For the university BattleBots competition, my group created a robot from a 10-inch rubber duck. We programmed an Arduino Zero to receive pin commands from an external remote before sending the signals to the two DC motors to control the speed and direction of the duck. Custom wooden structures were laser cut to hold the motors together before being duct taped to the rubber frame. Finally, a servomotor was directly attached to the remote receiver to tell the robot to swing the hammer.
Internal circuitry of the BattleDuck. Duct tape was used to hold key pieces and minimize damage to the frame.
Initial test of motor placement within duck and control using the remote. Future iterations reduced the sensitivity of turning and stopped the base from dragging on the ground.
Final iteration of BattleDuck including hammer.
BattleDuck after its first win in the competition.