About Black Panther
I built Black Panther in fall 2025 as my introduction to combat robotics. It competed alongside Pink Panther, a wedge bot designed by my teammate to control and defend. In the 1 lb class, entering two robots earned a 0.5 lb bonus that we had to split between them. That left Black Panther at 0.75 lb, competing against full-weight robots.
The two robots made an effective duo and made for a fun competition.
Designing for the weight limit
I designed the entire robot in CAD and 3D printed most of its components from TPU and PLA+. The weapon is laser-cut AR500 steel. Its two blades form a dual-blade design I call a “drisk.”
The biggest challenge was cutting weight. I revised the design several times to bring the mass down, eventually replacing metal mainstays with lighter TPU parts.
A strong first showing
Black Panther won three of its five fights and placed sixth in a competition with more than 20 entries. It came through the fights with minimal damage, especially considering the full-weight robots it faced.
Design & Build
More design iterations, assembly, and competition photos.
