Just 'Cuz Robotics
SSP Combat Robot Kit
SSP Combat Robot Kit
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SSP Lifter Kit: The Most Upgradable Beetleweight Robot Kit
As Seen on TV! See an SSP Kit on the Today Show!
If you are looking for the best way to get into the sport of combat robotics, you came to the right place! The SSP Kit is designed by Seth Schaffer of Team Just ‘Cuz Robotics - also known for competing alongside Bloodsport on the TV show Battlebots! SSP is a durable and modular self-assembled robot kit, designed with repairability and upgradability in mind from the start. Watch SSP compete at NHRL here. The latest assembly guide is available here.
The SSP Kit is designed to be super easy to change and upgrade, or even add your own cool weapons in the future! Want to see what others are doing to their SSP Kits? Check out this mod gallery!
Note: Kits may take up to 2 weeks to ship! Please ignore the estimated delivery date at checkout.
What is Included in the SSP Kit?
Every SSP Kit option will come with all the parts and materials needed to build the robot itself including 1 battery* and FS2A receiver. You will need to purchase your own radio transmitter, battery charger, soldering equipment, plus a few tools. See recommendations below!
NOTE: SSP decals will not be included with the kit, there may be stickers included but you will need to decorate your bot to make it look different from any others!
Want to know literally every little component in the kit? Take a look for yourself! The entire list of included parts can be found here.
See how SSP performs in Competitions! Click any of the video links above.
Options
SSP Lifter Kit
There are currently 4 options available:
- Base Kit (Includes both fixed and hinged 0.375” thick AR500 front fork configs)
- Base Kit, Soldered
- Base Kit + Wedge
- Base Kit + Wedge, Soldered
The wedge configurations will include an AR500 wedge, 3D-printed TPU wedge mounts, a 3D-printed TPU servo arm, plus the whole Base Kit with both fork configurations.
Soldered kits will have the Motherboard fully assembled with an FS2A receiver, and all other soldering needed will be completed before the kit is shipped to you. If you want to solder the kit together yourself, it should only take an additional 20-30 minutes if you have the appropriate equipment and skill.
Specs
What are the Specs and Details?
- Chassis: Super durable single-piece UHMW billet (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene), machined to precise tolerances
- Drive Motors: dual DartBox Dragon drive motors for nearly unmatched pushing power and reliability
- Drive ESC: Powerful WEKA 20A dual brushed ESC with built-in drive mixing, with battle-tested reliability and no programming necessary
- Battery: 3S (3 cells, 11.1V) 550mAh LiPo (lithium-polymer) battery for over 9 minutes of aggressive driving capacity
- Arm Servo: Just 'Cuz 32kg-cm servo for high-torque positional arm control
- Wiring: Just 'Cuz Robotics Motherboard for simplified wiring and reduced assembly errors. The Motherboard houses the power distribution, switch, LED, dual voltage BECs, and more in one small package!
- Receiver: FS2A 2.4GHz receiver (AFHDS-2A protocol) for reliable wireless control (possible to swap for other receivers with non-soldered kits)
- Wheels: Cast urethane rubber wheels on 3D-printed TPU hubs for maximum traction and durability, Shore 40A hardness
- Weight: Fully assembled weight of approximately 2.3 pounds with fixed forks, leaving about 11oz for customization!
- Claw forks add ~0.08 lbs, wedge config adds ~0.3 pounds
- CAD Files: available for all components for easy modifications
Both 2X Fixed Forks (left) or Barbed Forks (not pictured) and 2X Hinged “Claw” Forks (right) are included in the Base Kit and Base + Wedge Kit, along with 4X TPU fork mounts.
Who is the SSP Kit for?
SSP is designed for ultimate serviceability and ease of assembly even for a first-time builder. The tools you will need are minimal, although a soldering iron and some soldering skills are required (soldered kits will avoid this) so adult supervision may be needed for children under 13 years old. Anything else in the kit can be assembled by almost anybody who can hold a screwdriver. Even 10 and 11-year-olds have had success driving these kits at competitions all over the world.
What You Need
What else do I need?
You will need a few tools, an RC radio/transmitter, and a battery charger.
You don't need a lot of tools to make this kit work for you and may even have all of these lying around. There are also cordless driver sets that come with 80% of what you need. The full list includes:
- 2mm hex L key/allen wrench (included)
- 3/32 hex wrench (T handle included, as power switch key)
- 4mm L key/allen wrench (included)
- Torx Plus T10 bit/driver
- Torx Plus T15 bit/driver
- Soldering iron/solder
- Needle nose pliers
- Radio Transmitter
- LiPo Charger
- Charger XT30 Adapter (Can solder yourself, or buy here)
- Blue Loctite (242 or 243 is highly recommended)
- Insulating Electrical Tape (Recommended: Heat Shrink + Heat Gun or Lighter)
- Hot Glue Gun (highly recommended)
- Cordless drill/driver with clutch (highly recommended but optional)
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FS-i6 (top) and Radiomaster Zorro 4-in-1 (Bottom) The cheapest option that works well is the tried and true FS-i6 transmitter, often available for around $50 USD on Amazon. A much higher quality and more fully featured option is the Radiomaster Zorro 4-in-1. This TX has better build quality and a gamepad-like feel. |
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Radio Transmitters
There are a ton of radio options compatible with the FS2A receiver in this kit. The cheapest option that works well is the tried and true FS-i6 transmitter, often available for around $50 USD on Amazon. A nicer option for those looking for advanced programming features, or who just want to buy something really nice off the bat to avoid upgrading later, is the Radiomaster Zorro 4-in-1. This radio has a multiprotocol module allowing it to work with almost any brand receiver, recharges over USB-C rather than eating AA batteries, and has a ton of cool features and a game controller-like feel. Seth has personally used and likes both of these options. Any other radio with a multiprotocol module will work just as well, as will any modern FlySky radio that works with the AFHDS-2A protocol.
Standard 4 Button Balance Charger examples - get one with an XT30 Connector on the connector squid or you’ll have to make your own!
LiPo Chargers
DO NOT cheap out with a lipo charger! An improperly charged and handled battery can lead to a battery fire fast, one that cannot be put out with water and is difficult to fight! Definitely get a LiPo Balance Charger, which there are a million versions of in prices from $30 to $100+. Generally, the difference is just in features and power, but any $30 charger should be easily able to charge this small battery safely. Many different versions of the “standard 4-button charger” work pretty much the same.
Proper LiPo Balance Chargers will let you dial in an exact charge current to prolong the life of your battery. You should select 0.5 amps when charging at home, and up to 0.8 amps if you need a speedy recharge at an event. Like with a radio, a good charger will last through many robots into the future! We personally use the HTRC dual lipo charger. There is also a cheaper single battery version.
CAD (3D Model)
How are you releasing the CAD Design?
Like this! Click here to view or download the full SSP robot CAD.
And find the Wedge/Anti Horizontal Arm CAD here.
Just ‘Cuz Robotics fully embraces the Right To Repair. For a Combat Robot which needs repairs regularly, it’s only right to allow customers to make repairs and source the parts they need. Obviously, releasing these design files and the full list of materials opens the possibility of people just making their own parts rather than purchasing from here directly. As the first-party provider for a large number of components of this kit, we want to do our best to keep spare parts available in the future. Anyone can feel free to 3D print/laser cut/machine their own printed replacement parts from these designs, or modified versions thereof, as long as they do not sell them for profit without permission. We also have to rely on good faith and this license:
SSP Kit and CAD Design © 2023 by Just 'Cuz Robotics, LLC is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Safety + FAQ
FAQ
Where to buy Spare Parts?
All currently available spares can be purchased here. The plan is to sell any spare parts that are not readily available off the shelf, but some common parts might need to be purchased elsewhere.
What does SSP weigh without the servo/lifting arm?
The servo, lifting arm, lifting forks, and associated hardware together are around 0.37 pounds meaning the base kit without them will be about 2 pounds. That means a full pound to add your own alternative weapon system!
Safety Disclaimer
Warning: combat robots are not toys! They can be extremely dangerous. Click here for a safety video.
The SSP Kit is relatively safe, although it should be obvious that the servo is pretty powerful and care should be taken to avoid fingers getting stuck in pinch points when the bot is active. But if modified with a spinning weapon, it will be just as dangerous as any other spinner. Testing a robot with an active spinning weapon should never be done while maintaining a line of sight with the robot. Ideally, you should be testing inside an enclosed box or arena with at least 1/4" thick polycarbonate windows or top to see through, and 1/2” or thicker plywood or MDF construction. Operation (Including testing) outside of a suitable arena or test box could cause serious injury. By purchasing this product you acknowledge that you are responsible for the safe use of this product and that Just ‘Cuz Robotics or its employees are not liable for any injuries or damages.
Shipping
Domestic
Due to the complexity involved in packing a kit and shipping with a lithium battery, not all shipping options are available. The vast majority of kits will ship with USPS Ground Advantage which is a 2-5 business day shipping service at an affordable price. UPS Ground is also an option
International Shipping
Shipping is available to almost every country, just add the kit to your cart to view options and pricing!
If you order a kit along with at most 1 additional battery it's possible your kit will ship via UPS Air or UPS Standard, but generally, DHL will be much more reliable. >2 batteries cannot be UPS Air shipped so please do not add more than 1 additional battery to your SSP order.
If you are in Canada, UPS charges $100 or so brokerage fees upon receipt so I removed this option. USPS with no battery can be an option. DHL is likely your best bet with a battery.
My 6 year old daughter was able to assemble this besides the soldering herself. Works great and we are looking forward to her running this in an event.
This kit was the first kit that I got as a beginner builder, and the kit could not have been more simple. The Instruction video and doc was very helpful for understanding how each part gets put together, and covered all outside setup steps that a beginner builder like me would not have known to set up. Overall a very solid kit.
Took about an hour to an hour and a half to build. Instructions were clear and easy (caveat that I've used the motherboard before so I had a head start on soldering etc. for it) and the bot is much faster than I expected! Weka ESC is a nice step up from the old brushless desc. Easy mixing setup and it's tiny. I mostly wanted a simple bot to beat up on with some home designs and the SSP looks to be a small brick of fury.
Held off on reviewing my SSP kit until I had fought it at a competition. On its debut it went 2-2 and narrowly missing out on advancing to the next round due to finishing 9th place.
I have had to adapt the robot to fit UK beetle rules by adding a removable link and adding an LED light. Being about 200g lighter than most UK beetle weights I was worried about being pushed around and smashed to pieces by bigger weapon bars. The kit held up strong and survived many big impacts and no parts were damaged or needed changing after the event. It was fast and had great pushing power as well.
The only criticism I have is the servo is slow and could do with maybe longer forks as I felt robots kept falling off the end of the forks when it lifted and didn’t flip them over.
Looking forward to my next event and further updates to the bot.
I bought an SSP to learn how to build a robot, and it certainly delivered. Every part needed, and detailed instructions on how to assemble it (with videos as well). Very satisfied, and would definitely recommend for anyone else who is looking to get started in combat robotics but don't know how to start.
