A 30lb combat robot built for UIUC's Robobrawl XI. Designed and led from the ground up with a team of 5.
Overview
Boulderbot was the second combat robot for combat robotics at NDSU, and I lead as team captain for the second half of its development and building. Competing in the 30lb class at Robobrawl XI, the robot was designed from the ground up with a focus on reliability, aggressive weapon performance, and strong drivetrain control. The entire design process — from initial concept through competition day — was informed by specific lessons and failure points identified during Cowbot's run at Robobrawl X.
Responsibilities
Team Leadership
Managed a 5-person build team across the full design and fabrication cycle — running design reviews, delegating tasks by skill set, and keeping the project on schedule toward the competition date.
Weapon System Design
Designed a high-RPM beater bar weapon — a horizontal spinning bar built for consistent impact delivery and durability under sustained combat. Bar geometry was optimized to maximize kinetic energy while keeping mass within class limits.
Drivetrain Engineering
Engineered a 4-wheel drive system with a wide stance and low center of gravity, tuned for maximum pushing power and the ability to control opponents across the arena floor. Motor selection prioritized torque output over top speed.
CAD Design & Iteration
Developed the full robot geometry in SolidWorks, running multiple design iterations on both the weapon and drivetrain before finalizing component layouts, tolerances, and material specs for fabrication.
Technical Details
Beater bar running at high RPM with geometry tuned for maximum kinetic energy delivery. Due to time and budget constraints we were not able to get our weapon fabricated as designed.
4-wheel drive with a wide, low-slung chassis. Stance designed to resist flipping, with motor selection and gearing tuned for pushing torque over raw speed.
30lb class. Weight budget was managed carefully in CAD to prioritize armor plating, weapon mass, and drivetrain rigidity within the strict competition limit.
Failure modes from Cowbot's competition run were documented and systematically addressed — each design decision in Boulderbot was tied back to a specific lesson from the previous season.
Skills & Tools