Page 42 - Build Your Own Combat Robot

First Chapter 2: Getting Started 23
ike I said in Person can compete, such as robot that is both safe and exciting
Chapter 1, I got BattleBots, Robotica, to see in action.
Lstarted in robot or Robot Wars. If you’re going to build a bot, let
combat for the fun. When I came The sport has changed a lot in it be your love of the sport—not a
on board, there was no TV coverage five years. Because robot combat desire for glory or fame—that
or anything fancy. Tickets were has gotten more commercial, the brings you into the arena. People
sold locally, and it was promoted standards by which entries are thinking of getting into this with
through grass-roots efforts. A judged have gotten far more visions of becoming “The Rock” of
friend and I happened to learn stringent. When I first competed, BattleBots had better check their
about it via the Internet and were the rule book was maybe five to servos at the door. Chances are
two of only a handful of people seven pages of safety tips. Now, your first entry will die a quick,
who came to the competition from the rule book for competing in any smoldering death, so keep your
outside California. of the major contests is 60 pages ego in line. As long as you’re there
Back in those early days, of dos and don’ts, plus another for the joy of the game, you will
getting people involved was a 50 pages of technical specifications have as much fun bashing,
challenge because everything was that competing bots must adhere smashing, and chopping your
so new and no one was really sure to. It isn’t just a game anymore. It opponents into miniscule metallic
how to promote the idea. Now, of has become serious business for the bits as I did!
course, there are lots of popular people involved, and the promoters —Ronni Katz
organizations where robot builders expect those who enter to bring a
T he Robot Design Approach

The first step in designing a new bot is deciding which contest the bot will be built
for and getting a copy of that contest’s current rules and regulations. The rules
outline the weight and size limits for each weight class, as mentioned in Chapter 1,
and list weapon types that are allowed and not allowed. They also list safety re-
quirements, electrical requirements and restrictions, and radio control restrictions.
Read and understand the rules thoroughly. This will set the initial physical con-
straints in your bot’s design.
If you’re designing a robot for multiple contests, you should obtain sets of rules for
all of them and make a list of all the common rules and non-common rules. When
you have this information put together, you’ll be able to create a list of the most re-
strictive rules for each of the contests, which will help you guide your overall bot
design. Building a bot to the most restrictive rules will allow your machine to be
entered into each contest without significant modifications.