The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Joshua Clay’s newer RC Nerf robot swaps its predecessor’s wheeled base for tank tracks, but its most striking detail is the launcher: Hackaday reported that testing left welts through a sweatshirt. There is no published muzzle-velocity or impact-energy measurement, so the account is a warning from hands-on testing—not a quantified comparison with a standard Nerf blaster.
What is the Nerf RC tank that leaves welts?
It is the tracked successor to maker Joshua Clay’s earlier Nerfbot. In a report published February 27, 2026, Hackaday’s Donald Papp described a smaller, tighter robot built around an off-the-shelf tank-track platform instead of the first version’s wheeled base. The project combines remote-controlled mobility with a dart launcher carried on a pan-and-tilt mechanism. Hackaday’s report says the launcher hit hard enough during testing to leave welts through a sweatshirt.
That description does not establish how the robot compares quantitatively with a retail Nerf blaster. The report gives no measured muzzle velocity, impact energy, range, injury rate, or formal safety-test result. Clay wrote in a comment on February 28 that he was careful not to shoot at people and was working on ways to reduce the impact toward that of a traditional Nerf gun.
How does Joshua Clay’s Nerf dart robot work?
Tracked mobility and remote control
An inexpensive, off-the-shelf tank-track base provides movement without requiring Clay to design custom treads. An RP2040 runs the robot, and a PlayStation 4 controller connects over Bluetooth for driving and firing control.
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Flywheel dart launcher
The launcher uses two flywheels to grip and propel darts from a high-capacity magazine. Hackaday describes it as loud and notes that the camera barely registers the darts as they leave the barrel. The report does not give an exact magazine capacity or identify a measured firing speed.
Modular construction
The build uses glue-free, LEGO-inspired assembly so components and wiring remain accessible. The battery and the gears for the launcher’s pan-and-tilt movement can be reached for maintenance and iteration—useful when a design needs adjustment, including changes intended to soften its impact.
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- [2.4Ghz Remote Control Tank] 2.4Ghz high frequency make it longer control distance rage, good anti-jamming capacity and auto pairing. It can support several people to play the tank together at the same time without any interference. The remote control distance is about 50 meters
- [360°rotating & 30°Climbing] Designed with 130 motors for left and right drive, 290 motors for front and rear drive, 360°rotation and 30°climbing angle, powerful motor and track crawler design make it easy to conquer all terrains
- [2 Rechargeable Batteries] This RC tank crawler comes with 2 pack 7.4V 500mAh rechargeable batteries, 3 hour charging time can support about 20 minute playing, 2 batteries can last 40 minutes and it double your fun. Note: 2 * AA batteries are needed for remote, it is not included
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What is known—and not known—about its impact?
The specific evidence for the welts is Hackaday’s account of Clay’s first-hand testing: darts left welts through a sweatshirt. It is a real caution, but it is not a controlled safety assessment. The report does not state the dart type, distance, test conditions, number of shots, or a numerical velocity or energy result. Without those details, readers cannot use the anecdote to calculate risk or make a like-for-like performance comparison.
Clay’s comment the following day said he was careful not to shoot at people and was working out ways to ease the impact closer to that of a traditional Nerf gun. The report does not specify what changes he planned or whether they were completed. Until the output is reduced and assessed, the welts account is reason to treat the launcher as potentially more forceful than expected—not as a toy demonstrated to be safe for people.
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What parts and build details are documented?
| Build element | What the report establishes |
|---|---|
| Mobility | Off-the-shelf tracked tank platform; exact retail model not stated. |
| Controller | RP2040 runs the robot; a PlayStation 4 controller pairs over Bluetooth. |
| Launcher | Two flywheels propel darts from a high-capacity magazine; exact capacity and dart model not stated. |
| Assembly and service access | Glue-free, LEGO-inspired modular design; battery and pan-and-tilt launcher gears are accessible. |
| Impact measurements | No muzzle velocity, impact energy, range, injury rate, or formal safety-test result stated. |
These are the components and design characteristics identified in the report, not a complete bill of materials. It does not name exact retail models for the tracked base or other components.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What should be changed to reduce the impact?
Clay’s stated aim was to ease the impact toward that of a traditional Nerf blaster, but the report does not document a finished modification or validated target output. Any reduction should be verified through controlled testing rather than inferred from a single subjective comparison. Because the published account reports welts and supplies no formal safety data, avoid firing at people while the launcher’s output remains uncertain.
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