The Creature
From the front
The Creature vs Junkdrone
In Charging Position
Clever Class Rumble
Clever Class Rumble
The Creature has a good grip on Innuendo in the rumble
Chris' Clever class bot, Botkus
Tom's Clever class bot, Innuendo
Botkus vs Mount Everest
Botkus vs Mount Everest again
Rebuild for OCAD 2005
I loved the design of the Creature for OCAD 2004 but there were some problems that couldn't be fixed without a rebuild. The first being ground clearance. In designing the robot on AutoCAD I had assumed that the go kart tires had a diameter of 11", based upon the 11 x 6.00 label on the side of the tire. In AutoCAD I had designed the robot with ample ground clearance, with the tire sticking out of the rear of the robot. However, once assembled I noticed that not only was the tires not sticking out the rear, but the robot was just over 1/8" off of the ground. The result was: a) Tires being lifted off of the ground when the front was lifted even marginally, and b) the bottom of the robot scraping against the ground when a robot was on the lifter.
Secondly, the robot had incredible drive power. It could spin the 6" wide go kart slicks without a problem, even with me standing on top of it. Obviously the 2+ horsepower in the drive was being wasted due to being geared too low. The weight of the motors also didn't thrill me, taking a good portion of the weight limit. Thus the extensive use of aluminum just to make weight (even with close to 100 aluminum 1/4" bolts). I've since sold all the aluminum for scrap, and have started to use steel only.
OCAD 2005 has just come and gone, and despite a poor turnout it was still enjoyable. The Creature once again lost in the first round to a tough opponent. OCAD 2005 Pictures:
The Beautifully Engineered OCAD Addition
One of The More Interesting Designs...Use Your Imagination!
Bushwacker, a Cool Lightweight Class Bot. Note the spinning bar.
Pointless, a Highly successful Lightweight Bot
Rebuild for OCAD 2006
With the weight limit raised to 150 pounds this year, I knew I had to build something big. I also knew that the drivetrain setup from last year wouldn't have the torque for the new weight limit. I managed to get my hands on an old wheelchair, and then the fun began.
OCAD 2006 was my favourite sumo competition yet. The single elimination tournament was ditched for a round-robin setup, and the 6 foot circular platform was upgraded to an 8 foot octagon. As of yet I was winless with the Creature but that changed this year:
Round 1: Baby Hulk
Baby Hulk was the Classic Class winner from last year's competition. I knew it would be a tough match, especially with its tank-tread drivetrain. However, upon the first hit in the first two rounds I was able to flip Baby Hulk on its back and then completely upside down, chewing up its armour in the process. Winner: The Creature
Round 2: Junkdrone Mark2
I felt that this was a must-win situation for me. After all, I have never beat Junkrone (dating way back to 2001). Junkrdone had some upgrades this year including a more compact design and much more drive power. Luckily I was able to avoid its lifter and push it out, scratching up its armour in the process. Winner: The Creature
Round 3: Pretty in Pink
This match up made me nervous. Pretty in Pink (built by the same family as Baby Hulk) had also done extremely well in past events. Its razor sharp wedge and strong lifter proved to be too much for the Creature, although I did manage to flip them over and push them out in one of the rounds. Winner: Pretty in Pink
Round 4: Piece Maker
Another solid competitor! I was sweating by this point. Piece Maker had won the Clever class at last year's competition. My homemade bore reducer on the cutter broke during this match (sheared the setscrew holding the cutter to the shaft), so I had to rely on pure drive power. Piece Maker used its pneumatic lifter to lift the Creature and get in within inches of the edge of the platform, but luckily I had more traction and out-pushed him. Winner: The Creature
Semi-Final: Blackbone
From the same builder as Junkdrone, Blackbone was also one mean machine. I lost to it last year and saw many lose to it in the past. My cutter was taken off for this match (as I had attempted to repair it beforehand), so I had to once again rely on pure push. Luckily I had the advantage there, combined with some drivetrain difficulties on the part of Blackbone, I won! Winner: The Creature
Finals: Pretty in Pink
Immediately after the semi-finals, I had to face Pretty in Pink again, this time for the final. I was not able to charge the drive batteries through the entire competition, which made the Creature a little bit slower than usual. Since the cutter was out of commission I had no real hope of defending myself against Pretty in Pink's awesome wedge/lifter. A much deserved win on their part! I of course was very happy with my second place finish! Winner and 1st place: Pretty in Pink.
Rebuild for OCAD 2007
I had big problems with the 2007 version of the Creature. In order to make weight I had to use only 2 batteries to run both the drive and weapon. Unfortunately, when I turned the weapon on the voltage would drop under the cut off point for the wheelchair controller. So as a result I couldn't drive while the weapon on... for my matches I basically just sat their and let my opponents run into the weapon while trying to push me out >_<
Someone has uploaded my embarrassing 2nd match on YouTube....
Rebuild for 2008...
2009
