When you are starting to build a robot, here is the process broken down for you.
Brainstorming
When you are building a robot, you need to think about trade-offs. There is no way to make a perfect robot, which is why it is so interesting. If you try to improve performance in one area, you will need to decrease performance in another. It is unavoidable. You need to decide on a compromise between speed, cost, weight, time and energy.
Robot Fighting Styles
When you start building, there are some basic fighting styles you need to understand. A good robot builder will choose the style of fighting the robot will assume, and then design around it to maximize the effectiveness of the style.
Aggressive - Damage
When you start a match, the robots start facing each other. You can make a mad dash at the opponent, accelerating and smashing into them, hoping that you break more of their parts than your own. The stronger robot emerges and the weaker one is left immobile. A good strategy for this �robo-jousting� is to make a fast robot with forward-facing armor small battery packs, and kinetic energy weapons.
Passive - Overpower
Or, you can circle back and forth around the arena, and try to push the opponent out of the ring. After a few jabs, they lock horns and start pushing. Eventually, the robot with the stronger motors will succeed in pushing the weaker one outside the ring. A good strategy for the �sumo-style� approach is to make your robot heavy, with torquey motors and big batteries.
Choosing a Weapon
See the weapons section for more information. Good weapons for the aggressive approach are BMWs, thwack-bots, K-E weapons, and chameleons. Good weapons for the passive approach are BMWs, cutting blade weapons, lifters.
Design Process
Try sitting down with your team and make a list of all the coolest features you think you can add on. Then you start modifying the design to make it feasible. Ask questions like: Can we design it? Can we make it? Will it be simple to operate/drive? Can we afford it? Is it dependable? Can it win? And most importantly: IS IT COOL?
Designing your Robot
When building your robot, you need to remember that it is a reflection of yourself. You should give it a personality, in order to impress judges, spectators and your friends. Try giving it a cool name, so your robot is more than just a pile of wood, metal, wires and wheels. It should boldly or subtly say something about you and your team. Try making it extraordinary and cool. No more grey boxes with big motors and big torque. This is a chance for radical self-expression, so go win the hearts of the audience. This way, people will remember it, no matter if you win, lose or draw.