Paydar is an attempt to maximize speed and maneuverability for robotic combat. Paydar was first designed over the course of a semester by a 13-student senior design group, and then manufactured over a semester with the help of several sponsors with the latest manufacturing technology. Speed comes from a Permanent Magnet DC Lynch motor that develops 15 horsepower from 300 amps at 48 volts. The maneuverability comes from two design elements, both unique to Paydar.

First, Paydar has differential motion. Most robots have “tank” style steering where they can go forwards, backwards, or turn about their own center, but combinations of straight line motion with steering are unpredictable and unstable. Paydar can turn circles and arcs of any radius exactly as a car because a differential regulates power to the drive wheels.

Secondly, Paydar’s steering wheel has intelligent control. As the wheel is turned, sensors track its position. Move the control wheel to its extreme position, the wheel will move quickly to its tightest turn radius and stop. Let go of the control wheel, the steering wheel automatically moves itself back for straight line driving. Paydar also has proportional steering, so the steering angle can be precisely controlled with small increments of the control wheel, or make quick turns with quick movements of the control wheel.

For his first competion, Paydar’s weapon was his ability to hit someone else at enormous speed, and absorb the impact into his frame. The thinking was that our maneuverability allowed us to hit an opponent’s weakest area with our strongest area. A senior design team is now developing a new active weapons system for Paydar to make us a little more competitive and exciting.