Book Image

Smart Robotics with LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor

By : Aaron Maurer
Book Image

Smart Robotics with LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor

By: Aaron Maurer

Overview of this book

LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor is the latest addition to the LEGO MINDSTORMS theme. It features unique designs that you can use to build robots, and also enable you to perform activities using the robot inventor application. You'll begin by exploring the history of LEGO MINDSTORMS, and then delve into various elements of the Inventor kit. Moving on, you'll start working on different projects which will prepare you to build a variety of smart robots. The first robotic project involves designing a claw to grab objects, and helps you to explore how a smart robot is used in everyday life and in industry. The second project revolves around building a working guitar that can be played and modified to meet the needs of the user. As you advance, you'll explore the concept of biomimicry as you discover how to build a scorpion robot. In addition to this, you'll also work on a classic robotic challenge by building a sumobot. Throughout the book, you'll come across a variety of projects that will provide you with hands-on experience in building creative robots, such as building a Dragster, Egg Decorator, and Plankton from Spongebob Squarepants. By the end of this LEGO book, you'll have got to grips with the concepts behind building a robot, and also found creative ways to integrate them using the application based on your creative insights and ideas.
Table of Contents (12 chapters)

Chapter 6: Building a Solid Sumobot

Sumobots and battlebots are both terms that you may have heard of before. In case you don't know what sumobots are, they are basically robots that are designed to battle one another. Basically, it is a sport where two robots battle in a head-to-head competition to outlast the other robot. Battle robots are a classic build challenge for any robot enthusiast. From the popular YouTube show that led to shows that are now on TV, Twitch, and other platforms, you can find robots battling on all types of arenas, designed from about every conceivable idea you can imagine. These robots come in all shapes and sizes, depending on the rules of the competition. These robot challenges are quite popular in schools, after-school programs, and summer camps when it comes to sumobots. The robot you will build in this chapter will provide you with a solid foundation for being dominant in your next arena battle.

Here is a picture of what your base sumobot will...