If the Nemesis animation appears slow and stuttered try using a different web browser. Or simply ignore it.
To build an antweight-class robot was an idea from co-creator Christopher Gaskill, from something he read in a robotics magazine. So he and I discussed the idea and we dreamt up some concepts for robots. One idea, dubbed 'Buggsaw', involved a rounded shell armed with two adjacent circular saws that worked in opposite directions, to 'chew up' the enemy and reverse both saws to 'spit it out'. Another design was a wedge, with a chisel-like flipper extending down the front, that was suitably named 'Erazer', as the idea was based around a toy of the world famous Robot Wars championship-winning 'Razer'. But the design we chose was an unflippable two-wheeled robot armed with one circular saw. It was named 'Nemesis', and had become the most heavily developed idea out of those mentioned.
The next thing to do, obviously, was to research the components we needed and find out what they cost. We were somewhat alarmed that we would need to raise around £80 for all the electronics. We were stuck there, until we started collecting sponsorship from our school teachers. They agreed to help to fund us, enabling us to buy the parts we need for what is to be the most ambitious technological project I ever began.
The developement to follow that was to build a cardboard model, full scale, to give us a good idea of how much space we have to work with and give other, less imaginative people a real idea of what we are building. Even less imaginitive people still believe we are entering the cardboard model into a heavyweight Robot Wars Series, which amazed me completely.
The next thing we did was go around convincing sponsors that our project would be a winner, demonstrating the cardboard model. Once they decided to fund the operation, we bought all the equipment we needed to build a robot that moved around. See the DESIGN page for a picture.
Sadly, our project proposal has failed standards expected of a DT coursework project. But don't worry! We will continue in our own time. The Nemesis project will produce a robot, by hook or by crook.
Thus ends our progress so far. Watch this space for more information, photographs of the cardboard prototype, and later, a game to download, starring the hero of this website!! That's all folks!
Nicholas Heathfield