March Update - The Battle Begins

Subject: Exciting 2025 Updates: New Lab Space, Major Orders, and Sponsor Support!

Dear Team and Supporters,

We are excited to share our first update of 2025, packed with incredible progress and developments for our robotics project. From securing a dedicated workspace to receiving generous sponsorships, our team is making significant strides. Read on for all the latest details!

New Lab Space in NERC

We are thrilled to announce that The University of Alabama has officially granted us a workspace in the third-floor lab of NERC (North Engineering Research Center). This lab will serve as our primary location for assembling, testing, and storing our practice arena, as well as housing all the essential supplies and equipment we have acquired. This dedicated space is a major step forward in ensuring we have the resources needed to refine and perfect our robot.

Orders and Acquisitions: Our Materials Are On the Way!

With financial backing secured, we have placed large orders for crucial materials, tools, and electronics. Here’s a breakdown of what we’ve acquired so far:

Arena Construction

• Polycarbonate panels – Providing durable and transparent protective barriers.

• Structural steel – Essential for building a strong, stable practice arena.

  
  

  

  
  

Tools and Storage

• A wide range of tools to aid fabrication and assembly.

• Storage solutions to help us organize materials efficiently.

Electronics for Our Robot & Arena

We are thrilled to have placed orders for nearly all the necessary electronics, including:

• RC remote systems for precise robot control.

• Motors (Thanks to Mikado USA for their generous support!).

• High-performance batteries to power our bot.

• Motor controllers to fine-tune our driving and weapon systems.

Robot Fabrication Materials

We have also used donations from our sponsors to purchase all the essential metals and materials needed for our robot’s construction, including:

• 7075 aluminum sheets – A lightweight, high-strength material ideal for structural components.

• UHMW (Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) – Used for ablative armor to absorb high-impact hits.

• Titanium from TMS Titanium – A critical component for creating a strong yet lightweight robot.

New Sponsors & Their Contributions

We are incredibly grateful for the generous support we have received from our sponsors. Their contributions have played an integral role in allowing us to acquire the materials and equipment necessary for success.

Here’s a look at our growing list of sponsors and their invaluable contributions:

• Kratos Defense – Provided a sizeable financial donation to support our efforts.

• Altec – Another major financial donor helping us fund essential purchases.

• Ford Steel – Donated over 700 lbs of Wear Alloy Steel, a crucial material for our weapon system.

  
  

  

  
  

• Alabama Power – Donated a variety of safety items and tools to ensure safe fabrication and assembly.

  
  

  

  
  

• Mikado USA – As the sole distributor of Scorpion products in the U.S., they offered us a significant discount on motors, helping us build an efficient and powerful robot.

• TMS Titanium – Provided a generous discount on titanium products, allowing us to build a stronger and lighter robot.

• Nucor Tuscaloosa – Donated safety gear, steel plates for the arena, and is assisting us in cutting Wear Alloy 500 steel for our weapon.

• Polymershapes – Offered a substantial discount on polycarbonate panels to help us construct a safe and durable testing arena.

• Gas and Supply – Ensuring we have all necessary welding supplies to safely and securely assemble our arena.

Looking Ahead

With our lab space secured, materials ordered, and support from sponsors, we are now focused on assembling our arena and finalizing our robot’s design. Over the coming weeks, our team will be hard at work fabricating components, integrating electronics, and testing our systems to ensure we’re fully prepared for upcoming competitions.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue making progress! If you have any questions or would like to get involved, please reach out.

Thank you to everyone—our team members, sponsors, and supporters—who have made this progress possible. 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year, and we can't wait to see what we accomplish together!

Best regards,

The Crimson Combat Robotics Team