My design centered around using components that I already had available from previous projects and spare electronics I had collected over time. Since the project had only a seven-day development timeline, designing around existing components allowed me to spend more time on engineering and iteration rather than sourcing new parts. I chose a heavier tank-style design that utilized two independently driven TPU tracks. This drivetrain provided skid-steer (tank) steering, allowing the robot to pivot in place while maximizing the contact area with the ground. The larger contact patch was intended to increase traction, making it more difficult for an opponent to push or control my robot during battle. The structural design consisted of an internal carbon fiber rod skeleton that carried the majority of the mechanical loads, while a 3D-printed outer shell enclosed and protected the electronics and served as the primary mounting structure for the robot's components. This hybrid construction combined the strength and rigidity of carbon fiber with the design flexibility of additive manufacturing, allowing complex mounting features to be integrated directly into the printed shell. For the weapon system, I repurposed a high-power 12V DC motor from an old cordless drill and designed a front-mounted four-blade blender-style weapon around it. I wasn't able to design my bot to counter whatever weapon system my opponent designed because we decided to hide our strategies from each other until the day of our competition, so I went with the design I thought would deal the most damage with the resources I had on hand.

Consistent with the project's overall design philosophy, the electronics were built almost entirely from components I already had on hand from previous projects. This challenged me to design a control system around existing hardware while still creating a reliable and competitive robot within the project's one-week timeline. An Arduino Uno served as the robot's primary controller, managing all onboard logic and processing operator inputs. To enable wireless control, I integrated a Bluetooth communication module, allowing an old Android smartphone to connect directly to the Arduino and remotely operate the robot during combat. This approach eliminated the need for a traditional RC transmitter while providing a simple, effective wireless control system with readily available hardware. The drivetrain consisted of two independently driven DC motors controlled by an L298N dual H-bridge motor controller. This configuration provided independent speed and direction control for each track, enabling tank-style steering and allowing the robot to pivot in place for improved maneuverability during combat. The L298N was selected because it could be easily interfaced with the Arduino while providing a straightforward solution for bidirectional motor control. To control the high-power DC weapon motor, I used a 5 V relay triggered by the Arduino to switch the motor directly to the 12 V battery supply. This allowed the weapon to receive full battery voltage instantly while giving me the ability to remotely enable or disable the weapon as needed, reducing unnecessary power consumption when the weapon was not in use. To improve reliability during operation, a 6 V DC cooling fan was mounted on the top of the robot to draw fresh air into the electronics bay. The fan provided continuous airflow over the internal electronics, helping dissipate heat generated by the motor controller, relay, and other onboard components during extended operation. As for the required LED indicator, my teacher accepted the signal indicator LED on the Bluetooth module to meet the project requirements, given the complexity and effort already put into the project, which was just meant to show that we had retained the material taught in the course.