div>===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Ghastley-removebg.jpg|alt=|thumb]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU & Carbon Fiber<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD....1 Wheel Drive post Catalyst matches<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}<br />
The newest addition to the Rick Roller stable...Gh-Astley!<br />
<br />
Here's our timeline so far. Lead designer/driver, has always loved bots and constructing/deconstructing things. Discovered Battlebots a few years ago and was hooked. Came across NHRL in November 2022 and attended the Championships. It was amazing! Talking with the staff there, we learned how accessible the sport really was and boom, off to the races. Rather than start with a kit, we decided to get raw materials for the chassis and cobble together Rick Roller from scratch...to figure some things out. 2023 was a season of experimentation and learning (Don't forget to check the build log on the Rick Roller wiki). We can't say enough how amazing this sport and community is, competitors, staff and volunteers at NHRL, everyone! <br />
<br />
As the year progressed the bug set in and by summer, design ideas for January 2024 started flowing. Being a huge fan, our lead designer Jonah wanted to try a completely different style bot. Inspired by some of the great horizontals like Caldera, Beetlejuice, Spartan, etc. Gh-Astley started to evolve. First the weapon...because what 12 year old isn't going to go weapon first on the design? Forget drive, impact toughness, etc. Start with a cool looking weapon. Thus we have the tri-tipped blade of Gh-Astley. Now Rick Roller had very little 3D printing but that's such a big part of the weight class...it was time to really dive in and learn. The chassis is mostly TPU with some Carbon Fiber top plates. First design looked awesome, fit together perfectly, held the motors in place and was good to go. Totally nailed it...as a sweet model to put up on the bookshelf. Fitting a battery and electronics would be like trying to squeeze a 30lb rumble into cage 2...interesting, lots of stacking and twisting, but ultimately an ineffective and impossible task. <br />
<br />
Not wanting to stop at style of bot and chassis material, the decision was also made to try all new motors, electronics, and a round belt instead of timing belt for the weapon. Unfortunately, the round belts were proving to be a bit much and putting too much tension on the motor but not gripping the pulley when loosened. Not enough time to source proper timing belts, so we 3D printed some out of TPU, which spun the weapon but were admittedly not ideal. Something that will definitely be on the upgrade list for v.2! <br />
<br />
After some adjustments and practicing a lot with fusion, Gh-Astley was complete. 100% kid designed from the ground up. A totally new bot experience, learning to drive a horizontal style, figuring out the intricacies of a different motor/weapon design, but super excited and ready to have a blast as always in Norwalk! At least the testing stage will be set at the New Bot event and an opportunity to share in the nervous excitement of fellow builders testing out new ideas and creative visions. Can't wait to jump into the cage with another driver working out a fresh new design and maybe equally as nervous and excited about how their vision will fare!<br />
<br />
First matchup?....Blue and White Synthesis er...Catalyst. A Builder/Driver that brings a ton of experience + destructive force in the vertical field. Absolutely top notch brutal build quality and a nightmare first match. But being fan first when the news was broken about the matchup upon return from school, our Designer's response was "Oh no!...well, it will be cool to meet Corey!". Looks like it will be up to the mini-bot to swoop in for an assist. What's that? Catalyst will have Chainsaw Kitty's talented mini-bot driver? Cool, Cool, Cool...Sounds like we'll need some spares of everything!<br />
<br />
'''January 2024'''<br />
<br />
New Bot, new adventures...new challenge to put it all back together after being decimated by one of the best! First up is Catalyst. Good news is our weapon spun up...and a sweet weapon it is. The Sherikan-style design was a goal of our (now 13 year old) builder/driver and then we built a bot around it....more of a weapon delivery system than carefully crafted robot. Lucky for us, Corey is a cool dude and probably took it easier on us than he could have. Things started to get confusing on the stream as there is another "gastly" Pokemon themed bot and the announcers understandably mixed us up. <br />
<br />
''Sidebar: Our Gh-Astley is a continuation on the Rick '''Astley''' theme from Rick Roller.'' <br />
<br />
One giant hit from Catalyst and our Carbon Fiber top plate was split as we were thrown almost to the ceiling. On the second hit, the right wheel was like "I'm Out!" and the weapon belt thought that was a grrrrreat idea and bounced as well. Thinking Catalyst might be coming for our family next, it was a quick TapOut at 25 seconds in...better than 20 seconds? <br />
<br />
Next up was Hotcake: Unfortunately they had to forfeit...we always love to fight!<br />
<br />
On to "Proof of Concept: Concept Proved! A hit from this good beater, our top plate cracked the weapon motor housing and caused it to separate enough for the weapon to be intermittent. All part of a new bot and really new builder (2nd bot in less than a year competing). We'll learn and upgrade for next time!<br />
<br />
'''April 2024'''<br />
<br />
Learned a lot in January and made some subtle but important tweaks. Our captain has poured a lot into this bot. Really taking note of what didn't work and exploring different designs. V2 of Gh-Astley is a tighter frame, no longer rounded off in the back and more compact with wiring. Thinner Carbon top and bottom with the bot name cut into the top (Sharp design choice kid!). Aluminum rails now hold the weapon/shaft. This one is coming in hot!....oh no...literally coming in hot! Friday, April 19th approximately 2:30pm, one more quick test in the home box before heading off for safety and smoke! A quick dash to the backyard and the what seemed like removing 1,000 screws from the top plate to see a completely toasted ESC. BTW - preaching to the choir here, but there's no smell that can linger in a basement like burnt electronics, so slight delay while we gather every fan in a 2.24 mile radius to air things out before mom gets home!....No other way to put it, devastation. Down to 2 more ESCs and 3 motors. Looks like only one motor lost, so we swap out the fried motor and ESC and make the call to give it one more test (outside of course!). It moves and the weapon spins, but oh no! Smoke again and flames come shooting out of the top. This time we put in fewer screws but this sucks! We've learned a lot but diagnosing trouble of this magnitude is still waaaaaayyyyyy out of the wheelhouse. Now 4pm, we quickly dissect another bot to grab some Geckos as spares and head off to safety with a plan to completely gut the inside and try an all new system while hoping to lean on the community knowledge to at least point us toward a cause of the problem...<br />
<br />
Well, we made it through safety! A little pleading with our captain to take it super easy on the drive/weapon until the first match. Hey, if we're going to blow up our bot, let's at least have an audience and put on a show!<br />
<br />
If you follow along with our Rick Roller storyline, you know that we think very highly of the community and how supportive everyone is. Game day/morning, we were talking to our friends from the local ASML team. We've never actually faced them in the arena, but the've always been super supportive and incredibly nice. So awesome that our captain has mentioned ASML seeming like a cool place to work...but not sure if they're recruiting on the middle school circuit. Anyway, we explained our dilemma and sure enough within probably 10 minutes, they offered to lend us a back-up ESC AND diagnosed our issue to a bad 3rd coil on one of our motors....incredible! Nice to have an answer and put to rest our theory of it being demon related (we're not engineers by trade and do live in a very old house). <br />
<br />
First matchup was set to be Woodpecker, a rare drill bot and we were super curious to see if our reach and weapon position would be able to hit the bit..unfortunately they had some issues getting things working to get through safety and had to forfeit. Guess we'll wait a little bit longer for the next test. <br />
<br />
Next up was Jack Ketch from the veteran Bad Crew team. A fixture at events, they're a great group of young local builders and doing a lot to help make the sport accessible. <br />
<br />
'''October 2024'''<br />
<br />
Oh...we back baby! But like a defrocked Ninja, let’s see what this nightmare can do without its belt. <br />
<br />
'''March 2025'''<br />
<br />
Stay tuned.... <br />
<br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Gh-Astley|class=3lb}}<br />
<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=17283Gh-Astley2025-02-08T04:39:24Z<p>RickRoller: </p>
<hr />
<div>===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Ghastley-removebg.jpg|alt=|thumb]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU & Carbon Fiber<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD....1 Wheel Drive post Catalyst matches<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}<br />
The newest addition to the Rick Roller stable...Gh-Astley!<br />
<br />
Here's our timeline so far. Lead designer/driver, has always loved bots and constructing/deconstructing things. Discovered Battlebots a few years ago and was hooked. Came across NHRL in November 2022 and attended the Championships. It was amazing! Talking with the staff there, we learned how accessible the sport really was and boom, off to the races. Rather than start with a kit, we decided to get raw materials for the chassis and cobble together Rick Roller from scratch...to figure some things out. 2023 was a season of experimentation and learning (Don't forget to check the build log on the Rick Roller wiki). We can't say enough how amazing this sport and community is, competitors, staff and volunteers at NHRL, everyone! <br />
<br />
As the year progressed the bug set in and by summer, design ideas for January 2024 started flowing. Being a huge fan, our lead designer Jonah wanted to try a completely different style bot. Inspired by some of the great horizontals like Caldera, Beetlejuice, Spartan, etc. Gh-Astley started to evolve. First the weapon...because what 12 year old isn't going to go weapon first on the design? Forget drive, impact toughness, etc. Start with a cool looking weapon. Thus we have the tri-tipped blade of Gh-Astley. Now Rick Roller had very little 3D printing but that's such a big part of the weight class...it was time to really dive in and learn. The chassis is mostly TPU with some Carbon Fiber top plates. First design looked awesome, fit together perfectly, held the motors in place and was good to go. Totally nailed it...as a sweet model to put up on the bookshelf. Fitting a battery and electronics would be like trying to squeeze a 30lb rumble into cage 2...interesting, lots of stacking and twisting, but ultimately an ineffective and impossible task. <br />
<br />
Not wanting to stop at style of bot and chassis material, the decision was also made to try all new motors, electronics, and a round belt instead of timing belt for the weapon. Unfortunately, the round belts were proving to be a bit much and putting too much tension on the motor but not gripping the pulley when loosened. Not enough time to source proper timing belts, so we 3D printed some out of TPU, which spun the weapon but were admittedly not ideal. Something that will definitely be on the upgrade list for v.2! <br />
<br />
After some adjustments and practicing a lot with fusion, Gh-Astley was complete. 100% kid designed from the ground up. A totally new bot experience, learning to drive a horizontal style, figuring out the intricacies of a different motor/weapon design, but super excited and ready to have a blast as always in Norwalk! At least the testing stage will be set at the New Bot event and an opportunity to share in the nervous excitement of fellow builders testing out new ideas and creative visions. Can't wait to jump into the cage with another driver working out a fresh new design and maybe equally as nervous and excited about how their vision will fare!<br />
<br />
First matchup?....Blue and White Synthesis er...Catalyst. A Builder/Driver that brings a ton of experience + destructive force in the vertical field. Absolutely top notch brutal build quality and a nightmare first match. But being fan first when the news was broken about the matchup upon return from school, our Designer's response was "Oh no!...well, it will be cool to meet Corey!". Looks like it will be up to the mini-bot to swoop in for an assist. What's that? Catalyst will have Chainsaw Kitty's talented mini-bot driver? Cool, Cool, Cool...Sounds like we'll need some spares of everything!<br />
<br />
'''January 2024'''<br />
<br />
New Bot, new adventures...new challenge to put it all back together after being decimated by one of the best! First up is Catalyst. Good news is our weapon spun up...and a sweet weapon it is. The Sherikan-style design was a goal of our (now 13 year old) builder/driver and then we built a bot around it....more of a weapon delivery system than carefully crafted robot. Lucky for us, Corey is a cool dude and probably took it easier on us than he could have. Things started to get confusing on the stream as there is another "gastly" Pokemon themed bot and the announcers understandably mixed us up. <br />
<br />
''Sidebar: Our Gh-Astley is a continuation on the Rick '''Astley''' theme from Rick Roller.'' <br />
<br />
One giant hit from Catalyst and our Carbon Fiber top plate was split as we were thrown almost to the ceiling. On the second hit, the right wheel was like "I'm Out!" and the weapon belt thought that was a grrrrreat idea and bounced as well. Thinking Catalyst might be coming for our family next, it was a quick TapOut at 25 seconds in...better than 20 seconds? <br />
<br />
Next up was Hotcake: Unfortunately they had to forfeit...we always love to fight!<br />
<br />
On to "Proof of Concept: Concept Proved! A hit from this good beater, our top plate cracked the weapon motor housing and caused it to separate enough for the weapon to be intermittent. All part of a new bot and really new builder (2nd bot in less than a year competing). We'll learn and upgrade for next time!<br />
<br />
'''April 2024'''<br />
<br />
Learned a lot in January and made some subtle but important tweaks. Our captain has poured a lot into this bot. Really taking note of what didn't work and exploring different designs. V2 of Gh-Astley is a tighter frame, no longer rounded off in the back and more compact with wiring. Thinner Carbon top and bottom with the bot name cut into the top (Sharp design choice kid!). Aluminum rails now hold the weapon/shaft. This one is coming in hot!....oh no...literally coming in hot! Friday, April 19th approximately 2:30pm, one more quick test in the home box before heading off for safety and smoke! A quick dash to the backyard and the what seemed like removing 1,000 screws from the top plate to see a completely toasted ESC. BTW - preaching to the choir here, but there's no smell that can linger in a basement like burnt electronics, so slight delay while we gather every fan in a 2.24 mile radius to air things out before mom gets home!....No other way to put it, devastation. Down to 2 more ESCs and 3 motors. Looks like only one motor lost, so we swap out the fried motor and ESC and make the call to give it one more test (outside of course!). It moves and the weapon spins, but oh no! Smoke again and flames come shooting out of the top. This time we put in fewer screws but this sucks! We've learned a lot but diagnosing trouble of this magnitude is still waaaaaayyyyyy out of the wheelhouse. Now 4pm, we quickly dissect another bot to grab some Geckos as spares and head off to safety with a plan to completely gut the inside and try an all new system while hoping to lean on the community knowledge to at least point us toward a cause of the problem...<br />
<br />
Well, we made it through safety! A little pleading with our captain to take it super easy on the drive/weapon until the first match. Hey, if we're going to blow up our bot, let's at least have an audience and put on a show!<br />
<br />
If you follow along with our Rick Roller storyline, you know that we think very highly of the community and how supportive everyone is. Game day/morning, we were talking to our friends from the local ASML team. We've never actually faced them in the arena, but the've always been super supportive and incredibly nice. So awesome that our captain has mentioned ASML seeming like a cool place to work...but not sure if they're recruiting on the middle school circuit. Anyway, we explained our dilemma and sure enough within probably 10 minutes, they offered to lend us a back-up ESC AND diagnosed our issue to a bad 3rd coil on one of our motors....incredible! Nice to have an answer and put to rest our theory of it being demon related (we're not engineers by trade and do live in a very old house). <br />
<br />
Well, we made it through safety! A little pleading with our captain to take it super easy on the drive/weapon until the first match. Hey, if we're going to blow up our bot, let's at least have an audience and put on a show!<br />
<br />
If you follow along with our Rick Roller storyline, you know that we think very highly of the community and how supportive everyone is. Game day/morning, we were talking to our friends from the local ASML team. We've never actually faced them in the arena, but the've always been super supportive and incredibly nice. So awesome that our captain has mentioned ASML seeming like a cool place to work...but not sure if they're recruiting on the middle school circuit. Anyway, we explained our dilemma and sure enough within probably 10 minutes, they offered to lend us a back-up ESC AND diagnosed our issue to a bad 3rd coil on one of our motors....incredible! Nice to have an answer and put to rest our theory of it being demon related (we're not engineers by trade and do live in a very old house). <br />
<br />
First matchup was set to be Woodpecker, a rare drill bot and we were super curious to see if our reach and weapon position would be able to hit the bit..unfortunately they had some issues getting things working to get through safety and had to forfeit. Guess we'll wait a little bit longer for the next test. <br />
<br />
Next up was Jack Ketch from the veteran Bad Crew team. A fixture at events, they're a great group of young local builders and doing a lot to help make the sport accessible. <br />
<br />
'''October 2024'''<br />
<br />
Oh...we back baby! But like a defrocked Ninja, let’s see what this nightmare can do without its belt. <br />
<br />
'''March 2025'''<br />
<br />
Stay tuned.... <br />
<br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Gh-Astley|class=3lb}}<br />
<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=17282Gh-Astley2025-02-08T04:32:23Z<p>RickRoller: </p>
<hr />
<div>===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Ghastley-removebg.jpg|alt=|thumb]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU & Carbon Fiber<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD....1 Wheel Drive post Catalyst matches<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}<br />
The newest addition to the Rick Roller stable...Gh-Astley!<br />
<br />
Here's our timeline so far. Lead designer/driver, has always loved bots and constructing/deconstructing things. Discovered Battlebots a few years ago and was hooked. Came across NHRL in November 2022 and attended the Championships. It was amazing! Talking with the staff there, we learned how accessible the sport really was and boom, off to the races. Rather than start with a kit, we decided to get raw materials for the chassis and cobble together Rick Roller from scratch...to figure some things out. 2023 was a season of experimentation and learning (Don't forget to check the build log on the Rick Roller wiki). We can't say enough how amazing this sport and community is, competitors, staff and volunteers at NHRL, everyone! <br />
<br />
As the year progressed the bug set in and by summer, design ideas for January 2024 started flowing. Being a huge fan, our lead designer Jonah wanted to try a completely different style bot. Inspired by some of the great horizontals like Caldera, Beetlejuice, Spartan, etc. Gh-Astley started to evolve. First the weapon...because what 12 year old isn't going to go weapon first on the design? Forget drive, impact toughness, etc. Start with a cool looking weapon. Thus we have the tri-tipped blade of Gh-Astley. Now Rick Roller had very little 3D printing but that's such a big part of the weight class...it was time to really dive in and learn. The chassis is mostly TPU with some Carbon Fiber top plates. First design looked awesome, fit together perfectly, held the motors in place and was good to go. Totally nailed it...as a sweet model to put up on the bookshelf. Fitting a battery and electronics would be like trying to squeeze a 30lb rumble into cage 2...interesting, lots of stacking and twisting, but ultimately an ineffective and impossible task. <br />
<br />
Not wanting to stop at style of bot and chassis material, the decision was also made to try all new motors, electronics, and a round belt instead of timing belt for the weapon. Unfortunately, the round belts were proving to be a bit much and putting too much tension on the motor but not gripping the pulley when loosened. Not enough time to source proper timing belts, so we 3D printed some out of TPU, which spun the weapon but were admittedly not ideal. Something that will definitely be on the upgrade list for v.2! <br />
<br />
After some adjustments and practicing a lot with fusion, Gh-Astley was complete. 100% kid designed from the ground up. A totally new bot experience, learning to drive a horizontal style, figuring out the intricacies of a different motor/weapon design, but super excited and ready to have a blast as always in Norwalk! At least the testing stage will be set at the New Bot event and an opportunity to share in the nervous excitement of fellow builders testing out new ideas and creative visions. Can't wait to jump into the cage with another driver working out a fresh new design and maybe equally as nervous and excited about how their vision will fare!<br />
<br />
First matchup?....Blue and White Synthesis er...Catalyst. A Builder/Driver that brings a ton of experience + destructive force in the vertical field. Absolutely top notch brutal build quality and a nightmare first match. But being fan first when the news was broken about the matchup upon return from school, our Designer's response was "Oh no!...well, it will be cool to meet Corey!". Looks like it will be up to the mini-bot to swoop in for an assist. What's that? Catalyst will have Chainsaw Kitty's talented mini-bot driver? Cool, Cool, Cool...Sounds like we'll need some spares of everything!<br />
<br />
'''January 2024'''<br />
<br />
New Bot, new adventures...new challenge to put it all back together after being decimated by one of the best! First up is Catalyst. Good news is our weapon spun up...and a sweet weapon it is. The Sherikan-style design was a goal of our (now 13 year old) builder/driver and then we built a bot around it....more of a weapon delivery system than carefully crafted robot. Lucky for us, Corey is a cool dude and probably took it easier on us than he could have. Things started to get confusing on the stream as there is another "gastly" Pokemon themed bot and the announcers understandably mixed us up. <br />
<br />
''Sidebar: Our Gh-Astley is a continuation on the Rick '''Astley''' theme from Rick Roller.'' <br />
<br />
One giant hit from Catalyst and our Carbon Fiber top plate was split as we were thrown almost to the ceiling. On the second hit, the right wheel was like "I'm Out!" and the weapon belt thought that was a grrrrreat idea and bounced as well. Thinking Catalyst might be coming for our family next, it was a quick TapOut at 25 seconds in...better than 20 seconds? <br />
<br />
Next up was Hotcake: Unfortunately they had to forfeit...we always love to fight!<br />
<br />
On to "Proof of Concept: Concept Proved! A hit from this good beater, our top plate cracked the weapon motor housing and caused it to separate enough for the weapon to be intermittent. All part of a new bot and really new builder (2nd bot in less than a year competing). We'll learn and upgrade for next time!<br />
<br />
'''April 2024'''<br />
<br />
Learned a lot in January and made some subtle but important tweaks. Our captain has poured a lot into this bot. Really taking note of what didn't work and exploring different designs. V2 of Gh-Astley is a tighter frame, no longer rounded off in the back and more compact with wiring. Thinner Carbon top and bottom with the bot name cut into the top (Sharp design choice kid!). Aluminum rails now hold the weapon/shaft. This one is coming in hot!....oh no...literally coming in hot! Friday, April 19th approximately 2:30pm, one more quick test in the home box before heading off for safety and smoke! A quick dash to the backyard and the what seemed like removing 1,000 screws from the top plate to see a completely toasted ESC. BTW - preaching to the choir here, but there's no smell that can linger in a basement like burnt electronics, so slight delay while we gather every fan in a 2.24 mile radius to air things out before mom gets home!....No other way to put it, devastation. Down to 2 more ESCs and 3 motors. Looks like only one motor lost, so we swap out the fried motor and ESC and make the call to give it one more test (outside of course!). It moves and the weapon spins, but oh no! Smoke again and flames come shooting out of the top. This time we put in fewer screws but this sucks! We've learned a lot but diagnosing trouble of this magnitude is still waaaaaayyyyyy out of the wheelhouse. Now 4pm, we quickly dissect another bot to grab some Geckos as spares and head off to safety with a plan to completely gut the inside and try an all new system while hoping to lean on the community knowledge to at least point us toward a cause of the problem...<br />
<br />
Well, we made it through safety! A little pleading with our captain to take it super easy on the drive/weapon until the first match. Hey, if we're going to blow up our bot, let's at least have an audience and put on a show!<br />
<br />
If you follow along with our Rick Roller storyline, you know that we think very highly of the community and how supportive everyone is. Game day/morning, we were talking to our friends from the local ASML team. We've never actually faced them in the arena, but the've always been super supportive and incredibly nice. So awesome that our captain has mentioned ASML seeming like a cool place to work...but not sure if they're recruiting on the middle school circuit. Anyway, we explained our dilemma and sure enough within probably 10 minutes, they offered to lend us a back-up ESC AND diagnosed our issue to a bad 3rd coil on one of our motors....incredible! Nice to have an answer and put to rest our theory of it being demon related (we're not engineers by trade and do live in a very old house). <br />
<br />
Well, we made it through safety! A little pleading with our captain to take it super easy on the drive/weapon until the first match. Hey, if we're going to blow up our bot, let's at least have an audience and put on a show!<br />
<br />
If you follow along with our Rick Roller storyline, you know that we think very highly of the community and how supportive everyone is. Game day/morning, we were talking to our friends from the local ASML team. We've never actually faced them in the arena, but the've always been super supportive and incredibly nice. So awesome that our captain has mentioned ASML seeming like a cool place to work...but not sure if they're recruiting on the middle school circuit. Anyway, we explained our dilemma and sure enough within probably 10 minutes, they offered to lend us a back-up ESC AND diagnosed our issue to a bad 3rd coil on one of our motors....incredible! Nice to have an answer and put to rest our theory of it being demon related (we're not engineers by trade and do live in a very old house). <br />
<br />
First matchup was set to be Woodpecker, a rare drill bot and we were super curious to see if our reach and weapon position would be able to hit the bit..unfortunately they had some issues getting things working to get through safety and had to forfeit. Guess we'll wait a little bit longer for the next test. <br />
<br />
Next up was Jack Ketch from the veteran Bad Crew team. A fixture at events, they're a great group of young local builders and doing a lot to help make the sport accessible. <br />
<br />
'''October 2024'''<br />
<br />
Oh...we back baby! Let's see what this nightmare can do without it's belts!<br />
<br />
'''March 2025'''<br />
<br />
Stay tuned.... <br />
<br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Gh-Astley|class=3lb}}<br />
<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=17281Gh-Astley2025-02-08T04:31:29Z<p>RickRoller: Minor description</p>
<hr />
<div>===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Ghastley-removebg.jpg|alt=|thumb]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU & Carbon Fiber<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD....1 Wheel Drive post Catalyst matches<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}<br />
The newest addition to the Rick Roller stable...Gh-Astley!<br />
<br />
Here's our timeline so far. Lead designer/driver, has always loved bots and constructing/deconstructing things. Discovered Battlebots a few years ago and was hooked. Came across NHRL in November 2022 and attended the Championships. It was amazing! Talking with the staff there, we learned how accessible the sport really was and boom, off to the races. Rather than start with a kit, we decided to get raw materials for the chassis and cobble together Rick Roller from scratch...to figure some things out. 2023 was a season of experimentation and learning (Don't forget to check the build log on the Rick Roller wiki). We can't say enough how amazing this sport and community is, competitors, staff and volunteers at NHRL, everyone! <br />
<br />
As the year progressed the bug set in and by summer, design ideas for January 2024 started flowing. Being a huge fan, our lead designer Jonah wanted to try a completely different style bot. Inspired by some of the great horizontals like Caldera, Beetlejuice, Spartan, etc. Gh-Astley started to evolve. First the weapon...because what 12 year old isn't going to go weapon first on the design? Forget drive, impact toughness, etc. Start with a cool looking weapon. Thus we have the tri-tipped blade of Gh-Astley. Now Rick Roller had very little 3D printing but that's such a big part of the weight class...it was time to really dive in and learn. The chassis is mostly TPU with some Carbon Fiber top plates. First design looked awesome, fit together perfectly, held the motors in place and was good to go. Totally nailed it...as a sweet model to put up on the bookshelf. Fitting a battery and electronics would be like trying to squeeze a 30lb rumble into cage 2...interesting, lots of stacking and twisting, but ultimately an ineffective and impossible task. <br />
<br />
Not wanting to stop at style of bot and chassis material, the decision was also made to try all new motors, electronics, and a round belt instead of timing belt for the weapon. Unfortunately, the round belts were proving to be a bit much and putting too much tension on the motor but not gripping the pulley when loosened. Not enough time to source proper timing belts, so we 3D printed some out of TPU, which spun the weapon but were admittedly not ideal. Something that will definitely be on the upgrade list for v.2! <br />
<br />
After some adjustments and practicing a lot with fusion, Gh-Astley was complete. 100% kid designed from the ground up. A totally new bot experience, learning to drive a horizontal style, figuring out the intricacies of a different motor/weapon design, but super excited and ready to have a blast as always in Norwalk! At least the testing stage will be set at the New Bot event and an opportunity to share in the nervous excitement of fellow builders testing out new ideas and creative visions. Can't wait to jump into the cage with another driver working out a fresh new design and maybe equally as nervous and excited about how their vision will fare!<br />
<br />
First matchup?....Blue and White Synthesis er...Catalyst. A Builder/Driver that brings a ton of experience + destructive force in the vertical field. Absolutely top notch brutal build quality and a nightmare first match. But being fan first when the news was broken about the matchup upon return from school, our Designer's response was "Oh no!...well, it will be cool to meet Corey!". Looks like it will be up to the mini-bot to swoop in for an assist. What's that? Catalyst will have Chainsaw Kitty's talented mini-bot driver? Cool, Cool, Cool...Sounds like we'll need some spares of everything!<br />
<br />
'''January 2024'''<br />
<br />
New Bot, new adventures...new challenge to put it all back together after being decimated by one of the best! First up is Catalyst. Good news is our weapon spun up...and a sweet weapon it is. The Sherikan-style design was a goal of our (now 13 year old) builder/driver and then we built a bot around it....more of a weapon delivery system than carefully crafted robot. Lucky for us, Corey is a cool dude and probably took it easier on us than he could have. Things started to get confusing on the stream as there is another "gastly" Pokemon themed bot and the announcers understandably mixed us up. <br />
<br />
''Sidebar: Our Gh-Astley is a continuation on the Rick '''Astley''' theme from Rick Roller.'' <br />
<br />
One giant hit from Catalyst and our Carbon Fiber top plate was split as we were thrown almost to the ceiling. On the second hit, the right wheel was like "I'm Out!" and the weapon belt thought that was a grrrrreat idea and bounced as well. Thinking Catalyst might be coming for our family next, it was a quick TapOut at 25 seconds in...better than 20 seconds? <br />
<br />
Next up was Hotcake: Unfortunately a forfeit...we always love to fight!<br />
<br />
On to "Proof of Concept: Concept Proved! A hit from this good beater, our top plate cracked the weapon motor housing and caused it to separate enough for the weapon to be intermittent. All part of a new bot and really new builder (2nd bot in less than a year competing). We'll learn and upgrade for next time!<br />
<br />
'''April 2024'''<br />
<br />
Learned a lot in January and made some subtle but important tweaks. Our captain has poured a lot into this bot. Really taking note of what didn't work and exploring different designs. V2 of Gh-Astley is a tighter frame, no longer rounded off in the back and more compact with wiring. Thinner Carbon top and bottom with the bot name cut into the top (Sharp design choice kid!). Aluminum rails now hold the weapon/shaft. This one is coming in hot!....oh no...literally coming in hot! Friday, April 19th approximately 2:30pm, one more quick test in the home box before heading off for safety and smoke! A quick dash to the backyard and the what seemed like removing 1,000 screws from the top plate to see a completely toasted ESC. BTW - preaching to the choir here, but there's no smell that can linger in a basement like burnt electronics, so slight delay while we gather every fan in a 2.24 mile radius to air things out before mom gets home!....No other way to put it, devastation. Down to 2 more ESCs and 3 motors. Looks like only one motor lost, so we swap out the fried motor and ESC and make the call to give it one more test (outside of course!). It moves and the weapon spins, but oh no! Smoke again and flames come shooting out of the top. This time we put in fewer screws but this sucks! We've learned a lot but diagnosing trouble of this magnitude is still waaaaaayyyyyy out of the wheelhouse. Now 4pm, we quickly dissect another bot to grab some Geckos as spares and head off to safety with a plan to completely gut the inside and try an all new system while hoping to lean on the community knowledge to at least point us toward a cause of the problem...<br />
<br />
Well, we made it through safety! A little pleading with our captain to take it super easy on the drive/weapon until the first match. Hey, if we're going to blow up our bot, let's at least have an audience and put on a show!<br />
<br />
If you follow along with our Rick Roller storyline, you know that we think very highly of the community and how supportive everyone is. Game day/morning, we were talking to our friends from the local ASML team. We've never actually faced them in the arena, but the've always been super supportive and incredibly nice. So awesome that our captain has mentioned ASML seeming like a cool place to work...but not sure if they're recruiting on the middle school circuit. Anyway, we explained our dilemma and sure enough within probably 10 minutes, they offered to lend us a back-up ESC AND diagnosed our issue to a bad 3rd coil on one of our motors....incredible! Nice to have an answer and put to rest our theory of it being demon related (we're not engineers by trade and do live in a very old house). <br />
<br />
Well, we made it through safety! A little pleading with our captain to take it super easy on the drive/weapon until the first match. Hey, if we're going to blow up our bot, let's at least have an audience and put on a show!<br />
<br />
If you follow along with our Rick Roller storyline, you know that we think very highly of the community and how supportive everyone is. Game day/morning, we were talking to our friends from the local ASML team. We've never actually faced them in the arena, but the've always been super supportive and incredibly nice. So awesome that our captain has mentioned ASML seeming like a cool place to work...but not sure if they're recruiting on the middle school circuit. Anyway, we explained our dilemma and sure enough within probably 10 minutes, they offered to lend us a back-up ESC AND diagnosed our issue to a bad 3rd coil on one of our motors....incredible! Nice to have an answer and put to rest our theory of it being demon related (we're not engineers by trade and do live in a very old house). <br />
<br />
First matchup was set to be Woodpecker, a rare drill bot and we were super curious to see if our reach and weapon position would be able to hit the bit..unfortunately they had some issues getting things working to get through safety and had to forfeit. Guess we'll wait a little bit longer for the next test. <br />
<br />
Next up was Jack Ketch from the veteran Bad Crew team. A fixture at events, they're a great group of young local builders and doing a lot to help make the sport accessible. <br />
<br />
'''October 2024'''<br />
<br />
Oh...we back baby! Let's see what this nightmare can do without it's belts!<br />
<br />
'''March 2025'''<br />
<br />
Stay tuned.... <br />
<br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Gh-Astley|class=3lb}}<br />
<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=17280Rick Roller2025-02-08T04:26:23Z<p>RickRoller: minor updates</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar w/ Custom Ar500 Teeth<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD that is good about 43% of the time.<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki>When our driver runs it into Chonkii during a rumble, then 0 wheel drive, 100% of the time...but what a glorious way to lose both wheels!<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S.....and wishes<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever! First time picking up a soldering iron, sooooo (new skill..woohoo!). Totally new to mini-switches so that meant we had probably the heaviest power switch (an embarrassingly large toggle from amazon) in the history of combat robots. After an unlucky draw, a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the more seasoned Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out spinning runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This event we added some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date....(our own drive motors). AND a fingertech mini switch...Progress! We also printed a PLA inner chassis (admittedly not the best material...which will be a factor) and added PLA wheel guards. First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. Our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). Our wheel guards, which we called the "one hit wonders" (staying on brand), were immediately ripped off but at least saved a couple direct hits to the wheels. The match went the distance but the judges decision didn't go our way. The PLA frame cracked and made some things get pretty loose. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
During our repair window we had a hub stuck in one of our wheels. Luckily our pit neighbors (and next opponents), Deep Cut, helped with some shop guidance. Much appreciated and it got us both up to speed for the Last Chance match. This may also be the greatest attribute of NHRL, the people. Despite being a competition, everyone is quick to help each other for the good of the show. It's truly an amazing atmosphere. During our match we were able to dislodge a wheel on our opponent and pick up the KO. While this one happened to go our way, the Deep Cut team builds some nice looking and hard hitting bots. We look forward to seeing them some more. <br />
<br />
Our first round bracket matchup was against Wormhole. A young veteran with a very impressive undercutter and super nice team. Rick Roller managed to step to the side in the box rush and deal a quick side hit, but after some strong hits from Wormhole, the PLA front plate holding the weapon motor loosened and the belt wouldn't spin the weapon. We knew PLA is not the best material for combat robotics, but we've never printed with anything else so it's been small steps through the design. We also had some drive issues but luckily found that our opponent also lost their weapon belt and had an impacted drive. The match went the distance as both bots shuffled and "chased" each other around the cage with busted drives like the waning moments of a state fair demolition derby. Judges decision to Wormhole in a fun match against a team we will continue to root for! <br />
<br />
'''June 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Guess who's back, back again! (c'mon, never gonna say goodbye, seemed too "on the nose"). Came back with some more minor changes. We switched up the front plate to aluminum and added some TPU wheel guards that just curved around the back of the wheels. Yes, we tried printing with TPU. It wasn't pretty and it also wasn't effective! One wheel guard got caught under our own wheel driving to the corner...yikes! Since our first opponent was Count Forkula, our Captain made the excellent decision to tape plastic spoons to our wheel guards since spoons are the Fork's natural enemy. In the end, we probably should have gone with Sporks because this control bot got under us and prevented us from doing much the whole match. Easy judges decision for them and a good rookie bot! Count Forkula is seriously going to be a threat for years to come. <br />
<br />
Last chance match-up was against an absolute top notch Jackrabbit Flex. Got a good early hit on the mini-bot and a couple strong pins. Speed has not been an issue for the Rick Roller but control has been. Thankfully we also learned about Exponential Control after this match and will be able to throttle down in the future. Experience grows. The match went the distance but we suspect our miniswitch screw was not fully turned at the start and came loose. We lost power at the very end of the match, thus failing the drive/weapon test. Nevertheless an honor to share the box with another top competitor and got some valuable advice afterward. <br />
<br />
The Rick Roller captain will forever be a fan first and competitor second, so the chance to compete in a rumble was a must...but first a couple more matchups. <br />
<br />
On Sunday, faced off against the tough drum spinner, Golddust. Titanium is no joke. Good fight but couldn't do a whole lot and took it to a judges decision that didn't go our way. Still really cool to face off against our first opponents from overseas. <br />
<br />
Over the past two events we've had the good luck to be pit neighbors with Money Shot and watch the evolution of that bot. It may be one of the coolest designs and the detail is awesome from the dollar sign weapon to the custom wheel hubs...check it out up close the next time you're in Norwalk. Money Shot was also kind enough to stick around for a grudge match at the request of our captain. Money Shot had, up until this point, dealt with some unfortunate weapon belt and motor issues. However, upon the start of the match we quickly realized that things were going to stop being polite and start getting real (any MTV Real World fans reading this?). When Money Shot's weapon spun up, it sounded like a 747 was about to make a Norwalk to Fort Lauderdale run. The Rick Roller was knocked into its own VH1 Behind the Music. It forced our first ever Tap Out because there was a rumble happening and we needed a mostly functioning bot. Nevertheless, we're rooting for Money Shot to bring some pain and hopefully qualify for the Championships. <br />
<br />
Ultimate Rumble time. Just being in the same arena as the drivers of Crashfest, Pawsatively Hissterical, Spartan, Disinformation, Wormhole etc....was an honor. After zipping around for a while and dealing a few hits, Rick Roller's captain in his own words decided to "just send it into Chonkiii". In a magnificent impact, both wheels were blown off with a shaft sticking out of one. Our captain immediately proclaimed it "the best day of his life". <br />
<br />
'''August 2023:''' <br />
<br />
For this one we swapped some of the UHMW for an AluPoly material and added some Aluminum wheel guards. Hold on, that sounds like a lot of weight? It was actually only about 2.3oz over but this time we added...a Mini Bot! We didn't want to just throw and RC car in there, so our captain designed and printed a wedge out of PLA+ and added an aluminum/lexan top. It was an ugly little bot, but it was a start and only 12 oz! <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Team Shreddit member, Patient 0. Really tough bot and we learned early that the AluPoly was worth trying but not a good enough material to hold things together. Our back plate got ripped off and forced a tap out before any exposed electronics got appropriately shredded! <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we managed to repair everything and were ready to rock for the last chance before an unfortunate forfeit by our opponent. <br />
<br />
Bracket time and our wheel of fate landed on the icon, Calvin Iba and Mixtape. An assist from our friends with some Aluminum tape and we were ready to go. Mixtape could not have been a cooler opponent...well, he could have been cooler in temperature and that would have helped a lot! First time in the main arena area and you know you're in trouble when your opponent's highlights are playing on the screens before the match. Got a good hit in early and avoided the flame a bit to make it 2.5 minutes into the match. Ultimately rubber wheels + fire is not a good combination...unless of course you're controlling the fire. With some sweet green wheel streaks on the floor and bits of rubber stuck to the walls, the Rick Roller was knocked out. Nevertheless, to get roasted by a Champion and a fan favorite bot, was a young career highlight by the 12 year old captain of Rick Roller...and new "best day of my life", something that NHRL has had a special knack for creating. <br />
<br />
We may not be the most technically savvy but we look forward to continue with little tweaks and just want to put on a good show. Incredibly grateful for NHRL, all the competitors that make us this unrivaled community, and the fans who come out to CT's best hidden gem for entertainment. <br />
<br />
'''September 30th:''' <br />
<br />
Ever been working on a project and feel good about it but then right at the deadline realize you overlooked something kinda important? But then you're like it's still pretty good and it'll be fine...but IT IS NOT FINE and your own wheel guards disable your wheels. We rolled into this one with some new material, a slightly new design, and custom beater teeth (designed by our Captain). Super excited to test out some new materials and see how the teeth performed. Minibot was also back because even though we dropped weight shifting to some Nylon/CF parts, the AR500 teeth put us slightly over by 1.6oz. <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Stratus from the veteran Bad Crew squad (a really nice local group of students and mentors who we've enjoyed getting to know over the past couple of events). Testing with the new teeth, we realized that we were draining battery and probably needed to run conservative or maybe reduce a little weight? Our driver/captain has an amazing grasp of the English language but seemingly does not understand the phrase "throttle down your weapon". He spins the beater bar like Keanu Reeves trying to keep a bus from exploding (raise your hand if you get that reference). We decided to just bolt the teeth in with 4 of the screws..we know, bad idea! Match started with some big hits by the Rick Roller, tossing Stratus up against the wall. However, on the second hit, the teeth bent at the middle screws (mistake 1). After taking a hit from our opponent, one of the wheel guards also came loose and our fastening screw lodged into the rear wheel and prevented any movement. Rick Roller was out with a KO...but two important lessons learned and future design changes that may finally get us over the hurdle. Happy with the way the teeth performed otherwise. If you've been following along on our journey, you know that wheel guards have been a recurring problem. Rest assured that prior to the next Rick Roller appearance we will be making an offering to Gjorfenskik the Scandinavian god of wheel guards, who I'm sure we've angered at some point along the way. <br />
<br />
Second match was against Scotties Scrambler, another Fingertech Beater Bar, but this one was running the Athenas Teeth. We opted to go without teeth this time and just work on taking it the distance. Scotties Scrambler was another very nice team and a well driven bot that just stayed relentless throughout the match. It went the distance but was an easy judges decision for our opponent. <br />
<br />
Wrapped up the day with a rumble. Had a chance to get in the area with a couple of the Brazilian bots and couldn't pass up the chance. Also joined by ER Stingray, a local horizontal, so a bit of a CT vs. Brazil match. Got in a couple hits and avoided any significant damage. Even managed to push all 3 bots at once into the house bot at one point, which was a fun demonstration of the pushing potential of the Rick Roller. The rumbles are always a lot of fun and hopefully entertaining for the crowd. <br />
<br />
Learned a ton this season, had an absolute blast, and made a lot of friends. NHRL is hands down one of the best communities and we look forward to see this sport continue to grow. Our Captain has been busy since the summer designing a new bot for January and we look forward to testing out a new design and introducing Gh-Astley to the Team Rick Roller stable! <br />
<br />
'''March 2024:''' <br />
<br />
Did you get a load of that Gh-Astley bot in January? We're never going to give it up, but it did let us down a bit...In all seriousness, good to be back with Rick Roller but the development and experimentation with Gh-Astley AND Rick Roller is a lot of fun. This event will feature a new mini-bot design. Our captain asked for steel plates for Christmas (like any normal 13 year old?) and managed to get a couple....I guess it's better than coal. So the mini-bot is now a box with some decent looking steel forks. Probably not the most effective design, but for a kid still learning Fusion 360 and trying new things, we're excited to check this out! Since we've been watching Parks & Rec, the mini is affectionately called Mouserat. <br />
<br />
It's an incredible thing when you are prepping for an event and the bot just kind of comes together. No more late night troubleshooting and cramming. Finally an almost final Rick Roller version...now for one last test and...why's it driving like that? Ok, so it came together easily but wow was that drive a mess. We tried tuning things through the transmitter but alas it has the back and forth movement of Droopy but with wheels and without the devastating hits! <br />
<br />
First match was Stag Beetle Bot...they have merch for sale in the store! They're a veteran team and so nice! Really what makes this sport so accessible and so great for young competitors is the kindness and equality. Teams like Stag Beetle Bot do a lot to help foster that environment while remaining a dangerous opponent. It's competitive but supportive at the same time. Our mini-bot has really become an asset for our opponents so it was a non-factor....actually "non-factor" is not a bad name for it. So a bit of a back and forth for the match and an easy Judges Decision for SBB. <br />
<br />
Ok, 0-1 so with the new format, we need to win the next 2 to get into the tournament. Let's run around and hurt some bots! Next up is Botterfly, a pretty cool vert that runs a wedge mini. In between matches, we tried some additional mixing, but it looks like this event will be a test of overcoming drive issues. For the kids getting into this sport or anyone really, part of it is figuring out how to overcome issues and adapt! Hey, if our driver can improve with a messed-up drive, maybe it will help when things are fixed. Immediately to start the match, the mini-bots locked each other up and the new design is working well. Steel forks and slightly more pushing power lets us control that interaction. Despite the drive challenges, the Rick Roller was able to get a couple hits and lightly flip Botterfly over. Nothing devastating, but the occasional pop for aggression points. The biggest hit coming on our own mini-bot...yet again....good thing we cut a few extra of those steel forks! Victory for the Rick Roller via Judges Decision! <br />
<br />
Next up was Buster! We thought it was an overhead horizontal but it turned out to be a beater. The fork design on the mini worked well in this one. We were able to lock up the mini on Buster and get hooked under their forks with our barb. While not able to push them around with the mini-bot, it hindered their movement while the Rick Roller shuffled to a couple bumps. Ultimately, something must have gotten knocked a little loose and Buster lost mobility for the KO win for Rick Roller...onto the Tourney! <br />
<br />
First match-up was the awesome Tron themed SSP bot, MCB (also awesome name for the style and theme!). We were fighting through a couple drive issues but knew if we could lock up, we had the torque to push pretty well. Which was good because our beater probably wouldn't be able to grab into such a low profile bot. Great match with some back and forth. The mini-bots kind of neutralized each other and Rick Roller managed to get some decent pins. At one point during a late pin, some "magic smoke" started to rise from our opponent, perhaps the weight and power of our motors was paying off? The match went the distance and the judges ruled in our favor to advance. But just another amazing competitor in MCB. So nice and really great to compete against and talk to before/after the match. Also another local CT team, so we're sure we'll see them around a lot more...and hope to! <br />
<br />
Gotta catch up on 2024 updates but that was soooooo long ago and it’s not like we’re writing this stuff down as we go, so we’ll watch the videos back and give some updates. Probably some good/some not so good. Lots of fun and lots of learning. <br />
<br />
'''February 2025''' <br />
<br />
Despite being on the shelf for the past 7 months and having plenty of gear and materials ready to roll with Gh-Astley, the OG is back!…Wait, why? Fine…”never gonna give you up” is a thing but c’mon, let’s move on. Just when I thought I was out, they (and by "they", I mean our 14 year old builder with no sense of time or money) pulls us back in! But….there’s just something about a first bot. <br />
<br />
At least let’s go in trying some new things. Hello cleated wheels! Ever wonder what it would be like to drive an RC car on a skating rink? Well we’ve got some cleated wheels for you! <br />
<br />
First match was Sting Operation. A great driver who has build quite the trophy collection in the ant field and we faced at another event. Talented driver and touch hammersaw. Remember those wheels? How about skating with just one skate? Yup, one popped off pretty quickly. Good start for the Rick Roller? Nope! Expected start for the Rick Roller? Yep! Gh-Astley chillin at home is looking like a pretty epic misfire at this point. Despite a glimmer of hope when Sting Ops got stuck in the floor, it was a well deserved K.O. <br />
<br />
One more match to go. This time Power On! We met Power On at his first NHRL and it’s been cool to watch the development of the bot. This time it was using a borrowed weapon. Surely not from a scary dumpster threat right?…Oh, Impakt?! Cool cool cool. Goal for match 2…try not to lose a ton of gear. Belt tension was a bit too tight and first weapon to weapon hit snapped the shaft on the motor. Day done…let’s watch some matches and focus on March! If Rick Roller comes back...and that's a big "If", expect some major redesigns or a little sister handoff...which would be full send chaos! <br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2023]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=17243Rick Roller2025-02-03T05:27:24Z<p>RickRoller: /* Robot Facts */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar w/ Custom Ar500 Teeth<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD that is good about 43% of the time.<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki>When our driver runs it into Chonkii during a rumble, then 0 wheel drive, 100% of the time...but what a glorious way to lose both wheels!<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S.....and wishes<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever! First time picking up a soldering iron, sooooo (new skill..woohoo!). Totally new to mini-switches so that meant we had probably the heaviest power switch (an embarrassingly large toggle from amazon) in the history of combat robots. After an unlucky draw, a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the more seasoned Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out spinning runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This event we added some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date....(our own drive motors). AND a fingertech mini switch...Progress! We also printed a PLA inner chassis (admittedly not the best material...which will be a factor) and added PLA wheel guards. First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. Our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). Our wheel guards, which we called the "one hit wonders" (staying on brand), were immediately ripped off but at least saved a couple direct hits to the wheels. The match went the distance but the judges decision didn't go our way. The PLA frame cracked and made some things get pretty loose. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
During our repair window we had a hub stuck in one of our wheels. Luckily our pit neighbors (and next opponents), Deep Cut, helped with some shop guidance. Much appreciated and it got us both up to speed for the Last Chance match. This may also be the greatest attribute of NHRL, the people. Despite being a competition, everyone is quick to help each other for the good of the show. It's truly an amazing atmosphere. During our match we were able to dislodge a wheel on our opponent and pick up the KO. While this one happened to go our way, the Deep Cut team builds some nice looking and hard hitting bots. We look forward to seeing them some more. <br />
<br />
Our first round bracket matchup was against Wormhole. A young veteran with a very impressive undercutter and super nice team. Rick Roller managed to step to the side in the box rush and deal a quick side hit, but after some strong hits from Wormhole, the PLA front plate holding the weapon motor loosened and the belt wouldn't spin the weapon. We knew PLA is not the best material for combat robotics, but we've never printed with anything else so it's been small steps through the design. We also had some drive issues but luckily found that our opponent also lost their weapon belt and had an impacted drive. The match went the distance as both bots shuffled and "chased" each other around the cage with busted drives like the waning moments of a state fair demolition derby. Judges decision to Wormhole in a fun match against a team we will continue to root for! <br />
<br />
'''June 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Guess who's back, back again! (c'mon, never gonna say goodbye, seemed too "on the nose"). Came back with some more minor changes. We switched up the front plate to aluminum and added some TPU wheel guards that just curved around the back of the wheels. Yes, we tried printing with TPU. It wasn't pretty and it also wasn't effective! One wheel guard got caught under our own wheel driving to the corner...yikes! Since our first opponent was Count Forkula, our Captain made the excellent decision to tape plastic spoons to our wheel guards since spoons are the Fork's natural enemy. In the end, we probably should have gone with Sporks because this control bot got under us and prevented us from doing much the whole match. Easy judges decision for them and a good rookie bot! Count Forkula is seriously going to be a threat for years to come. <br />
<br />
Last chance match-up was against an absolute top notch Jackrabbit Flex. Got a good early hit on the mini-bot and a couple strong pins. Speed has not been an issue for the Rick Roller but control has been. Thankfully we also learned about Exponential Control after this match and will be able to throttle down in the future. Experience grows. The match went the distance but we suspect our miniswitch screw was not fully turned at the start and came loose. We lost power at the very end of the match, thus failing the drive/weapon test. Nevertheless an honor to share the box with another top competitor and got some valuable advice afterward. <br />
<br />
The Rick Roller captain will forever be a fan first and competitor second, so the chance to compete in a rumble was a must...but first a couple more matchups. <br />
<br />
On Sunday, faced off against the tough drum spinner, Golddust. Titanium is no joke. Good fight but couldn't do a whole lot and took it to a judges decision that didn't go our way. Still really cool to face off against our first opponents from overseas. <br />
<br />
Over the past two events we've had the good luck to be pit neighbors with Money Shot and watch the evolution of that bot. It may be one of the coolest designs and the detail is awesome from the dollar sign weapon to the custom wheel hubs...check it out up close the next time you're in Norwalk. Money Shot was also kind enough to stick around for a grudge match at the request of our captain. Money Shot had, up until this point, dealt with some unfortunate weapon belt and motor issues. However, upon the start of the match we quickly realized that things were going to stop being polite and start getting real (any MTV Real World fans reading this?). When Money Shot's weapon spun up, it sounded like a 747 was about to make a Norwalk to Fort Lauderdale run. The Rick Roller was knocked into its own VH1 Behind the Music. It forced our first ever Tap Out because there was a rumble happening and we needed a mostly functioning bot. Nevertheless, we're rooting for Money Shot to bring some pain and hopefully qualify for the Championships. <br />
<br />
Ultimate Rumble time. Just being in the same arena as the drivers of Crashfest, Pawsatively Hissterical, Spartan, Disinformation, Wormhole etc....was an honor. After zipping around for a while and dealing a few hits, Rick Roller's captain in his own words decided to "just send it into Chonkiii". In a magnificent impact, both wheels were blown off with a shaft sticking out of one. Our captain immediately proclaimed it "the best day of his life". <br />
<br />
'''August 2023:''' <br />
<br />
For this one we swapped some of the UHMW for an AluPoly material and added some Aluminum wheel guards. Hold on, that sounds like a lot of weight? It was actually only about 2.3oz over but this time we added...a Mini Bot! We didn't want to just throw and RC car in there, so our captain designed and printed a wedge out of PLA+ and added an aluminum/lexan top. It was an ugly little bot, but it was a start and only 12 oz! <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Team Shreddit member, Patient 0. Really tough bot and we learned early that the AluPoly was worth trying but not a good enough material to hold things together. Our back plate got ripped off and forced a tap out before any exposed electronics got appropriately shredded! <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we managed to repair everything and were ready to rock for the last chance before an unfortunate forfeit by our opponent. <br />
<br />
Bracket time and our wheel of fate landed on the icon, Calvin Iba and Mixtape. An assist from our friends with some Aluminum tape and we were ready to go. Mixtape could not have been a cooler opponent...well, he could have been cooler in temperature and that would have helped a lot! First time in the main arena area and you know you're in trouble when your opponent's highlights are playing on the screens before the match. Got a good hit in early and avoided the flame a bit to make it 2.5 minutes into the match. Ultimately rubber wheels + fire is not a good combination...unless of course you're controlling the fire. With some sweet green wheel streaks on the floor and bits of rubber stuck to the walls, the Rick Roller was knocked out. Nevertheless, to get roasted by a Champion and a fan favorite bot, was a young career highlight by the 12 year old captain of Rick Roller...and new "best day of my life", something that NHRL has had a special knack for creating. <br />
<br />
We may not be the most technically savvy but we look forward to continue with little tweaks and just want to put on a good show. Incredibly grateful for NHRL, all the competitors that make us this unrivaled community, and the fans who come out to CT's best hidden gem for entertainment. <br />
<br />
'''September 30th:''' <br />
<br />
Ever been working on a project and feel good about it but then right at the deadline realize you overlooked something kinda important? But then you're like it's still pretty good and it'll be fine...but IT IS NOT FINE and your own wheel guards disable your wheels. We rolled into this one with some new material, a slightly new design, and custom beater teeth (designed by our Captain). Super excited to test out some new materials and see how the teeth performed. Minibot was also back because even though we dropped weight shifting to some Nylon/CF parts, the AR500 teeth put us slightly over by 1.6oz. <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Stratus from the veteran Bad Crew squad (a really nice local group of students and mentors who we've enjoyed getting to know over the past couple of events). Testing with the new teeth, we realized that we were draining battery and probably needed to run conservative or maybe reduce a little weight? Our driver/captain has an amazing grasp of the English language but seemingly does not understand the phrase "throttle down your weapon". He spins the beater bar like Keanu Reeves trying to keep a bus from exploding (raise your hand if you get that reference). We decided to just bolt the teeth in with 4 of the screws..we know, bad idea! Match started with some big hits by the Rick Roller, tossing Stratus up against the wall. However, on the second hit, the teeth bent at the middle screws (mistake 1). After taking a hit from our opponent, one of the wheel guards also came loose and our fastening screw lodged into the rear wheel and prevented any movement. Rick Roller was out with a KO...but two important lessons learned and future design changes that may finally get us over the hurdle. Happy with the way the teeth performed otherwise. If you've been following along on our journey, you know that wheel guards have been a recurring problem. Rest assured that prior to the next Rick Roller appearance we will be making an offering to Gjorfenskik the Scandinavian god of wheel guards, who I'm sure we've angered at some point along the way. <br />
<br />
Second match was against Scotties Scrambler, another Fingertech Beater Bar, but this one was running the Athenas Teeth. We opted to go without teeth this time and just work on taking it the distance. Scotties Scrambler was another very nice team and a well driven bot that just stayed relentless throughout the match. It went the distance but was an easy judges decision for our opponent. <br />
<br />
Wrapped up the day with a rumble. Had a chance to get in the area with a couple of the Brazilian bots and couldn't pass up the chance. Also joined by ER Stingray, a local horizontal, so a bit of a CT vs. Brazil match. Got in a couple hits and avoided any significant damage. Even managed to push all 3 bots at once into the house bot at one point, which was a fun demonstration of the pushing potential of the Rick Roller. The rumbles are always a lot of fun and hopefully entertaining for the crowd. <br />
<br />
Learned a ton this season, had an absolute blast, and made a lot of friends. NHRL is hands down one of the best communities and we look forward to see this sport continue to grow. Our Captain has been busy since the summer designing a new bot for January and we look forward to testing out a new design and introducing Gh-Astley to the Team Rick Roller stable! <br />
<br />
'''March 2024:''' <br />
<br />
Did you get a load of that Gh-Astley bot in January? We're never going to give it up, but it did let us down a bit...In all seriousness, good to be back with Rick Roller but the development and experimentation with Gh-Astley AND Rick Roller is a lot of fun. This event will feature a new mini-bot design. Our captain asked for steel plates for Christmas (like any normal 13 year old?) and managed to get a couple....I guess it's better than coal. So the mini-bot is now a box with some decent looking steel forks. Probably not the most effective design, but for a kid still learning Fusion 360 and trying new things, we're excited to check this out! Since we've been watching Parks & Rec, the mini is affectionately called Mouserat. <br />
<br />
It's an incredible thing when you are prepping for an event and the bot just kind of comes together. No more late night troubleshooting and cramming. Finally an almost final Rick Roller version...now for one last test and...why's it driving like that? Ok, so it came together easily but wow was that drive a mess. We tried tuning things through the transmitter but alas it has the back and forth movement of Droopy but with wheels and without the devastating hits! <br />
<br />
First match was Stag Beetle Bot...they have merch for sale in the store! They're a veteran team and so nice! Really what makes this sport so accessible and so great for young competitors is the kindness and equality. Teams like Stag Beetle Bot do a lot to help foster that environment while remaining a dangerous opponent. It's competitive but supportive at the same time. Our mini-bot has really become an asset for our opponents so it was a non-factor....actually "non-factor" is not a bad name for it. So a bit of a back and forth for the match and an easy Judges Decision for SBB. <br />
<br />
Ok, 0-1 so with the new format, we need to win the next 2 to get into the tournament. Let's run around and hurt some bots! Next up is Botterfly, a pretty cool vert that runs a wedge mini. In between matches, we tried some additional mixing, but it looks like this event will be a test of overcoming drive issues. For the kids getting into this sport or anyone really, part of it is figuring out how to overcome issues and adapt! Hey, if our driver can improve with a messed-up drive, maybe it will help when things are fixed. Immediately to start the match, the mini-bots locked each other up and the new design is working well. Steel forks and slightly more pushing power lets us control that interaction. Despite the drive challenges, the Rick Roller was able to get a couple hits and lightly flip Botterfly over. Nothing devastating, but the occasional pop for aggression points. The biggest hit coming on our own mini-bot...yet again....good thing we cut a few extra of those steel forks! Victory for the Rick Roller via Judges Decision! <br />
<br />
Next up was Buster! We thought it was an overhead horizontal but it turned out to be a beater. The fork design on the mini worked well in this one. We were able to lock up the mini on Buster and get hooked under their forks with our barb. While not able to push them around with the mini-bot, it hindered their movement while the Rick Roller shuffled to a couple bumps. Ultimately, something must have gotten knocked a little loose and Buster lost mobility for the KO win for Rick Roller...onto the Tourney! <br />
<br />
First match-up was the awesome Tron themed SSP bot, MCB (also awesome name for the style and theme!). We were fighting through a couple drive issues but knew if we could lock up, we had the torque to push pretty well. Which was good because our beater probably wouldn't be able to grab into such a low profile bot. Great match with some back and forth. The mini-bots kind of neutralized each other and Rick Roller managed to get some decent pins. At one point during a late pin, some "magic smoke" started to rise from our opponent, perhaps the weight and power of our motors was paying off? The match went the distance and the judges ruled in our favor to advance. But just another amazing competitor in MCB. So nice and really great to compete against and talk to before/after the match. Also another local CT team, so we're sure we'll see them around a lot more...and hope to! <br />
<br />
Gotta catch up on 2024 updates but that was soooooo long ago and it’s not like we’re writing this stuff down as we go, so we’ll watch the videos back and give some updates. Probably some good/some not so good. Lots of fun and lots of learning. <br />
<br />
'''February 2025''' <br />
<br />
Despite being on the shelf for the past 7 months and having plenty of gear and materials ready to roll with Gh-Astley, the OG is back!…Wait, why? Fine…”never gonna give you up” is a thing but c’mon, let’s move on. But….there’s just something about a first bot. <br />
<br />
At least let’s go in trying some new things. Hello cleated wheels! Ever wonder what it would be like to drive an RC car on a skating rink? Well we’ve got some cleated wheels for you! <br />
<br />
First match was Sting Operation. A great driver who has build quite the trophy collection in the ant field and we faced at another event. Talented driver and touch hammersaw. Remember those wheels? How about skating with just one skate? Yup, one popped off pretty quickly. Good start for the Rick Roller? Nope! Expected start for the Rick Roller? Yep! <br />
<br />
One more match to go. This time Power On! We met Power On at his first NHRL and it’s been cool to watch the development of the bot. This time it was using a borrowed weapon. Surely not from a scary dumpster threat right?…Oh, Impakt?! Cool cool cool. Goal for match 2…try not to lose a ton of gear. Belt tension was a bit too tight and first weapon to weapon hit snapped the shaft on the motor. Day done…let’s watch some matches and focus on March! <br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2023]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=17242Rick Roller2025-02-03T05:24:35Z<p>RickRoller: /* Robot Facts */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar w/ Custom Ar500 Teeth<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD that is good about 43% of the time.<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki>When our driver runs it into Chonkii during a rumble, then 0 wheel drive, 100% of the time...but what a glorious way to lose both wheels!<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S.....and wishes<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever! First time picking up a soldering iron, sooooo (new skill..woohoo!). Totally new to mini-switches so that meant we had probably the heaviest power switch (an embarrassingly large toggle from amazon) in the history of combat robots. After an unlucky draw, a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the more seasoned Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out spinning runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This event we added some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date....(our own drive motors). AND a fingertech mini switch...Progress! We also printed a PLA inner chassis (admittedly not the best material...which will be a factor) and added PLA wheel guards. First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. Our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). Our wheel guards, which we called the "one hit wonders" (staying on brand), were immediately ripped off but at least saved a couple direct hits to the wheels. The match went the distance but the judges decision didn't go our way. The PLA frame cracked and made some things get pretty loose. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
During our repair window we had a hub stuck in one of our wheels. Luckily our pit neighbors (and next opponents), Deep Cut, helped with some shop guidance. Much appreciated and it got us both up to speed for the Last Chance match. This may also be the greatest attribute of NHRL, the people. Despite being a competition, everyone is quick to help each other for the good of the show. It's truly an amazing atmosphere. During our match we were able to dislodge a wheel on our opponent and pick up the KO. While this one happened to go our way, the Deep Cut team builds some nice looking and hard hitting bots. We look forward to seeing them some more. <br />
<br />
Our first round bracket matchup was against Wormhole. A young veteran with a very impressive undercutter and super nice team. Rick Roller managed to step to the side in the box rush and deal a quick side hit, but after some strong hits from Wormhole, the PLA front plate holding the weapon motor loosened and the belt wouldn't spin the weapon. We knew PLA is not the best material for combat robotics, but we've never printed with anything else so it's been small steps through the design. We also had some drive issues but luckily found that our opponent also lost their weapon belt and had an impacted drive. The match went the distance as both bots shuffled and "chased" each other around the cage with busted drives like the waning moments of a state fair demolition derby. Judges decision to Wormhole in a fun match against a team we will continue to root for! <br />
<br />
'''June 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Guess who's back, back again! (c'mon, never gonna say goodbye, seemed too "on the nose"). Came back with some more minor changes. We switched up the front plate to aluminum and added some TPU wheel guards that just curved around the back of the wheels. Yes, we tried printing with TPU. It wasn't pretty and it also wasn't effective! One wheel guard got caught under our own wheel driving to the corner...yikes! Since our first opponent was Count Forkula, our Captain made the excellent decision to tape plastic spoons to our wheel guards since spoons are the Fork's natural enemy. In the end, we probably should have gone with Sporks because this control bot got under us and prevented us from doing much the whole match. Easy judges decision for them and a good rookie bot! Count Forkula is seriously going to be a threat for years to come. <br />
<br />
Last chance match-up was against an absolute top notch Jackrabbit Flex. Got a good early hit on the mini-bot and a couple strong pins. Speed has not been an issue for the Rick Roller but control has been. Thankfully we also learned about Exponential Control after this match and will be able to throttle down in the future. Experience grows. The match went the distance but we suspect our miniswitch screw was not fully turned at the start and came loose. We lost power at the very end of the match, thus failing the drive/weapon test. Nevertheless an honor to share the box with another top competitor and got some valuable advice afterward. <br />
<br />
The Rick Roller captain will forever be a fan first and competitor second, so the chance to compete in a rumble was a must...but first a couple more matchups. <br />
<br />
On Sunday, faced off against the tough drum spinner, Golddust. Titanium is no joke. Good fight but couldn't do a whole lot and took it to a judges decision that didn't go our way. Still really cool to face off against our first opponents from overseas. <br />
<br />
Over the past two events we've had the good luck to be pit neighbors with Money Shot and watch the evolution of that bot. It may be one of the coolest designs and the detail is awesome from the dollar sign weapon to the custom wheel hubs...check it out up close the next time you're in Norwalk. Money Shot was also kind enough to stick around for a grudge match at the request of our captain. Money Shot had, up until this point, dealt with some unfortunate weapon belt and motor issues. However, upon the start of the match we quickly realized that things were going to stop being polite and start getting real (any MTV Real World fans reading this?). When Money Shot's weapon spun up, it sounded like a 747 was about to make a Norwalk to Fort Lauderdale run. The Rick Roller was knocked into its own VH1 Behind the Music. It forced our first ever Tap Out because there was a rumble happening and we needed a mostly functioning bot. Nevertheless, we're rooting for Money Shot to bring some pain and hopefully qualify for the Championships. <br />
<br />
Ultimate Rumble time. Just being in the same arena as the drivers of Crashfest, Pawsatively Hissterical, Spartan, Disinformation, Wormhole etc....was an honor. After zipping around for a while and dealing a few hits, Rick Roller's captain in his own words decided to "just send it into Chonkiii". In a magnificent impact, both wheels were blown off with a shaft sticking out of one. Our captain immediately proclaimed it "the best day of his life". <br />
<br />
'''August 2023:''' <br />
<br />
For this one we swapped some of the UHMW for an AluPoly material and added some Aluminum wheel guards. Hold on, that sounds like a lot of weight? It was actually only about 2.3oz over but this time we added...a Mini Bot! We didn't want to just throw and RC car in there, so our captain designed and printed a wedge out of PLA+ and added an aluminum/lexan top. It was an ugly little bot, but it was a start and only 12 oz! <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Team Shreddit member, Patient 0. Really tough bot and we learned early that the AluPoly was worth trying but not a good enough material to hold things together. Our back plate got ripped off and forced a tap out before any exposed electronics got appropriately shredded! <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we managed to repair everything and were ready to rock for the last chance before an unfortunate forfeit by our opponent. <br />
<br />
Bracket time and our wheel of fate landed on the icon, Calvin Iba and Mixtape. An assist from our friends with some Aluminum tape and we were ready to go. Mixtape could not have been a cooler opponent...well, he could have been cooler in temperature and that would have helped a lot! First time in the main arena area and you know you're in trouble when your opponent's highlights are playing on the screens before the match. Got a good hit in early and avoided the flame a bit to make it 2.5 minutes into the match. Ultimately rubber wheels + fire is not a good combination...unless of course you're controlling the fire. With some sweet green wheel streaks on the floor and bits of rubber stuck to the walls, the Rick Roller was knocked out. Nevertheless, to get roasted by a Champion and a fan favorite bot, was a young career highlight by the 12 year old captain of Rick Roller...and new "best day of my life", something that NHRL has had a special knack for creating. <br />
<br />
We may not be the most technically savvy but we look forward to continue with little tweaks and just want to put on a good show. Incredibly grateful for NHRL, all the competitors that make us this unrivaled community, and the fans who come out to CT's best hidden gem for entertainment. <br />
<br />
'''September 30th:''' <br />
<br />
Ever been working on a project and feel good about it but then right at the deadline realize you overlooked something kinda important? But then you're like it's still pretty good and it'll be fine...but IT IS NOT FINE and your own wheel guards disable your wheels. We rolled into this one with some new material, a slightly new design, and custom beater teeth (designed by our Captain). Super excited to test out some new materials and see how the teeth performed. Minibot was also back because even though we dropped weight shifting to some Nylon/CF parts, the AR500 teeth put us slightly over by 1.6oz. <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Stratus from the veteran Bad Crew squad (a really nice local group of students and mentors who we've enjoyed getting to know over the past couple of events). Testing with the new teeth, we realized that we were draining battery and probably needed to run conservative or maybe reduce a little weight? Our driver/captain has an amazing grasp of the English language but seemingly does not understand the phrase "throttle down your weapon". He spins the beater bar like Keanu Reeves trying to keep a bus from exploding (raise your hand if you get that reference). We decided to just bolt the teeth in with 4 of the screws..we know, bad idea! Match started with some big hits by the Rick Roller, tossing Stratus up against the wall. However, on the second hit, the teeth bent at the middle screws (mistake 1). After taking a hit from our opponent, one of the wheel guards also came loose and our fastening screw lodged into the rear wheel and prevented any movement. Rick Roller was out with a KO...but two important lessons learned and future design changes that may finally get us over the hurdle. Happy with the way the teeth performed otherwise. If you've been following along on our journey, you know that wheel guards have been a recurring problem. Rest assured that prior to the next Rick Roller appearance we will be making an offering to Gjorfenskik the Scandinavian god of wheel guards, who I'm sure we've angered at some point along the way. <br />
<br />
Second match was against Scotties Scrambler, another Fingertech Beater Bar, but this one was running the Athenas Teeth. We opted to go without teeth this time and just work on taking it the distance. Scotties Scrambler was another very nice team and a well driven bot that just stayed relentless throughout the match. It went the distance but was an easy judges decision for our opponent. <br />
<br />
Wrapped up the day with a rumble. Had a chance to get in the area with a couple of the Brazilian bots and couldn't pass up the chance. Also joined by ER Stingray, a local horizontal, so a bit of a CT vs. Brazil match. Got in a couple hits and avoided any significant damage. Even managed to push all 3 bots at once into the house bot at one point, which was a fun demonstration of the pushing potential of the Rick Roller. The rumbles are always a lot of fun and hopefully entertaining for the crowd. <br />
<br />
Learned a ton this season, had an absolute blast, and made a lot of friends. NHRL is hands down one of the best communities and we look forward to see this sport continue to grow. Our Captain has been busy since the summer designing a new bot for January and we look forward to testing out a new design and introducing Gh-Astley to the Team Rick Roller stable! <br />
<br />
'''March 2024:''' <br />
<br />
Did you get a load of that Gh-Astley bot in January? We're never going to give it up, but it did let us down a bit...In all seriousness, good to be back with Rick Roller but the development and experimentation with Gh-Astley AND Rick Roller is a lot of fun. This event will feature a new mini-bot design. Our captain asked for steel plates for Christmas (like any normal 13 year old?) and managed to get a couple....I guess it's better than coal. So the mini-bot is now a box with some decent looking steel forks. Probably not the most effective design, but for a kid still learning Fusion 360 and trying new things, we're excited to check this out! Since we've been watching Parks & Rec, the mini is affectionately called Mouserat. <br />
<br />
It's an incredible thing when you are prepping for an event and the bot just kind of comes together. No more late night troubleshooting and cramming. Finally an almost final Rick Roller version...now for one last test and...why's it driving like that? Ok, so it came together easily but wow was that drive a mess. We tried tuning things through the transmitter but alas it has the back and forth movement of Droopy but with wheels and without the devastating hits! <br />
<br />
First match was Stag Beetle Bot...they have merch for sale in the store! They're a veteran team and so nice! Really what makes this sport so accessible and so great for young competitors is the kindness and equality. Teams like Stag Beetle Bot do a lot to help foster that environment while remaining a dangerous opponent. It's competitive but supportive at the same time. Our mini-bot has really become an asset for our opponents so it was a non-factor....actually "non-factor" is not a bad name for it. So a bit of a back and forth for the match and an easy Judges Decision for SBB. <br />
<br />
Ok, 0-1 so with the new format, we need to win the next 2 to get into the tournament. Let's run around and hurt some bots! Next up is Botterfly, a pretty cool vert that runs a wedge mini. In between matches, we tried some additional mixing, but it looks like this event will be a test of overcoming drive issues. For the kids getting into this sport or anyone really, part of it is figuring out how to overcome issues and adapt! Hey, if our driver can improve with a messed-up drive, maybe it will help when things are fixed. Immediately to start the match, the mini-bots locked each other up and the new design is working well. Steel forks and slightly more pushing power lets us control that interaction. Despite the drive challenges, the Rick Roller was able to get a couple hits and lightly flip Botterfly over. Nothing devastating, but the occasional pop for aggression points. The biggest hit coming on our own mini-bot...yet again....good thing we cut a few extra of those steel forks! Victory for the Rick Roller via Judges Decision! <br />
<br />
Next up was Buster! We thought it was an overhead horizontal but it turned out to be a beater. The fork design on the mini worked well in this one. We were able to lock up the mini on Buster and get hooked under their forks with our barb. While not able to push them around with the mini-bot, it hindered their movement while the Rick Roller shuffled to a couple bumps. Ultimately, something must have gotten knocked a little loose and Buster lost mobility for the KO win for Rick Roller...onto the Tourney! <br />
<br />
First match-up was the awesome Tron themed SSP bot, MCB (also awesome name for the style and theme!). We were fighting through a couple drive issues but knew if we could lock up, we had the torque to push pretty well. Which was good because our beater probably wouldn't be able to grab into such a low profile bot. Great match with some back and forth. The mini-bots kind of neutralized each other and Rick Roller managed to get some decent pins. At one point during a late pin, some "magic smoke" started to rise from our opponent, perhaps the weight and power of our motors was paying off? The match went the distance and the judges ruled in our favor to advance. But just another amazing competitor in MCB. So nice and really great to compete against and talk to before/after the match. Also another local CT team, so we're sure we'll see them around a lot more...and hope to! <br />
<br />
'''February 2025''' <br />
<br />
Despite being on the shelf for the past 7 months and having plenty of gear and materials ready to roll with Gh-Astley, the OG is back!…Wait, why? Fine…”never gonna give you up” is a thing but c’mon, let’s move on. But….there’s just something about a first bot. <br />
<br />
At least let’s go in trying some new things. Hello cleated wheels! Ever wonder what it would be like to drive an RC car on a skating rink? Well we’ve got some cleated wheels for you! <br />
<br />
First match was Sting Operation. A great driver who has build quite the trophy collection in the ant field and we faced at another event. Talented driver and touch hammersaw. Remember those wheels? How about skating with just one skate? Yup, one popped off pretty quickly. Good start for the Rick Roller? Nope! Expected start for the Rick Roller? Yep! <br />
<br />
One more match to go. This time Power On! We met Power On at his first NHRL and it’s been cool to watch the development of the bot. This time it was using a borrowed weapon. Surely not from a scary dumpster threat right?…Oh, Impakt?! Cool cool cool. Goal for match 2…try not to lose a ton of gear. Belt tension was a bit too tight and first weapon to weapon hit snapped the shaft on the motor. Day done…let’s watch some matches and focus on March! <br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2023]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=17081Gh-Astley2024-12-08T03:44:04Z<p>RickRoller: /* Gallery */</p>
<hr />
<div>===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Ghastley-removebg.jpg|alt=|thumb]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU & Carbon Fiber<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD....1 Wheel Drive post Catalyst matches<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}<br />
The newest addition to the Rick Roller stable...Gh-Astley!<br />
<br />
Here's our timeline so far. Lead designer/driver, has always loved bots and constructing/deconstructing things. Discovered Battlebots a few years ago and was hooked. Came across NHRL in November 2022 and attended the Championships. It was amazing! Talking with the staff there, we learned how accessible the sport really was and boom, off to the races. Rather than start with a kit, we decided to get raw materials for the chassis and cobble together Rick Roller from scratch...to figure some things out. 2023 was a season of experimentation and learning (Don't forget to check the build log on the Rick Roller wiki). We can't say enough how amazing this sport and community is, competitors, staff and volunteers at NHRL, everyone! <br />
<br />
As the year progressed the bug set in and by summer, design ideas for January 2024 started flowing. Being a huge fan, our lead designer Jonah wanted to try a completely different style bot. Inspired by some of the great horizontals like Caldera, Beetlejuice, Spartan, etc. Gh-Astley started to evolve. First the weapon...because what 12 year old isn't going to go weapon first on the design? Forget drive, impact toughness, etc. Start with a cool looking weapon. Thus we have the tri-tipped blade of Gh-Astley. Now Rick Roller had very little 3D printing but that's such a big part of the weight class...it was time to really dive in and learn. The chassis is mostly TPU with some Carbon Fiber top plates. First design looked awesome, fit together perfectly, held the motors in place and was good to go. Totally nailed it...as a sweet model to put up on the bookshelf. Fitting a battery and electronics would be like trying to squeeze a 30lb rumble into cage 2...interesting, lots of stacking and twisting, but ultimately an ineffective and impossible task. <br />
<br />
Not wanting to stop at style of bot and chassis material, the decision was also made to try all new motors, electronics, and a round belt instead of timing belt for the weapon. Unfortunately, the round belts were proving to be a bit much and putting too much tension on the motor but not gripping the pulley when loosened. Not enough time to source proper timing belts, so we 3D printed some out of TPU, which spun the weapon but were admittedly not ideal. Something that will definitely be on the upgrade list for v.2! <br />
<br />
After some adjustments and practicing a lot with fusion, Gh-Astley was complete. 100% kid designed from the ground up. A totally new bot experience, learning to drive a horizontal style, figuring out the intricacies of a different motor/weapon design, but super excited and ready to have a blast as always in Norwalk! At least the testing stage will be set at the New Bot event and an opportunity to share in the nervous excitement of fellow builders testing out new ideas and creative visions. Can't wait to jump into the cage with another driver working out a fresh new design and maybe equally as nervous and excited about how their vision will fare!<br />
<br />
First matchup?....Blue and White Synthesis er...Catalyst. A Builder/Driver that brings a ton of experience + destructive force in the vertical field. Absolutely top notch brutal build quality and a nightmare first match. But being fan first when the news was broken about the matchup upon return from school, our Designer's response was "Oh no!...well, it will be cool to meet Corey!". Looks like it will be up to the mini-bot to swoop in for an assist. What's that? Catalyst will have Chainsaw Kitty's talented mini-bot driver? Cool, Cool, Cool...Sounds like we'll need some spares of everything!<br />
<br />
'''January 2024'''<br />
<br />
New Bot, new adventures...new challenge to put it all back together after being decimated by one of the best! First up is Catalyst. Good news is our weapon spun up...and a sweet weapon it is. The Sherikan-style design was a goal of our (now 13 year old) builder/driver and then we built a bot around it....more of a weapon delivery system than carefully crafted robot. Lucky for us, Corey is a cool dude and probably took it easier on us than he could have. Things started to get confusing on the stream as there is another "gastly" Pokemon themed bot and the announcers understandably mixed us up. <br />
<br />
''Sidebar: Our Gh-Astley is a continuation on the Rick '''Astley''' theme from Rick Roller.'' <br />
<br />
One giant hit from Catalyst and our Carbon Fiber top plate was split as we were thrown almost to the ceiling. On the second hit, the right wheel was like "I'm Out!" and the weapon belt thought that was a grrrrreat idea and bounced as well. Thinking Catalyst might be coming for our family next, it was a quick TapOut at 25 seconds in...better than 20 seconds? <br />
<br />
Next up was Hotcake: Unfortunately a forfeit...we always love to fight!<br />
<br />
On to "Proof of Concept: Concept Proved! A hit from this good beater, our top plate cracked the weapon motor housing and caused it to separate enough for the weapon to be intermittent. All part of a new bot and really new builder (2nd bot in less than a year competing). We'll learn and upgrade for next time!<br />
<br />
'''April 2024'''<br />
<br />
Learned a lot in January and made some subtle but important tweaks. Our captain has poured a lot into this bot. Really taking note of what didn't work and exploring different designs. V2 of Gh-Astley is a tighter frame, no longer rounded off in the back and more compact with wiring. Thinner Carbon top and bottom with the bot name cut into the top (Sharp design choice kid!). Aluminum rails now hold the weapon/shaft. This one is coming in hot!....oh no...literally coming in hot! Friday, April 19th approximately 2:30pm, one more quick test in the home box before heading off for safety and smoke! A quick dash to the backyard and the what seemed like removing 1,000 screws from the top plate to see a completely toasted ESC. BTW - preaching to the choir here, but there's no smell that can linger in a basement like burnt electronics, so slight delay while we gather every fan in a 2.24 mile radius to air things out before mom gets home!....No other way to put it, devastation. Down to 2 more ESCs and 3 motors. Looks like only one motor lost, so we swap out the fried motor and ESC and make the call to give it one more test (outside of course!). It moves and the weapon spins, but oh no! Smoke again and flames come shooting out of the top. This time we put in fewer screws but this sucks! We've learned a lot but diagnosing trouble of this magnitude is still waaaaaayyyyyy out of the wheelhouse. Now 4pm, we quickly dissect another bot to grab some Geckos as spares and head off to safety with a plan to completely gut the inside and try an all new system while hoping to lean on the community knowledge to at least point us toward a cause of the problem...<br />
<br />
Well, we made it through safety! A little pleading with our captain to take it super easy on the drive/weapon until the first match. Hey, if we're going to blow up our bot, let's at least have an audience and put on a show!<br />
<br />
If you follow along with our Rick Roller storyline, you know that we think very highly of the community and how supportive everyone is. Game day/morning, we were talking to our friends from the local ASML team. We've never actually faced them in the arena, but the've always been super supportive and incredibly nice. So awesome that our captain has mentioned ASML seeming like a cool place to work...but not sure if they're recruiting on the middle school circuit. Anyway, we explained our dilemma and sure enough within probably 10 minutes, they offered to lend us a back-up ESC AND diagnosed our issue to a bad 3rd coil on one of our motors....incredible! Nice to have an answer and put to rest our theory of it being demon related (we're not engineers by trade and do live in a very old house). <br />
<br />
Well, we made it through safety! A little pleading with our captain to take it super easy on the drive/weapon until the first match. Hey, if we're going to blow up our bot, let's at least have an audience and put on a show!<br />
<br />
If you follow along with our Rick Roller storyline, you know that we think very highly of the community and how supportive everyone is. Game day/morning, we were talking to our friends from the local ASML team. We've never actually faced them in the arena, but the've always been super supportive and incredibly nice. So awesome that our captain has mentioned ASML seeming like a cool place to work...but not sure if they're recruiting on the middle school circuit. Anyway, we explained our dilemma and sure enough within probably 10 minutes, they offered to lend us a back-up ESC AND diagnosed our issue to a bad 3rd coil on one of our motors....incredible! Nice to have an answer and put to rest our theory of it being demon related (we're not engineers by trade and do live in a very old house). <br />
<br />
First matchup was set to be Woodpecker, a rare drill bot and we were super curious to see if our reach and weapon position would be able to hit the bit..unfortunately they had some issues getting things working to get through safety and had to forfeit. Guess we'll wait a little bit longer for the next test. <br />
<br />
Next up was Jack Ketch from the veteran Bad Crew team. A fixture at events, they're a great group of young local builders and doing a lot to help make the sport accessible. <br />
<br />
'''October 2024''' <br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Gh-Astley|class=3lb}}<br />
<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=File:Ghastley-removebg.jpg&diff=17080File:Ghastley-removebg.jpg2024-12-08T03:43:16Z<p>RickRoller: </p>
<hr />
<div>Gh-Astley 2024</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=17079Gh-Astley2024-12-08T03:41:46Z<p>RickRoller: </p>
<hr />
<div>===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Gh-Astley.jpg|alt=|thumb]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU & Carbon Fiber<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD....1 Wheel Drive post Catalyst matches<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}<br />
The newest addition to the Rick Roller stable...Gh-Astley!<br />
<br />
Here's our timeline so far. Lead designer/driver, has always loved bots and constructing/deconstructing things. Discovered Battlebots a few years ago and was hooked. Came across NHRL in November 2022 and attended the Championships. It was amazing! Talking with the staff there, we learned how accessible the sport really was and boom, off to the races. Rather than start with a kit, we decided to get raw materials for the chassis and cobble together Rick Roller from scratch...to figure some things out. 2023 was a season of experimentation and learning (Don't forget to check the build log on the Rick Roller wiki). We can't say enough how amazing this sport and community is, competitors, staff and volunteers at NHRL, everyone! <br />
<br />
As the year progressed the bug set in and by summer, design ideas for January 2024 started flowing. Being a huge fan, our lead designer Jonah wanted to try a completely different style bot. Inspired by some of the great horizontals like Caldera, Beetlejuice, Spartan, etc. Gh-Astley started to evolve. First the weapon...because what 12 year old isn't going to go weapon first on the design? Forget drive, impact toughness, etc. Start with a cool looking weapon. Thus we have the tri-tipped blade of Gh-Astley. Now Rick Roller had very little 3D printing but that's such a big part of the weight class...it was time to really dive in and learn. The chassis is mostly TPU with some Carbon Fiber top plates. First design looked awesome, fit together perfectly, held the motors in place and was good to go. Totally nailed it...as a sweet model to put up on the bookshelf. Fitting a battery and electronics would be like trying to squeeze a 30lb rumble into cage 2...interesting, lots of stacking and twisting, but ultimately an ineffective and impossible task. <br />
<br />
Not wanting to stop at style of bot and chassis material, the decision was also made to try all new motors, electronics, and a round belt instead of timing belt for the weapon. Unfortunately, the round belts were proving to be a bit much and putting too much tension on the motor but not gripping the pulley when loosened. Not enough time to source proper timing belts, so we 3D printed some out of TPU, which spun the weapon but were admittedly not ideal. Something that will definitely be on the upgrade list for v.2! <br />
<br />
After some adjustments and practicing a lot with fusion, Gh-Astley was complete. 100% kid designed from the ground up. A totally new bot experience, learning to drive a horizontal style, figuring out the intricacies of a different motor/weapon design, but super excited and ready to have a blast as always in Norwalk! At least the testing stage will be set at the New Bot event and an opportunity to share in the nervous excitement of fellow builders testing out new ideas and creative visions. Can't wait to jump into the cage with another driver working out a fresh new design and maybe equally as nervous and excited about how their vision will fare!<br />
<br />
First matchup?....Blue and White Synthesis er...Catalyst. A Builder/Driver that brings a ton of experience + destructive force in the vertical field. Absolutely top notch brutal build quality and a nightmare first match. But being fan first when the news was broken about the matchup upon return from school, our Designer's response was "Oh no!...well, it will be cool to meet Corey!". Looks like it will be up to the mini-bot to swoop in for an assist. What's that? Catalyst will have Chainsaw Kitty's talented mini-bot driver? Cool, Cool, Cool...Sounds like we'll need some spares of everything!<br />
<br />
'''January 2024'''<br />
<br />
New Bot, new adventures...new challenge to put it all back together after being decimated by one of the best! First up is Catalyst. Good news is our weapon spun up...and a sweet weapon it is. The Sherikan-style design was a goal of our (now 13 year old) builder/driver and then we built a bot around it....more of a weapon delivery system than carefully crafted robot. Lucky for us, Corey is a cool dude and probably took it easier on us than he could have. Things started to get confusing on the stream as there is another "gastly" Pokemon themed bot and the announcers understandably mixed us up. <br />
<br />
''Sidebar: Our Gh-Astley is a continuation on the Rick '''Astley''' theme from Rick Roller.'' <br />
<br />
One giant hit from Catalyst and our Carbon Fiber top plate was split as we were thrown almost to the ceiling. On the second hit, the right wheel was like "I'm Out!" and the weapon belt thought that was a grrrrreat idea and bounced as well. Thinking Catalyst might be coming for our family next, it was a quick TapOut at 25 seconds in...better than 20 seconds? <br />
<br />
Next up was Hotcake: Unfortunately a forfeit...we always love to fight!<br />
<br />
On to "Proof of Concept: Concept Proved! A hit from this good beater, our top plate cracked the weapon motor housing and caused it to separate enough for the weapon to be intermittent. All part of a new bot and really new builder (2nd bot in less than a year competing). We'll learn and upgrade for next time!<br />
<br />
'''April 2024'''<br />
<br />
Learned a lot in January and made some subtle but important tweaks. Our captain has poured a lot into this bot. Really taking note of what didn't work and exploring different designs. V2 of Gh-Astley is a tighter frame, no longer rounded off in the back and more compact with wiring. Thinner Carbon top and bottom with the bot name cut into the top (Sharp design choice kid!). Aluminum rails now hold the weapon/shaft. This one is coming in hot!....oh no...literally coming in hot! Friday, April 19th approximately 2:30pm, one more quick test in the home box before heading off for safety and smoke! A quick dash to the backyard and the what seemed like removing 1,000 screws from the top plate to see a completely toasted ESC. BTW - preaching to the choir here, but there's no smell that can linger in a basement like burnt electronics, so slight delay while we gather every fan in a 2.24 mile radius to air things out before mom gets home!....No other way to put it, devastation. Down to 2 more ESCs and 3 motors. Looks like only one motor lost, so we swap out the fried motor and ESC and make the call to give it one more test (outside of course!). It moves and the weapon spins, but oh no! Smoke again and flames come shooting out of the top. This time we put in fewer screws but this sucks! We've learned a lot but diagnosing trouble of this magnitude is still waaaaaayyyyyy out of the wheelhouse. Now 4pm, we quickly dissect another bot to grab some Geckos as spares and head off to safety with a plan to completely gut the inside and try an all new system while hoping to lean on the community knowledge to at least point us toward a cause of the problem...<br />
<br />
Well, we made it through safety! A little pleading with our captain to take it super easy on the drive/weapon until the first match. Hey, if we're going to blow up our bot, let's at least have an audience and put on a show!<br />
<br />
If you follow along with our Rick Roller storyline, you know that we think very highly of the community and how supportive everyone is. Game day/morning, we were talking to our friends from the local ASML team. We've never actually faced them in the arena, but the've always been super supportive and incredibly nice. So awesome that our captain has mentioned ASML seeming like a cool place to work...but not sure if they're recruiting on the middle school circuit. Anyway, we explained our dilemma and sure enough within probably 10 minutes, they offered to lend us a back-up ESC AND diagnosed our issue to a bad 3rd coil on one of our motors....incredible! Nice to have an answer and put to rest our theory of it being demon related (we're not engineers by trade and do live in a very old house). <br />
<br />
Well, we made it through safety! A little pleading with our captain to take it super easy on the drive/weapon until the first match. Hey, if we're going to blow up our bot, let's at least have an audience and put on a show!<br />
<br />
If you follow along with our Rick Roller storyline, you know that we think very highly of the community and how supportive everyone is. Game day/morning, we were talking to our friends from the local ASML team. We've never actually faced them in the arena, but the've always been super supportive and incredibly nice. So awesome that our captain has mentioned ASML seeming like a cool place to work...but not sure if they're recruiting on the middle school circuit. Anyway, we explained our dilemma and sure enough within probably 10 minutes, they offered to lend us a back-up ESC AND diagnosed our issue to a bad 3rd coil on one of our motors....incredible! Nice to have an answer and put to rest our theory of it being demon related (we're not engineers by trade and do live in a very old house). <br />
<br />
First matchup was set to be Woodpecker, a rare drill bot and we were super curious to see if our reach and weapon position would be able to hit the bit..unfortunately they had some issues getting things working to get through safety and had to forfeit. Guess we'll wait a little bit longer for the next test. <br />
<br />
Next up was Jack Ketch from the veteran Bad Crew team. A fixture at events, they're a great group of young local builders and doing a lot to help make the sport accessible. <br />
<br />
'''October 2024''' <br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Gh-Astley|class=3lb}}<br />
<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=15146Gh-Astley2024-08-04T03:38:20Z<p>RickRoller: </p>
<hr />
<div>===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Gh-Astley.jpg|alt=|thumb]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU & Carbon Fiber<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD....1 Wheel Drive post Catalyst matches<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}<br />
The newest addition to the Rick Roller stable...Gh-Astley!<br />
<br />
Here's our timeline so far. Lead designer/driver, has always loved bots and constructing/deconstructing things. Discovered Battlebots a few years ago and was hooked. Came across NHRL in November 2022 and attended the Championships. It was amazing! Talking with the staff there, we learned how accessible the sport really was and boom, off to the races. Rather than start with a kit, we decided to get raw materials for the chassis and cobble together Rick Roller from scratch...to figure some things out. 2023 was a season of experimentation and learning (Don't forget to check the build log on the Rick Roller wiki). We can't say enough how amazing this sport and community is, competitors, staff and volunteers at NHRL, everyone! <br />
<br />
As the year progressed the bug set in and by summer, design ideas for January 2024 started flowing. Being a huge fan, our lead designer Jonah wanted to try a completely different style bot. Inspired by some of the great horizontals like Caldera, Beetlejuice, Spartan, etc. Gh-Astley started to evolve. First the weapon...because what 12 year old isn't going to go weapon first on the design? Forget drive, impact toughness, etc. Start with a cool looking weapon. Thus we have the tri-tipped blade of Gh-Astley. Now Rick Roller had very little 3D printing but that's such a big part of the weight class...it was time to really dive in and learn. The chassis is mostly TPU with some Carbon Fiber top plates. First design looked awesome, fit together perfectly, held the motors in place and was good to go. Totally nailed it...as a sweet model to put up on the bookshelf. Fitting a battery and electronics would be like trying to squeeze a 30lb rumble into cage 2...interesting, lots of stacking and twisting, but ultimately an ineffective and impossible task. <br />
<br />
Not wanting to stop at style of bot and chassis material, the decision was also made to try all new motors, electronics, and a round belt instead of timing belt for the weapon. Unfortunately, the round belts were proving to be a bit much and putting too much tension on the motor but not gripping the pulley when loosened. Not enough time to source proper timing belts, so we 3D printed some out of TPU, which spun the weapon but were admittedly not ideal. Something that will definitely be on the upgrade list for v.2! <br />
<br />
After some adjustments and practicing a lot with fusion, Gh-Astley was complete. 100% kid designed from the ground up. A totally new bot experience, learning to drive a horizontal style, figuring out the intricacies of a different motor/weapon design, but super excited and ready to have a blast as always in Norwalk! At least the testing stage will be set at the New Bot event and an opportunity to share in the nervous excitement of fellow builders testing out new ideas and creative visions. Can't wait to jump into the cage with another driver working out a fresh new design and maybe equally as nervous and excited about how their vision will fare!<br />
<br />
First matchup?....Blue and White Synthesis er...Catalyst. A Builder/Driver that brings a ton of experience + destructive force in the vertical field. Absolutely top notch brutal build quality and a nightmare first match. But being fan first when the news was broken about the matchup upon return from school, our Designer's response was "Oh no!...well, it will be cool to meet Corey!". Looks like it will be up to the mini-bot to swoop in for an assist. What's that? Catalyst will have Chainsaw Kitty's talented mini-bot driver? Cool, Cool, Cool...Sounds like we'll need some spares of everything!<br />
<br />
'''January 2024'''<br />
<br />
New Bot, new adventures...new challenge to put it all back together after being decimated by one of the best! First up is Catalyst. Good news is our weapon spun up...and a sweet weapon it is. The Sherikan-style design was a goal of our (now 13 year old) builder/driver and then we built a bot around it....more of a weapon delivery system than carefully crafted robot. Lucky for us, Corey is a cool dude and probably took it easier on us than he could have. Things started to get confusing on the stream as there is another "gastly" Pokemon themed bot and the announcers understandably mixed us up. <br />
<br />
''Sidebar: Our Gh-Astley is a continuation on the Rick '''Astley''' theme from Rick Roller.'' <br />
<br />
One giant hit from Catalyst and our Carbon Fiber top plate was split as we were thrown almost to the ceiling. On the second hit, the right wheel was like "I'm Out!" and the weapon belt thought that was a grrrrreat idea and bounced as well. Thinking Catalyst might be coming for our family next, it was a quick TapOut at 25 seconds in...better than 20 seconds? <br />
<br />
Next up was Hotcake: Unfortunately a forfeit...we always love to fight!<br />
<br />
On to "Proof of Concept: Concept Proved! A hit from this good beater, our top plate cracked the weapon motor housing and caused it to separate enough for the weapon to be intermittent. All part of a new bot and really new builder (2nd bot in less than a year competing). We'll learn and upgrade for next time!<br />
<br />
'''April 2024'''<br />
<br />
Learned a lot in January and made some subtle but important tweaks. Our captain has poured a lot into this bot. Really taking note of what didn't work and exploring different designs. V2 of Gh-Astley is a tighter frame, no longer rounded off in the back and more compact with wiring. Thinner Carbon top and bottom with the bot name cut into the top (Sharp design choice kid!). Aluminum rails now hold the weapon/shaft. This one is coming in hot!....oh no...literally coming in hot! Friday, April 19th approximately 2:30pm, one more quick test in the home box before heading off for safety and smoke! A quick dash to the backyard and the what seemed like removing 1,000 screws from the top plate to see a completely toasted ESC. BTW - preaching to the choir here, but there's no smell that can linger in a basement like burnt electronics, so slight delay while we gather every fan in a 2.24 mile radius to air things out before mom gets home!....No other way to put it, devastation. Down to 2 more ESCs and 3 motors. Looks like only one motor lost, so we swap out the fried motor and ESC and make the call to give it one more test (outside of course!). It moves and the weapon spins, but oh no! Smoke again and flames come shooting out of the top. This time we put in fewer screws but this sucks! We've learned a lot but diagnosing trouble of this magnitude is still waaaaaayyyyyy out of the wheelhouse. Now 4pm, we quickly dissect another bot to grab some Geckos as spares and head off to safety with a plan to completely gut the inside and try an all new system while hoping to lean on the community knowledge to at least point us toward a cause of the problem...<br />
<br />
Well, we made it through safety! A little pleading with our captain to take it super easy on the drive/weapon until the first match. Hey, if we're going to blow up our bot, let's at least have an audience and put on a show!<br />
<br />
If you follow along with our Rick Roller storyline, you know that we think very highly of the community and how supportive everyone is. Game day/morning, we were talking to our friends from the local ASML team. We've never actually faced them in the arena, but the've always been super supportive and incredibly nice. So awesome that our captain has mentioned ASML seeming like a cool place to work...but not sure if they're recruiting on the middle school circuit. Anyway, we explained our dilemma and sure enough within probably 10 minutes, they offered to lend us a back-up ESC AND diagnosed our issue to a bad 3rd coil on one of our motors....incredible! Nice to have an answer and put to rest our theory of it being demon related (we're not engineers by trade and do live in a very old house). <br />
<br />
Well, we made it through safety! A little pleading with our captain to take it super easy on the drive/weapon until the first match. Hey, if we're going to blow up our bot, let's at least have an audience and put on a show!<br />
<br />
If you follow along with our Rick Roller storyline, you know that we think very highly of the community and how supportive everyone is. Game day/morning, we were talking to our friends from the local ASML team. We've never actually faced them in the arena, but the've always been super supportive and incredibly nice. So awesome that our captain has mentioned ASML seeming like a cool place to work...but not sure if they're recruiting on the middle school circuit. Anyway, we explained our dilemma and sure enough within probably 10 minutes, they offered to lend us a back-up ESC AND diagnosed our issue to a bad 3rd coil on one of our motors....incredible! Nice to have an answer and put to rest our theory of it being demon related (we're not engineers by trade and do live in a very old house). {{Bot Stats|bot=Gh-Astley|class=3lb}}<br />
<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=15145Rick Roller2024-08-04T03:26:38Z<p>RickRoller: small edits and updates</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar w/ Custom Ar500 Teeth<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD that is good about 43% of the time.<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki>When our driver runs it into Chonkii during a rumble, then 0 wheel drive, 100% of the time...but what a glorious way to lose both wheels!<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S.....and wishes<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever! First time picking up a soldering iron, sooooo (new skill..woohoo!). Totally new to mini-switches so that meant we had probably the heaviest power switch (an embarrassingly large toggle from amazon) in the history of combat robots. After an unlucky draw, a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the more seasoned Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out spinning runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This event we added some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date....(our own drive motors). AND a fingertech mini switch...Progress! We also printed a PLA inner chassis (admittedly not the best material...which will be a factor) and added PLA wheel guards. First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. Our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). Our wheel guards, which we called the "one hit wonders" (staying on brand), were immediately ripped off but at least saved a couple direct hits to the wheels. The match went the distance but the judges decision didn't go our way. The PLA frame cracked and made some things get pretty loose. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
During our repair window we had a hub stuck in one of our wheels. Luckily our pit neighbors (and next opponents), Deep Cut, helped with some shop guidance. Much appreciated and it got us both up to speed for the Last Chance match. This may also be the greatest attribute of NHRL, the people. Despite being a competition, everyone is quick to help each other for the good of the show. It's truly an amazing atmosphere. During our match we were able to dislodge a wheel on our opponent and pick up the KO. While this one happened to go our way, the Deep Cut team builds some nice looking and hard hitting bots. We look forward to seeing them some more. <br />
<br />
Our first round bracket matchup was against Wormhole. A young veteran with a very impressive undercutter and super nice team. Rick Roller managed to step to the side in the box rush and deal a quick side hit, but after some strong hits from Wormhole, the PLA front plate holding the weapon motor loosened and the belt wouldn't spin the weapon. We knew PLA is not the best material for combat robotics, but we've never printed with anything else so it's been small steps through the design. We also had some drive issues but luckily found that our opponent also lost their weapon belt and had an impacted drive. The match went the distance as both bots shuffled and "chased" each other around the cage with busted drives like the waning moments of a state fair demolition derby. Judges decision to Wormhole in a fun match against a team we will continue to root for! <br />
<br />
'''June 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Guess who's back, back again! (c'mon, never gonna say goodbye, seemed too "on the nose"). Came back with some more minor changes. We switched up the front plate to aluminum and added some TPU wheel guards that just curved around the back of the wheels. Yes, we tried printing with TPU. It wasn't pretty and it also wasn't effective! One wheel guard got caught under our own wheel driving to the corner...yikes! Since our first opponent was Count Forkula, our Captain made the excellent decision to tape plastic spoons to our wheel guards since spoons are the Fork's natural enemy. In the end, we probably should have gone with Sporks because this control bot got under us and prevented us from doing much the whole match. Easy judges decision for them and a good rookie bot! Count Forkula is seriously going to be a threat for years to come. <br />
<br />
Last chance match-up was against an absolute top notch Jackrabbit Flex. Got a good early hit on the mini-bot and a couple strong pins. Speed has not been an issue for the Rick Roller but control has been. Thankfully we also learned about Exponential Control after this match and will be able to throttle down in the future. Experience grows. The match went the distance but we suspect our miniswitch screw was not fully turned at the start and came loose. We lost power at the very end of the match, thus failing the drive/weapon test. Nevertheless an honor to share the box with another top competitor and got some valuable advice afterward. <br />
<br />
The Rick Roller captain will forever be a fan first and competitor second, so the chance to compete in a rumble was a must...but first a couple more matchups. <br />
<br />
On Sunday, faced off against the tough drum spinner, Golddust. Titanium is no joke. Good fight but couldn't do a whole lot and took it to a judges decision that didn't go our way. Still really cool to face off against our first opponents from overseas. <br />
<br />
Over the past two events we've had the good luck to be pit neighbors with Money Shot and watch the evolution of that bot. It may be one of the coolest designs and the detail is awesome from the dollar sign weapon to the custom wheel hubs...check it out up close the next time you're in Norwalk. Money Shot was also kind enough to stick around for a grudge match at the request of our captain. Money Shot had, up until this point, dealt with some unfortunate weapon belt and motor issues. However, upon the start of the match we quickly realized that things were going to stop being polite and start getting real (any MTV Real World fans reading this?). When Money Shot's weapon spun up, it sounded like a 747 was about to make a Norwalk to Fort Lauderdale run. The Rick Roller was knocked into its own VH1 Behind the Music. It forced our first ever Tap Out because there was a rumble happening and we needed a mostly functioning bot. Nevertheless, we're rooting for Money Shot to bring some pain and hopefully qualify for the Championships. <br />
<br />
Ultimate Rumble time. Just being in the same arena as the drivers of Crashfest, Pawsatively Hissterical, Spartan, Disinformation, Wormhole etc....was an honor. After zipping around for a while and dealing a few hits, Rick Roller's captain in his own words decided to "just send it into Chonkiii". In a magnificent impact, both wheels were blown off with a shaft sticking out of one. Our captain immediately proclaimed it "the best day of his life". <br />
<br />
'''August 2023:''' <br />
<br />
For this one we swapped some of the UHMW for an AluPoly material and added some Aluminum wheel guards. Hold on, that sounds like a lot of weight? It was actually only about 2.3oz over but this time we added...a Mini Bot! We didn't want to just throw and RC car in there, so our captain designed and printed a wedge out of PLA+ and added an aluminum/lexan top. It was an ugly little bot, but it was a start and only 12 oz! <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Team Shreddit member, Patient 0. Really tough bot and we learned early that the AluPoly was worth trying but not a good enough material to hold things together. Our back plate got ripped off and forced a tap out before any exposed electronics got appropriately shredded! <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we managed to repair everything and were ready to rock for the last chance before an unfortunate forfeit by our opponent. <br />
<br />
Bracket time and our wheel of fate landed on the icon, Calvin Iba and Mixtape. An assist from our friends with some Aluminum tape and we were ready to go. Mixtape could not have been a cooler opponent...well, he could have been cooler in temperature and that would have helped a lot! First time in the main arena area and you know you're in trouble when your opponent's highlights are playing on the screens before the match. Got a good hit in early and avoided the flame a bit to make it 2.5 minutes into the match. Ultimately rubber wheels + fire is not a good combination...unless of course you're controlling the fire. With some sweet green wheel streaks on the floor and bits of rubber stuck to the walls, the Rick Roller was knocked out. Nevertheless, to get roasted by a Champion and a fan favorite bot, was a young career highlight by the 12 year old captain of Rick Roller...and new "best day of my life", something that NHRL has had a special knack for creating. <br />
<br />
We may not be the most technically savvy but we look forward to continue with little tweaks and just want to put on a good show. Incredibly grateful for NHRL, all the competitors that make us this unrivaled community, and the fans who come out to CT's best hidden gem for entertainment. <br />
<br />
'''September 30th:''' <br />
<br />
Ever been working on a project and feel good about it but then right at the deadline realize you overlooked something kinda important? But then you're like it's still pretty good and it'll be fine...but IT IS NOT FINE and your own wheel guards disable your wheels. We rolled into this one with some new material, a slightly new design, and custom beater teeth (designed by our Captain). Super excited to test out some new materials and see how the teeth performed. Minibot was also back because even though we dropped weight shifting to some Nylon/CF parts, the AR500 teeth put us slightly over by 1.6oz. <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Stratus from the veteran Bad Crew squad (a really nice local group of students and mentors who we've enjoyed getting to know over the past couple of events). Testing with the new teeth, we realized that we were draining battery and probably needed to run conservative or maybe reduce a little weight? Our driver/captain has an amazing grasp of the English language but seemingly does not understand the phrase "throttle down your weapon". He spins the beater bar like Keanu Reeves trying to keep a bus from exploding (raise your hand if you get that reference). We decided to just bolt the teeth in with 4 of the screws..we know, bad idea! Match started with some big hits by the Rick Roller, tossing Stratus up against the wall. However, on the second hit, the teeth bent at the middle screws (mistake 1). After taking a hit from our opponent, one of the wheel guards also came loose and our fastening screw lodged into the rear wheel and prevented any movement. Rick Roller was out with a KO...but two important lessons learned and future design changes that may finally get us over the hurdle. Happy with the way the teeth performed otherwise. If you've been following along on our journey, you know that wheel guards have been a recurring problem. Rest assured that prior to the next Rick Roller appearance we will be making an offering to Gjorfenskik the Scandinavian god of wheel guards, who I'm sure we've angered at some point along the way. <br />
<br />
Second match was against Scotties Scrambler, another Fingertech Beater Bar, but this one was running the Athenas Teeth. We opted to go without teeth this time and just work on taking it the distance. Scotties Scrambler was another very nice team and a well driven bot that just stayed relentless throughout the match. It went the distance but was an easy judges decision for our opponent. <br />
<br />
Wrapped up the day with a rumble. Had a chance to get in the area with a couple of the Brazilian bots and couldn't pass up the chance. Also joined by ER Stingray, a local horizontal, so a bit of a CT vs. Brazil match. Got in a couple hits and avoided any significant damage. Even managed to push all 3 bots at once into the house bot at one point, which was a fun demonstration of the pushing potential of the Rick Roller. The rumbles are always a lot of fun and hopefully entertaining for the crowd. <br />
<br />
Learned a ton this season, had an absolute blast, and made a lot of friends. NHRL is hands down one of the best communities and we look forward to see this sport continue to grow. Our Captain has been busy since the summer designing a new bot for January and we look forward to testing out a new design and introducing Gh-Astley to the Team Rick Roller stable! <br />
<br />
'''March 2024:''' <br />
<br />
Did you get a load of that Gh-Astley bot in January? We're never going to give it up, but it did let us down a bit...In all seriousness, good to be back with Rick Roller but the development and experimentation with Gh-Astley AND Rick Roller is a lot of fun. This event will feature a new mini-bot design. Our captain asked for steel plates for Christmas (like any normal 13 year old?) and managed to get a couple....I guess it's better than coal. So the mini-bot is now a box with some decent looking steel forks. Probably not the most effective design, but for a kid still learning Fusion 360 and trying new things, we're excited to check this out! Since we've been watching Parks & Rec, the mini is affectionately called Mouserat. <br />
<br />
It's an incredible thing when you are prepping for an event and the bot just kind of comes together. No more late night troubleshooting and cramming. Finally an almost final Rick Roller version...now for one last test and...why's it driving like that? Ok, so it came together easily but wow was that drive a mess. We tried tuning things through the transmitter but alas it has the back and forth movement of Droopy but with wheels and without the devastating hits! <br />
<br />
First match was Stag Beetle Bot...they have merch for sale in the store! They're a veteran team and so nice! Really what makes this sport so accessible and so great for young competitors is the kindness and equality. Teams like Stag Beetle Bot do a lot to help foster that environment while remaining a dangerous opponent. It's competitive but supportive at the same time. Our mini-bot has really become an asset for our opponents so it was a non-factor....actually "non-factor" is not a bad name for it. So a bit of a back and forth for the match and an easy Judges Decision for SBB. <br />
<br />
Ok, 0-1 so with the new format, we need to win the next 2 to get into the tournament. Let's run around and hurt some bots! Next up is Botterfly, a pretty cool vert that runs a wedge mini. In between matches, we tried some additional mixing, but it looks like this event will be a test of overcoming drive issues. For the kids getting into this sport or anyone really, part of it is figuring out how to overcome issues and adapt! Hey, if our driver can improve with a messed-up drive, maybe it will help when things are fixed. Immediately to start the match, the mini-bots locked each other up and the new design is working well. Steel forks and slightly more pushing power lets us control that interaction. Despite the drive challenges, the Rick Roller was able to get a couple hits and lightly flip Botterfly over. Nothing devastating, but the occasional pop for aggression points. The biggest hit coming on our own mini-bot...yet again....good thing we cut a few extra of those steel forks! Victory for the Rick Roller via Judges Decision! <br />
<br />
Next up was Buster! We thought it was an overhead horizontal but it turned out to be a beater. The fork design on the mini worked well in this one. We were able to lock up the mini on Buster and get hooked under their forks with our barb. While not able to push them around with the mini-bot, it hindered their movement while the Rick Roller shuffled to a couple bumps. Ultimately, something must have gotten knocked a little loose and Buster lost mobility for the KO win for Rick Roller...onto the Tourney! <br />
<br />
First match-up was the awesome Tron themed SSP bot, MCB (also awesome name for the style and theme!). We were fighting through a couple drive issues but knew if we could lock up, we had the torque to push pretty well. Which was good because our beater probably wouldn't be able to grab into such a low profile bot. Great match with some back and forth. The mini-bots kind of neutralized each other and Rick Roller managed to get some decent pins. At one point during a late pin, some "magic smoke" started to rise from our opponent, perhaps the weight and power of our motors was paying off? The match went the distance and the judges ruled in our favor to advance. But just another amazing competitor in MCB. So nice and really great to compete against and talk to before/after the match. Also another local CT team, so we're sure we'll see them around a lot more...and hope to! <br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2023]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=13981Gh-Astley2024-07-07T03:13:12Z<p>RickRoller: </p>
<hr />
<div>===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Gh-Astley.jpg|alt=|thumb]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU & Carbon Fiber<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD....1 Wheel Drive post Catalyst matches<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}<br />
The newest addition to the Rick Roller stable...Gh-Astley!<br />
<br />
Here's our timeline so far. Lead designer/driver, has always loved bots and constructing/deconstructing things. Discovered Battlebots a few years ago and was hooked. Came across NHRL in November 2022 and attended the Championships. It was amazing! Talking with the staff there, we learned how accessible the sport really was and boom, off to the races. Rather than start with a kit, we decided to get raw materials for the chassis and cobble together Rick Roller from scratch...to figure some things out. 2023 was a season of experimentation and learning (Don't forget to check the build log on the Rick Roller wiki). We can't say enough how amazing this sport and community is, competitors, staff and volunteers at NHRL, everyone! <br />
<br />
As the year progressed the bug set in and by summer, design ideas for January 2024 started flowing. Being a huge fan, our lead designer Jonah wanted to try a completely different style bot. Inspired by some of the great horizontals like Caldera, Beetlejuice, Spartan, etc. Gh-Astley started to evolve. First the weapon...because what 12 year old isn't going to go weapon first on the design? Forget drive, impact toughness, etc. Start with a cool looking weapon. Thus we have the tri-tipped blade of Gh-Astley. Now Rick Roller had very little 3D printing but that's such a big part of the weight class...it was time to really dive in and learn. The chassis is mostly TPU with some Carbon Fiber top plates. First design looked awesome, fit together perfectly, held the motors in place and was good to go. Totally nailed it...as a sweet model to put up on the bookshelf. Fitting a battery and electronics would be like trying to squeeze a 30lb rumble into cage 2...interesting, lots of stacking and twisting, but ultimately an ineffective and impossible task. <br />
<br />
Not wanting to stop at style of bot and chassis material, the decision was also made to try all new motors, electronics, and a round belt instead of timing belt for the weapon. Unfortunately, the round belts were proving to be a bit much and putting too much tension on the motor but not gripping the pulley when loosened. Not enough time to source proper timing belts, so we 3D printed some out of TPU, which spun the weapon but were admittedly not ideal. Something that will definitely be on the upgrade list for v.2! <br />
<br />
After some adjustments and practicing a lot with fusion, Gh-Astley was complete. 100% kid designed from the ground up. A totally new bot experience, learning to drive a horizontal style, figuring out the intricacies of a different motor/weapon design, but super excited and ready to have a blast as always in Norwalk! At least the testing stage will be set at the New Bot event and an opportunity to share in the nervous excitement of fellow builders testing out new ideas and creative visions. Can't wait to jump into the cage with another driver working out a fresh new design and maybe equally as nervous and excited about how their vision will fare!<br />
<br />
First matchup?....Blue and White Synthesis er...Catalyst. A Builder/Driver that brings a ton of experience + destructive force in the vertical field. Absolutely top notch brutal build quality and a nightmare first match. But being fan first when the news was broken about the matchup upon return from school, our Designer's response was "Oh no!...well, it will be cool to meet Corey!". Looks like it will be up to the mini-bot to swoop in for an assist. What's that? Catalyst will have Chainsaw Kitty's talented mini-bot driver? Cool, Cool, Cool...Sounds like we'll need some spares of everything!<br />
<br />
'''January 2024'''<br />
<br />
New Bot, new adventures...new challenge to put it all back together after being decimated by one of the best! First up is Catalyst. Good news is our weapon spun up...and a sweet weapon it is. The Sherikan-style design was a goal of our (now 13 year old) builder/driver and then we built a bot around it....more of a weapon delivery system than carefully crafted robot. Lucky for us, Corey is a cool dude and probably took it easier on us than he could have. Things started to get confusing on the stream as there is another "gastly" Pokemon themed bot and the announcers understandably mixed us up. <br />
<br />
''Sidebar: Our Gh-Astley is a continuation on the Rick '''Astley''' theme from Rick Roller.'' <br />
<br />
One giant hit from Catalyst and our Carbon Fiber top plate was split as we were thrown almost to the ceiling. On the second hit, the right wheel was like "I'm Out!" and the weapon belt thought that was a grrrrreat idea and bounced as well. Thinking Catalyst might be coming for our family next, it was a quick TapOut at 25 seconds in...better than 20 seconds? <br />
<br />
Next up was Hotcake: Unfortunately a forfeit...we always love to fight!<br />
<br />
On to "Proof of Concept: Concept Proved! A hit from this good beater, our top plate cracked the weapon motor housing and caused it to separate enough for the weapon to be intermittent. All part of a new bot and really new builder (2nd bot in less than a year competing). We'll learn and upgrade for next time!<br />
<br />
'''April 2024'''<br />
<br />
Learned a lot in January and made some subtle but important tweaks. Our captain has poured a lot into this bot. Really taking note of what didn't work and exploring different designs. V2 of Gh-Astley is a tighter frame, no longer rounded off in the back and more compact with wiring. Thinner Carbon top and bottom with the bot name cut into the top (Sharp design choice kid!). Aluminum rails now hold the weapon/shaft. This one is coming in hot!....oh no...literally coming in hot! Friday, April 19th approximately 2:30pm, one more quick test in the home box before heading off for safety and smoke! A quick dash to the backyard and the what seemed like removing 1,000 screws from the top plate to see a completely toasted ESC. BTW - preaching to the choir here, but there's no smell that can linger in a basement like burnt electronics, so slight delay while we gather every fan in a 2.24 mile radius to air things out before mom gets home!....No other way to put it, devastation. Down to 2 more ESCs and 3 motors. Looks like only one motor lost, so we swap out the fried motor and ESC and make the call to give it one more test (outside of course!). It moves and the weapon spins, but oh no! Smoke again and flames come shooting out of the top. This time we put in fewer screws but this sucks! We've learned a lot but diagnosing trouble of this magnitude is still waaaaaayyyyyy out of the wheelhouse. Now 4pm, we quickly dissect another bot to grab some Geckos as spares and head off to safety with a plan to completely gut the inside and try an all new system while hoping to lean on the community knowledge to at least point us toward a cause of the problem...<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Gh-Astley|class=3lb}}<br />
<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=13811Rick Roller2024-06-30T02:26:47Z<p>RickRoller: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar w/ Custom Ar500 Teeth<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD that is good about 43% of the time.<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki>When our driver runs it into Chonkii during a rumble, then 0 wheel drive, 100% of the time...but what a glorious way to lose both wheels!<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S.....and wishes<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever, prior to this (new skill..woohoo!). Totally unfamiliar with mini switches, we had probably the heaviest toggle power switch in the history of combat robots. After an unlucky draw, a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the impressive Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This event we added some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date (our own drive motors)...and a fingertech mini switch...Progress! We also printed a PLA inner box to hold everything in the chassis (admittedly not the best material...which will be a factor) and added PLA wheel guards. First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. A couple good hits and our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). Our wheel guards, which we called the "one hit wonders" (staying on brand), were immediately ripped off but at least saved a couple direct hits to the wheels. The match went the distance to the judges but didn't go our way. The PLA frame cracked and made some things get pretty loose. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
During our repair window we had a hub stuck in one of our wheels. Luckily our pit neighbors (and next opponents), Deep Cut, helped with some shop guidance. Much appreciated and it got us both up to speed for the Last Chance match. This may also be the greatest attribute of NHRL, the people. Despite being a competition, everyone is quick to help each other for the good of the show. It's truly an amazing atmosphere. During our match we were able to dislodge a wheel on our opponent and pick up the KO. While this one happened to go our way, the Deep Cut team builds some nice looking and hard hitting bots. We look forward to seeing them some more. <br />
<br />
Our first round bracket matchup was against Wormhole. A young veteran with a very impressive undercutter and super nice team. Rick Roller managed to step to the side in the box rush and deal a quick side hit, but after some strong hits from Wormhole, the PLA front plate holding the weapon motor loosened and the belt wouldn't spin the weapon. We knew PLA is not the best material for combat robotics, but we've never printed with anything else so it's been small steps through the design. We also had some drive issues but luckily found that our opponent also lost their weapon belt and had an impacted drive. The match went the distance as both bots shuffled and "chased" each other around the cage with busted drives like the waning moments of a state fair demolition derby. Judges decision to Wormhole in a fun match against a team we will continue to root for! <br />
<br />
'''June 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Guess who's back, back again! (never gonna say goodbye, seemed too "on the nose"). Came back with some more minor changes. We switched up the front plate to aluminum and added some TPU wheel guards that just curved around the back of the wheels. Yes, we tried printing with TPU. It wasn't pretty but it also wasn't effective! One wheel guard got caught under our wheel driving to the corner for the start...not a great start, Since our first opponent was Count Forkula, our Captain made the excellent choice to tape the Fork's natural enemy to our wheel guards...plastic spoons. In the end, we probably should have gone with Sporks because this control bot got under us and prevented us from doing much the whole match. Easy judges decision for them and a good rookie bot! <br />
<br />
Last chance match-up was against an absolute top notch Jackrabbit Flex. Got a good early hit on the mini-bot and a couple strong pins. Speed has not been an issue for the Rick Roller but control has been. Thankfully we also learned about Exponential Control after this match and will be able to throttle down in the future. Experience grows. The match went the distance but we suspect our miniswitch screw was not fully turned at the start and came loose. We lost power at the very end of the match, thus failing the drive/weapon test. Nevertheless an honor to share the box with another top competitor and got some valuable advice afterward. <br />
<br />
The Rick Roller captain will forever be a fan first and competitor second, so the chance to compete in a rumble was a must...but first a couple more matchups. <br />
<br />
On Sunday, faced off against the tough drum spinner, Golddust. Titanium is no joke. Good fight but couldn't do a whole lot and took it to a judges decision that didn't go our way. Still really cool to face off against our first opponents from overseas. <br />
<br />
Over the past two events we've had the good luck to be pit neighbors with Money Shot and watch the evolution of that bot. It may be one of the coolest designs and the detail is awesome from the dollar sign weapon to the custom wheel hubs...check it out up close the next time you're in Norwalk. Money Shot was also kind enough to stick around for a grudge match at the request of our captain. Money Shot had, up until this point, dealt with some unfortunate weapon belt and motor issues. However, upon the start of the match we quickly realized that things were going to stop being polite and start getting real (any MTV Real World fans reading this?). When Money Shot's weapon spun up, it sounded like a 747 was about to make a Norwalk to Fort Lauderdale run. The Rick Roller was knocked into its own VH1 Behind the Music. It forced our first ever Tap Out because there was a rumble happening and we needed a mostly functioning bot. Nevertheless, we're rooting for Money Shot to bring some pain and hopefully qualify for the Championships. <br />
<br />
Ultimate Rumble time. Just being in the same arena as the drivers of Crashfest, Pawsatively Hissterical, Spartan, Disinformation, Wormhole etc....was an honor. After zipping around for a while and dealing a few hits, Rick Roller's captain in his own words decided to "just send it into Chonkiii". In a magnificent impact, both wheels were blown off with a shaft sticking out of one. Our captain immediately proclaimed it "the best day of his life". <br />
<br />
'''August 2023:''' <br />
<br />
For this one we swapped some of the UHMW for an AluPoly material and added some Aluminum wheel guards. Hold on, that sounds like a lot of weight? It was actually only about 2.3oz over but this time we added...a Mini Bot! We didn't want to just throw and RC car in there, so our captain designed and printed a wedge out of PLA+ and added an aluminum/lexan top. It was an ugly little bot, but it was a start and only 12 oz! <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Team Shreddit member, Patient 0. Really tough bot and we learned early that the AluPoly was worth trying but not a good enough material to hold things together. Our back plate got ripped off and forced a tap out before any exposed electronics got appropriately shredded! <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we managed to repair everything and were ready to rock for the last chance before an unfortunate forfeit by our opponent. <br />
<br />
Bracket time and our wheel of fate landed on the icon, Calvin Iba and Mixtape. An assist from our friends with some Aluminum tape and we were ready to go. Mixtape could not have been a cooler opponent...well, he could have been cooler in temperature and that would have helped a lot! First time in the main arena area and you know you're in trouble when your opponent's highlights are playing on the screens before the match. Got a good hit in early and avoided the flame a bit to make it 2.5 minutes into the match. Ultimately rubber wheels + fire is not a good combination...unless of course you're controlling the fire. With some sweet green wheel streaks on the floor and bits of rubber stuck to the walls, the Rick Roller was knocked out. Nevertheless, to get roasted by a Champion and a fan favorite bot, was a young career highlight by the 12 year old captain of Rick Roller...and new "best day of my life", something that NHRL has had a special knack for creating. <br />
<br />
We may not be the most technically savvy but we look forward to continue with little tweaks and just want to put on a good show. Incredibly grateful for NHRL, all the competitors that make us this unrivaled community, and the fans who come out to CT's best hidden gem for entertainment. <br />
<br />
'''September 30th:''' <br />
<br />
Ever been working on a project and feel good about it but then right at the deadline realize you overlooked something kinda important? But then you're like it's still pretty good and it'll be fine...but IT IS NOT FINE and your own wheel guards disable your wheels. We rolled into this one with some new material, a slightly new design, and custom beater teeth (designed by our Captain). Super excited to test out some new materials and see how the teeth performed. Minibot was also back because even though we dropped weight shifting to some Nylon/CF parts, the AR500 teeth put us slightly over by 1.6oz. <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Stratus from the veteran Bad Crew squad (a really nice local group of students and mentors who we've enjoyed getting to know over the past couple of events). Testing with the new teeth, we realized that we were draining battery and probably needed to run conservative or maybe reduce a little weight? Our driver/captain has an amazing grasp of the English language but seemingly does not understand the phrase "throttle down your weapon". He spins the beater bar like Keanu Reeves trying to keep a bus from exploding (raise your hand if you get that reference). We decided to just bolt the teeth in with 4 of the screws..we know, bad idea! Match started with some big hits by the Rick Roller, tossing Stratus up against the wall. However, on the second hit, the teeth bent at the middle screws (mistake 1). After taking a hit from our opponent, one of the wheel guards also came loose and our fastening screw lodged into the rear wheel and prevented any movement. Rick Roller was out with a KO...but two important lessons learned and future design changes that may finally get us over the hurdle. Happy with the way the teeth performed otherwise. If you've been following along on our journey, you know that wheel guards have been a recurring problem. Rest assured that prior to the next Rick Roller appearance we will be making an offering to Gjorfenskik the Scandinavian god of wheel guards, who I'm sure we've angered at some point along the way. <br />
<br />
Second match was against Scotties Scrambler, another Fingertech Beater Bar, but this one was running the Athenas Teeth. We opted to go without teeth this time and just work on taking it the distance. Scotties Scrambler was another very nice team and a well driven bot that just stayed relentless throughout the match. It went the distance but was an easy judges decision for our opponent. <br />
<br />
Wrapped up the day with a rumble. Had a chance to get in the area with a couple of the Brazilian bots and couldn't pass up the chance. Also joined by ER Stingray, a local horizontal, so a bit of a CT vs. Brazil match. Got in a couple hits and avoided any significant damage. Even managed to push all 3 bots at once into the house bot at one point, which was a fun demonstration of the pushing potential of the Rick Roller. The rumbles are always a lot of fun and hopefully entertaining for the crowd. <br />
<br />
Learned a ton this season, had an absolute blast, and made a lot of friends. NHRL is hands down one of the best communities and we look forward to see this sport continue to grow. Our Captain has been busy since the summer designing a new bot for January and we look forward to testing out a new design and introducing Gh-Astley to the Team Rick Roller stable! <br />
<br />
'''March 2024:''' <br />
<br />
Did you get a load of that Gh-Astley bot in January? We're never going to give it up, but it did let us down a bit...In all seriousness, good to be back with Rick Roller but the development and experimentation with Gh-Astley AND Rick Roller is a lot of fun. This event will feature a new mini-bot design. Our captain asked for steel plates for Christmas (like any normal 13 year old?) and managed to get a couple....I guess it's better than coal. So the mini-bot is now a box with some decent looking steel forks. Probably not the most effective design, but for a kid still learning Fusion 360 and trying new things, we're excited to check this out! Since we've been watching Parks & Rec, the mini is affectionately called Mouserat. <br />
<br />
It's an incredible thing when you are prepping for an event and the bot just kind of comes together. No more late night troubleshooting and cramming. Finally an almost final Rick Roller version...now for one last test and...why's it driving like that? Ok, so it came together easily but wow was that drive a mess. We tried tuning things through the transmitter but alas it has the back and forth movement of Droopy but with wheels and without the devastating hits! <br />
<br />
First match was Stag Beetle Bot...they have merch for sale in the store! They're a veteran team and so nice! Really what makes this sport so accessible and so great for young competitors is the kindness and equality. Teams like Stag Beetle Bot do a lot to help foster that environment while remaining a dangerous opponent. It's competitive but supportive at the same time. Our mini-bot has really become an asset for our opponents so it was a non-factor....actually "non-factor" is not a bad name for it. So a bit of a back and forth for the match and an easy Judges Decision for SBB. <br />
<br />
Ok, 0-1 so with the new format, we need to win the next 2 to get into the tournament. Let's run around and hurt some bots! Next up is Botterfly, a pretty cool vert that runs a wedge mini. In between matches, we tried some additional mixing, but it looks like this event will be a test of overcoming drive issues. For the kids getting into this sport or anyone really, part of it is figuring out how to overcome issues and adapt! Hey, if our driver can improve with a messed-up drive, maybe it will help when things are fixed. Immediately to start the match, the mini-bots locked each other up and the new design is working well. Steel forks and slightly more pushing power lets us control that interaction. Despite the drive challenges, the Rick Roller was able to get a couple hits and lightly flip Botterfly over. Nothing devastating, but the occasional pop for aggression points. The biggest hit coming on our own mini-bot...yet again....good thing we cut a few extra of those steel forks! Victory for the Rick Roller via Judges Decision! <br />
<br />
Next up was Buster! We thought it was an overhead horizontal but it turned out to be a beater. The fork design on the mini worked well in this one. We were able to lock up the mini on Buster and get hooked under their forks with our barb. While not able to push them around with the mini-bot, it hindered their movement while the Rick Roller shuffled to a couple bumps. Ultimately, something must have gotten knocked a little loose and Buster lost mobility for the KO win for Rick Roller...onto the Tourney! <br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2023]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=13810Rick Roller2024-06-30T02:18:20Z<p>RickRoller: /* Robot Facts */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar w/ Custom Ar500 Teeth<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD that is good about 43% of the time.<br />
<nowiki>*</nowiki>When our driver runs it into Chonkii during a rumble, then 0 wheel drive, 100% of the time...but what a glorious way to lose both wheels!<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S.....and wishes<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever, prior to this (new skill..woohoo!). Totally unfamiliar with mini switches, we had probably the heaviest toggle power switch in the history of combat robots. After an unlucky draw, a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the impressive Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This event we added some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date (our own drive motors)...and a fingertech mini switch...Progress! We also printed a PLA inner box to hold everything in the chassis (admittedly not the best material...which will be a factor) and added PLA wheel guards. First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. A couple good hits and our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). Our wheel guards, which we called the "one hit wonders" (staying on brand), were immediately ripped off but at least saved a couple direct hits to the wheels. The match went the distance to the judges but didn't go our way. The PLA frame cracked and made some things get pretty loose. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
During our repair window we had a hub stuck in one of our wheels. Luckily our pit neighbors (and next opponents), Deep Cut, helped with some shop guidance. Much appreciated and it got us both up to speed for the Last Chance match. This may also be the greatest attribute of NHRL, the people. Despite being a competition, everyone is quick to help each other for the good of the show. It's truly an amazing atmosphere. During our match we were able to dislodge a wheel on our opponent and pick up the KO. While this one happened to go our way, the Deep Cut team builds some nice looking and hard hitting bots. We look forward to seeing them some more. <br />
<br />
Our first round bracket matchup was against Wormhole. A young veteran with a very impressive undercutter and super nice team. Rick Roller managed to step to the side in the box rush and deal a quick side hit, but after some strong hits from Wormhole, the PLA front plate holding the weapon motor loosened and the belt wouldn't spin the weapon. We knew PLA is not the best material for combat robotics, but we've never printed with anything else so it's been small steps through the design. We also had some drive issues but luckily found that our opponent also lost their weapon belt and had an impacted drive. The match went the distance as both bots shuffled and "chased" each other around the cage with busted drives like the waning moments of a state fair demolition derby. Judges decision to Wormhole in a fun match against a team we will continue to root for! <br />
<br />
'''June 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Guess who's back, back again! (never gonna say goodbye, seemed too "on the nose"). Came back with some more minor changes. We switched up the front plate to aluminum and added some TPU wheel guards that just curved around the back of the wheels. Yes, we tried printing with TPU. It wasn't pretty but it also wasn't effective! One wheel guard got caught under our wheel driving to the corner for the start...not a great start, Since our first opponent was Count Forkula, our Captain made the excellent choice to tape the Fork's natural enemy to our wheel guards...plastic spoons. In the end, we probably should have gone with Sporks because this control bot got under us and prevented us from doing much the whole match. Easy judges decision for them and a good rookie bot! <br />
<br />
Last chance match-up was against an absolute top notch Jackrabbit Flex. Got a good early hit on the mini-bot and a couple strong pins. Speed has not been an issue for the Rick Roller but control has been. Thankfully we also learned about Exponential Control after this match and will be able to throttle down in the future. Experience grows. The match went the distance but we suspect our miniswitch screw was not fully turned at the start and came loose. We lost power at the very end of the match, thus failing the drive/weapon test. Nevertheless an honor to share the box with another top competitor and got some valuable advice afterward. <br />
<br />
The Rick Roller captain will forever be a fan first and competitor second, so the chance to compete in a rumble was a must...but first a couple more matchups. <br />
<br />
On Sunday, faced off against the tough drum spinner, Golddust. Titanium is no joke. Good fight but couldn't do a whole lot and took it to a judges decision that didn't go our way. Still really cool to face off against our first opponents from overseas. <br />
<br />
Over the past two events we've had the good luck to be pit neighbors with Money Shot and watch the evolution of that bot. It may be one of the coolest designs and the detail is awesome from the dollar sign weapon to the custom wheel hubs...check it out up close the next time you're in Norwalk. Money Shot was also kind enough to stick around for a grudge match at the request of our captain. Money Shot had, up until this point, dealt with some unfortunate weapon belt and motor issues. However, upon the start of the match we quickly realized that things were going to stop being polite and start getting real (any MTV Real World fans reading this?). When Money Shot's weapon spun up, it sounded like a 747 was about to make a Norwalk to Fort Lauderdale run. The Rick Roller was knocked into its own VH1 Behind the Music. It forced our first ever Tap Out because there was a rumble happening and we needed a mostly functioning bot. Nevertheless, we're rooting for Money Shot to bring some pain and hopefully qualify for the Championships. <br />
<br />
Ultimate Rumble time. Just being in the same arena as the drivers of Crashfest, Pawsatively Hissterical, Spartan, Disinformation, Wormhole etc....was an honor. After zipping around for a while and dealing a few hits, Rick Roller's captain in his own words decided to "just send it into Chonkiii". In a magnificent impact, both wheels were blown off with a shaft sticking out of one. Our captain immediately proclaimed it "the best day of his life". <br />
<br />
'''August 2023:''' <br />
<br />
For this one we swapped some of the UHMW for an AluPoly material and added some Aluminum wheel guards. Hold on, that sounds like a lot of weight? It was actually only about 2.3oz over but this time we added...a Mini Bot! We didn't want to just throw and RC car in there, so our captain designed and printed a wedge out of PLA+ and added an aluminum/lexan top. It was an ugly little bot, but it was a start and only 12 oz! <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Team Shreddit member, Patient 0. Really tough bot and we learned early that the AluPoly was worth trying but not a good enough material to hold things together. Our back plate got ripped off and forced a tap out before any exposed electronics got appropriately shredded! <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we managed to repair everything and were ready to rock for the last chance before an unfortunate forfeit by our opponent. <br />
<br />
Bracket time and our wheel of fate landed on the icon, Calvin Iba and Mixtape. An assist from our friends with some Aluminum tape and we were ready to go. Mixtape could not have been a cooler opponent...well, he could have been cooler in temperature and that would have helped a lot! First time in the main arena area and you know you're in trouble when your opponent's highlights are playing on the screens before the match. Got a good hit in early and avoided the flame a bit to make it 2.5 minutes into the match. Ultimately rubber wheels + fire is not a good combination...unless of course you're controlling the fire. With some sweet green wheel streaks on the floor and bits of rubber stuck to the walls, the Rick Roller was knocked out. Nevertheless, to get roasted by a Champion and a fan favorite bot, was a young career highlight by the 12 year old captain of Rick Roller...and new "best day of my life", something that NHRL has had a special knack for creating. <br />
<br />
We may not be the most technically savvy but we look forward to continue with little tweaks and just want to put on a good show. Incredibly grateful for NHRL, all the competitors that make us this unrivaled community, and the fans who come out to CT's best hidden gem for entertainment. <br />
<br />
'''September 30th:''' <br />
<br />
Ever been working on a project and feel good about it but then right at the deadline realize you overlooked something kinda important? But then you're like it's still pretty good and it'll be fine...but IT IS NOT FINE and your own wheel guards disable your wheels. We rolled into this one with some new material, a slightly new design, and custom beater teeth (designed by our Captain). Super excited to test out some new materials and see how the teeth performed. Minibot was also back because even though we dropped weight shifting to some Nylon/CF parts, the AR500 teeth put us slightly over by 1.6oz. <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Stratus from the veteran Bad Crew squad (a really nice local group of students and mentors who we've enjoyed getting to know over the past couple of events). Testing with the new teeth, we realized that we were draining battery and probably needed to run conservative or maybe reduce a little weight? Our driver/captain has an amazing grasp of the English language but seemingly does not understand the phrase "throttle down your weapon". He spins the beater bar like Keanu Reeves trying to keep a bus from exploding (raise your hand if you get that reference). We decided to just bolt the teeth in with 4 of the screws..we know, bad idea! Match started with some big hits by the Rick Roller, tossing Stratus up against the wall. However, on the second hit, the teeth bent at the middle screws (mistake 1). After taking a hit from our opponent, one of the wheel guards also came loose and our fastening screw lodged into the rear wheel and prevented any movement. Rick Roller was out with a KO...but two important lessons learned and future design changes that may finally get us over the hurdle. Happy with the way the teeth performed otherwise. If you've been following along on our journey, you know that wheel guards have been a recurring problem. Rest assured that prior to the next Rick Roller appearance we will be making an offering to Gjorfenskik the Scandinavian god of wheel guards, who I'm sure we've angered at some point along the way. <br />
<br />
Second match was against Scotties Scrambler, another Fingertech Beater Bar, but this one was running the Athenas Teeth. We opted to go without teeth this time and just work on taking it the distance. Scotties Scrambler was another very nice team and a well driven bot that just stayed relentless throughout the match. It went the distance but was an easy judges decision for our opponent. <br />
<br />
Wrapped up the day with a rumble. Had a chance to get in the area with a couple of the Brazilian bots and couldn't pass up the chance. Also joined by ER Stingray, a local horizontal, so a bit of a CT vs. Brazil match. Got in a couple hits and avoided any significant damage. Even managed to push all 3 bots at once into the house bot at one point, which was a fun demonstration of the pushing potential of the Rick Roller. The rumbles are always a lot of fun and hopefully entertaining for the crowd. <br />
<br />
Learned a ton this season, had an absolute blast, and made a lot of friends. NHRL is hands down one of the best communities and we look forward to see this sport continue to grow. Our Captain has been busy since the summer designing a new bot for January and we look forward to testing out a new design and introducing Gh-Astley to the Team Rick Roller stable! <br />
<br />
'''March 2024:''' <br />
<br />
Did you get a load of that Gh-Astley bot in January? We're never going to give it up, but it did let us down a bit...In all seriousness, good to be back with Rick Roller but the development and experimentation with Gh-Astley AND Rick Roller is a lot of fun. This event will feature a new mini-bot design. Our captain asked for steel plates for Christmas (like any normal 13 year old?) and managed to get a couple....I guess it's better than coal. So the mini-bot is now a box with some decent looking steel forks. Probably not the most effective design, but for a kid still learning Fusion 360 and trying new things, we're excited to check this out! Since we've been watching Parks & Rec, the mini is affectionately called Mouserat. <br />
<br />
It's an incredible thing when you are prepping for an event and the bot just kind of comes together. No more late night troubleshooting and cramming. Finally an almost final Rick Roller version...now for one last test and...why's it driving like that? Ok, so it came together easily but wow was that drive a mess. We tried tuning things through the transmitter but alas it has the back and forth movement of Droopy but with wheels and without the devastating hits! <br />
<br />
First match was Stag Beetle Bot...they have merch for sale in the store! They're a veteran team and so nice! Really what makes this sport so accessible and so great for young competitors is the kindness and equality. Teams like Stag Beetle Bot do a lot to help foster that environment while remaining a dangerous opponent. It's competitive but supportive at the same time. Our mini-bot has really become an asset for our opponents so it was a non-factor....actually "non-factor" is not a bad name for it. So a bit of a back and forth for the match and an easy Judges Decision for SBB. <br />
<br />
Ok, 0-1 so with the new format, we need to win the next 2 to get into the tournament. Let's run around and hurt some bots! Next up is Botterfly, a pretty cool vert that runs a wedge mini. In between matches, we tried some additional mixing, but it looks like this event will be a test of overcoming drive issues. For the kids getting into this sport or anyone really, part of it is figuring out how to overcome issues and adapt! Hey, if our driver can improve with a messed-up drive, maybe it will help when things are fixed. Immediately to start the match, the mini-bots locked each other up and the new design is working well. Steel forks and slightly more pushing power lets us control that interaction. Despite the drive challenges, the Rick Roller was able to get a couple hits and lightly flip Botterfly over. Nothing devastating, but the occasional pop for aggression points. The biggest hit coming on our own mini-bot...yet again....good thing we cut a few extra of those steel forks! Victory for the Rick Roller via Judges Decision! <br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2023]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=13809Rick Roller2024-06-30T02:16:14Z<p>RickRoller: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar w/ Custom Ar500 Teeth<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD that is good about 43% of the time. Unless our driver runs it into Chonkii during a rumble, then 0 wheel drive<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S.....and wishes<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever, prior to this (new skill..woohoo!). Totally unfamiliar with mini switches, we had probably the heaviest toggle power switch in the history of combat robots. After an unlucky draw, a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the impressive Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This event we added some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date (our own drive motors)...and a fingertech mini switch...Progress! We also printed a PLA inner box to hold everything in the chassis (admittedly not the best material...which will be a factor) and added PLA wheel guards. First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. A couple good hits and our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). Our wheel guards, which we called the "one hit wonders" (staying on brand), were immediately ripped off but at least saved a couple direct hits to the wheels. The match went the distance to the judges but didn't go our way. The PLA frame cracked and made some things get pretty loose. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
During our repair window we had a hub stuck in one of our wheels. Luckily our pit neighbors (and next opponents), Deep Cut, helped with some shop guidance. Much appreciated and it got us both up to speed for the Last Chance match. This may also be the greatest attribute of NHRL, the people. Despite being a competition, everyone is quick to help each other for the good of the show. It's truly an amazing atmosphere. During our match we were able to dislodge a wheel on our opponent and pick up the KO. While this one happened to go our way, the Deep Cut team builds some nice looking and hard hitting bots. We look forward to seeing them some more. <br />
<br />
Our first round bracket matchup was against Wormhole. A young veteran with a very impressive undercutter and super nice team. Rick Roller managed to step to the side in the box rush and deal a quick side hit, but after some strong hits from Wormhole, the PLA front plate holding the weapon motor loosened and the belt wouldn't spin the weapon. We knew PLA is not the best material for combat robotics, but we've never printed with anything else so it's been small steps through the design. We also had some drive issues but luckily found that our opponent also lost their weapon belt and had an impacted drive. The match went the distance as both bots shuffled and "chased" each other around the cage with busted drives like the waning moments of a state fair demolition derby. Judges decision to Wormhole in a fun match against a team we will continue to root for! <br />
<br />
'''June 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Guess who's back, back again! (never gonna say goodbye, seemed too "on the nose"). Came back with some more minor changes. We switched up the front plate to aluminum and added some TPU wheel guards that just curved around the back of the wheels. Yes, we tried printing with TPU. It wasn't pretty but it also wasn't effective! One wheel guard got caught under our wheel driving to the corner for the start...not a great start, Since our first opponent was Count Forkula, our Captain made the excellent choice to tape the Fork's natural enemy to our wheel guards...plastic spoons. In the end, we probably should have gone with Sporks because this control bot got under us and prevented us from doing much the whole match. Easy judges decision for them and a good rookie bot! <br />
<br />
Last chance match-up was against an absolute top notch Jackrabbit Flex. Got a good early hit on the mini-bot and a couple strong pins. Speed has not been an issue for the Rick Roller but control has been. Thankfully we also learned about Exponential Control after this match and will be able to throttle down in the future. Experience grows. The match went the distance but we suspect our miniswitch screw was not fully turned at the start and came loose. We lost power at the very end of the match, thus failing the drive/weapon test. Nevertheless an honor to share the box with another top competitor and got some valuable advice afterward. <br />
<br />
The Rick Roller captain will forever be a fan first and competitor second, so the chance to compete in a rumble was a must...but first a couple more matchups. <br />
<br />
On Sunday, faced off against the tough drum spinner, Golddust. Titanium is no joke. Good fight but couldn't do a whole lot and took it to a judges decision that didn't go our way. Still really cool to face off against our first opponents from overseas. <br />
<br />
Over the past two events we've had the good luck to be pit neighbors with Money Shot and watch the evolution of that bot. It may be one of the coolest designs and the detail is awesome from the dollar sign weapon to the custom wheel hubs...check it out up close the next time you're in Norwalk. Money Shot was also kind enough to stick around for a grudge match at the request of our captain. Money Shot had, up until this point, dealt with some unfortunate weapon belt and motor issues. However, upon the start of the match we quickly realized that things were going to stop being polite and start getting real (any MTV Real World fans reading this?). When Money Shot's weapon spun up, it sounded like a 747 was about to make a Norwalk to Fort Lauderdale run. The Rick Roller was knocked into its own VH1 Behind the Music. It forced our first ever Tap Out because there was a rumble happening and we needed a mostly functioning bot. Nevertheless, we're rooting for Money Shot to bring some pain and hopefully qualify for the Championships. <br />
<br />
Ultimate Rumble time. Just being in the same arena as the drivers of Crashfest, Pawsatively Hissterical, Spartan, Disinformation, Wormhole etc....was an honor. After zipping around for a while and dealing a few hits, Rick Roller's captain in his own words decided to "just send it into Chonkiii". In a magnificent impact, both wheels were blown off with a shaft sticking out of one. Our captain immediately proclaimed it "the best day of his life". <br />
<br />
'''August 2023:''' <br />
<br />
For this one we swapped some of the UHMW for an AluPoly material and added some Aluminum wheel guards. Hold on, that sounds like a lot of weight? It was actually only about 2.3oz over but this time we added...a Mini Bot! We didn't want to just throw and RC car in there, so our captain designed and printed a wedge out of PLA+ and added an aluminum/lexan top. It was an ugly little bot, but it was a start and only 12 oz! <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Team Shreddit member, Patient 0. Really tough bot and we learned early that the AluPoly was worth trying but not a good enough material to hold things together. Our back plate got ripped off and forced a tap out before any exposed electronics got appropriately shredded! <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we managed to repair everything and were ready to rock for the last chance before an unfortunate forfeit by our opponent. <br />
<br />
Bracket time and our wheel of fate landed on the icon, Calvin Iba and Mixtape. An assist from our friends with some Aluminum tape and we were ready to go. Mixtape could not have been a cooler opponent...well, he could have been cooler in temperature and that would have helped a lot! First time in the main arena area and you know you're in trouble when your opponent's highlights are playing on the screens before the match. Got a good hit in early and avoided the flame a bit to make it 2.5 minutes into the match. Ultimately rubber wheels + fire is not a good combination...unless of course you're controlling the fire. With some sweet green wheel streaks on the floor and bits of rubber stuck to the walls, the Rick Roller was knocked out. Nevertheless, to get roasted by a Champion and a fan favorite bot, was a young career highlight by the 12 year old captain of Rick Roller...and new "best day of my life", something that NHRL has had a special knack for creating. <br />
<br />
We may not be the most technically savvy but we look forward to continue with little tweaks and just want to put on a good show. Incredibly grateful for NHRL, all the competitors that make us this unrivaled community, and the fans who come out to CT's best hidden gem for entertainment. <br />
<br />
'''September 30th:''' <br />
<br />
Ever been working on a project and feel good about it but then right at the deadline realize you overlooked something kinda important? But then you're like it's still pretty good and it'll be fine...but IT IS NOT FINE and your own wheel guards disable your wheels. We rolled into this one with some new material, a slightly new design, and custom beater teeth (designed by our Captain). Super excited to test out some new materials and see how the teeth performed. Minibot was also back because even though we dropped weight shifting to some Nylon/CF parts, the AR500 teeth put us slightly over by 1.6oz. <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Stratus from the veteran Bad Crew squad (a really nice local group of students and mentors who we've enjoyed getting to know over the past couple of events). Testing with the new teeth, we realized that we were draining battery and probably needed to run conservative or maybe reduce a little weight? Our driver/captain has an amazing grasp of the English language but seemingly does not understand the phrase "throttle down your weapon". He spins the beater bar like Keanu Reeves trying to keep a bus from exploding (raise your hand if you get that reference). We decided to just bolt the teeth in with 4 of the screws..we know, bad idea! Match started with some big hits by the Rick Roller, tossing Stratus up against the wall. However, on the second hit, the teeth bent at the middle screws (mistake 1). After taking a hit from our opponent, one of the wheel guards also came loose and our fastening screw lodged into the rear wheel and prevented any movement. Rick Roller was out with a KO...but two important lessons learned and future design changes that may finally get us over the hurdle. Happy with the way the teeth performed otherwise. If you've been following along on our journey, you know that wheel guards have been a recurring problem. Rest assured that prior to the next Rick Roller appearance we will be making an offering to Gjorfenskik the Scandinavian god of wheel guards, who I'm sure we've angered at some point along the way. <br />
<br />
Second match was against Scotties Scrambler, another Fingertech Beater Bar, but this one was running the Athenas Teeth. We opted to go without teeth this time and just work on taking it the distance. Scotties Scrambler was another very nice team and a well driven bot that just stayed relentless throughout the match. It went the distance but was an easy judges decision for our opponent. <br />
<br />
Wrapped up the day with a rumble. Had a chance to get in the area with a couple of the Brazilian bots and couldn't pass up the chance. Also joined by ER Stingray, a local horizontal, so a bit of a CT vs. Brazil match. Got in a couple hits and avoided any significant damage. Even managed to push all 3 bots at once into the house bot at one point, which was a fun demonstration of the pushing potential of the Rick Roller. The rumbles are always a lot of fun and hopefully entertaining for the crowd. <br />
<br />
Learned a ton this season, had an absolute blast, and made a lot of friends. NHRL is hands down one of the best communities and we look forward to see this sport continue to grow. Our Captain has been busy since the summer designing a new bot for January and we look forward to testing out a new design and introducing Gh-Astley to the Team Rick Roller stable! <br />
<br />
'''March 2024:''' <br />
<br />
Did you get a load of that Gh-Astley bot in January? We're never going to give it up, but it did let us down a bit...In all seriousness, good to be back with Rick Roller but the development and experimentation with Gh-Astley AND Rick Roller is a lot of fun. This event will feature a new mini-bot design. Our captain asked for steel plates for Christmas (like any normal 13 year old?) and managed to get a couple....I guess it's better than coal. So the mini-bot is now a box with some decent looking steel forks. Probably not the most effective design, but for a kid still learning Fusion 360 and trying new things, we're excited to check this out! Since we've been watching Parks & Rec, the mini is affectionately called Mouserat. <br />
<br />
It's an incredible thing when you are prepping for an event and the bot just kind of comes together. No more late night troubleshooting and cramming. Finally an almost final Rick Roller version...now for one last test and...why's it driving like that? Ok, so it came together easily but wow was that drive a mess. We tried tuning things through the transmitter but alas it has the back and forth movement of Droopy but with wheels and without the devastating hits! <br />
<br />
First match was Stag Beetle Bot...they have merch for sale in the store! They're a veteran team and so nice! Really what makes this sport so accessible and so great for young competitors is the kindness and equality. Teams like Stag Beetle Bot do a lot to help foster that environment while remaining a dangerous opponent. It's competitive but supportive at the same time. Our mini-bot has really become an asset for our opponents so it was a non-factor....actually "non-factor" is not a bad name for it. So a bit of a back and forth for the match and an easy Judges Decision for SBB. <br />
<br />
Ok, 0-1 so with the new format, we need to win the next 2 to get into the tournament. Let's run around and hurt some bots! Next up is Botterfly, a pretty cool vert that runs a wedge mini. In between matches, we tried some additional mixing, but it looks like this event will be a test of overcoming drive issues. For the kids getting into this sport or anyone really, part of it is figuring out how to overcome issues and adapt! Hey, if our driver can improve with a messed-up drive, maybe it will help when things are fixed. Immediately to start the match, the mini-bots locked each other up and the new design is working well. Steel forks and slightly more pushing power lets us control that interaction. Despite the drive challenges, the Rick Roller was able to get a couple hits and lightly flip Botterfly over. Nothing devastating, but the occasional pop for aggression points. The biggest hit coming on our own mini-bot...yet again....good thing we cut a few extra of those steel forks! Victory for the Rick Roller via Judges Decision! <br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2023]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=13807Gh-Astley2024-06-29T02:00:19Z<p>RickRoller: /* Robot Facts */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:NHRLScanLines.png|thumb|alt=]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU & Carbon Fiber<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD....1 Wheel Drive post Catalyst matches<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}<br />
The newest addition to the Rick Roller stable...Gh-Astley!<br />
<br />
Here's our timeline so far. Lead designer/driver, has always loved bots and constructing/deconstructing things. Discovered Battlebots a few years ago and was hooked. Came across NHRL in November 2022 and attended the Championships. It was amazing! Talking with the staff there, we learned how accessible the sport really was and boom, off to the races. Rather than start with a kit, we decided to get raw materials for the chassis and cobble together Rick Roller from scratch...to figure some things out. 2023 was a season of experimentation and learning (Don't forget to check the build log on the Rick Roller wiki). We can't say enough how amazing this sport and community is, competitors, staff and volunteers at NHRL, everyone! <br />
<br />
As the year progressed the bug set in and by summer, design ideas for January 2024 started flowing. Being a huge fan, our lead designer Jonah wanted to try a completely different style bot. Inspired by some of the great horizontals like Caldera, Beetlejuice, Spartan, etc. Gh-Astley started to evolve. First the weapon...because what 12 year old isn't going to go weapon first on the design? Forget drive, impact toughness, etc. Start with a cool looking weapon. Thus we have the tri-tipped blade of Gh-Astley. Now Rick Roller had very little 3D printing but that's such a big part of the weight class...it was time to really dive in and learn. The chassis is mostly TPU with some Carbon Fiber top plates. First design looked awesome, fit together perfectly, held the motors in place and was good to go. Totally nailed it...as a sweet model to put up on the bookshelf. Fitting a battery and electronics would be like trying to squeeze a 30lb rumble into cage 2...interesting, lots of stacking and twisting, but ultimately an ineffective and impossible task. <br />
<br />
Not wanting to stop at style of bot and chassis material, the decision was also made to try all new motors, electronics, and a round belt instead of timing belt for the weapon. Unfortunately, the round belts were proving to be a bit much and putting too much tension on the motor but not gripping the pulley when loosened. Not enough time to source proper timing belts, so we 3D printed some out of TPU, which spun the weapon but were admittedly not ideal. Something that will definitely be on the upgrade list for v.2! <br />
<br />
After some adjustments and practicing a lot with fusion, Gh-Astley was complete. 100% kid designed from the ground up. A totally new bot experience, learning to drive a horizontal style, figuring out the intricacies of a different motor/weapon design, but super excited and ready to have a blast as always in Norwalk! At least the testing stage will be set at the New Bot event and an opportunity to share in the nervous excitement of fellow builders testing out new ideas and creative visions. Can't wait to jump into the cage with another driver working out a fresh new design and maybe equally as nervous and excited about how their vision will fare!<br />
<br />
First matchup?....Blue and White Synthesis er...Catalyst. A Builder/Driver that brings a ton of experience + destructive force in the vertical field. Absolutely top notch brutal build quality and a nightmare first match. But being fan first when the news was broken about the matchup upon return from school, our Designer's response was "Oh no!...well, it will be cool to meet Corey!". Looks like it will be up to the mini-bot to swoop in for an assist. What's that? Catalyst will have Chainsaw Kitty's talented mini-bot driver? Cool, Cool, Cool...Sounds like we'll need some spares of everything!<br />
<br />
'''January 2024'''<br />
<br />
New Bot, new adventures...new challenge to put it all back together after being decimated by one of the best! First up is Catalyst. Good news is our weapon spun up...and a sweet weapon it is. The Sherikan-style design was a goal of our (now 13 year old) builder/driver and then we built a bot around it....more of a weapon delivery system than carefully crafted robot. Lucky for us, Corey is a cool dude and probably took it easier on us than he could have. Things started to get confusing on the stream as there is another "gastly" Pokemon themed bot and the announcers understandably mixed us up. <br />
<br />
''Sidebar: Our Gh-Astley is a continuation on the Rick '''Astley''' theme from Rick Roller.'' <br />
<br />
One giant hit from Catalyst and our Carbon Fiber top plate was split as we were thrown almost to the ceiling. On the second hit, the right wheel was like "I'm Out!" and the weapon belt thought that was a grrrrreat idea and bounced as well. Thinking Catalyst might be coming for our family next, it was a quick TapOut at 25 seconds in...better than 20 seconds? <br />
<br />
Next up was Hotcake: Unfortunately a forfeit...we always love to fight!<br />
<br />
On to "Proof of Concept: Concept Proved! A hit from this good beater, our top plate cracked the weapon motor housing and caused it to separate enough for the weapon to be intermittent. All part of a new bot and really new builder (2nd bot in less than a year competing). We'll learn and upgrade for next time!{{Bot Stats|bot=Gh-Astley|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=13806Rick Roller2024-06-29T01:58:59Z<p>RickRoller: /* Robot Facts */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar w/ Custom Ar500 Teeth<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD that is good about 43% of the time. Unless our driver runs it into Chonkii during a rumble, then 0 wheel drive<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S.....and wishes<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever, prior to this (new skill..woohoo!). Totally unfamiliar with mini switches, we had probably the heaviest toggle power switch in the history of combat robots. After an unlucky draw, a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the impressive Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This event we added some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date (our own drive motors)...and a fingertech mini switch...Progress! We also printed a PLA inner box to hold everything in the chassis (admittedly not the best material...which will be a factor) and added PLA wheel guards. First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. A couple good hits and our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). Our wheel guards, which we called the "one hit wonders" (staying on brand), were immediately ripped off but at least saved a couple direct hits to the wheels. The match went the distance to the judges but didn't go our way. The PLA frame cracked and made some things get pretty loose. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
During our repair window we had a hub stuck in one of our wheels. Luckily our pit neighbors (and next opponents), Deep Cut, helped with some shop guidance. Much appreciated and it got us both up to speed for the Last Chance match. This may also be the greatest attribute of NHRL, the people. Despite being a competition, everyone is quick to help each other for the good of the show. It's truly an amazing atmosphere. During our match we were able to dislodge a wheel on our opponent and pick up the KO. While this one happened to go our way, the Deep Cut team builds some nice looking and hard hitting bots. We look forward to seeing them some more. <br />
<br />
Our first round bracket matchup was against Wormhole. A young veteran with a very impressive undercutter and super nice team. Rick Roller managed to step to the side in the box rush and deal a quick side hit, but after some strong hits from Wormhole, the PLA front plate holding the weapon motor loosened and the belt wouldn't spin the weapon. We knew PLA is not the best material for combat robotics, but we've never printed with anything else so it's been small steps through the design. We also had some drive issues but luckily found that our opponent also lost their weapon belt and had an impacted drive. The match went the distance as both bots shuffled and "chased" each other around the cage with busted drives like the waning moments of a state fair demolition derby. Judges decision to Wormhole in a fun match against a team we will continue to root for! <br />
<br />
'''June 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Guess who's back, back again! (never gonna say goodbye, seemed too "on the nose"). Came back with some more minor changes. We switched up the front plate to aluminum and added some TPU wheel guards that just curved around the back of the wheels. Yes, we tried printing with TPU. It wasn't pretty but it also wasn't effective! One wheel guard got caught under our wheel driving to the corner for the start...not a great start, Since our first opponent was Count Forkula, our Captain made the excellent choice to tape the Fork's natural enemy to our wheel guards...plastic spoons. In the end, we probably should have gone with Sporks because this control bot got under us and prevented us from doing much the whole match. Easy judges decision for them and a good rookie bot! <br />
<br />
Last chance match-up was against an absolute top notch Jackrabbit Flex. Got a good early hit on the mini-bot and a couple strong pins. Speed has not been an issue for the Rick Roller but control has been. Thankfully we also learned about Exponential Control after this match and will be able to throttle down in the future. Experience grows. The match went the distance but we suspect our miniswitch screw was not fully turned at the start and came loose. We lost power at the very end of the match, thus failing the drive/weapon test. Nevertheless an honor to share the box with another top competitor and got some valuable advice afterward. <br />
<br />
The Rick Roller captain will forever be a fan first and competitor second, so the chance to compete in a rumble was a must...but first a couple more matchups. <br />
<br />
On Sunday, faced off against the tough drum spinner, Golddust. Titanium is no joke. Good fight but couldn't do a whole lot and took it to a judges decision that didn't go our way. Still really cool to face off against our first opponents from overseas. <br />
<br />
Over the past two events we've had the good luck to be pit neighbors with Money Shot and watch the evolution of that bot. It may be one of the coolest designs and the detail is awesome from the dollar sign weapon to the custom wheel hubs...check it out up close the next time you're in Norwalk. Money Shot was also kind enough to stick around for a grudge match at the request of our captain. Money Shot had, up until this point, dealt with some unfortunate weapon belt and motor issues. However, upon the start of the match we quickly realized that things were going to stop being polite and start getting real (any MTV Real World fans reading this?). When Money Shot's weapon spun up, it sounded like a 747 was about to make a Norwalk to Fort Lauderdale run. The Rick Roller was knocked into its own VH1 Behind the Music. It forced our first ever Tap Out because there was a rumble happening and we needed a mostly functioning bot. Nevertheless, we're rooting for Money Shot to bring some pain and hopefully qualify for the Championships. <br />
<br />
Ultimate Rumble time. Just being in the same arena as the drivers of Crashfest, Pawsatively Hissterical, Spartan, Disinformation, Wormhole etc....was an honor. After zipping around for a while and dealing a few hits, Rick Roller's captain in his own words decided to "just send it into Chonkiii". In a magnificent impact, both wheels were blown off with a shaft sticking out of one. Our captain immediately proclaimed it "the best day of his life". <br />
<br />
'''August 2023:''' <br />
<br />
For this one we swapped some of the UHMW for an AluPoly material and added some Aluminum wheel guards. Hold on, that sounds like a lot of weight? It was actually only about 2.3oz over but this time we added...a Mini Bot! We didn't want to just throw and RC car in there, so our captain designed and printed a wedge out of PLA+ and added an aluminum/lexan top. It was an ugly little bot, but it was a start and only 12 oz! <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Team Shreddit member, Patient 0. Really tough bot and we learned early that the AluPoly was worth trying but not a good enough material to hold things together. Our back plate got ripped off and forced a tap out before any exposed electronics got appropriately shredded! <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we managed to repair everything and were ready to rock for the last chance before an unfortunate forfeit by our opponent. <br />
<br />
Bracket time and our wheel of fate landed on the icon, Calvin Iba and Mixtape. An assist from our friends with some Aluminum tape and we were ready to go. Mixtape could not have been a cooler opponent...well, he could have been cooler in temperature and that would have helped a lot! First time in the main arena area and you know you're in trouble when your opponent's highlights are playing on the screens before the match. Got a good hit in early and avoided the flame a bit to make it 2.5 minutes into the match. Ultimately rubber wheels + fire is not a good combination...unless of course you're controlling the fire. With some sweet green wheel streaks on the floor and bits of rubber stuck to the walls, the Rick Roller was knocked out. Nevertheless, to get roasted by a Champion and a fan favorite bot, was a young career highlight by the 12 year old captain of Rick Roller...and new "best day of my life", something that NHRL has had a special knack for creating. <br />
<br />
We may not be the most technically savvy but we look forward to continue with little tweaks and just want to put on a good show. Incredibly grateful for NHRL, all the competitors that make us this unrivaled community, and the fans who come out to CT's best hidden gem for entertainment. <br />
<br />
'''September 30th:''' <br />
<br />
Ever been working on a project and feel good about it but then right at the deadline realize you overlooked something kinda important? But then you're like it's still pretty good and it'll be fine...but IT IS NOT FINE and your own wheel guards disable your wheels. We rolled into this one with some new material, a slightly new design, and custom beater teeth (designed by our Captain). Super excited to test out some new materials and see how the teeth performed. Minibot was also back because even though we dropped weight shifting to some Nylon/CF parts, the AR500 teeth put us slightly over by 1.6oz. <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Stratus from the veteran Bad Crew squad (a really nice local group of students and mentors who we've enjoyed getting to know over the past couple of events). Testing with the new teeth, we realized that we were draining battery and probably needed to run conservative or maybe reduce a little weight? Our driver/captain has an amazing grasp of the English language but seemingly does not understand the phrase "throttle down your weapon". He spins the beater bar like Keanu Reeves trying to keep a bus from exploding (raise your hand if you get that reference). We decided to just bolt the teeth in with 4 of the screws..we know, bad idea! Match started with some big hits by the Rick Roller, tossing Stratus up against the wall. However, on the second hit, the teeth bent at the middle screws (mistake 1). After taking a hit from our opponent, one of the wheel guards also came loose and our fastening screw lodged into the rear wheel and prevented any movement. Rick Roller was out with a KO...but two important lessons learned and future design changes that may finally get us over the hurdle. Happy with the way the teeth performed otherwise. If you've been following along on our journey, you know that wheel guards have been a recurring problem. Rest assured that prior to the next Rick Roller appearance we will be making an offering to Gjorfenskik the Scandinavian god of wheel guards, who I'm sure we've angered at some point along the way. <br />
<br />
Second match was against Scotties Scrambler, another Fingertech Beater Bar, but this one was running the Athenas Teeth. We opted to go without teeth this time and just work on taking it the distance. Scotties Scrambler was another very nice team and a well driven bot that just stayed relentless throughout the match. It went the distance but was an easy judges decision for our opponent. <br />
<br />
Wrapped up the day with a rumble. Had a chance to get in the area with a couple of the Brazilian bots and couldn't pass up the chance. Also joined by ER Stingray, a local horizontal, so a bit of a CT vs. Brazil match. Got in a couple hits and avoided any significant damage. Even managed to push all 3 bots at once into the house bot at one point, which was a fun demonstration of the pushing potential of the Rick Roller. The rumbles are always a lot of fun and hopefully entertaining for the crowd. <br />
<br />
Learned a ton this season, had an absolute blast, and made a lot of friends. NHRL is hands down one of the best communities and we look forward to see this sport continue to grow. Our Captain has been busy since the summer designing a new bot for January and we look forward to testing out a new design and introducing Gh-Astley to the Team Rick Roller stable! <br />
<br />
'''March 2024:''' <br />
<br />
Did you get a load of that Gh-Astley bot in January? We're never going to give it up, but it did let us down a bit...In all seriousness, good to be back with Rick Roller but the development and experimentation with Gh-Astley AND Rick Roller is a lot of fun. <br />
<br />
It's an incredible thing when you are prepping for an event and the bot just kind of comes together. No more late night troubleshooting and cramming. Finally an almost final Rick Roller version...now for one last test and...why's it driving like that? Ok, so it came together easily but wow was that drive a mess. We tried tuning things through the transmitter but alas it has the back and forth movement of Droopy but with wheels and without the devastating hits! <br />
<br />
First match was Stag Beetle Bot...they have merch for sale in the store! They're a veteran team and so nice! Really what makes this sport so accessible and so great for young competitors is the kindness and equality. Teams like Stag Beetle Bot do a lot to help foster that environment while remaining a dangerous opponent. It's competitive but supportive at the same time. Our mini-bot has really become an asset for our opponents so it was a non-factor....actually "non-factor" is not a bad name for it. So a bit of a back and forth for the match and an easy Judges Decision for SBB. {{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2023]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=13805Rick Roller2024-06-29T01:57:32Z<p>RickRoller: /* Robot Facts */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar w/ Custom Ar500 Teeth<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD that is good about 43% of the time<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S.....and wishes<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever, prior to this (new skill..woohoo!). Totally unfamiliar with mini switches, we had probably the heaviest toggle power switch in the history of combat robots. After an unlucky draw, a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the impressive Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This event we added some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date (our own drive motors)...and a fingertech mini switch...Progress! We also printed a PLA inner box to hold everything in the chassis (admittedly not the best material...which will be a factor) and added PLA wheel guards. First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. A couple good hits and our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). Our wheel guards, which we called the "one hit wonders" (staying on brand), were immediately ripped off but at least saved a couple direct hits to the wheels. The match went the distance to the judges but didn't go our way. The PLA frame cracked and made some things get pretty loose. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
During our repair window we had a hub stuck in one of our wheels. Luckily our pit neighbors (and next opponents), Deep Cut, helped with some shop guidance. Much appreciated and it got us both up to speed for the Last Chance match. This may also be the greatest attribute of NHRL, the people. Despite being a competition, everyone is quick to help each other for the good of the show. It's truly an amazing atmosphere. During our match we were able to dislodge a wheel on our opponent and pick up the KO. While this one happened to go our way, the Deep Cut team builds some nice looking and hard hitting bots. We look forward to seeing them some more. <br />
<br />
Our first round bracket matchup was against Wormhole. A young veteran with a very impressive undercutter and super nice team. Rick Roller managed to step to the side in the box rush and deal a quick side hit, but after some strong hits from Wormhole, the PLA front plate holding the weapon motor loosened and the belt wouldn't spin the weapon. We knew PLA is not the best material for combat robotics, but we've never printed with anything else so it's been small steps through the design. We also had some drive issues but luckily found that our opponent also lost their weapon belt and had an impacted drive. The match went the distance as both bots shuffled and "chased" each other around the cage with busted drives like the waning moments of a state fair demolition derby. Judges decision to Wormhole in a fun match against a team we will continue to root for! <br />
<br />
'''June 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Guess who's back, back again! (never gonna say goodbye, seemed too "on the nose"). Came back with some more minor changes. We switched up the front plate to aluminum and added some TPU wheel guards that just curved around the back of the wheels. Yes, we tried printing with TPU. It wasn't pretty but it also wasn't effective! One wheel guard got caught under our wheel driving to the corner for the start...not a great start, Since our first opponent was Count Forkula, our Captain made the excellent choice to tape the Fork's natural enemy to our wheel guards...plastic spoons. In the end, we probably should have gone with Sporks because this control bot got under us and prevented us from doing much the whole match. Easy judges decision for them and a good rookie bot! <br />
<br />
Last chance match-up was against an absolute top notch Jackrabbit Flex. Got a good early hit on the mini-bot and a couple strong pins. Speed has not been an issue for the Rick Roller but control has been. Thankfully we also learned about Exponential Control after this match and will be able to throttle down in the future. Experience grows. The match went the distance but we suspect our miniswitch screw was not fully turned at the start and came loose. We lost power at the very end of the match, thus failing the drive/weapon test. Nevertheless an honor to share the box with another top competitor and got some valuable advice afterward. <br />
<br />
The Rick Roller captain will forever be a fan first and competitor second, so the chance to compete in a rumble was a must...but first a couple more matchups. <br />
<br />
On Sunday, faced off against the tough drum spinner, Golddust. Titanium is no joke. Good fight but couldn't do a whole lot and took it to a judges decision that didn't go our way. Still really cool to face off against our first opponents from overseas. <br />
<br />
Over the past two events we've had the good luck to be pit neighbors with Money Shot and watch the evolution of that bot. It may be one of the coolest designs and the detail is awesome from the dollar sign weapon to the custom wheel hubs...check it out up close the next time you're in Norwalk. Money Shot was also kind enough to stick around for a grudge match at the request of our captain. Money Shot had, up until this point, dealt with some unfortunate weapon belt and motor issues. However, upon the start of the match we quickly realized that things were going to stop being polite and start getting real (any MTV Real World fans reading this?). When Money Shot's weapon spun up, it sounded like a 747 was about to make a Norwalk to Fort Lauderdale run. The Rick Roller was knocked into its own VH1 Behind the Music. It forced our first ever Tap Out because there was a rumble happening and we needed a mostly functioning bot. Nevertheless, we're rooting for Money Shot to bring some pain and hopefully qualify for the Championships. <br />
<br />
Ultimate Rumble time. Just being in the same arena as the drivers of Crashfest, Pawsatively Hissterical, Spartan, Disinformation, Wormhole etc....was an honor. After zipping around for a while and dealing a few hits, Rick Roller's captain in his own words decided to "just send it into Chonkiii". In a magnificent impact, both wheels were blown off with a shaft sticking out of one. Our captain immediately proclaimed it "the best day of his life". <br />
<br />
'''August 2023:''' <br />
<br />
For this one we swapped some of the UHMW for an AluPoly material and added some Aluminum wheel guards. Hold on, that sounds like a lot of weight? It was actually only about 2.3oz over but this time we added...a Mini Bot! We didn't want to just throw and RC car in there, so our captain designed and printed a wedge out of PLA+ and added an aluminum/lexan top. It was an ugly little bot, but it was a start and only 12 oz! <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Team Shreddit member, Patient 0. Really tough bot and we learned early that the AluPoly was worth trying but not a good enough material to hold things together. Our back plate got ripped off and forced a tap out before any exposed electronics got appropriately shredded! <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we managed to repair everything and were ready to rock for the last chance before an unfortunate forfeit by our opponent. <br />
<br />
Bracket time and our wheel of fate landed on the icon, Calvin Iba and Mixtape. An assist from our friends with some Aluminum tape and we were ready to go. Mixtape could not have been a cooler opponent...well, he could have been cooler in temperature and that would have helped a lot! First time in the main arena area and you know you're in trouble when your opponent's highlights are playing on the screens before the match. Got a good hit in early and avoided the flame a bit to make it 2.5 minutes into the match. Ultimately rubber wheels + fire is not a good combination...unless of course you're controlling the fire. With some sweet green wheel streaks on the floor and bits of rubber stuck to the walls, the Rick Roller was knocked out. Nevertheless, to get roasted by a Champion and a fan favorite bot, was a young career highlight by the 12 year old captain of Rick Roller...and new "best day of my life", something that NHRL has had a special knack for creating. <br />
<br />
We may not be the most technically savvy but we look forward to continue with little tweaks and just want to put on a good show. Incredibly grateful for NHRL, all the competitors that make us this unrivaled community, and the fans who come out to CT's best hidden gem for entertainment. <br />
<br />
'''September 30th:''' <br />
<br />
Ever been working on a project and feel good about it but then right at the deadline realize you overlooked something kinda important? But then you're like it's still pretty good and it'll be fine...but IT IS NOT FINE and your own wheel guards disable your wheels. We rolled into this one with some new material, a slightly new design, and custom beater teeth (designed by our Captain). Super excited to test out some new materials and see how the teeth performed. Minibot was also back because even though we dropped weight shifting to some Nylon/CF parts, the AR500 teeth put us slightly over by 1.6oz. <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Stratus from the veteran Bad Crew squad (a really nice local group of students and mentors who we've enjoyed getting to know over the past couple of events). Testing with the new teeth, we realized that we were draining battery and probably needed to run conservative or maybe reduce a little weight? Our driver/captain has an amazing grasp of the English language but seemingly does not understand the phrase "throttle down your weapon". He spins the beater bar like Keanu Reeves trying to keep a bus from exploding (raise your hand if you get that reference). We decided to just bolt the teeth in with 4 of the screws..we know, bad idea! Match started with some big hits by the Rick Roller, tossing Stratus up against the wall. However, on the second hit, the teeth bent at the middle screws (mistake 1). After taking a hit from our opponent, one of the wheel guards also came loose and our fastening screw lodged into the rear wheel and prevented any movement. Rick Roller was out with a KO...but two important lessons learned and future design changes that may finally get us over the hurdle. Happy with the way the teeth performed otherwise. If you've been following along on our journey, you know that wheel guards have been a recurring problem. Rest assured that prior to the next Rick Roller appearance we will be making an offering to Gjorfenskik the Scandinavian god of wheel guards, who I'm sure we've angered at some point along the way. <br />
<br />
Second match was against Scotties Scrambler, another Fingertech Beater Bar, but this one was running the Athenas Teeth. We opted to go without teeth this time and just work on taking it the distance. Scotties Scrambler was another very nice team and a well driven bot that just stayed relentless throughout the match. It went the distance but was an easy judges decision for our opponent. <br />
<br />
Wrapped up the day with a rumble. Had a chance to get in the area with a couple of the Brazilian bots and couldn't pass up the chance. Also joined by ER Stingray, a local horizontal, so a bit of a CT vs. Brazil match. Got in a couple hits and avoided any significant damage. Even managed to push all 3 bots at once into the house bot at one point, which was a fun demonstration of the pushing potential of the Rick Roller. The rumbles are always a lot of fun and hopefully entertaining for the crowd. <br />
<br />
Learned a ton this season, had an absolute blast, and made a lot of friends. NHRL is hands down one of the best communities and we look forward to see this sport continue to grow. Our Captain has been busy since the summer designing a new bot for January and we look forward to testing out a new design and introducing Gh-Astley to the Team Rick Roller stable! <br />
<br />
'''March 2024:''' <br />
<br />
Did you get a load of that Gh-Astley bot in January? We're never going to give it up, but it did let us down a bit...In all seriousness, good to be back with Rick Roller but the development and experimentation with Gh-Astley AND Rick Roller is a lot of fun. <br />
<br />
It's an incredible thing when you are prepping for an event and the bot just kind of comes together. No more late night troubleshooting and cramming. Finally an almost final Rick Roller version...now for one last test and...why's it driving like that? Ok, so it came together easily but wow was that drive a mess. We tried tuning things through the transmitter but alas it has the back and forth movement of Droopy but with wheels and without the devastating hits! <br />
<br />
First match was Stag Beetle Bot...they have merch for sale in the store! They're a veteran team and so nice! Really what makes this sport so accessible and so great for young competitors is the kindness and equality. Teams like Stag Beetle Bot do a lot to help foster that environment while remaining a dangerous opponent. It's competitive but supportive at the same time. Our mini-bot has really become an asset for our opponents so it was a non-factor....actually "non-factor" is not a bad name for it. So a bit of a back and forth for the match and an easy Judges Decision for SBB. {{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2023]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=13804Rick Roller2024-06-29T01:55:35Z<p>RickRoller: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar w/ Custom Ar500 Teeth<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD<br />
|-<br />
|Power||(TBA)<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever, prior to this (new skill..woohoo!). Totally unfamiliar with mini switches, we had probably the heaviest toggle power switch in the history of combat robots. After an unlucky draw, a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the impressive Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This event we added some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date (our own drive motors)...and a fingertech mini switch...Progress! We also printed a PLA inner box to hold everything in the chassis (admittedly not the best material...which will be a factor) and added PLA wheel guards. First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. A couple good hits and our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). Our wheel guards, which we called the "one hit wonders" (staying on brand), were immediately ripped off but at least saved a couple direct hits to the wheels. The match went the distance to the judges but didn't go our way. The PLA frame cracked and made some things get pretty loose. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
During our repair window we had a hub stuck in one of our wheels. Luckily our pit neighbors (and next opponents), Deep Cut, helped with some shop guidance. Much appreciated and it got us both up to speed for the Last Chance match. This may also be the greatest attribute of NHRL, the people. Despite being a competition, everyone is quick to help each other for the good of the show. It's truly an amazing atmosphere. During our match we were able to dislodge a wheel on our opponent and pick up the KO. While this one happened to go our way, the Deep Cut team builds some nice looking and hard hitting bots. We look forward to seeing them some more. <br />
<br />
Our first round bracket matchup was against Wormhole. A young veteran with a very impressive undercutter and super nice team. Rick Roller managed to step to the side in the box rush and deal a quick side hit, but after some strong hits from Wormhole, the PLA front plate holding the weapon motor loosened and the belt wouldn't spin the weapon. We knew PLA is not the best material for combat robotics, but we've never printed with anything else so it's been small steps through the design. We also had some drive issues but luckily found that our opponent also lost their weapon belt and had an impacted drive. The match went the distance as both bots shuffled and "chased" each other around the cage with busted drives like the waning moments of a state fair demolition derby. Judges decision to Wormhole in a fun match against a team we will continue to root for! <br />
<br />
'''June 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Guess who's back, back again! (never gonna say goodbye, seemed too "on the nose"). Came back with some more minor changes. We switched up the front plate to aluminum and added some TPU wheel guards that just curved around the back of the wheels. Yes, we tried printing with TPU. It wasn't pretty but it also wasn't effective! One wheel guard got caught under our wheel driving to the corner for the start...not a great start, Since our first opponent was Count Forkula, our Captain made the excellent choice to tape the Fork's natural enemy to our wheel guards...plastic spoons. In the end, we probably should have gone with Sporks because this control bot got under us and prevented us from doing much the whole match. Easy judges decision for them and a good rookie bot! <br />
<br />
Last chance match-up was against an absolute top notch Jackrabbit Flex. Got a good early hit on the mini-bot and a couple strong pins. Speed has not been an issue for the Rick Roller but control has been. Thankfully we also learned about Exponential Control after this match and will be able to throttle down in the future. Experience grows. The match went the distance but we suspect our miniswitch screw was not fully turned at the start and came loose. We lost power at the very end of the match, thus failing the drive/weapon test. Nevertheless an honor to share the box with another top competitor and got some valuable advice afterward. <br />
<br />
The Rick Roller captain will forever be a fan first and competitor second, so the chance to compete in a rumble was a must...but first a couple more matchups. <br />
<br />
On Sunday, faced off against the tough drum spinner, Golddust. Titanium is no joke. Good fight but couldn't do a whole lot and took it to a judges decision that didn't go our way. Still really cool to face off against our first opponents from overseas. <br />
<br />
Over the past two events we've had the good luck to be pit neighbors with Money Shot and watch the evolution of that bot. It may be one of the coolest designs and the detail is awesome from the dollar sign weapon to the custom wheel hubs...check it out up close the next time you're in Norwalk. Money Shot was also kind enough to stick around for a grudge match at the request of our captain. Money Shot had, up until this point, dealt with some unfortunate weapon belt and motor issues. However, upon the start of the match we quickly realized that things were going to stop being polite and start getting real (any MTV Real World fans reading this?). When Money Shot's weapon spun up, it sounded like a 747 was about to make a Norwalk to Fort Lauderdale run. The Rick Roller was knocked into its own VH1 Behind the Music. It forced our first ever Tap Out because there was a rumble happening and we needed a mostly functioning bot. Nevertheless, we're rooting for Money Shot to bring some pain and hopefully qualify for the Championships. <br />
<br />
Ultimate Rumble time. Just being in the same arena as the drivers of Crashfest, Pawsatively Hissterical, Spartan, Disinformation, Wormhole etc....was an honor. After zipping around for a while and dealing a few hits, Rick Roller's captain in his own words decided to "just send it into Chonkiii". In a magnificent impact, both wheels were blown off with a shaft sticking out of one. Our captain immediately proclaimed it "the best day of his life". <br />
<br />
'''August 2023:''' <br />
<br />
For this one we swapped some of the UHMW for an AluPoly material and added some Aluminum wheel guards. Hold on, that sounds like a lot of weight? It was actually only about 2.3oz over but this time we added...a Mini Bot! We didn't want to just throw and RC car in there, so our captain designed and printed a wedge out of PLA+ and added an aluminum/lexan top. It was an ugly little bot, but it was a start and only 12 oz! <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Team Shreddit member, Patient 0. Really tough bot and we learned early that the AluPoly was worth trying but not a good enough material to hold things together. Our back plate got ripped off and forced a tap out before any exposed electronics got appropriately shredded! <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we managed to repair everything and were ready to rock for the last chance before an unfortunate forfeit by our opponent. <br />
<br />
Bracket time and our wheel of fate landed on the icon, Calvin Iba and Mixtape. An assist from our friends with some Aluminum tape and we were ready to go. Mixtape could not have been a cooler opponent...well, he could have been cooler in temperature and that would have helped a lot! First time in the main arena area and you know you're in trouble when your opponent's highlights are playing on the screens before the match. Got a good hit in early and avoided the flame a bit to make it 2.5 minutes into the match. Ultimately rubber wheels + fire is not a good combination...unless of course you're controlling the fire. With some sweet green wheel streaks on the floor and bits of rubber stuck to the walls, the Rick Roller was knocked out. Nevertheless, to get roasted by a Champion and a fan favorite bot, was a young career highlight by the 12 year old captain of Rick Roller...and new "best day of my life", something that NHRL has had a special knack for creating. <br />
<br />
We may not be the most technically savvy but we look forward to continue with little tweaks and just want to put on a good show. Incredibly grateful for NHRL, all the competitors that make us this unrivaled community, and the fans who come out to CT's best hidden gem for entertainment. <br />
<br />
'''September 30th:''' <br />
<br />
Ever been working on a project and feel good about it but then right at the deadline realize you overlooked something kinda important? But then you're like it's still pretty good and it'll be fine...but IT IS NOT FINE and your own wheel guards disable your wheels. We rolled into this one with some new material, a slightly new design, and custom beater teeth (designed by our Captain). Super excited to test out some new materials and see how the teeth performed. Minibot was also back because even though we dropped weight shifting to some Nylon/CF parts, the AR500 teeth put us slightly over by 1.6oz. <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Stratus from the veteran Bad Crew squad (a really nice local group of students and mentors who we've enjoyed getting to know over the past couple of events). Testing with the new teeth, we realized that we were draining battery and probably needed to run conservative or maybe reduce a little weight? Our driver/captain has an amazing grasp of the English language but seemingly does not understand the phrase "throttle down your weapon". He spins the beater bar like Keanu Reeves trying to keep a bus from exploding (raise your hand if you get that reference). We decided to just bolt the teeth in with 4 of the screws..we know, bad idea! Match started with some big hits by the Rick Roller, tossing Stratus up against the wall. However, on the second hit, the teeth bent at the middle screws (mistake 1). After taking a hit from our opponent, one of the wheel guards also came loose and our fastening screw lodged into the rear wheel and prevented any movement. Rick Roller was out with a KO...but two important lessons learned and future design changes that may finally get us over the hurdle. Happy with the way the teeth performed otherwise. If you've been following along on our journey, you know that wheel guards have been a recurring problem. Rest assured that prior to the next Rick Roller appearance we will be making an offering to Gjorfenskik the Scandinavian god of wheel guards, who I'm sure we've angered at some point along the way. <br />
<br />
Second match was against Scotties Scrambler, another Fingertech Beater Bar, but this one was running the Athenas Teeth. We opted to go without teeth this time and just work on taking it the distance. Scotties Scrambler was another very nice team and a well driven bot that just stayed relentless throughout the match. It went the distance but was an easy judges decision for our opponent. <br />
<br />
Wrapped up the day with a rumble. Had a chance to get in the area with a couple of the Brazilian bots and couldn't pass up the chance. Also joined by ER Stingray, a local horizontal, so a bit of a CT vs. Brazil match. Got in a couple hits and avoided any significant damage. Even managed to push all 3 bots at once into the house bot at one point, which was a fun demonstration of the pushing potential of the Rick Roller. The rumbles are always a lot of fun and hopefully entertaining for the crowd. <br />
<br />
Learned a ton this season, had an absolute blast, and made a lot of friends. NHRL is hands down one of the best communities and we look forward to see this sport continue to grow. Our Captain has been busy since the summer designing a new bot for January and we look forward to testing out a new design and introducing Gh-Astley to the Team Rick Roller stable! <br />
<br />
'''March 2024:''' <br />
<br />
Did you get a load of that Gh-Astley bot in January? We're never going to give it up, but it did let us down a bit...In all seriousness, good to be back with Rick Roller but the development and experimentation with Gh-Astley AND Rick Roller is a lot of fun. <br />
<br />
It's an incredible thing when you are prepping for an event and the bot just kind of comes together. No more late night troubleshooting and cramming. Finally an almost final Rick Roller version...now for one last test and...why's it driving like that? Ok, so it came together easily but wow was that drive a mess. We tried tuning things through the transmitter but alas it has the back and forth movement of Droopy but with wheels and without the devastating hits! <br />
<br />
First match was Stag Beetle Bot...they have merch for sale in the store! They're a veteran team and so nice! Really what makes this sport so accessible and so great for young competitors is the kindness and equality. Teams like Stag Beetle Bot do a lot to help foster that environment while remaining a dangerous opponent. It's competitive but supportive at the same time. Our mini-bot has really become an asset for our opponents so it was a non-factor....actually "non-factor" is not a bad name for it. So a bit of a back and forth for the match and an easy Judges Decision for SBB. {{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2023]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=13803Rick Roller2024-06-29T01:54:13Z<p>RickRoller: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar w/ Custom Ar500 Teeth<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD<br />
|-<br />
|Power||(TBA)<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever, prior to this (new skill..woohoo!). Totally unfamiliar with mini switches, we had probably the heaviest toggle power switch in the history of combat robots. After an unlucky draw, a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the impressive Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This event we added some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date (our own drive motors)...and a fingertech mini switch...Progress! We also printed a PLA inner box to hold everything in the chassis (admittedly not the best material...which will be a factor) and added PLA wheel guards. First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. A couple good hits and our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). Our wheel guards, which we called the "one hit wonders" (staying on brand), were immediately ripped off but at least saved a couple direct hits to the wheels. The match went the distance to the judges but didn't go our way. The PLA frame cracked and made some things get pretty loose. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
During our repair window we had a hub stuck in one of our wheels. Luckily our pit neighbors (and next opponents), Deep Cut, helped with some shop guidance. Much appreciated and it got us both up to speed for the Last Chance match. This may also be the greatest attribute of NHRL, the people. Despite being a competition, everyone is quick to help each other for the good of the show. It's truly an amazing atmosphere. During our match we were able to dislodge a wheel on our opponent and pick up the KO. While this one happened to go our way, the Deep Cut team builds some nice looking and hard hitting bots. We look forward to seeing them some more. <br />
<br />
Our first round bracket matchup was against Wormhole. A young veteran with a very impressive undercutter and super nice team. Rick Roller managed to step to the side in the box rush and deal a quick side hit, but after some strong hits from Wormhole, the PLA front plate holding the weapon motor loosened and the belt wouldn't spin the weapon. We knew PLA is not the best material for combat robotics, but we've never printed with anything else so it's been small steps through the design. We also had some drive issues but luckily found that our opponent also lost their weapon belt and had an impacted drive. The match went the distance as both bots shuffled and "chased" each other around the cage with busted drives like the waning moments of a state fair demolition derby. Judges decision to Wormhole in a fun match against a team we will continue to root for! <br />
<br />
'''June 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Guess who's back, back again! (never gonna say goodbye, seemed too "on the nose"). Came back with some more minor changes. We switched up the front plate to aluminum and added some TPU wheel guards that just curved around the back of the wheels. Yes, we tried printing with TPU. It wasn't pretty but it also wasn't effective! One wheel guard got caught under our wheel driving to the corner for the start...not a great start, Since our first opponent was Count Forkula, our Captain made the excellent choice to tape the Fork's natural enemy to our wheel guards...plastic spoons. In the end, we probably should have gone with Sporks because this control bot got under us and prevented us from doing much the whole match. Easy judges decision for them and a good rookie bot! <br />
<br />
Last chance match-up was against an absolute top notch Jackrabbit Flex. Got a good early hit on the mini-bot and a couple strong pins. Speed has not been an issue for the Rick Roller but control has been. Thankfully we also learned about Exponential Control after this match and will be able to throttle down in the future. Experience grows. The match went the distance but we suspect our miniswitch screw was not fully turned at the start and came loose. We lost power at the very end of the match, thus failing the drive/weapon test. Nevertheless an honor to share the box with another top competitor and got some valuable advice afterward. <br />
<br />
The Rick Roller captain will forever be a fan first and competitor second, so the chance to compete in a rumble was a must...but first a couple more matchups. <br />
<br />
On Sunday, faced off against the tough drum spinner, Golddust. Titanium is no joke. Good fight but couldn't do a whole lot and took it to a judges decision that didn't go our way. Still really cool to face off against our first opponents from overseas. <br />
<br />
Over the past two events we've had the good luck to be pit neighbors with Money Shot and watch the evolution of that bot. It may be one of the coolest designs and the detail is awesome from the dollar sign weapon to the custom wheel hubs...check it out up close the next time you're in Norwalk. Money Shot was also kind enough to stick around for a grudge match at the request of our captain. Money Shot had, up until this point, dealt with some unfortunate weapon belt and motor issues. However, upon the start of the match we quickly realized that things were going to stop being polite and start getting real (any MTV Real World fans reading this?). When Money Shot's weapon spun up, it sounded like a 747 was about to make a Norwalk to Fort Lauderdale run. The Rick Roller was knocked into its own VH1 Behind the Music. It forced our first ever Tap Out because there was a rumble happening and we needed a mostly functioning bot. Nevertheless, we're rooting for Money Shot to bring some pain and hopefully qualify for the Championships. <br />
<br />
Ultimate Rumble time. Just being in the same arena as the drivers of Crashfest, Pawsatively Hissterical, Spartan, Disinformation, Wormhole etc....was an honor. After zipping around for a while and dealing a few hits, Rick Roller's captain in his own words decided to "just send it into Chonkiii". In a magnificent impact, both wheels were blown off with a shaft sticking out of one. Our captain immediately proclaimed it "the best day of his life". <br />
<br />
'''August 2023:''' <br />
<br />
For this one we swapped some of the UHMW for an AluPoly material and added some Aluminum wheel guards. Hold on, that sounds like a lot of weight? It was actually only about 2.3oz over but this time we added...a Mini Bot! We didn't want to just throw and RC car in there, so our captain designed and printed a wedge out of PLA+ and added an aluminum/lexan top. It was an ugly little bot, but it was a start and only 12 oz! <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Team Shreddit member, Patient 0. Really tough bot and we learned early that the AluPoly was worth trying but not a good enough material to hold things together. Our back plate got ripped off and forced a tap out before any exposed electronics got appropriately shredded! <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we managed to repair everything and were ready to rock for the last chance before an unfortunate forfeit by our opponent. <br />
<br />
Bracket time and our wheel of fate landed on the icon, Calvin Iba and Mixtape. An assist from our friends with some Aluminum tape and we were ready to go. Mixtape could not have been a cooler opponent...well, he could have been cooler in temperature and that would have helped a lot! First time in the main arena area and you know you're in trouble when your opponent's highlights are playing on the screens before the match. Got a good hit in early and avoided the flame a bit to make it 2.5 minutes into the match. Ultimately rubber wheels + fire is not a good combination...unless of course you're controlling the fire. With some sweet green wheel streaks on the floor and bits of rubber stuck to the walls, the Rick Roller was knocked out. Nevertheless, to get roasted by a Champion and a fan favorite bot, was a young career highlight by the 12 year old captain of Rick Roller...and new "best day of my life", something that NHRL has had a special knack for creating. <br />
<br />
We may not be the most technically savvy but we look forward to continue with little tweaks and just want to put on a good show. Incredibly grateful for NHRL, all the competitors that make us this unrivaled community, and the fans who come out to CT's best hidden gem for entertainment. <br />
<br />
'''September 30th:''' <br />
<br />
Ever been working on a project and feel good about it but then right at the deadline realize you overlooked something kinda important? But then you're like it's still pretty good and it'll be fine...but IT IS NOT FINE and your own wheel guards disable your wheels. We rolled into this one with some new material, a slightly new design, and custom beater teeth (designed by our Captain). Super excited to test out some new materials and see how the teeth performed. Minibot was also back because even though we dropped weight shifting to some Nylon/CF parts, the AR500 teeth put us slightly over by 1.6oz. <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Stratus from the veteran Bad Crew squad (a really nice local group of students and mentors who we've enjoyed getting to know over the past couple of events). Testing with the new teeth, we realized that we were draining battery and probably needed to run conservative or maybe reduce a little weight? Our driver/captain has an amazing grasp of the English language but seemingly does not understand the phrase "throttle down your weapon". He spins the beater bar like Keanu Reeves trying to keep a bus from exploding (raise your hand if you get that reference). We decided to just bolt the teeth in with 4 of the screws..we know, bad idea! Match started with some big hits by the Rick Roller, tossing Stratus up against the wall. However, on the second hit, the teeth bent at the middle screws (mistake 1). After taking a hit from our opponent, one of the wheel guards also came loose and our fastening screw lodged into the rear wheel and prevented any movement. Rick Roller was out with a KO...but two important lessons learned and future design changes that may finally get us over the hurdle. Happy with the way the teeth performed otherwise. If you've been following along on our journey, you know that wheel guards have been a recurring problem. Rest assured that prior to the next Rick Roller appearance we will be making an offering to Gjorfenskik the Scandinavian god of wheel guards, who I'm sure we've angered at some point along the way. <br />
<br />
Second match was against Scotties Scrambler, another Fingertech Beater Bar, but this one was running the Athenas Teeth. We opted to go without teeth this time and just work on taking it the distance. Scotties Scrambler was another very nice team and a well driven bot that just stayed relentless throughout the match. It went the distance but was an easy judges decision for our opponent. <br />
<br />
Wrapped up the day with a rumble. Had a chance to get in the area with a couple of the Brazilian bots and couldn't pass up the chance. Also joined by ER Stingray, a local horizontal, so a bit of a CT vs. Brazil match. Got in a couple hits and avoided any significant damage. Even managed to push all 3 bots at once into the house bot at one point, which was a fun demonstration of the pushing potential of the Rick Roller. The rumbles are always a lot of fun and hopefully entertaining for the crowd. <br />
<br />
Learned a ton this season, had an absolute blast, and made a lot of friends. NHRL is hands down one of the best communities and we look forward to see this sport continue to grow. Our Captain has been busy since the summer designing a new bot for January and we look forward to testing out a new design and introducing Gh-Astley to the Team Rick Roller stable! <br />
<br />
'''March 2024:''' <br />
<br />
Did you get a load of that Gh-Astley bot? What a Loser!...In all seriousness, good to be back with Rick Roller but the development and experimentation with Gh-Astley AND Rick Roller is a lot of fun. <br />
<br />
It's an incredible thing when you are prepping for an event and the bot just kind of comes together. No more late night troubleshooting and cramming. Finally an almost final Rick Roller version...now for one last test and...why's it driving like that? Ok, so it came together easily but wow was that drive a mess. We tried tuning things through the transmitter but alas it has the back and forth movement of Droopy but with wheels and without the devastating hits! <br />
<br />
First match was Stag Beetle Bot...they have merch for sale in the store! They're a veteran team and so nice! Really what makes this sport so accessible and so great for young competitors is the kindness and equality. Teams like Stag Beetle Bot do a lot to help foster that environment while remaining a dangerous opponent. It's competitive but supportive at the same time. Our mini-bot has really become an asset for our opponents so it was a non-factor....actually "non-factor" is not a bad name for it. So a bit of a back and forth for the match and an easy Judges Decision for SBB. {{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2023]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=13681Gh-Astley2024-06-28T03:49:30Z<p>RickRoller: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:NHRLScanLines.png|thumb|alt=]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU & Carbon Fiber<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}<br />
The newest addition to the Rick Roller stable...Gh-Astley!<br />
<br />
Here's our timeline so far. Lead designer/driver, has always loved bots and constructing/deconstructing things. Discovered Battlebots a few years ago and was hooked. Came across NHRL in November 2022 and attended the Championships. It was amazing! Talking with the staff there, we learned how accessible the sport really was and boom, off to the races. Rather than start with a kit, we decided to get raw materials for the chassis and cobble together Rick Roller from scratch...to figure some things out. 2023 was a season of experimentation and learning (Don't forget to check the build log on the Rick Roller wiki). We can't say enough how amazing this sport and community is, competitors, staff and volunteers at NHRL, everyone! <br />
<br />
As the year progressed the bug set in and by summer, design ideas for January 2024 started flowing. Being a huge fan, our lead designer Jonah wanted to try a completely different style bot. Inspired by some of the great horizontals like Caldera, Beetlejuice, Spartan, etc. Gh-Astley started to evolve. First the weapon...because what 12 year old isn't going to go weapon first on the design? Forget drive, impact toughness, etc. Start with a cool looking weapon. Thus we have the tri-tipped blade of Gh-Astley. Now Rick Roller had very little 3D printing but that's such a big part of the weight class...it was time to really dive in and learn. The chassis is mostly TPU with some Carbon Fiber top plates. First design looked awesome, fit together perfectly, held the motors in place and was good to go. Totally nailed it...as a sweet model to put up on the bookshelf. Fitting a battery and electronics would be like trying to squeeze a 30lb rumble into cage 2...interesting, lots of stacking and twisting, but ultimately an ineffective and impossible task. <br />
<br />
Not wanting to stop at style of bot and chassis material, the decision was also made to try all new motors, electronics, and a round belt instead of timing belt for the weapon. Unfortunately, the round belts were proving to be a bit much and putting too much tension on the motor but not gripping the pulley when loosened. Not enough time to source proper timing belts, so we 3D printed some out of TPU, which spun the weapon but were admittedly not ideal. Something that will definitely be on the upgrade list for v.2! <br />
<br />
After some adjustments and practicing a lot with fusion, Gh-Astley was complete. 100% kid designed from the ground up. A totally new bot experience, learning to drive a horizontal style, figuring out the intricacies of a different motor/weapon design, but super excited and ready to have a blast as always in Norwalk! At least the testing stage will be set at the New Bot event and an opportunity to share in the nervous excitement of fellow builders testing out new ideas and creative visions. Can't wait to jump into the cage with another driver working out a fresh new design and maybe equally as nervous and excited about how their vision will fare!<br />
<br />
First matchup?....Blue and White Synthesis er...Catalyst. A Builder/Driver that brings a ton of experience + destructive force in the vertical field. Absolutely top notch brutal build quality and a nightmare first match. But being fan first when the news was broken about the matchup upon return from school, our Designer's response was "Oh no!...well, it will be cool to meet Corey!". Looks like it will be up to the mini-bot to swoop in for an assist. What's that? Catalyst will have Chainsaw Kitty's talented mini-bot driver? Cool, Cool, Cool...Sounds like we'll need some spares of everything!<br />
<br />
'''January 2024'''<br />
<br />
New Bot, new adventures...new challenge to put it all back together after being decimated by one of the best! First up is Catalyst. Good news is our weapon spun up...and a sweet weapon it is. The Sherikan-style design was a goal of our (now 13 year old) builder/driver and then we built a bot around it....more of a weapon delivery system than carefully crafted robot. Lucky for us, Corey is a cool dude and probably took it easier on us than he could have. Things started to get confusing on the stream as there is another "gastly" Pokemon themed bot and the announcers understandably mixed us up. <br />
<br />
''Sidebar: Our Gh-Astley is a continuation on the Rick '''Astley''' theme from Rick Roller.'' <br />
<br />
One giant hit from Catalyst and our Carbon Fiber top plate was split as we were thrown almost to the ceiling. On the second hit, the right wheel was like "I'm Out!" and the weapon belt thought that was a grrrrreat idea and bounced as well. Thinking Catalyst might be coming for our family next, it was a quick TapOut at 25 seconds in...better than 20 seconds? <br />
<br />
Next up was Hotcake: Unfortunately a forfeit...we always love to fight!<br />
<br />
On to "Proof of Concept: Concept Proved! A hit from this good beater, our top plate cracked the weapon motor housing and caused it to separate enough for the weapon to be intermittent. All part of a new bot and really new builder (2nd bot in less than a year competing). We'll learn and upgrade for next time!{{Bot Stats|bot=Gh-Astley|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=13680Gh-Astley2024-06-28T03:06:12Z<p>RickRoller: January 2024 recap</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:NHRLScanLines.png|thumb|alt=]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU & Carbon Fiber<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}<br />
The newest addition to the Rick Roller stable...Gh-Astley!<br />
<br />
Here's our timeline so far. Lead designer/driver, has always loved bots and constructing/deconstructing things. Discovered Battlebots a few years ago and was hooked. Came across NHRL in November 2022 and attended the Championships. It was amazing! Talking with the staff there, we learned how accessible the sport really was and boom, off to the races. Rather than start with a kit, we decided to get raw materials for the chassis and cobble together Rick Roller from scratch...to figure some things out. 2023 was a season of experimentation and learning (Don't forget to check the build log on the Rick Roller wiki). We can't say enough how amazing this sport and community is, competitors, staff and volunteers at NHRL, everyone! <br />
<br />
As the year progressed the bug set in and by summer, design ideas for January 2024 started flowing. Being a huge fan, our lead designer Jonah wanted to try a completely different style bot. Inspired by some of the great horizontals like Caldera, Beetlejuice, Spartan, etc. Gh-Astley started to evolve. First the weapon...because what 12 year old isn't going to go weapon first on the design? Forget drive, impact toughness, etc. Start with a cool looking weapon. Thus we have the tri-tipped blade of Gh-Astley. Now Rick Roller had very little 3D printing but that's such a big part of the weight class...it was time to really dive in and learn. The chassis is mostly TPU with some Carbon Fiber top plates. First design looked awesome, fit together perfectly, held the motors in place and was good to go. Totally nailed it...as a sweet model to put up on the bookshelf. Fitting a battery and electronics would be like trying to squeeze a 30lb rumble into cage 2...interesting, lots of stacking and twisting, but ultimately an ineffective and impossible task. <br />
<br />
Not wanting to stop at style of bot and chassis material, the decision was also made to try all new motors, electronics, and a round belt instead of timing belt for the weapon. Unfortunately, the round belts were proving to be a bit much and putting too much tension on the motor but not gripping the pulley when loosened. Not enough time to source proper timing belts, so we 3D printed some out of TPU, which spun the weapon but were admittedly not ideal. Something that will definitely be on the upgrade list for v.2! <br />
<br />
After some adjustments and practicing a lot with fusion, Gh-Astley was complete. 100% kid designed from the ground up. A totally new bot experience, learning to drive a horizontal style, figuring out the intricacies of a different motor/weapon design, but super excited and ready to have a blast as always in Norwalk! At least the testing stage will be set at the New Bot event and an opportunity to share in the nervous excitement of fellow builders testing out new ideas and creative visions. Can't wait to jump into the cage with another driver working out a fresh new design and maybe equally as nervous and excited about how their vision will fare!<br />
<br />
First matchup?....Blue and White Synthesis er...Catalyst. A Builder/Driver that brings a ton of experience + destructive force in the vertical field. Absolutely top notch brutal build quality and a nightmare first match. But being fan first when the news was broken about the matchup upon return from school, our Designer's response was "Oh no!...well, it will be cool to meet Corey!". Looks like it will be up to the mini-bot to swoop in for an assist. What's that? Catalyst will have Chainsaw Kitty's talented mini-bot driver? Cool, Cool, Cool...Sounds like we'll need some spares of everything!<br />
<br />
'''January 2024'''<br />
<br />
New Bot, new adventures...new challenge to put it all back together after being decimated by one of the best! First up is Catalyst. Good news is our weapon spun up...and a sweet weapon it is. The Sherikan-style design was a goal of our (now 13 year old) builder/driver and then we built a bot around it....more of a weapon delivery system than carefully crafted robot. Lucky for us, Corey is a cool dude and probably took it easier on us than he could have. Things started to get confusing on the stream as there is another "ghastly" Pokemon themed bot and the announcers understandably mixed us up. <br />
<br />
''Sidebar: Our Gh-Astley is a continuation on the Rick '''Astley''' theme from Rick Roller. We thought the Pokemon is actually named "Gastly" without the "H", so maybe that was a copyright issue?'' <br />
<br />
One giant hit from Catalyst and our Carbon Fiber top plate was split as we were thrown almost to the ceiling. On the second hit, the right wheel was like "I'm Out!" and the weapon belt thought that was a grrrrreat idea and bounced as well. Thinking Catalyst might be coming for our family next, it was a quick TapOut at 25 seconds in...better than 20 seconds? <br />
<br />
Next up was Hotcake: Unfortunately a forfeit...we always love to fight!<br />
<br />
On to "Proof of Concept: Concept Proved! A hit from this good beater, our top plate cracked the weapon motor housing and caused it to separate enough for the weapon to be intermittent. All part of a new bot and really new builder (2nd bot in less than a year competing). We'll learn and upgrade for next time!{{Bot Stats|bot=Gh-Astley|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[index.php?title=Category:NHRL 2024]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=12673Gh-Astley2024-03-05T02:20:29Z<p>RickRoller: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:NHRLScanLines.png|thumb|alt=]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU & Carbon Fiber<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}<br />
The newest addition to the Rick Roller stable...Gh-Astley!<br />
<br />
Here's our timeline so far. Lead designer/driver, has always loved bots and constructing/deconstructing things. Discovered Battlebots a few years ago and was hooked. Came across NHRL in November 2022 and attended the Championships. It was amazing! Talking with the staff there, we learned how accessible the sport really was and boom, off to the races. Rather than start with a kit, we decided to get raw materials for the chassis and cobble together Rick Roller from scratch...to figure some things out. 2023 was a season of experimentation and learning (Don't forget to check the build log on the Rick Roller wiki). We can't say enough how amazing this sport and community is, competitors, staff and volunteers at NHRL, everyone! <br />
<br />
As the year progressed the bug set in and by summer, design ideas for January 2024 started flowing. Being a huge fan, our lead designer Jonah wanted to try a completely different style bot. Inspired by some of the great horizontals like Caldera, Beetlejuice, Spartan, etc. Gh-Astley started to evolve. First the weapon...because what 12 year old isn't going to go weapon first on the design? Forget drive, impact toughness, etc. Start with a cool looking weapon. Thus we have the tri-tipped blade of Gh-Astley. Now Rick Roller had very little 3D printing but that's such a big part of the weight class...it was time to really dive in and learn. The chassis is mostly TPU with some Carbon Fiber top plates. First design looked awesome, fit together perfectly, held the motors in place and was good to go. Totally nailed it...as a sweet model to put up on the bookshelf. Fitting a battery and electronics would be like trying to squeeze a 30lb rumble into cage 2...interesting, lots of stacking and twisting, but ultimately an ineffective and impossible task. <br />
<br />
Not wanting to stop at style of bot and chassis material, the decision was also made to try all new motors, electronics, and a round belt instead of timing belt for the weapon. Unfortunately, the round belts were proving to be a bit much and putting too much tension on the motor but not gripping the pulley when loosened. Not enough time to source proper timing belts, so we 3D printed some out of TPU, which spun the weapon but were admittedly not ideal. Something that will definitely be on the upgrade list for v.2! <br />
<br />
After some adjustments and practicing a lot with fusion, Gh-Astley was complete. 100% kid designed from the ground up. A totally new bot experience, learning to drive a horizontal style, figuring out the intricacies of a different motor/weapon design, but super excited and ready to have a blast as always in Norwalk! At least the testing stage will be set at the New Bot event and an opportunity to share in the nervous excitement of fellow builders testing out new ideas and creative visions. Can't wait to jump into the cage with another driver working out a fresh new design and maybe equally as nervous and excited about how their vision will fare!<br />
<br />
First matchup?....Blue and White Synthesis er...Catalyst. A Builder/Driver that brings a ton of experience + destructive force in the vertical field. Absolutely top notch brutal build quality and a nightmare first match. But being fan first when the news was broken about the matchup upon return from school, our Designer's response was "Oh no!...well, it will be cool to meet Corey!". Looks like it will be up to the mini-bot to swoop in for an assist. What's that? Catalyst will have Chainsaw Kitty's talented mini-bot driver? Cool, Cool, Cool...Sounds like we'll need some spares of everything!{{Bot Stats|bot=New_Bot|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=12670Gh-Astley2024-03-04T13:20:52Z<p>RickRoller: small description edit</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:NHRLScanLines.png|thumb|alt=]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU & Carbon Fiber<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}<br />
The newest addition to the Rick Roller stable...Gh-Astley!<br />
<br />
Here's our timeline so far. Lead designer/driver, has always loved bots and constructing/deconstructing things. Discovered Battlebots a few years ago and was hooked. Came across NHRL in November 2022 and attended the Championships. It was amazing! Talking with the staff there, we learned how accessible the sport really was and boom, off to the races. Rather than start with a kit, we decided to get raw materials for the chassis and cobble together Rick Roller from scratch...to figure some things out. 2023 was a season of experimentation and learning (Don't forget to check the build log on the Rick Roller wiki). We can't say enough how amazing this sport and community is, competitors, staff and volunteers at NHRL, everyone! <br />
<br />
As the year progressed the bug set in and by summer, design ideas for January 2024 started flowing. Being a huge fan, our lead designer Jonah wanted to try a completely different style bot. Inspired by some of the great horizontals like Caldera, Beetlejuice, Spartan, etc. Gh-Astley started to evolve. First the weapon...because what 12 year old isn't going to go weapon first on the design? Forget drive, impact toughness, etc. Start with a cool looking weapon. Thus we have the tri-tipped blade of Gh-Astley. Now Rick Roller had very little 3D printing but that's such a big part of the weight class...it was time to really dive in and learn. The chassis is mostly TPU with some Carbon Fiber top plates. First design looked awesome, fit together perfectly, held the motors in place and was good to go. Totally nailed it...as a sweet model to put up on the bookshelf. Fitting a battery and electronics would be like trying to squeeze a 30lb rumble into cage 2...interesting, lots of stacking and twisting, but ultimately an ineffective and impossible task. <br />
<br />
After some adjustments and practicing a lot with fusion, Gh-Astley was complete. 100% kid designed from the ground up. A totally new bot experience, learning to drive a horizontal style, figuring out the intricacies of a different motor/weapon design, but super excited and ready to have a blast as always in Norwalk! At least the testing stage will be set at the New Bot event and an opportunity to share in the nervous excitement of fellow builders testing out new ideas and creative visions. Can't wait to jump into the cage with another driver working out a fresh new design and maybe equally as nervous and excited about how their vision will fare!<br />
<br />
First matchup?....Blue and White Synthesis er...Catalyst. A Builder/Driver that brings a ton of experience + destructive force in the vertical field. Absolutely top notch brutal build quality and a nightmare first match. But being fan first when the news was broken about the matchup upon return from school, our Designer's response was "Oh no!...well, it will be cool to meet Corey!". Looks like it will be up to the mini-bot to swoop in for an assist. What's that? Catalyst will have Chainsaw Kitty's talented mini-bot driver? Cool, Cool, Cool...Sounds like we'll need some spares of everything!{{Bot Stats|bot=New_Bot|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=12669Gh-Astley2024-03-04T05:17:00Z<p>RickRoller: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:NHRLScanLines.png|thumb|alt=]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU & Carbon Fiber<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}<br />
The newest addition to the Rick Roller stable...Gh-Astley!<br />
<br />
Here's our timeline so far. Lead designer/driver, has always loved bots and constructing/deconstructing things. Discovered Battlebots a few years ago and was hooked. Came across NHRL in November 2022 and attended the Championships. It was amazing! Talking with the staff there, we learned how accessible the sport really was and boom, off to the races. Rather than start with a kit, we decided to get raw materials for the chassis and cobble together Rick Roller from scratch...to figure some things out. 2023 was a season of experimentation and learning (Don't forget to check the build log on the Rick Roller wiki). We can't say enough how amazing this sport and community is, competitors, staff and volunteers at NHRL, everyone! <br />
<br />
As the year progressed the bug set in and by summer, design ideas for January 2024 started flowing. Being a huge fan, our lead designer Jonah wanted to try a completely different style bot. Inspired by some of the great horizontals like Caldera, Beetlejuice, Spartan, etc. Gh-Astley started to evolve. First the weapon...because what 12 year old isn't going to go weapon first on the design? Forget drive, impact toughness, etc. Start with a cool looking weapon. Thus we have the tri-tipped blade of Gh-Astley. Now Rick Roller had very little 3D printing but that's such a big part of the weight class...it was time to really dive in and learn. The chassis is mostly TPU with some Carbon Fiber top plates. First design looked awesome, fit together perfectly, held the motors in place and was good to go. Totally nailed it...as a sweet model to put up on the bookshelf. Fitting a battery and electronics would be like trying to squeeze a 200 bot tournament into a 12 hour day...a valiant effort but a nearly impossible task. <br />
<br />
After some adjustments and practicing a lot with fusion, Gh-Astley was complete. 100% kid designed from the ground up. A totally new bot experience, learning to drive a horizontal style, figuring out the intricacies of a different motor/weapon design, but super excited and ready to have a blast as always in Norwalk! At least the testing stage will be set at the New Bot event and an opportunity to share in the nervous excitement of fellow builders testing out new ideas and creative visions. Can't wait to jump into the cage with another driver working out a fresh new design and maybe equally as nervous and excited about how their vision will fare!<br />
<br />
First matchup?....Blue and White Synthesis er...Catalyst. A Builder/Driver that brings a ton of experience + destructive force in the vertical field. Absolutely top notch brutal build quality and a nightmare first match. But being fan first when the news was broken about the matchup upon return from school, our Designer's response was "Oh no!...well, it will be cool to meet Corey!". Looks like it will be up to the mini-bot to swoop in for an assist. What's that? Catalyst will have Chainsaw Kitty's talented mini-bot driver? Cool, Cool, Cool...Sounds like we'll need some spares of everything!{{Bot Stats|bot=New_Bot|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=12668Gh-Astley2024-03-04T05:13:33Z<p>RickRoller: History Detail and Materials</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:NHRLScanLines.png|thumb|right|Image coming soon!]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU & Carbon Fiber<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}<br />
The newest addition to the Rick Roller stable...Gh-Astley!<br />
<br />
Here's our timeline so far. Lead designer/driver, has always loved bots and constructing/deconstructing things. Discovered Battlebots a few years ago and was hooked. Came across NHRL in November 2022 and attended the Championships. It was amazing! Talking with the staff there, we learned how accessible the sport really was and boom, off to the races. Rather than start with a kit, we decided to get raw materials for the chassis and cobble together Rick Roller from scratch...to figure some things out. 2023 was a season of experimentation and learning (Don't forget to check the build log on the Rick Roller wiki). We can't say enough how amazing this sport and community is, competitors, staff and volunteers at NHRL, everyone! <br />
<br />
As the year progressed the bug set in and by summer, design ideas for January 2024 started flowing. Being a huge fan, our lead designer Jonah wanted to try a completely different style bot. Inspired by some of the great horizontals like Caldera, Beetlejuice, Spartan, etc. Gh-Astley started to evolve. First the weapon...because what 12 year old isn't going to go weapon first on the design? Forget drive, impact toughness, etc. Start with a cool looking weapon. Thus we have the tri-tipped blade of Gh-Astley. Now Rick Roller had very little 3D printing but that's such a big part of the weight class...it was time to really dive in and learn. The chassis is mostly TPU with some Carbon Fiber top plates. First design looked awesome, fit together perfectly, held the motors in place and was good to go. Totally nailed it...as a sweet model to put up on the bookshelf. Fitting a battery and electronics would be like trying to squeeze a 200 bot tournament into a 12 hour day...a valiant effort but a nearly impossible task. <br />
<br />
After some adjustments and practicing a lot with fusion, Gh-Astley was complete. 100% kid designed from the ground up. A totally new bot experience, learning to drive a horizontal style, figuring out the intricacies of a different motor/weapon design, but super excited and ready to have a blast as always in Norwalk! At least the testing stage will be set at the New Bot event and an opportunity to share in the nervous excitement of fellow builders testing out new ideas and creative visions. Can't wait to jump into the cage with another driver working out a fresh new design and maybe equally as nervous and excited about how their vision will fare!<br />
<br />
First matchup?....Blue and White Synthesis er...Catalyst. A Builder/Driver that brings a ton of experience + destructive force in the vertical field. Absolutely top notch brutal build quality and a nightmare first match. But being fan first when the news was broken about the matchup upon return from school, our builders response was "Oh no!...well, it will be cool to meet Corey!". Looks like it will be up to the mini-bot to swoop in for an assist. What's that? Catalyst will have Chainsaw Kitty's talented mini-bot driver? Cool, Cool, Cool...Sounds like we'll need some spares of everything!{{Bot Stats|bot=New_Bot|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=12666Gh-Astley2024-03-04T00:37:39Z<p>RickRoller: /* Robot Facts */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:NHRLScanLines.png|thumb|right|Image coming soon!]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}<br />
The newest addition to the Rick Roller stable...Gh-Astley!<br />
<br />
Here's our timeline so far. Lead designer/driver, has always loved bots and constructing/deconstructing things. Discovered Battlebots a few years ago and was hooked. Came across NHRL in November 2022 and attended the Championships. It was amazing! Talking with the staff there, we learned how accessible the sport really was and boom, off to the races. Rather than start with a kit, we decided to get raw materials for the chassis and cobble together Rick Roller from scratch...to figure some things out. 2023 was a season of experimentation and learning (Don't forget to check the build log on the Rick Roller wiki). We can't say enough how amazing this sport and community is, competitors, staff and volunteers at NHRL, everyone! <br />
<br />
As the year progressed the bug set in and by summer, design ideas for January 2024 started flowing. Being a huge fan, our lead designer Jonah wanted to try a completely different style bot. Inspired by some of the great horizontals like Caldera, Beetlejuice, Spartan, etc. Gh-Astley started to evolve...{{Bot Stats|bot=New_Bot|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Gh-Astley&diff=12665Gh-Astley2024-03-03T22:43:03Z<p>RickRoller: Added Gh-Astley page. Latest bot from the Rick Roller stable. Debuted in January at New Bots</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:NHRLScanLines.png|thumb|right|Image coming soon!]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Horizontal Spinner<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Power||3S<br />
|}{{Bot Stats|bot=New_Bot|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=File:Gh-Astley.jpg&diff=12664File:Gh-Astley.jpg2024-03-03T22:35:47Z<p>RickRoller: Uploaded own work with UploadWizard</p>
<hr />
<div>=={{int:filedesc}}==<br />
{{Information<br />
|description={{en|1=Gh-Astley - The horizontal 2nd bot from Team Rick Roller}}<br />
|date=2024-01-17 18:09:00<br />
|source={{own}}<br />
|author=[[User:RickRoller|Kevin Godburn]]<br />
|permission=<br />
|other versions=<br />
}}<br />
{{Location|41.315133|-72.965417|heading:25.994613631655273}}<br />
<br />
=={{int:license-header}}==<br />
{{self|cc-by-sa-4.0}}<br />
<br />
This file was uploaded with the UploadWizard extension.<br />
<br />
[[Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[Category:Uploaded with UploadWizard]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=12633Rick Roller2024-03-03T18:47:01Z<p>RickRoller: /* Robot Facts */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar w/ Custom Ar500 Teeth<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD<br />
|-<br />
|Power||(TBA)<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever, prior to this (new skill..woohoo!). Totally unfamiliar with mini switches, we had probably the heaviest toggle power switch in the history of combat robots. After an unlucky draw, a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the impressive Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This event we added some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date (our own drive motors)...and a fingertech mini switch...Progress! We also printed a PLA inner box to hold everything in the chassis (admittedly not the best material...which will be a factor) and added PLA wheel guards. First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. A couple good hits and our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). Our wheel guards, which we called the "one hit wonders" (staying on brand), were immediately ripped off but at least saved a couple direct hits to the wheels. The match went the distance to the judges but didn't go our way. The PLA frame cracked and made some things get pretty loose. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
During our repair window we had a hub stuck in one of our wheels. Luckily our pit neighbors (and next opponents), Deep Cut, helped with some shop guidance. Much appreciated and it got us both up to speed for the Last Chance match. This may also be the greatest attribute of NHRL, the people. Despite being a competition, everyone is quick to help each other for the good of the show. It's truly an amazing atmosphere. During our match we were able to dislodge a wheel on our opponent and pick up the KO. While this one happened to go our way, the Deep Cut team builds some nice looking and hard hitting bots. We look forward to seeing them some more. <br />
<br />
Our first round bracket matchup was against Wormhole. A young veteran with a very impressive undercutter and super nice team. Rick Roller managed to step to the side in the box rush and deal a quick side hit, but after some strong hits from Wormhole, the PLA front plate holding the weapon motor loosened and the belt wouldn't spin the weapon. We knew PLA is not the best material for combat robotics, but we've never printed with anything else so it's been small steps through the design. We also had some drive issues but luckily found that our opponent also lost their weapon belt and had an impacted drive. The match went the distance as both bots shuffled and "chased" each other around the cage with busted drives like the waning moments of a state fair demolition derby. Judges decision to Wormhole in a fun match against a team we will continue to root for! <br />
<br />
'''June 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Guess who's back, back again! (never gonna say goodbye, seemed too "on the nose"). Came back with some more minor changes. We switched up the front plate to aluminum and added some TPU wheel guards that just curved around the back of the wheels. Yes, we tried printing with TPU. It wasn't pretty but it also wasn't effective! One wheel guard got caught under our wheel driving to the corner for the start...not a great start, Since our first opponent was Count Forkula, our Captain made the excellent choice to tape the Fork's natural enemy to our wheel guards...plastic spoons. In the end, we probably should have gone with Sporks because this control bot got under us and prevented us from doing much the whole match. Easy judges decision for them and a good rookie bot! <br />
<br />
Last chance match-up was against an absolute top notch Jackrabbit Flex. Got a good early hit on the mini-bot and a couple strong pins. Speed has not been an issue for the Rick Roller but control has been. Thankfully we also learned about Exponential Control after this match and will be able to throttle down in the future. Experience grows. The match went the distance but we suspect our miniswitch screw was not fully turned at the start and came loose. We lost power at the very end of the match, thus failing the drive/weapon test. Nevertheless an honor to share the box with another top competitor and got some valuable advice afterward. <br />
<br />
The Rick Roller captain will forever be a fan first and competitor second, so the chance to compete in a rumble was a must...but first a couple more matchups. <br />
<br />
On Sunday, faced off against the tough drum spinner, Golddust. Titanium is no joke. Good fight but couldn't do a whole lot and took it to a judges decision that didn't go our way. Still really cool to face off against our first opponents from overseas. <br />
<br />
Over the past two events we've had the good luck to be pit neighbors with Money Shot and watch the evolution of that bot. It may be one of the coolest designs and the detail is awesome from the dollar sign weapon to the custom wheel hubs...check it out up close the next time you're in Norwalk. Money Shot was also kind enough to stick around for a grudge match at the request of our captain. Money Shot had, up until this point, dealt with some unfortunate weapon belt and motor issues. However, upon the start of the match we quickly realized that things were going to stop being polite and start getting real (any MTV Real World fans reading this?). When Money Shot's weapon spun up, it sounded like a 747 was about to make a Norwalk to Fort Lauderdale run. The Rick Roller was knocked into its own VH1 Behind the Music. It forced our first ever Tap Out because there was a rumble happening and we needed a mostly functioning bot. Nevertheless, we're rooting for Money Shot to bring some pain and hopefully qualify for the Championships. <br />
<br />
Ultimate Rumble time. Just being in the same arena as the drivers of Crashfest, Pawsatively Hissterical, Spartan, Disinformation, Wormhole etc....was an honor. After zipping around for a while and dealing a few hits, Rick Roller's captain in his own words decided to "just send it into Chonkiii". In a magnificent impact, both wheels were blown off with a shaft sticking out of one. Our captain immediately proclaimed it "the best day of his life". <br />
<br />
'''August 2023:''' <br />
<br />
For this one we swapped some of the UHMW for an AluPoly material and added some Aluminum wheel guards. Hold on, that sounds like a lot of weight? It was actually only about 2.3oz over but this time we added...a Mini Bot! We didn't want to just throw and RC car in there, so our captain designed and printed a wedge out of PLA+ and added an aluminum/lexan top. It was an ugly little bot, but it was a start and only 12 oz! <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Team Shreddit member, Patient 0. Really tough bot and we learned early that the AluPoly was worth trying but not a good enough material to hold things together. Our back plate got ripped off and forced a tap out before any exposed electronics got appropriately shredded! <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we managed to repair everything and were ready to rock for the last chance before an unfortunate forfeit by our opponent. <br />
<br />
Bracket time and our wheel of fate landed on the icon, Calvin Iba and Mixtape. An assist from our friends with some Aluminum tape and we were ready to go. Mixtape could not have been a cooler opponent...well, he could have been cooler in temperature and that would have helped a lot! First time in the main arena area and you know you're in trouble when your opponent's highlights are playing on the screens before the match. Got a good hit in early and avoided the flame a bit to make it 2.5 minutes into the match. Ultimately rubber wheels + fire is not a good combination...unless of course you're controlling the fire. With some sweet green wheel streaks on the floor and bits of rubber stuck to the walls, the Rick Roller was knocked out. Nevertheless, to get roasted by a Champion and a fan favorite bot, was a young career highlight by the 12 year old captain of Rick Roller...and new "best day of my life", something that NHRL has had a special knack for creating. <br />
<br />
We may not be the most technically savvy but we look forward to continue with little tweaks and just want to put on a good show. Incredibly grateful for NHRL, all the competitors that make us this unrivaled community, and the fans who come out to CT's best hidden gem for entertainment. <br />
<br />
'''September 30th:''' <br />
<br />
Ever been working on a project and feel good about it but then right at the deadline realize you overlooked something kinda important? But then you're like it's still pretty good and it'll be fine...but IT IS NOT FINE and your own wheel guards disable your wheels. We rolled into this one with some new material, a slightly new design, and custom beater teeth (designed by our Captain). Super excited to test out some new materials and see how the teeth performed. Minibot was also back because even though we dropped weight shifting to some Nylon/CF parts, the AR500 teeth put us slightly over by 1.6oz. <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Stratus from the veteran Bad Crew squad (a really nice local group of students and mentors who we've enjoyed getting to know over the past couple of events). Testing with the new teeth, we realized that we were draining battery and probably needed to run conservative or maybe reduce a little weight? Our driver/captain has an amazing grasp of the English language but seemingly does not understand the phrase "throttle down your weapon". He spins the beater bar like Keanu Reeves trying to keep a bus from exploding (raise your hand if you get that reference). We decided to just bolt the teeth in with 4 of the screws..we know, bad idea! Match started with some big hits by the Rick Roller, tossing Stratus up against the wall. However, on the second hit, the teeth bent at the middle screws (mistake 1). After taking a hit from our opponent, one of the wheel guards also came loose and our fastening screw lodged into the rear wheel and prevented any movement. Rick Roller was out with a KO...but two important lessons learned and future design changes that may finally get us over the hurdle. Happy with the way the teeth performed otherwise. If you've been following along on our journey, you know that wheel guards have been a recurring problem. Rest assured that prior to the next Rick Roller appearance we will be making an offering to Gjorfenskik the Scandinavian god of wheel guards, who I'm sure we've angered at some point along the way. <br />
<br />
Second match was against Scotties Scrambler, another Fingertech Beater Bar, but this one was running the Athenas Teeth. We opted to go without teeth this time and just work on taking it the distance. Scotties Scrambler was another very nice team and a well driven bot that just stayed relentless throughout the match. It went the distance but was an easy judges decision for our opponent. <br />
<br />
Wrapped up the day with a rumble. Had a chance to get in the area with a couple of the Brazilian bots and couldn't pass up the chance. Also joined by ER Stingray, a local horizontal, so a bit of a CT vs. Brazil match. Got in a couple hits and avoided any significant damage. Even managed to push all 3 bots at once into the house bot at one point, which was a fun demonstration of the pushing potential of the Rick Roller. The rumbles are always a lot of fun and hopefully entertaining for the crowd. <br />
<br />
Learned a ton this season, had an absolute blast, and made a lot of friends. NHRL is hands down one of the best communities and we look forward to see this sport continue to grow. Our Captain has been busy since the summer designing a new bot for January and we look forward to testing out a new design and introducing Gh-Astley to the Team Rick Roller stable! <br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
[[Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[Category:NHRL 2023]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=11441Rick Roller2023-10-07T03:57:21Z<p>RickRoller: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar w/ Custom Ar500 Teeth<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD<br />
|-<br />
|Power||(TBA)<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever, prior to this (new skill..woohoo!). Totally unfamiliar with mini switches, we had probably the heaviest toggle power switch in the history of combat robots. After an unlucky draw, a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the impressive Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This event we added some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date (our own drive motors)...and a fingertech mini switch...Progress! We also printed a PLA inner box to hold everything in the chassis (admittedly not the best material...which will be a factor) and added PLA wheel guards. First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. A couple good hits and our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). Our wheel guards, which we called the "one hit wonders" (staying on brand), were immediately ripped off but at least saved a couple direct hits to the wheels. The match went the distance to the judges but didn't go our way. The PLA frame cracked and made some things get pretty loose. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
During our repair window we had a hub stuck in one of our wheels. Luckily our pit neighbors (and next opponents), Deep Cut, helped with some shop guidance. Much appreciated and it got us both up to speed for the Last Chance match. This may also be the greatest attribute of NHRL, the people. Despite being a competition, everyone is quick to help each other for the good of the show. It's truly an amazing atmosphere. During our match we were able to dislodge a wheel on our opponent and pick up the KO. While this one happened to go our way, the Deep Cut team builds some nice looking and hard hitting bots. We look forward to seeing them some more. <br />
<br />
Our first round bracket matchup was against Wormhole. A young veteran with a very impressive undercutter and super nice team. Rick Roller managed to step to the side in the box rush and deal a quick side hit, but after some strong hits from Wormhole, the PLA front plate holding the weapon motor loosened and the belt wouldn't spin the weapon. We knew PLA is not the best material for combat robotics, but we've never printed with anything else so it's been small steps through the design. We also had some drive issues but luckily found that our opponent also lost their weapon belt and had an impacted drive. The match went the distance as both bots shuffled and "chased" each other around the cage with busted drives like the waning moments of a state fair demolition derby. Judges decision to Wormhole in a fun match against a team we will continue to root for! <br />
<br />
'''June 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Guess who's back, back again! (never gonna say goodbye, seemed too "on the nose"). Came back with some more minor changes. We switched up the front plate to aluminum and added some TPU wheel guards that just curved around the back of the wheels. Yes, we tried printing with TPU. It wasn't pretty but it also wasn't effective! One wheel guard got caught under our wheel driving to the corner for the start...not a great start, Since our first opponent was Count Forkula, our Captain made the excellent choice to tape the Fork's natural enemy to our wheel guards...plastic spoons. In the end, we probably should have gone with Sporks because this control bot got under us and prevented us from doing much the whole match. Easy judges decision for them and a good rookie bot! <br />
<br />
Last chance match-up was against an absolute top notch Jackrabbit Flex. Got a good early hit on the mini-bot and a couple strong pins. Speed has not been an issue for the Rick Roller but control has been. Thankfully we also learned about Exponential Control after this match and will be able to throttle down in the future. Experience grows. The match went the distance but we suspect our miniswitch screw was not fully turned at the start and came loose. We lost power at the very end of the match, thus failing the drive/weapon test. Nevertheless an honor to share the box with another top competitor and got some valuable advice afterward. <br />
<br />
The Rick Roller captain will forever be a fan first and competitor second, so the chance to compete in a rumble was a must...but first a couple more matchups. <br />
<br />
On Sunday, faced off against the tough drum spinner, Golddust. Titanium is no joke. Good fight but couldn't do a whole lot and took it to a judges decision that didn't go our way. Still really cool to face off against our first opponents from overseas. <br />
<br />
Over the past two events we've had the good luck to be pit neighbors with Money Shot and watch the evolution of that bot. It may be one of the coolest designs and the detail is awesome from the dollar sign weapon to the custom wheel hubs...check it out up close the next time you're in Norwalk. Money Shot was also kind enough to stick around for a grudge match at the request of our captain. Money Shot had, up until this point, dealt with some unfortunate weapon belt and motor issues. However, upon the start of the match we quickly realized that things were going to stop being polite and start getting real (any MTV Real World fans reading this?). When Money Shot's weapon spun up, it sounded like a 747 was about to make a Norwalk to Fort Lauderdale run. The Rick Roller was knocked into its own VH1 Behind the Music. It forced our first ever Tap Out because there was a rumble happening and we needed a mostly functioning bot. Nevertheless, we're rooting for Money Shot to bring some pain and hopefully qualify for the Championships. <br />
<br />
Ultimate Rumble time. Just being in the same arena as the drivers of Crashfest, Pawsatively Hissterical, Spartan, Disinformation, Wormhole etc....was an honor. After zipping around for a while and dealing a few hits, Rick Roller's captain in his own words decided to "just send it into Chonkiii". In a magnificent impact, both wheels were blown off with a shaft sticking out of one. Our captain immediately proclaimed it "the best day of his life". <br />
<br />
'''August 2023:''' <br />
<br />
For this one we swapped some of the UHMW for an AluPoly material and added some Aluminum wheel guards. Hold on, that sounds like a lot of weight? It was actually only about 2.3oz over but this time we added...a Mini Bot! We didn't want to just throw and RC car in there, so our captain designed and printed a wedge out of PLA+ and added an aluminum/lexan top. It was an ugly little bot, but it was a start and only 12 oz! <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Team Shreddit member, Patient 0. Really tough bot and we learned early that the AluPoly was worth trying but not a good enough material to hold things together. Our back plate got ripped off and forced a tap out before any exposed electronics got appropriately shredded! <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we managed to repair everything and were ready to rock for the last chance before an unfortunate forfeit by our opponent. <br />
<br />
Bracket time and our wheel of fate landed on the icon, Calvin Iba and Mixtape. An assist from our friends with some Aluminum tape and we were ready to go. Mixtape could not have been a cooler opponent...well, he could have been cooler in temperature and that would have helped a lot! First time in the main arena area and you know you're in trouble when your opponent's highlights are playing on the screens before the match. Got a good hit in early and avoided the flame a bit to make it 2.5 minutes into the match. Ultimately rubber wheels + fire is not a good combination...unless of course you're controlling the fire. With some sweet green wheel streaks on the floor and bits of rubber stuck to the walls, the Rick Roller was knocked out. Nevertheless, to get roasted by a Champion and a fan favorite bot, was a young career highlight by the 12 year old captain of Rick Roller...and new "best day of my life", something that NHRL has had a special knack for creating. <br />
<br />
We may not be the most technically savvy but we look forward to continue with little tweaks and just want to put on a good show. Incredibly grateful for NHRL, all the competitors that make us this unrivaled community, and the fans who come out to CT's best hidden gem for entertainment. <br />
<br />
'''September 30th:''' <br />
<br />
Ever been working on a project and feel good about it but then right at the deadline realize you overlooked something kinda important? But then you're like it's still pretty good and it'll be fine...but IT IS NOT FINE and your own wheel guards disable your wheels. We rolled into this one with some new material, a slightly new design, and custom beater teeth (designed by our Captain). Super excited to test out some new materials and see how the teeth performed. Minibot was also back because even though we dropped weight shifting to some Nylon/CF parts, the AR500 teeth put us slightly over by 1.6oz. <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Stratus from the veteran Bad Crew squad (a really nice local group of students and mentors who we've enjoyed getting to know over the past couple of events). Testing with the new teeth, we realized that we were draining battery and probably needed to run conservative or maybe reduce a little weight? Our driver/captain has an amazing grasp of the English language but seemingly does not understand the phrase "throttle down your weapon". He spins the beater bar like Keanu Reeves trying to keep a bus from exploding (raise your hand if you get that reference). We decided to just bolt the teeth in with 4 of the screws..we know, bad idea! Match started with some big hits by the Rick Roller, tossing Stratus up against the wall. However, on the second hit, the teeth bent at the middle screws (mistake 1). After taking a hit from our opponent, one of the wheel guards also came loose and our fastening screw lodged into the rear wheel and prevented any movement. Rick Roller was out with a KO...but two important lessons learned and future design changes that may finally get us over the hurdle. Happy with the way the teeth performed otherwise. If you've been following along on our journey, you know that wheel guards have been a recurring problem. Rest assured that prior to the next Rick Roller appearance we will be making an offering to Gjorfenskik the Scandinavian god of wheel guards, who I'm sure we've angered at some point along the way. <br />
<br />
Second match was against Scotties Scrambler, another Fingertech Beater Bar, but this one was running the Athenas Teeth. We opted to go without teeth this time and just work on taking it the distance. Scotties Scrambler was another very nice team and a well driven bot that just stayed relentless throughout the match. It went the distance but was an easy judges decision for our opponent. <br />
<br />
Wrapped up the day with a rumble. Had a chance to get in the area with a couple of the Brazilian bots and couldn't pass up the chance. Also joined by ER Stingray, a local horizontal, so a bit of a CT vs. Brazil match. Got in a couple hits and avoided any significant damage. Even managed to push all 3 bots at once into the house bot at one point, which was a fun demonstration of the pushing potential of the Rick Roller. The rumbles are always a lot of fun and hopefully entertaining for the crowd. <br />
<br />
Learned a ton this season, had an absolute blast, and made a lot of friends. NHRL is hands down one of the best communities and we look forward to see this sport continue to grow. Our Captain has been busy since the summer designing a new bot for January and we look forward to testing out a new design and introducing ghASTLEY to the Team Rick Roller stable! <br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
[[Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[Category:NHRL 2023]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=11440Rick Roller2023-10-07T03:45:12Z<p>RickRoller: recap of September event</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar w/ Custom Ar500 Teeth<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD<br />
|-<br />
|Power||(TBA)<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever, prior to this (new skill..woohoo!). Totally unfamiliar with mini switches, we had probably the heaviest toggle power switch in the history of combat robots. After an unlucky draw, a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the impressive Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This event we added some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date (our own drive motors)...and a fingertech mini switch...Progress! We also printed a PLA inner box to hold everything in the chassis (admittedly not the best material...which will be a factor) and added PLA wheel guards. First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. A couple good hits and our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). Our wheel guards, which we called the "one hit wonders" (staying on brand), were immediately ripped off but at least saved a couple direct hits to the wheels. The match went the distance to the judges but didn't go our way. The PLA frame cracked and made some things get pretty loose. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
During our repair window we had a hub stuck in one of our wheels. Luckily our pit neighbors (and next opponents), Deep Cut, helped with some shop guidance. Much appreciated and it got us both up to speed for the Last Chance match. This may also be the greatest attribute of NHRL, the people. Despite being a competition, everyone is quick to help each other for the good of the show. It's truly an amazing atmosphere. During our match we were able to dislodge a wheel on our opponent and pick up the KO. While this one happened to go our way, the Deep Cut team builds some nice looking and hard hitting bots. We look forward to seeing them some more. <br />
<br />
Our first round bracket matchup was against Wormhole. A young veteran with a very impressive undercutter and super nice team. Rick Roller managed to step to the side in the box rush and deal a quick side hit, but after some strong hits from Wormhole, the PLA front plate holding the weapon motor loosened and the belt wouldn't spin the weapon. We knew PLA is not the best material for combat robotics, but we've never printed with anything else so it's been small steps through the design. We also had some drive issues but luckily found that our opponent also lost their weapon belt and had an impacted drive. The match went the distance as both bots shuffled and "chased" each other around the cage with busted drives like the waning moments of a state fair demolition derby. Judges decision to Wormhole in a fun match against a team we will continue to root for! <br />
<br />
'''June 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Guess who's back, back again! (never gonna say goodbye, seemed too "on the nose"). Came back with some more minor changes. We switched up the front plate to aluminum and added some TPU wheel guards that just curved around the back of the wheels. Yes, we tried printing with TPU. It wasn't pretty but it also wasn't effective! One wheel guard got caught under our wheel driving to the corner for the start...not a great start, Since our first opponent was Count Forkula, our Captain made the excellent choice to tape the Fork's natural enemy to our wheel guards...plastic spoons. In the end, we probably should have gone with Sporks because this control bot got under us and prevented us from doing much the whole match. Easy judges decision for them and a good rookie bot! <br />
<br />
Last chance match-up was against an absolute top notch Jackrabbit Flex. Got a good early hit on the mini-bot and a couple strong pins. Speed has not been an issue for the Rick Roller but control has been. Thankfully we also learned about Exponential Control after this match and will be able to throttle down in the future. Experience grows. The match went the distance but we suspect our miniswitch screw was not fully turned at the start and came loose. We lost power at the very end of the match, thus failing the drive/weapon test. Nevertheless an honor to share the box with another top competitor and got some valuable advice afterward. <br />
<br />
The Rick Roller captain will forever be a fan first and competitor second, so the chance to compete in a rumble was a must...but first a couple more matchups. <br />
<br />
On Sunday, faced off against the tough drum spinner, Golddust. Titanium is no joke. Good fight but couldn't do a whole lot and took it to a judges decision that didn't go our way. Still really cool to face off against our first opponents from overseas. <br />
<br />
Over the past two events we've had the good luck to be pit neighbors with Money Shot and watch the evolution of that bot. It may be one of the coolest designs and the detail is awesome from the dollar sign weapon to the custom wheel hubs...check it out up close the next time you're in Norwalk. Money Shot was also kind enough to stick around for a grudge match at the request of our captain. Money Shot had, up until this point, dealt with some unfortunate weapon belt and motor issues. However, upon the start of the match we quickly realized that things were going to stop being polite and start getting real (any MTV Real World fans reading this?). When Money Shot's weapon spun up, it sounded like a 747 was about to make a Norwalk to Fort Lauderdale run. The Rick Roller was knocked into its own VH1 Behind the Music. It forced our first ever Tap Out because there was a rumble happening and we needed a mostly functioning bot. Nevertheless, we're rooting for Money Shot to bring some pain and hopefully qualify for the Championships. <br />
<br />
Ultimate Rumble time. Just being in the same arena as the drivers of Crashfest, Pawsatively Hissterical, Spartan, Disinformation, Wormhole etc....was an honor. After zipping around for a while and dealing a few hits, Rick Roller's captain in his own words decided to "just send it into Chonkiii". In a magnificent impact, both wheels were blown off with a shaft sticking out of one. Our captain immediately proclaimed it "the best day of his life". <br />
<br />
'''August 2023:''' <br />
<br />
For this one we swapped some of the UHMW for an AluPoly material and added some Aluminum wheel guards. Hold on, that sounds like a lot of weight? It was actually only about 2.3oz over but this time we added...a Mini Bot! We didn't want to just throw and RC car in there, so our captain designed and printed a wedge out of PLA+ and added an aluminum/lexan top. It was an ugly little bot, but it was a start and only 12 oz! <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Team Shreddit member, Patient 0. Really tough bot and we learned early that the AluPoly was worth trying but not a good enough material to hold things together. Our back plate got ripped off and forced a tap out before any exposed electronics got appropriately shredded! <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we managed to repair everything and were ready to rock for the last chance before an unfortunate forfeit by our opponent. <br />
<br />
Bracket time and our wheel of fate landed on the icon, Calvin Iba and Mixtape. An assist from our friends with some Aluminum tape and we were ready to go. Mixtape could not have been a cooler opponent...well, he could have been cooler in temperature and that would have helped a lot! First time in the main arena area and you know you're in trouble when your opponent's highlights are playing on the screens before the match. Got a good hit in early and avoided the flame a bit to make it 2.5 minutes into the match. Ultimately rubber wheels + fire is not a good combination...unless of course you're controlling the fire. With some sweet green wheel streaks on the floor and bits of rubber stuck to the walls, the Rick Roller was knocked out. Nevertheless, to get roasted by a Champion and a fan favorite bot, was a young career highlight by the 12 year old captain of Rick Roller...and new "best day of my life", something that NHRL has had a special knack for creating. <br />
<br />
We may not be the most technically savvy but we look forward to continue with little tweaks and just want to put on a good show. Incredibly grateful for NHRL, all the competitors that make us this unrivaled community, and the fans who come out to CT's best hidden gem for entertainment. <br />
<br />
'''September 30th:''' <br />
<br />
Ever been working on a project and feel good about it but then right at the deadline realize you overlooked something kinda important? But then you're like it's still pretty good and it'll be fine...but IT IS NOT FINE and your own wheel guards disable your wheels. We rolled into this one with some new material, a slightly new design, and custom beater teeth (designed by our Captain). Super excited to test out some new materials and see how the teeth performed. Minibot was also back because even though we dropped weight shifting to some Nylon/CF parts, the AR500 teeth put us slightly over by 1.6oz. <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Stratus from the veteran Bad Crew squad (a really nice local group of students and mentors who we've enjoyed getting to know over the past couple of events). Testing with the new teeth, we realized that we were draining battery and probably needed to run conservative or maybe reduce a little weight? Our driver/captain has an amazing grasp of the English language but seemingly does not understand the phrase "throttle down your weapon". He spins the beater bar like Keanu Reeves trying to keep a bus from exploding (raise your hand if you get that reference). We decided to just bolt the teeth in with 4 of the screws..we know, bad idea! Match started with some big hits by the Rick Roller, tossing Stratus up against the wall. However, on the second hit, the teeth bent at the middle screws (mistake 1). After taking a hit from our opponent, one of the wheel guards also came loose and our fastening screw lodged into the rear wheel and prevented any movement. Rick Roller was out with a KO...but two important lessons learned and future design changes that may finally get us over the hurdle. Happy with the way the teeth performed otherwise. <br />
<br />
Second match was against Scotties Scrambler, another Fingertech Beater Bar, but this one was running the Athenas Teeth. We opted to go without teeth this time and just work on taking it the distance. Scotties Scrambler was another very nice team and a well driven bot that just stayed relentless throughout the match. It went the distance but was an easy judges decision for our opponent. <br />
<br />
Wrapped up the day with a rumble. Had a chance to get in the area with a couple of the Brazilian bots and couldn't pass up the chance. Also joined by ER Stingray, a local horizontal, so a bit of a CT vs. Brazil match. Got in a couple hits and avoided any significant damage. Even managed to push all 3 bots at once into the house bot at one point, which was a fun demonstration of the pushing potential of the Rick Roller. The rumbles are always a lot of fun and hopefully entertaining for the crowd. <br />
<br />
Learned a ton this season, had an absolute blast, and made a lot of friends. NHRL is hands down one of the best communities and we look forward to see this sport continue to grow. Our Captain has been busy since the summer designing a new bot for January and we look forward to testing out a new design and introducing ghASTLEY to the Team Rick Roller stable! <br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
[[Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[Category:NHRL 2023]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=10867Rick Roller2023-08-21T03:00:32Z<p>RickRoller: small grammar fixes</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar <br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD<br />
|-<br />
|Power||(TBA)<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever, prior to this (new skill..woohoo!). Totally unfamiliar with mini switches, we had probably the heaviest toggle power switch in the history of combat robots. After an unlucky draw, a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the impressive Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This event we added some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date (our own drive motors)...and a fingertech mini switch...Progress! We also printed a PLA inner box to hold everything in the chassis (admittedly not the best material...which will be a factor) and added PLA wheel guards. First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. A couple good hits and our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). Our wheel guards, which we called the "one hit wonders" (staying on brand), were immediately ripped off but at least saved a couple direct hits to the wheels. The match went the distance to the judges but didn't go our way. The PLA frame cracked and made some things get pretty loose. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
During our repair window we had a hub stuck in one of our wheels. Luckily our pit neighbors (and next opponents), Deep Cut, helped with some shop guidance. Much appreciated and it got us both up to speed for the Last Chance match. This may also be the greatest attribute of NHRL, the people. Despite being a competition, everyone is quick to help each other for the good of the show. It's truly an amazing atmosphere. During our match we were able to dislodge a wheel on our opponent and pick up the KO. While this one happened to go our way, the Deep Cut team builds some nice looking and hard hitting bots. We look forward to seeing them some more. <br />
<br />
Our first round bracket matchup was against Wormhole. A young veteran with a very impressive undercutter and super nice team. Rick Roller managed to step to the side in the box rush and deal a quick side hit, but after some strong hits from Wormhole, the PLA front plate holding the weapon motor loosened and the belt wouldn't spin the weapon. We knew PLA is not the best material for combat robotics, but we've never printed with anything else so it's been small steps through the design. We also had some drive issues but luckily found that our opponent also lost their weapon belt and had an impacted drive. The match went the distance as both bots shuffled and "chased" each other around the cage with busted drives like the waning moments of a state fair demolition derby. Judges decision to Wormhole in a fun match against a team we will continue to root for! <br />
<br />
'''June 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Guess who's back, back again! (never gonna say goodbye, seemed too "on the nose"). Came back with some more minor changes. We switched up the front plate to aluminum and added some TPU wheel guards that just curved around the back of the wheels. Yes, we tried printing with TPU. It wasn't pretty but it also wasn't effective! One wheel guard got caught under our wheel driving to the corner for the start...not a great start, Since our first opponent was Count Forkula, our Captain made the excellent choice to tape the Fork's natural enemy to our wheel guards...plastic spoons. In the end, we probably should have gone with Sporks because this control bot got under us and prevented us from doing much the whole match. Easy judges decision for them and a good rookie bot! <br />
<br />
Last chance match-up was against an absolute top notch Jackrabbit Flex. Got a good early hit on the mini-bot and a couple strong pins. Speed has not been an issue for the Rick Roller but control has been. Thankfully we also learned about Exponential Control after this match and will be able to throttle down in the future. Experience grows. The match went the distance but we suspect our miniswitch screw was not fully turned at the start and came loose. We lost power at the very end of the match, thus failing the drive/weapon test. Nevertheless an honor to share the box with another top competitor and got some valuable advice afterward. <br />
<br />
The Rick Roller captain will forever be a fan first and competitor second, so the chance to compete in a rumble was a must...but first a couple more matchups. <br />
<br />
On Sunday, faced off against the tough drum spinner, Golddust. Titanium is no joke. Good fight but couldn't do a whole lot and took it to a judges decision that didn't go our way. Still really cool to face off against our first opponents from overseas. <br />
<br />
Over the past two events we've had the good luck to be pit neighbors with Money Shot and watch the evolution of that bot. It may be one of the coolest designs and the detail is awesome from the dollar sign weapon to the custom wheel hubs...check it out up close the next time you're in Norwalk. Money Shot was also kind enough to stick around for a grudge match at the request of our captain. Money Shot had, up until this point, dealt with some unfortunate weapon belt and motor issues. However, upon the start of the match we quickly realized that things were going to stop being polite and start getting real (any MTV Real World fans reading this?). When Money Shot's weapon spun up, it sounded like a 747 was about to make a Norwalk to Fort Lauderdale run. The Rick Roller was knocked into its own VH1 Behind the Music. It forced our first ever Tap Out because there was a rumble happening and we needed a mostly functioning bot. Nevertheless, we're rooting for Money Shot to bring some pain and hopefully qualify for the Championships. <br />
<br />
Ultimate Rumble time. Just being in the same arena as the drivers of Crashfest, Pawsatively Hissterical, Spartan, Disinformation, Wormhole etc....was an honor. After zipping around for a while and dealing a few hits, Rick Roller's captain in his own words decided to "just send it into Chonkiii". In a magnificent impact, both wheels were blown off with a shaft sticking out of one. Our captain immediately proclaimed it "the best day of his life". <br />
<br />
'''August 2023:''' <br />
<br />
For this one we swapped some of the UHMW for an AluPoly material and added some Aluminum wheel guards. Hold on, that sounds like a lot of weight? It was actually only about 2.3oz over but this time we added...a Mini Bot! We didn't want to just throw and RC car in there, so our captain designed and printed a wedge out of PLA+ and added an aluminum/lexan top. It was an ugly little bot, but it was a start and only 12 oz! <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Team Shreddit member, Patient 0. Really tough bot and we learned early that the AluPoly was worth trying but not a good enough material to hold things together. Our back plate got ripped off and forced a tap out before any exposed electronics got appropriately shredded! <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we managed to repair everything and were ready to rock for the last chance before an unfortunate forfeit by our opponent. <br />
<br />
Bracket time and our wheel of fate landed on the icon, Calvin Iba and Mixtape. An assist from our friends with some Aluminum tape and we were ready to go. Mixtape could not have been a cooler opponent...well, he could have been cooler in temperature and that would have helped a lot! First time in the main arena area and you know you're in trouble when your opponent's highlights are playing on the screens before the match. Got a good hit in early and avoided the flame a bit to make it 2.5 minutes into the match. Ultimately rubber wheels + fire is not a good combination...unless of course you're controlling the fire. With some sweet green wheel streaks on the floor and bits of rubber stuck to the walls, the Rick Roller was knocked out. Nevertheless, to get roasted by a Champion and a fan favorite bot, was a young career highlight by the 12 year old captain of Rick Roller...and new "best day of my life", something that NHRL has had a special knack for creating. <br />
<br />
We may not be the most technically savvy but we look forward to continue with little tweaks and just want to put on a good show. Incredibly grateful for NHRL, all the competitors that make us this unrivaled community, and the fans who come out to CT's best hidden gem for entertainment. <br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
[[Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[Category:NHRL 2023]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=10859Rick Roller2023-08-20T04:09:48Z<p>RickRoller: Added some more recap from past matches</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar <br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD<br />
|-<br />
|Power||(TBA)<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and never want to let you down. Always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever, prior to this (new skill..woohoo!). Totally unfamiliar with mini switches, we had probably the heaviest toggle power switch in the history of combat robots. After an unlucky draw, a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the impressive Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This time we came with some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date (our own drive motors)...and a fingertech mini switch...Progress! We also printed a PLA inner box to hold everything in the chassis (admittedly not the best material...which will be a factor) and added PLA wheel guards. First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. A couple good hits and our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). Our wheel guards which we called the "one hit wonders" (staying on brand) were immediately ripped off but at least saved a couple direct hits to the wheels. The match went the distance to the judges but didn't go our way. PLA cracked and made some things get pretty loose. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
During our repair window we had a hub stuck in one of our wheels. Luckily our pit neighbors (and next opponents), Deep Cut, helped with some shop guidance. Much appreciated and it got us both up to speed for the Last Chance. This may also be the greatest attribute of NHRL, the people. Despite being a competition, everyone is quick to help each other for the good of the show. It's truly an amazing atmosphere. During our match we were able to dislodge a wheel on our opponent and pick up the KO. While this one happened to go our way, the Deep Cut team builds some nice looking and hard hitting bots. We look forward to seeing them some more. <br />
<br />
Our first round bracket matchup was Wormhole. A very impressive undercutter and super nice team. Rick Roller managed to step to the side in the box rush and got a quick side hit in, but after some strong hits from Wormhole, our PLA front plate holding the weapon motor came loosened and the belt got too loose to spin the weapon. Now we knew PLA is not the best material for this application, but we've never printed with anything else so it's been small steps through the design. We also had some drive issues but luckily found that our opponent also lost their weapon belt and had some drive issues. The match went the distance with a pretty great robot shuffle as both "chased" each other around the cage with busted drives like the waning moments of a state fair demolition derby. Judges decision to Wormhole in a fun match against a team we will continue to root for! <br />
<br />
'''June 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Guess who's back, back again! (never gonna give you up, seemed too "on the nose"). Came back with some more minor changes. switched up the front plate to aluminum and added some TPU wheel guards. Yes, we tried printing with TPU. It wasn't pretty but it also wasn't effective! In fairness, they only covered the back as we still struggled with weight. Since our first opponent was Count Forkula, our Captain made the excellent choice to tape the Fork's natural enemy to our wheel guards...plastic spoons. Well, we probably should have gone with Sporks because this control bot got under us and prevented us from doing much the whole match. Easy judges decision for them and a good rookie bot! <br />
<br />
Last chance match-up was against an absolute top notch Jackrabbit Flex. Got a good early hit on the mini-bot and a couple strong pins. Speed has not been an issue for the Rick Roller but control has been. Thankfully we also learned about Exponential Control after this match and will be able to throttle down in the future. Experience grows. Match went the distance but a miniswitch screw that was probably not turned fully came loose and lost us power at the end of the match, thus failing the drive/weapon test. Nevertheless an honor to share the box with another top competitor and got some valuable advice afterward. <br />
<br />
The Rick Roller captain will forever be a fan first and competitor second, so the chance to compete in a rumble was a must...but first a couple more matchups. <br />
<br />
On Sunday, faced off against the tough drum spinner, Golddust. Titanium is no joke. Good fight but couldn't do a whole lot and took it to a judges decision that didn't go our way. Still really cool to face off against our first opponents from overseas. <br />
<br />
Over the past two events we've had the good luck to be pit neighbors with Money Shot and watch the evolution of that bot. It may be one of the coolest designs and the detail is awesome from the dollar sign weapon to the custom wheel hubs. Money Shot was also kind enough to stick around for a grudge match at the request of our captain. Now Money Shot had up until this point death with some unfortunate weapon belt and drive issues. However, upon the start of the match we quickly realized that things were going to stop being polite and start getting real (that one was for our MTV Real World fans). When Money Shot's weapon spun up, it sounded like a 747 was about to make the Norwalk to Fort Lauderdale run. The Rick Roller was knocked into its own VH1 Behind the Music. It forced our first ever Tap Out because there was a rumble happening and we needed a mostly functioning bot. Nevertheless, we're rooting for Money Shot to bring some pain and hopefully qualify for the Championships. <br />
<br />
Ultimate Rumble time. Just being in the same arena as the drivers of Crashfest and Pawsatively Hissterical, Spartan, Disinformation, Wormhole...was an honor. After zipping around and lasting a while, Rick Roller's captain in his own words decided to "just send it into Chonkiii". In a magnificent impact, both wheels were blown off with a shaft sticking out of one. It was "the best day of my life". <br />
<br />
'''August 2023:''' <br />
<br />
For this one we swapped some of the UHMW for an AluPoly material and added some Aluminum wheel guards. Hold on, that sounds like a lot of weight? It was actually only about 2.3oz over but this time we added...a Mini Bot! We didn't want to just throw and RC car in there, so our captain designed and printed a wedge out of PLA+ and added an aluminum/lexan top. Not pretty, but it was a start and only 12 oz! <br />
<br />
First matchup was against Team Shreddit member, Patient 0. Really tough bot and we learned early that the AluPoly was worth trying but not a good enough material to hold things together. Our back plate got ripped off and forced a tap out before any exposed electronics got appropriately shredded! <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, we managed to repair everything and were ready to rock for the last chance before an unfortunate forfeit by our opponent. <br />
<br />
Bracket time and our wheel of fate landed on the icon, Calvin Iba and Mixtape. An assist from our friends with some Aluminum tape and we were ready to go. Mixtape could not have been a cooler opponent...well, he could have been cooler in temperature and that would have helped a lot! First time in the main arena area and you know you're in trouble when your opponent's highlights are playing on the screens before the match. Got a good hit in early and avoided the flame a bit to make it 2.5 minutes into the match. Ultimately rubber wheels + fire is not a good combination...unless you're controlling the fire. With some sweet sheen streaks on the floor and bits of tire stuck to the walls, the Rick Roller was knocked out. Nevertheless, to get roasted by a Champion with his fan favorite bot, was a young career highlight by the 12 year old captain of Rick Roller...and new "best day of my life", something that NHRL has a knack for bringing about. <br />
<br />
We may not be the most technically savvy but we look forward to continue with little tweaks and just want to put on a good show. Incredibly grateful for NHRL, all the competitors that make us this unrivaled community, and the fans who come out to CT's best hidden gem for entertainment. <br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
[[Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[Category:NHRL 2023]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=10858Rick Roller2023-08-20T00:33:04Z<p>RickRoller: some more timeline</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg1.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller - August 2023]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar <br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD<br />
|-<br />
|Power||(TBA)<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and never want to let you down. Always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. Rick Roller build log can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB7ACr7pUuE <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever, prior to this (new skill..woohoo!). After an unlucky draw brought us a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that first round we went up against the impressive Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out runners. Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. <br />
<br />
'''May 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Can't stay away. This time we came with some 3D printed guards to cover what had been our biggest nemesis to date (our own drive motors). First qualifier was against Sinister from the talented students of talented teacher, Drew Davis. A couple good hits and our first match against a team with a mini-bot...hmmm maybe there's something to these things (a little foreshadowing here). The match went the distance to the judges but didn't go our way. Still a good opportunity to really drive the bot, which we hadn't had much of to date. <br />
<br />
{{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
[[Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[Category:NHRL 2023]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=10739Rick Roller2023-08-19T04:06:50Z<p>RickRoller: Some description and started match recap</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:Rickroller-removebg.png|alt=Rick Roller|thumb|Rick Roller]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||Fingertech beater bar <br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD<br />
|-<br />
|Power||(TBA)<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and never want to let you down. Always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. Our 12 year old captain who is a massive fan of the sport and knows every bot and match along with a dad who's technical expertise is just enough to get by and not blow anything up...yet (Thank You Youtube Creators!!). Trying our best and loving every minute. Grateful for the NHRL community and hopeful to see the sport continue to grow. <br />
<br />
'''March 2023:''' <br />
<br />
Our first effort in Combat Robots. Never soldered anything...ever, prior to this (new skill..woohoo!). After a forfeit by our qualifier opponent, we were bumped into the bracket untested. In that draw we went up against the impressive Scrambled Team from NH. A couple hits and our motors severed the ESC wires. Oops! we learned that you need to protect the electronics from those out runners...we also learned what outrunners are! Despite the KO, it was a great experience and we got to meet an awesome team from Scrambled who offered some very sage advice. {{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
[[Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[Category:NHRL 2023]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=8790Rick Roller2023-06-18T21:54:07Z<p>RickRoller: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:NHRLScanLines.png|thumb|right|Image coming soon!]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah <br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD<br />
|-<br />
|Power||(TBA)<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and never want to let you down. Always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. {{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
[[Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[Category:NHRL 2023]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=8789Rick Roller2023-06-18T21:50:39Z<p>RickRoller: Description</p>
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<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:NHRLScanLines.png|thumb|right|Image coming soon!]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah Godburn<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah Godburn<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||UHMW/Aluminum/TPU<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||2WD<br />
|-<br />
|Power||(TBA)<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and never want to let you down. Always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. {{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
[[Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[Category:NHRL 2023]]</div>RickRollerhttps://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Rick_Roller&diff=8788Rick Roller2023-06-18T21:49:04Z<p>RickRoller: Builder, driver, and small description.</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
===Robot Facts===<br />
[[File:NHRLScanLines.png|thumb|right|Image coming soon!]]<br />
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"<br />
|-<br />
|Builder||Jonah Godburn<br />
|-<br />
|Driver||Jonah Godburn<br />
|-<br />
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]<br />
|-<br />
|Body Material||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Weapon Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Drive||(TBA)<br />
|-<br />
|Power||(TBA)<br />
|}<br />
Not the prettiest bot but never gonna give up and never want to let you down. Always looking to drive around, do some damage, and put on a good show! Built with some light 3D printing but mostly hacked together in the basement with common tools and modeled after some other designs. {{Bot Stats|bot=Rick_Roller|class=3lb}}<br />
==Select Fights==<br />
Video links Coming Soon!<br />
==Gallery==<br />
Images coming soon!<br />
[[Category:3lb Bots]]<br />
[[Category:NHRL 2023]]</div>RickRoller