Combat Robot

Robot Combat is a hobby in which two or more radio-controlled machines use varied methods of destroying or disabling the other robot. The machines are referred to as robots, but most are not actually robots by the strictest definition of the word, because they are not autonomous.

Robot Combat enjoyed a period in the public eye when several television shows broadcast the robot fights. The most well-known of these shows were Battlebots, Robot Wars, and Robotica. Combat robots have received mention in the press and entertainment shows from time to time as well.

The construction and competition of combat robots is a hobby for all but a select few builders. Robots builders may be middle-aged engineers, or enthusiastic teenagers. Robot building can teach young people a great deal about technology, and some schools use the construction of combat robots in their courses.

Robots come in all shapes and sizes, but there are certain defining lines that robots rarely stray across, thanks to official rules and practicality. The standard by which all combat robots are measured is weight; the everyday dilemma of the robot builder is to cram as much power into as little weight as possible. Robots can be as small as the 75 gram 'Fleaweight' class, and as large as the 340-pound 'Super Heavyweight' class. The common US weightclasses are as follows:

• 75g- Fleaweight
• 150g- Fairyweight
• 1 pound- Antweight
• 3 pound- Beetleweight
• 12 pound- Hobbyweight
• 30 pound (14 kg) Featherweight
• 60 pound (27 kg) Lightweight
• 120 pound (54 kg) - Middleweight
• 220 pound (100 kg) - Heavyweight
• 340 pound (154 kg) Super Heavyweight

There are some international variations in weight class - for example, UK robot builders define the Antweight class limit as 150g and the Featherweight class limit as 12kg (26 pounds).

Weight is a precious asset for robot builders. For the sake of diversity of design, the rules often give an extra weight allotment for robots that can walk, rather than roll on wheels. Such robots are more difficult to construct and their drive mechanisms are heavier. Some builders opt to build walking robots, taking advantage of the extra weight to add more powerful weaponry at the expense of greater complexity and fragility.

Given the violent nature of robot fighting, safety is always the most important issue at robot events. Robot fights take place in a sturdy arena, usually constructed of steel, wood, and bulletproof clear Lexan plastic. The size of the arena varies by the weightclass of the robots that are fighting in it. Some large competitions that entertain many different weightclasses have more than one arena, as 1 pound antweights don't need 50 foot (15 m) wide arenas in which to fight, but 220 pound heavyweights do. Plus, tiny robots look awfully out of place and are hard to see in a giant arena. Having multiple arenas allows the event to progress more quickly.

Competition rules set limits on construction features...