Page 35 - Build Your Own Combat Robot

Build Your Own Combat Robot
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Robot Soccer
Probably the most difficult robot sport is Robot Soccer. This is an autonomous
game where a team of bots works together to score goals against another team of
bots. The rules of the game are similar to those in actual soccer games. Bots use ad-
vanced vision systems to track the soccer ball, monitor the location of the oppos-
ing team’s bots, and know where their own teammates are. All of the bots play
their positions just as human players do. There is a lot of cross-communication be-
tween all of the bots playing. This contest is usually performed by university stu-
dents developing algorithms for artificial intelligence. We reference this contest
because a lot of the technologies being developed for Robot Soccer players may
soon migrate down to combat robots. At some point in the future, there may even
be autonomous soccer teams in popular competitions like BattleBot.
More information on Robot Soccer can be found at www.robocup.org.
Before you start building a bot for a particular contest, you should get a copy of
that contest’s current rules and regulations. You can usually find this information
on the organization’s official Web site. Keep in mind that some of these competi-
tions have long and complex regulations for builders to follow, and the rules do
change from time to time because the contests are evolving into a mature sport. You
need to be very familiar with the robot specifications and safety requirements for
the contest you have in mind, as they’ll have a significant effect on your bot’s design.

First
he sport of Person death from a chain on overcooked batteries, fried wires,
robotic combat the ceiling. Lexan walls and oil filled the air.
Thas been called separated the audience It was heaven.
“American Gladiators for people from the inevitable flying shrapnel It was also my robot Spike’s
with brains” and the “sport of the and sparks. The floor of the arena first time competing as a
future.” However, back when I first was so dented, dinged, and pitted lightweight. We came in third, but
signed on board with my armored by the last day that you were sorry where we wound up didn’t matter.
harbinger of destruction, it was just your robot wasn’t equipped with Just being a part of the action was
a small bunch of guys getting off-road capabilities. thrilling enough. If you needed a
together in San Francisco’s Fort Someone was nice enough to screwdriver or blew a gasket,
Mason Center for what could only set up a primitive closed-circuit TV someone was there with a spare to
be described as Rockem’ Sockem’ so that we in the backstage “pit” help you get your bot back into the
Robots for grownups. area could see what was happening fray. When our Tekin speed control
The crowd was small but in the arena and know when we turned into a smoking slagpile, we
enthusiastic. The hazards in the should get on-deck for our matches. got a loaner from the guy we were
arena were walls that pushed in While we toiled away on our bots, going to be up against in the next
and out, some spinning blades our spot in the pit was so close to match. In the pit, we were all on
that popped up whenever the guy the action that we could almost the same team, working toward a
running them was alert enough to watch the battles if we stood on common goal. However, once our
press the lever, and a large metal our chairs. The sound of saws bot was in the arena, all bets were
ball looming from on high that grinding metal and the smell of off, and it was mano a mano: let
swung like a giant pendulum of the best-made machine win.