Lesson Overview

The purpose of this lesson is to teach students the concept of chassis design, stiffness, and physical forces. Students will learn: 

• What is a chassis

• Different ways to increase stiffness 

• How to build a sample robot chassis and body

Required Kit Supplies

• Your fully wired MESA Combat Robot

  • Batteries should be inserted with power switches TURNED OFF

• 1x FlySky Controller

Additional Required Supplies 

• Scissors

• Pencil/pen/marker

• Tape, hot glue, staples, and other craft supplies

• Command strips or double sided tape

• Robot body material

  • Cardboard, foam, balsa wood, and/or similar materials

OR

• A 3D printer with PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG, etc filament, thin plywood (3/16” or less)

• Paint, markers, crayons, colored paper (optional for decorating your robot)

Keywords

• Chassis: The structure which supports the functioning part of a vehicle, robot, or similar machine.

• Body or Armor Panels: The panels on the exterior of a vehicle or robot which covers the electrical components and helps prevent damage to the robotic components.

• Force: The push or pull on a structure. For example, weight is a type of force.

• Deformation: The process of a structure changing shape because of an outside force. 

• Stiffness: A structure’s ability to resist bending or deformation because of a force. 

Additional External Resources

• Designing your own Combat Robot

  • GettingStarted - RobotCombatWiki