Saturday 6 November 2010

Satan's Mutt - Under the Titanium skin...


April 2010 saw Team Robo Challenge commissioned by The Gadget Show to produce a gadget filled fighting robot like no other! This robot would be driven in combat by Gadget Show presenters Jason Bradbury & Ortis Deley. The Robo Challenge team were really up against it with just 3 weeks until we started filming the episode for TV. 

With no time to waste, Robo Challenge expert engineers Grant and John got straight to work. designing the robot on Autodesk Inventor (sponsored by Autodesk). This excellent CAD package allowed our team to design Satan's Mutt from start to finish in 3D! The excellent software features also meant we could run simulations of the weapons and multiple stress analysis on different components to make sure they would take the strains & stresses of robot combat.



As soon as the initial design stage was complete the Robo Challenge crew worked night and day to get this special bespoke project ready for the strict filming deadline. If Satans Mutt wasn’t ready in time for battle in 3 weeks the episode would have to be pulled from the schedule. 


Using only the best materials, a number of bespoke and precision engineered Robo Challenge components combined with the team's vast expertise Satan's Mutt was built in time for the strict filming deadline. 




Despite the odds being stacked against them Team Robo Challenge prevailed delivering a revolutionary machine with a pneumatic system that had never before been seen in robot combat! Satan's Mutt also sported rare earth magnet DC motors (sponsored by AstroFlight), super light weight lithium polymer batteries (sponsored by Thunder Power)  & a custom Wii-mote control system using software written and created by Robo Challenge Ltd. Not to forget the awesome secret weapon - a remote activated smoke bomb!



On the day of filming Satan's Mutt was driven into the arena for the first time. Jason and Ortis were bouncing around with excitement as they took the Gadget Shows very own fighting robot into battle. 
You can watch the full Robo Challenge episode on the Gadget Show here.





You can also watch some of the  video animation which was produced on Autodesk Inventor during the design process on our website www.robochallenge.co.uk


For further information on Robo Challenge Ltd events and services please email info@robochallenge.co.uk