instructables

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!

by MechEngineerMike

One ring…two robots enter…only one will be Before getting started I'll note a couple things. These
victorious! Mini-sumo robots are an excellent way to toys are intended for small groups, ages 10+.
show kids that science and engineering can be fun Assembly takes ~1hr and requires minimal tool use
and exciting! and absolutely no soldering or breadboarding. Adult
supervision is suggested for students who are
Designed with education in mind, I created the open younger than high school level.
source 'SimpleSumo' platform to lower the barrier to
entry into the robot sport of mini-sumo. These robots Complete robot kits are available here, or you can try
are easy enough to understand and build that kids to print and gather everything yourself from scratch
can get started quickly, but they also offer great depth using the 3d printable files & bill of materials provided
through Mr-potato-head-style mechanical step 3. If you do so please respect the file sharing
customization and Arduino programming. licence. (That is, you can do anything but resell the
robots or designs.)
This instructable will walk you through the
assembly and programming process for a This instructable is a complete stand alone assembly
SimpleSumo robot kit. It will also introduce you to document, but if you would prefer to follow along with
the essentials of the mini-sumo sport and provide a video, please see the video series.
notes to aid scientific discussion in the
classroom.(Also note my related instructable
//www.youtube.com/embed/nb-5wq9CI20
detailing options for making a mini-sumo battle ring).

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 1

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1. The entire frame hinges up so you can access the battery

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 2

Step 1: Mini-Sumo in a Nutshell

SimpleSumo robots are designed to comply with official mini-sumo rules.Robots can be up to 500
grams and must fit within a 10 cm by 10 cm tube with no limitation on height. Robots must start the
match in exactly the orientation that they pass the tube test in!

A battle consists of two robots operating autonomously attempting to find and push each other out of a ring. First to
touch the ground outside the ring loses the round. Rounds last up to 3 minutes each. Best of 3 rounds wins the
match.

Pushing, lifting, distractions, and hiding are the robots only weapons as physically destructive elements are
banned from the game. Similarly, suction, magnets, and sticky wheels are not allowed.

The official rules call for predefined starting lines but I have found that the game benefits from a minor rule
deviation. I prefer to have players place their robots anywhere they want on their half of the ring while there is a
large visual barrier hiding the opponents position. This creates an additional element of strategy and fun, sort of
like the game battleship.

A game starts when the referee says GO and each player initiates a 5 second countdown for their robot to begin.
Players then stand clear of the ring so as not to disturb the battle in progress. The referee gets the final call on all
subjective decisions as well as appropriate punitive measures for poor sportsmanship.

For a 'fun to read' set of rules check out the fully illustrated guide to robot sumo rules here.
For a serious detailed set of rules check out the Unified Sumo Robot Rules here.

1
1

1. OR Inverted color scheme. 1. Sumo meeting the dimensional criteria

2. 30", 1", 1", ~3/8", ~ 4", ~2"

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 3

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1. Note that I do allow for the battery cable to stick out as a deviation from 1. While this orientation does meet the criteria, Sumos must start the
the rules. You could solder the leads on to be compliant but the intent match in exactly the orientation that they are tested in. This robot is
here was to keep things simple! unable to right itself so this is a bad tarting position!

1. This robot is leaning a little too far forward, it needs to be adjusted to sit
completely vertically!

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 4

Step 2: Gather Tools & Materials (BOM & 3D PRINTING FILES HERE)

Tools:

Tiny pliers (or 3D printed tweezers) and a PH1(3mm) phillips screwdriver.

Optional: Your choice of glue: A good hot glue gun, super glue, or tube of silicone. (The parts are
designed to not need glue but it can be nice.)

Below is an Amazon affiliate shopping list for folks that want to DIY/experiment/upgrade without buying a kit from
me. Note that there are many items listed as optional that are used for expansions or experiments as explained
after the robot assembly steps.

The wiring schematic that the following steps will follow is also attached to this step.

Materials:

If you choose not to use my store for your supplies you can try to shop for robot parts piecemeal using this guide to
get you going. See attached "SimpleSumo Shopping List" Excel file or visit this google sheets page. (They contain
the same info)

Download (https://cdn.instructables.com/ORIG/FV8/06GU/J8KGTCBV/FV806GUJ8KGTCBV.xlsx)
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Download (https://cdn.instructables.com/ORIG/FYE/YJ9H/J8OQYY0S/FYEYJ9HJ8OQYY0S.zip)
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…

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SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 5

Step 3: Preparing Parts Before Assembly.

If you choose to 3D print the parts yourself start here:

I only recommend using ABS or PETG plastic for their durability. While I like PLA plastic, it is too stiff & brittle for
this application and makes assembly difficult.

Print settings should be 0.3mm layer thickness maximum, 4 or more perimeters on all sides top & bottom, and a
minimum of 20% infill.

Since ABS likes to warp so much I always print with a brim around the edges that has to be removed later. If you
are doing this with students you might stop and take note of something interesting here. Notice when you tear the
plastic sheet off it leaves a white edge behind, vs when you use a razorblade to cut the edge off it leaves the edge
color unchanged.

Indeed, any time you over-stress plastic with a bend you'll notice that it turns white. If you are curious you can find
out why this happens here.

If you buy the kit start here:

The plastic parts in the kit are pre-cleaned and ready to use already.

-The next thing to do is to bend the headers on the edge sensors into 45 degree angles as shown in the pictures.
This will help them fit inside the assembly. I found it helped me bend them evenly if I used a connector from a
motor to do it.

-Now is a good time to press the wheels onto the servos just to form the plastic holes so that they will assemble
easier later.

1
1

1. Typical SimpleSumo assembly fresh off the line. 1. If you print your own parts from ABS, do so with a brim to prevent
warping. This brim needs to be removed prior to use.

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 6

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1. Printing brim removed 1. Tearing the brim you'll notice that the edge turns white, but not when
you cut it. Check out the link to find out why plastic turns white under
stress.

1
1

1. 3D printing the roof part can be a challenge if your printer/settings aren't 1. I used this pin connector to bend all the headers at the same time.
up to the job. If it does turn out like this then you can rescue it with a
heatgun.

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 7

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1. Now is a good time to jam the wheels onto the servos just to form the 1. Manually bend the headers on each sensor to face directions as
plastic parts so that they will assemble easier later. shown.

Step 4: Install Both Buttons & Their Wires

First insert the long wires into the hole from the inside since I took this picture. I made it so you can choose
of the chassis, then hold the wire in place with your to mount two buttons next to each other OR a single
finger, then drop the button in from the front. This button in the middle. This is your design decision to
helps ensure that the button headers dont get bent make. One button is more sensitive and will detect if
out of shape or miss their target. anything is touching front and center. Two buttons are
too stiff to press both at the same time, but a touch on
After inserting the button immediately route the wire either edge of the blade will activate the closest
through the closest pinch-point to ensure that you button. This gives the advantage of providing you with
dont accidentally pull it back out of the hole. more information.

You might notice that my 3d model has been update

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 8

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1

1. Insert the wires before you insert the button. 1. Wires firs, then route them here immediately to keep you from
accidentally pulling them out.

1. Hold the wires in place while you install the button to keep from 1. Makes sure to press the button all the way into its seat.
pressing the wire out of the holes.

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 9

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1. Should look like this when step is done.

Step 5: Assemble the Motors Onto the Chassis

Before putting the motors on the chassis take a When you install the servos onto the chassis, you will
moment to tap the hole in the end of the servo. The end up using the longer screws at the rear side of the
servo comes with 3 screws, (2 long and 1 short). chassis and the small screws at the inner remaining
Normally servos use the short screw to hold the horn locations. This is due to space constraints.
on, but for this project we want to use a long screw to
make sure the wheels stay on strongly. To do this we Route the wires as shown through all the pinch
first have to use one of the long screws to manually points. It can help to use the screwdriver or tweezers
thread the hole in the end of the servo, while holding to press the wires though the pinch.
the servo end still with pliers. See pic 1.

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 10

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1. The servo comes with 3 screws. (2 long and one short). The short is 1. Put the short screw on the left and the long screw on the right. Tuck a
intended to go into the servo horn but we will use a long one here instead. bit of the exess wire underneath the motor exactly as shown.
To do so properly we need to tap the hole. Do so by holding the utput
shaft of the servo with pliers then forcing the long screw all the way down.
Doing this now will help you install the whee later.

1
1

1. Here put the long screw on the left and the short screw on the right. Route the wires exactly 1. Route wires as shown. Tuck loose wire into slots,
as shown. put excess slack underneath the motors.

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 11

Step 6: Put the Sensors & Arduino On

Set the chassis aside. We need to attach the arduino has to be loose enough to allow button pressing and
expansion board onto the 'arduino mount'. Make sure repeated removal, but function without locking up or
the board is seated all the way down in its pocket. breaking. ABS is a great material for this but the
There are clips on the updated part files that hold the exact same geometry in PLA is too tight to install.
expansion board in place, but you can also glue the
board in too. Note that I added a feature to the blades since these
pics were taken to make it easier for kids to remove.
Place the 3 edge sensors as shown and glue them To take off the blade you squeeze one tire and the
down too. Make sure the sensors are fully seated long tongue on the blade underneath the chassis
over the locating pin, against the bottom of the toward either side and the blade pops right off.
pocket, and fully held down with the clips. NOTE That
the front two sensors can only be installed by Now is also the best time to install both of the wheels.
pressing them in the front and they will only fit if the When you press them on use your fingers to press
header pins are bend down as shown. from the back side of the servo directly, rather than
pressing on the wall. Otherwise you could rip the
After it dries you can press on the front blade. Do this servo out screws and all.
by first hooking one side then pressing firmly on the
other. The blade was a tough connection to design, it

1. Fill the arduino mount with glue then place the arduino inside. 1. Position the edge sensors with the bend prongs in the positions as
shown.

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 12

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1. Glue the edge sensors in place. 1. Press the blade into place by first hooking one side then squeezing the
other side into place. (To remove do in reverse order by pressing on one
side only).

Step 7: Drop the Top and Route Wires

Install the arduino mount onto the chassis by pressing flopping around.
the two parts together at the hinge point.
Tuck the wires into the pinch points along the sides
Grab 9 long wires and hook up the 3 edge sensors as as shown then route all the wires up through the gap
shown. Make sure to use different wire colors so you between the chassis & arduino mount.
dont get confused later. Its also good practice to twist
the associated wire pairs together to keep them from

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 13

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 14
Step 8: Install Buzzer, Ultrasonic, Battery & Close It Up

Grab 6 short wires and wire up the buzzer and wires go where on the arduino board. There is also a
ultrasonic sensor. Now is a good time to install the nice wiring image in step 2.
ultrasonic. It can only be installed one way, just make
sure it is fully seated. Route the buzzer under the arduino nano slot before
you install the nano, this helps keep the buzzer wires
Now you can drop the 9v battery in and run its wire constrained/hidden and keeps the buzzer from rattling
out the back either over or under the rear wall (for around inside the robot.
more strain relief). Now the lower level is done and
you can flip over the arduino mount and press it The cover drops on and clicks shut with an
closed onto the chassis. interference fit. To remove this cover stick your finger
in the arduino usb hole in the back and pull up.
Refer to the screenshot of the code for a list on which

1
2

1. buzzer with 2 wire leads twisted together. 1. There is enough space right here to put the 9V battery wire through
2. Ultrasonic with 4 wire leads twisted together. too.

1. The battery wire can stay here like it is or it can even go underneath the
rear wall for added strain relief.
2. Should have had the wheels on before now

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 15

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1. put the buzzer wires underneath the nano mount before

installling the nano. This helps hold it in place without rattling.

1. finished stock standard kit! 1. You can also remove the cover by pressing the sides of the arduino mount
part at this point on either side to squeeze the walls together.
2. To remove the lid you can pull up from this hole.

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 16

Step 9: Programming

Software Downloads:

1. Arduino IDE (Arduino User Interface) (Required)

2. NotePad++ (Recommended for viewing/editing code, but not required)
3. All of the code is stored on github here.

See video link (@3min&30sec) at the bottom for connecting the robot to your computer and installing the code.
After completing that procedure use the mini-test-mat (that every SimpleSumo kit comes with) for calibration &
verifying that everything works.

As of this writing there is only 1 official release for the sumo fighting program. (Variants to follow.) In any case, this
code is written to be easy to understand and modify, so it makes a great starting point for future program mods. I
can't see any reason to ever change the core state flow chart so that is a great place to introduce students to
programming this robot.

When I first sat down to create the code I listed the top priorities that the robot uses to decide what to do. Here
they are in descending order of precedence:

1. Staying inside the ring

2. Attacking the enemy
3. Hunting for the enemy

The arduino program is a constant loop always looking for new information and making decisions based on what it
knows now. First it checks if it is over a line. If so then that must be dealt with regardless of any other information
because falling out of the ring means losing. Then it checks if it has the enemy in its sights. If so its attacks, and if
not then its last priority is to keep moving around the ring searching for the enemy.

Robots can get stuck in a stalemate if they sense each other at the same time and if they are equally matched. For
the sake of entertaining onlookers and since a draw != a win, I decided to code in a deadlock detection algorithm
that breaks up stalled bots.
SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 17
For the same reason I also included random number generation within the search algorithm so that no 2 battles are
ever the same, even when the same code is used on 2 bots.

In any case it should be clear that even for a simple robot there are nearly unlimited possibilities as to how the
robot can behave. A particular behavior may work well against one opponent and poorly against another. That
there is no single best solution is an important engineering lesson in itself and a reason that this game will remain
entertaining to participate in over time.

There are other games you can play besides the 1v1 sumo battle.

Flee: Run from objects and squeek when picked up.

Clean Sweep: Time trial of one bot trying to find and push out 3 of the SimpleSumo sizing tubes.
See introduction video.
Sentry Program: Beep if object detected, change beep frequency based on distance to object.
Toggle rotational movement with the blade-button. (robot can guard a doorway)
Line following program: (code coming soon)
Remote Control: (code coming soon)

//www.youtube.com/embed/qkaShj4FQgU

Download (https://cdn.instructables.com/ORIG/FHA/RU6D/J7ARHE62/FHARU6DJ7ARHE62.pdf)
http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/FHA/RU6D/J7ARHE62/FHARU6DJ7ARHE62.pdf
…

(https://cdn.instructables.com/ORIG/FHA/RU6D/J7ARHE62/FHARU6DJ7ARHE62.pdf)
SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 18
Step 10: Mechanical Modifications

One of the coolest things about SimpleSumo is how easy it is to make modifications to change your robot's fighting
strategy. So many mechanical parts can make life confusing so I made a master list and will stay consistent with
the part names.

Complete list of parts and expansions: (Parts that come in the standard kit are labeled 'STANDARD', but there
are 34 total interchangeable plastic robot parts!)

Cover -Flat (STANDARD)

Cover- Lego compatible
Cover- Penny mass holding
Cover- Servo Expansion
Cover- Dump Truck (Requires 'cover- Servo Expansion' to mount)
Cover- Cloak (& foam panels)
Cover- Easy to Print
Arm- Long grippers (for 'cover- Servo Expansion')
Arm- Long flag pole
Arm- Short grippers (for 'Rear Hatch- Servo mount')
Arm- Flipper Rear
Blade- Straight 80 deg (STANDARD)
Blade- Pyramid out
Blade- Pyramid in
Blade- Sharp edged
Blade- Marker Mount
Blade- Penny Mass holding
Blade- Drop Over
Blade- Long
Blade- Wide
Blade- Side Detection
Rear Hatch- Flat (STANDARD)
Rear Hatch- Marker Mount
Rear Hatch- Servo Expansion
Rear Hatch- Line Follower 1
Tire- Slick eLastic (STANDARD)
Tire- V groove eLastic
Tire- Straight groove eLastic
Tire - Slick eFlex
Wheel- 30T (STANDARD)
Wheel- Doubler Insert
Wheel- Cone Insert
Chassis- (STANDARD)
ArduinoMount- (STANDARD)
Sizing Tube
Pedestal Trophy

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 19

 Tweezers
Pulley Assembly with Weight Hanger

Now that your robot is build & programmed and you want to start snapping on and off the modifications, this is a
good time to take a second and watch the "How to Handle the SimpleSumo Robot" video to make sure you are
prying on the parts in the intended way.

//www.youtube.com/embed/3OCJw-tPZ9s

1. Shown with large gripper and remote control

accessories installed.

1. Shown with expansion level and flag arm accessories installed. 1. Flage in the UP position to allow it to fit into the official 10mm^2 box.

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 20

 1
1

1. Different types of treads materials and geometries. Left to right: stock 1. Alternate rear mount marker mount. Intended to spur
TPE-slicks, TPE-straight wedge, TPU slicks, TPE type 2 slicks, TPE type discussion>>which marker mount is better and why? (Hint one of the two
3 slicks, mounts over-constrains the robot to the ring.

1
1

1. Lego compatible cover for the arduino nano. Installes via hook and 1. LEGO compatible roof.
rotate. I recommend holding in lace with glue.

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 21

 1

1. The 'penny roof' for adding precise weights to precise locations and 1. The 'wheel cone' add-on is an illegal part by standard min- sumo rules.
measuring the effect. But remember, the point of these robots is to inspire kids so sometime its
ok to break the rules! (the intent of this part is to throw off any perusing
enemy robots by preventing them from squaring up to the side of this bot.

1
1

1. Dumptruck attachment on top of expansion level. Shown dumping its 1. Dumptruck attachment on top of expansion level. Shown dumping its
load. load.

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 22

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1

1. Showing off different blade designs. 1. Line follower type 2 mounting. Uses different style of edge sensor than
standard.

1. Shown with IR remote controller installed. 1. Line follower type 2

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 23

 1
1

1. The victory podium has different words on each face so it can be used 1. Autonomous Vacuum- just pulled around an off the shelf desk duster.
to celebrate the winners of each different maker type of SimpleSumo Worked well enough though it is small
challenge.

1. Using the whiteboard and ry erase marker attachment you can see that
this bots current programs motions could be improved.

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 24

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Step 11: 3D Modeling & 3D Printing Sumo Parts

The SimpleSumo robot uses many 3D printed parts. If you have students new to 3D printing that want to try I'd
recommend you review this opensource intro to 3d printing pamphlet with them .

The previous step had lots of digital screenshots that show the recommended printing orientation for each part.
These orientations are decided primarily by the geometry of the design to avoid overhanging/floating features as
well as the directional strength of FDM 3d printing.

All of these parts were modeled by a professional using professional software. But that doesn't mean you couldn't
do the same yourself, or even make modifications to these parts yourself!

There are three general types of 3D modelling programs:

Parametric- Ideal for designs with repeating structures, such as a chain or timing belt. Designs are
based on numeric parameter variables.
'Circles & Squares'- Most frequently used by engineers. All of the designs are really just complex
shapes made up of circles and squares. Modelling something like a tree is difficult in this software.
Molding- The easiest way to make organic shapes, like a tree. This type of program is used by
artists.

3D Modelling Resources: These are the top contenders for most useful free 3d modelling software on the internet
for each of the 3 general types.

TinkerCAD. Simple interface not intended for heavy duty work, BUT it is great at a couple things.
It is easy to use and works in your browser so you don't have to install a program.
Tinkercad is one of very few programs out there (free OR paid) that allow you to edit
STL files. You can upload the SimpleSumo parts to Tinkercad and modify them with
your additions and be printing within a single sitting.
It can also import & export SVG files. (A specific type of 2d profile.)

OpenSCAD. Can interface with Thingiverse to make shareable in-web-browser customizable

models.
AutoDesk Fusion 360- The best free circles & squares type modelling program out there. Capable of
direct OR history based modelling, this is a powerful tool.
Sculptris- Simple user interface but that is what I like about it. The only software I would use for
artistic purposes. Included here for completeness but it wasn't used on this project.

In my experience, most other 'free' modelling programs are inferior products for robot design or aren't truely free.

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 32

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 33
Step 12: Experiments & Exercises

There are many possible experiments that can be distribution of the robot and measure the actual
done with this kit and I have not yet fully documented distribution on 2 small scales. Is it better to maximize
procedures, relevant equations, and calculations for weight over the blade, or the wheels, or is the optimal
each one. For now know that all of the following are distribution something in between?
possible with the currently available parts. Consider
this a list of possibilities, if you want to see me do -Measure & calculate center of gravity (CG) XYZ
more video experiments then pick your favorites and location using 2 scales.
let me know!
-Use CG X data to calculate how far over an edge the
The message behind all the experiments is "How to robot can drive before it falls.
science to optimize your robot and kick your
friends butts." -Use CG Z data to calculate how high up to apply
force to topple (new weapon idea!)
-Have students keep written notes during
experiments. Real scientists write everything down to -Calculate force of friction of tires using pulley &
keep track of things! hanging mass

-Optimize the code- The standard release code is -Use calculated frictional force data to find the
effective but far from perfect! Ask students to tweak steepest slope the robot can climb.
variables to get the most out of the hardware. Search
more efficiently. Attack more effectively. Stay in the -marker mount conundrum (lesson on 4 leg table
ring with greater reliability. over-constraint)

-Reprogram the bot to stay in calibration ring. (it will -Tire testing- observe effects of different tread
tune differently than if you were working within a large patterns/materials
ring. Because it is small you have to move slower
because the reaction timing gets messed up.) Tape -Search algorithm optimization.
the 8.5"x11" calibration ring to a desk and use it to
-Hooking up a bluetooth module & smart phone
-Measure Tire Frictional Force- Use the "Pulley control or hooking up an IR remote control
Assembly and Weight Hanger" filled with pennies for
weights. Use a small scale to record the mass of the -Molding your own tires using a 3d printed mold &
robot & of the hanging weights to calculate the robots 'Oogoo'. (Future video on this for sure!)

-Use friction data to calculate the maximum slope the .

robot could drive up.
As of this writing I have completed one sumo science
-Measure Effect of vehicle mass on pushing force video, a lesson on friction:
(plot effect of adding mass for increasing pushing
power (prove theory of friction equation)
//www.youtube.com/embed/JAGPEJZuJWw

-Measure Effect of weight distribution- Use the

"Cover- Penny" & "Blade- Penny" to adjust the weight

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 34

Step 13: Guided Discussions

There are also many topics for which these robots offer a good segway for technical discussions. You don't always
have to perform an experiment in order to encourage kids to think about theory of design. Again, consider this a list
of possibilities, if you want to see me do more video experiments then pick your favorites and let me know!

Programming:

a) The best and worst thing about computers is that they do exactly (read 'only') what you tell them. A classic
teaching tool for this is the "make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich" demo, see attached text file.

b) Programming tips:

Syntax is the most frustrating thing for beginners. How could you be expected to know what right?
I've found the easier way to start learning is two fold. 1 to jump into the deep end by editing
someone elses working code.

Why Google is an Arduino programmer's best friend- With Arduino based development the easiest
solution to helping you get unstuck is to simply google it. Search for the error message. Operate
independently.

Don’t Repeat yourself- Ideally you should only ever have to write a specific line of code once. If you
find the need to write a given line multiple times it is best to create a function.

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 35

 Troubleshooting techniques – Adding the buzzer command line where you think you might have
problems. When testing code, write the smallest possible about of code to test individual pieces of
your design. Isolating variables one at a time (divide & conquer) is a classic & essential problem
solving method.

Thinking in Algorithms - Use functions to help keep you from repeating yourself. Avoid impure
functions.
Using version control and why Github is great for keeping track of your program as it progresses.
(Imagine how difficult it would be to keep track of changes if multiple people were trying to work out
of the same text file without recordkeeping.)
Writing good descriptive comments in your code and keeping it neat. Code is organized to help
other humans read it. As long as the syntax is correct a computer doesn’t care if code is written
clearly and computers ignore the spacing. Layout your code so it is easy for other people to break
down and understand your intent.
Pseudo code technique- When creating new code first write it out in plain english of what you want
the robot to do. Then go back and turn that list into programming language.

Engineering & Physics:

-Why was a 9V battery chosen? What are the pro's and cons of alternative choices? -(Hint- Arduino requires 5V+
to operate and the space constraint of the mini-sumo rules is extremely limiting. Also these are designed for kids
so the battery needed to be safe, easy, and accessible. Cost is important but secondary to all that.

-How to draw a free body diagram.

-Differential vs Ackermann steering and the effects of track width and wheelbase on the turning radius of each.

-momentum & energy (why its better to ram an opponent at top speed)

-What are the effects of varying length/wire gage/voltage/temperature on low voltage DC wire systems?

-Effect of varying the wheel diameter on wheel RPM, robot velocity, maximum robot torque, maximum pushing
force.

-Design trade offs and the positing & negative effects of adding mass. (Lower robot mass is better for mobility,
acceleration, energy efficiency, and is less likely to fall over edge. Higher mass is better for beating up other robots
).

-How to maximize your robots traction and minimize your opponents traction.

-Digital vs analog signals (The edge sensors could be wired for either condition, why did I choose to use analog?
Answer: because it gives me more data to work with and an easily programmable way to change the setpoint.)

Download (https://cdn.instructables.com/ORIG/FL6/NKOU/J8F5TQP4/FL6NKOUJ8F5TQP4.txt)
http://www.instructables.com/ORIG/FL6/NKOU/J8F5TQP4/FL6NKOUJ8F5TQP4.txt
…

(https://cdn.instructables.com/ORIG/FL6/NKOU/J8F5TQP4/FL6NKOUJ8F5TQP4.txt)

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 36

Step 14: Further Reading & Final Notes

SimpleSumo doesn’t have an official textbook and arduino hardware, program definitions, & capabilities
you don’t have to buy any books to learn arduino.
There are lots of free resources & videos online. That If you have specific technical questions about the
said, I am frequently asked for book robot please use a public forum such as this
recommendations to accompany these kits. If you instructable, the SimpleSumo Facebook users group,
learn best with a book in hand then these are the go or the relevant product page rather than contacting
to’s: me directly. This will help others benefit from the
conversation as well.
"Robot Sumo: The Official Guide" by Pete Miles -This
book is a great read for a budding mechanical This project was made open source to maximize
engineer. Provides graphs and in depth discussions accessibility and increase the chance that it would
of physics so it has depth but it never gets boring. find its way into eager young hands. Many of the
Single best book on robo-sumo I know of. expansions are offered for sale for a small fee (under
$3) to help me recoup some of the R&D cost of this
"An Introduction to Robot Programming: many months long project. If you want to share your
Programming Sumo Robots" by Eric Ryan Harrison. contributions to the code, documentation, or models
Designed for a competitors hardware kit which does then great! Lets get in touch!
not offer the mechanical customizatiaility of
SimpleSumo, I had to admit that they did a great job In conclusion it should be clear that robotics is a
on their documentation. This book is intended to take multidisciplinary activity that offers kids a fun and
kids from zero to hero in terms of arduino rewarding way to learn about electronics,
programming a sumo robot, albeit not my kit. A good engineering, mechanics, and software development.
resource for a budding computer scientist. It can get Best of all since Arduino is a modern, standardized,
heavy but it is intended for kids. and widely used language, the programming skills
acquired through the use of SimpleSumo robots can
be applied to many other fields.
“Getting Started with Arduino” by Massimo Bonzi.
Recommended for the absolute beginner. A fun and I hope you enjoyed this work, if so please take a
informal introduction to Arduino. second to vote for it in the relevant
Instructables.com contests. Thanks for sticking
“Programming Arduino: Getting Started with with me this far. :)
Sketches” by Simon Monk. Reads like a dictionary so
less entertaining but very thorough resource on

SimpleSumo- Educational Fighting Robots!: Page 37

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