Algor, maker of software for mechanical engineers, has announced that it has provided a software grant to Team JAMS, a participant in a popular BattleBots competition which appears on US television. BattleBots features robots that fight to the death in a hazard-filled arena. The software grant included Algor's Mechanical Event Simulation (MES) software for combined motion and stress analysis and InCAD technology for seamlessly capturing SolidWorks CAD geometry.

"MES will enable me to actually simulate BattleBot destruction scenarios before my design has to compete in the arena," said Michael H. Lewis of Team JAMS. "MES results will be used to optimise the BattleBot to be lighter, stronger and less costly to build."

Lewis and his teammates, Shernisia Lewis and Jasmine Lewis, are no strangers to the BattleBots arena. The team's first robot, 'Mohammed Ali,' competed in BattleBots in May 2002. "It took a long time to design and build 'Mohammed Ali,' which was destroyed in the second fight," said Lewis, who had not previously used simulation tools. "It is difficult to predict how a robot will compete in the arena. Using simulation software like Algor's, I hope to build a more competitive robot."

Algor product manager Bob Williams said, "We are pleased to provide FEA and MES software that Team JAMS can use to save time and effort by ensuring quality designs prior to actual construction. We work closely with all our grant recipients throughout the design cycle to ensure their success with the software." The FEA-based MES software Lewis will be using calculates motion and stresses to simulate motion, contact between parts in an assembly, displacements and stresses. InCAD technology, which Lewis uses with SolidWorks, provides seamless data exchange and full associativity.

For more information contact Algor, editor@algor.com