Bad Penny

Bad Penny's initial CAD

Bad Penny was a robot that applied for the 2016 season of Battlebots. It was built by Team Sector 67, which consisted of Alex Wagner, Heather Wentler, Shira Epstein, Kate Baldwin, and Jim Ramussen. The robot itself was incredibly unique in both design and locomotion. In spite of this, the robot was not chosen to compete. It is unknown if the team applied for any subsequent seasons.

Design

Bad Penny's "Sonic Boom Pneumatic Spear Gun"

The design at its core was a ring spinner with modular teeth including long, sharp blades and hammers on flails. The robot also featured a secondary weapon, referred to as "The Sonic Boom Pneumatic Spear Gun" that could be attached to the top. A spear would be attached to a block and tackle system that would fire the spear at high speeds towards the opponent. The weapon was also stated to have a rapid recycling rate and a good range, but the exact range and rate of fire is unknown. What makes Bad Penny truly unique, however, is its method of locomotion. Rather than using wheels, treads, or legs, it used six electromagnets to propel itself around the floor. When idle, the magnets would press against the ground with 2,000 pounds of force. If an opponent were to hit Bad Penny, it would cause the opponent to be sent flying while Bad Penny would sit idle. The robot would utilize off-center torque generated by the spinning ring combined with rapidly braking the flywheel and releasing five of the six magnets to move across the arena. The team stated that the robot would be propelled across the Battlebox at a rapid pace and would be capable of making quick, tight turns, as well as having the capability of pirouetting around opponents to hit them from the sides or back.

Trivia

• The team are three-time world champions of the Power Wheels Racing Series.

Sources

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypzPYcAB1WU
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzwrXw_KCqw