YOUR DIGITAL SOURCE FOR COMBAT ROBOTICS
ITGRESA ROBOTICS
VIPER UPGRADES, ADD-ONS, AND SPARES.
VIPER BACKGROUND INFORMATION
VIPER UPGRADES:
Your bot is designed for Viper Upgrades. It’s an incredible way to get started in combat robotics and can enable you to leapfrog several learning curves. However, all by itself, the Viper is unlikely to win matches. As a pusher bot, it can be successful, but the Viper was designed to be modular. There are different kinds of weapons and other upgrades that will not only allow you to make the bot your own but will also create a very competitive bot that can survive and thrive in the ring. Check out some of our thoughts below.Maintenance Spares:
Any combat robot must have spares to be able to get quickly back into battle. Here is a list of critical spares for your Viper.
Wheels:
The single most damaged item on your bot, particularly when fighting other bots with weapons, is the set of wheels. Without wheels, the bot can’t move and you lose the match. We recommend at least two pairs of wheels for spares. The Viper kit has wheels that are 0.75″ wide x 2.25″ in diameter.
Gearboxes:
Motors are one of the second most items in the bot to be damaged. Often axles take direct hits and get bent, or the gears in the gearbox are damaged. Pro Tip: It’s often much easier to change out the gearbox on the motors when they are damaged than it is to change out the entire motor. We recommend at least a pair of gearboxes as spares. Depending on your Viper kit, your bot may have 22:1 or 33:1 motors. Make sure to get a gearbox to match.
Motors:
As mentioned above, motors are also often damaged in a match. We recommend at least a pair of motors for spares.
Your bot kit may have 22:1 or 33:1 motors. Make sure to get motors to match or you could end up with mismatched motors for torque and speed.
Armor:
The Viper’s armor, particularly the front armor, is highly likely to get scratched, cracked, or torn off in an encounter with a weaponized bot. We recommend a set of spare armor for combat.
Weapons:
One of the most prevalent upgrades of a Viper is to weaponize the bot.
Lifter:
Lifters get under the opposing bot and flip it. Lifters can be very effective weapons, used by famous bots like Bronco and Hydra. The Viper lifter kit adds the capability to find and flip to the Viper combat bot. Lifters are also one of the safest weapon types. An enclosure isn’t necessary to test the bot’s weapon; it is unlikely to hurt anyone.
Horizontal Spinner:
One of the most destructive upgrades is a horizontal spinner. The toothed titanium blade hits with serious force– serious enough to knock your opponent around the ring.
This weapon must be tested in a suitable enclosure for safety purposes. See this example of a test enclosure here. Use an enclosure. The blade on the unit packs a significant amount of force. Be safe.
VErtICal Spinner:
Another destructive upgrade is a Vertical spinner weapon. Using the vertical toothed blade, the Viper can inflict a serious hit to its opponent. The vertical spinning blade can also self-right the robot when it’s knocked upside down.
This weapon must be tested in a suitable enclosure for safety purposes. See this example of a test enclosure here. Use an enclosure. The blade on the unit packs a significant amount of force. Be safe.
UPGRADES:
Other parts to advance your bot.
LITHIUM POLYMER BATTERY:
We HIGHLY recommend that you graduate from a 9V battery to a lithium polymer battery. The Viper is set up to be run with a 300mAh 2S Lithium polymer battery, but it can be run with a 3S as long as you are not running a lifter or other servo-based weapon. A 3S will provide too much voltage for servos and you will need to add a voltage regulator if so.
LITHIUM POLYMER CHARGER:
Lithium polymer (lipoly) batteries require a specific charger. We recommend the C6D mini charger with its own integral power supply (illustrated), but the B6 Pro with separate power supply is a good choice as well.
BEARING BLOCKS:
Bearing blocks are a perfect addition to your viper, providing extra support and hit resistance to the axles of the Viper’s Silver Spark motors. A pair of bearing blocks can provide the extra survivability that you crave.
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