The Robo Challenge Kung Fu Robot!

October 2010 saw Robo Challenge help Gadget Show presenter Jason Bradbury take on a Kung Fu master by creating the ultimate fighting robot.  From the initial design right through to build and software programming team Robo Challenge utilised their vast expertise to deliver a completely unique pneumatic Kung Fu training simulator.   

The robot has 5 attacking limbs powered by pneumatic  rams which were programmed by Robo Challenge to fire in sequence or random and at different speeds. The power of the punch can also be increased by raising the air pressure to the cylinders for the ultimate fighting experience.

Each limb is lined with a super hi-tech (and expensive!!) material which is sensitive to impacts and can detect not only when the robot has been hit but exactly how hard! Software was then programmed to process this information so the robot strikes back with a series of appropriately high power blows! 

It is fair to say that to beat this merciless machine you need Jedi speed reactions coupled with fists of steel. 

It took the Robo Challenge engineers 3 weeks to produce and it was featured on channel FIVE's the Gadget Show on 1/11/10. The producers specifically didn’t want a 'toy' and came straight to Robo Challenge with their spec for a serious training device to help Jason develop his skills. 

The robot was no push over and after 8 weeks solid training, the robot had dished out some damage. Jason’s hands were cut, it had given him a swollen ankle and knocked out one of his teeth! This was a real mean machine that prepared Jason for his Gadget Show challenge, take on a Kung Fu Master! You can see some of the testing footage below. This is on it minimum setting! Also watch the episode online here.

Should you want to find our any further information about Robo Challenge's capabilities, the Kung Fu Robot or any other Robo Challenge projects (including media enquiries) please email info@robochallenge.co.uk . Alternatively you can visit http://www.robochallenge.co.uk/

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