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Potential Canberra Event - ANU, February 2015
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Valen
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Joined: 07 Jul 2004
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I figured you could run a beetle event in place of a feather event perhaps rather than as well as. It might be worth talking to your students about it. Keep in mind that everybody wants to do the big scissorhands as their first bot and most wind up making an overweight wedge that drives poorly ;->

(heck even some of us "experienced" builders have issues when they try to make a wedge *cough* shifty look ahem lol http://www.robowars.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1931)

It normally takes a few goes around to have a successful bot, its the edges that get you. Like the bearings crapping themselves in shredder and the frame bending, I mean who would have thought that. When I have some more roundtoits I'll make Shredder 2 that'll be a clamshell design with upper and lower bearings and pillars tying the two together. But Shredder 1 let me know that my biggest fear,the ring going out of round isn't an issue.

Sportsmans are interesting, the class was created so that beginners could get a few rounds out of their robots without them getting destroyed by the scary spinners.
They may be more appealing to the eng students as there is more scope for engineering with 4 bar linkages, penumatics and all sorts of other fun stuff rather than who can put the biggest spinny thing into the smallest weight class. If you are feeling adventurous take a look at razor from the UK. A sportsman arena would also be much simpler to build, I wonder if for the sportsman class it could be done with just a floor and bumpers then mandating safety glasses (and perhaps hearing protection). Perhaps a net if people are using CO2.
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Post Tue Sep 30, 2014 1:27 pm 
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Jaemus
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^ Having said all that, and while its all true, if you want to go ahead and build a feather arena capable of holding full-KE feather events in, and then hold an event that you're going to publicise, please go ahead and do that, because that is awesome and may result in more builders, which Robowars definitely needs Smile

and yes, only full-KE feathers have that in-your-face crowd pleasing child-terrifiying effect that is best for publicity

Jake, build a proper non-wedge featherweight pls Razz
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Post Tue Sep 30, 2014 2:53 pm 
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Valen
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+1 to what Jaemus said too
I didn't mean to come off sounding really negative, if you guys can make a feather arena and get competitors into it we'll be happy to head down and break them ;->
(n.b. that was trash talk)

I guess what I was really suggesting was,
Plan on iteration, you really want to have a few "private" events before you try for a public one or perhaps even a major comp.
Bots benefit greatly from rapid development and testing.
Consider the other weight classes, they could net more competitors with a lower barrier to entry.
Sportsman isn't a bad compromise in terms of long lasting matches without the kinetic death ;->.
Building the bot over the course of the year then expecting it to work for a full day at the end is going to be disappointing.


Jaemus, you really want to see a feather scale shredder?
(one that hopefully doesn't bend the snot of itself on the third hit)
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Post Tue Sep 30, 2014 3:36 pm 
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Thomas AIC



Joined: 22 Jun 2009
Posts: 151
Location: Canberra


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Thanks for the wisdom guys - I am taking it all to heart.

Basically, I want to approach those whom I need to approach with the grandest plan, see what they say in terms of insurance and other technical considerations, and if it becomes better to roll it back to a smaller event (spectator-wise and weight class-wise) then that call will be made when the information is at hand.

I understand more than a complete newcomer, but I'll make it clear that I do not expect myself or the student teams to win any competition that may occur. However with the experience and knowledge that may be offered to them as guidance, I don't think it is likely that students will become disenchanted after an early loss. So don't worry about anyone getting peeved when they lose to you 'professionals' Wink

Certainly there will be some informal sparring before the event, think the movie "Dodgeball" in terms of getting the student's bots ready: "If you can dodge a car, you can dodge a full body spinner" Laughing

Post Tue Sep 30, 2014 7:00 pm 
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Jaemus
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quote:
Originally posted by Valen:
Jaemus, you really want to see a feather scale shredder?
(one that hopefully doesn't bend the snot of itself on the third hit)


ABSOLUTELY i do!

Sounds like you have your head around it Thomas, keep us posted Smile
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<Patrician|Away> what does your robot do, sam
<bovril> it collects data about the surrounding environment, then discards it and drives into walls

Post Fri Oct 03, 2014 10:28 am 
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marto
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Would you guys like to organise a Canberra meet up for November/December. I will see if I am around and Nick and few of the other NSW guys might come down.

Steve
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Post Tue Oct 07, 2014 7:51 pm 
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Thomas AIC



Joined: 22 Jun 2009
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Location: Canberra


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November is exams and everyone leaves Canberra once uni holidays start in December. I'm doing research over the summer but I will certainly come to anything that's organised in NSW that doesn't directly clash with assessments. (Makes more sense for me/a couple others to come up to NSW) It's difficult to arrange a workshop type thing at this time of year. The people really interested in building have most of the practical skills already thankfully, it's just a matter of teaching them the shortcuts and trade secrets. (though expect to see one robot literally made of money - these international students, man... Where does it all come from!?). Basically once the event is granted funding and support from ANUSA (ANU Student Association) I will try and hook each team up with a mentor for sustained communication and advice, then let them lose on the forums. (If I just sent them here now I'm sure you guys would tear them to shreds Wink)

How many robots were at nationals? I think we can get at least four bots together at our end, so we're probably at 10 bots now including interest on this thread. I'm at uni for plenty more years, so as long as there is interest from the university community we can ramp up the competitor end of things next time with workshops and stuff, but really for the first time running the event I want to limit it to competitors who can "take care of themselves" and not cry when Demon et. al. rips their drill motor through their wheel-hole.

I remember there being an ELO rating list à la chess for the robots somewhere, I thought that was pretty cool, is that still a thing?

Post Wed Oct 08, 2014 2:02 am 
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Thomas AIC



Joined: 22 Jun 2009
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Location: Canberra


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Happy Days!

We've got personal support from the president of ANUSA, which means the event will have their support, with exact funding arrangements to be determined. Here is my plan.

The event will be running over two days. First day will be the whole day, in the outdoor amphitheater in the university centre, lots of thoroughfare, however noise could be an issue (Please tell me what you think!). The second day we will open up the pits as a showroom (after we've made sure they're safe), you guys don't all need to be there, we can rope off your stuff so people don't touch it, however I would like people to take shifts talking about / showing off their robots and stuff over the course of the day. We may have some demonstration bots for people to drive around in the empty arena. Then that evening we will have the finals and rumble. This will be a ticketed event. I am hoping the publicity of the first day and open pits of the second day will sell tickets. They will probably only be $5.

I am looking to present Robowars in a glamorous way. There will be no entry fee for you guys, but I am going to go to lengths to shorten waits in-between fights and make the event as entertaining as possible for spectators so I will ask for full co-operation throughout. To this end, I am probably going to skew the first day match-ups to prevent wedge-wedge contests and I'd want people to be nice to students in the second day.

I am rustling up robots, I want 16 at the event. If this event doesn't go too well, we won't be offered support next time, so it's in everyone's best interest to pull together. I want to do this every year I am at the university! Very Happy

I would like to meet up with some of you guys in Sydney to discuss plans, you guys are the experts. I will be in Sydney on the 24th,25th,26th of October. I would prefer a lunchtime meetup.

Date is still to be determined, but definitely in February on a Friday and Saturday.

Post Mon Oct 13, 2014 8:43 pm 
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marto
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Friday will be a problem for most people who work.

I am not sure about how many entries you want from locals/students but you will only get about 50% who say they will build a robot actually attending and then maybe 50% of those will be functional past the first round.

This may make it difficult to acheive the 16 robots you want. Not impossible but difficult.

Not to be too negative but speaking from experience.
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Post Mon Oct 13, 2014 9:04 pm 
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Thomas AIC



Joined: 22 Jun 2009
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Location: Canberra


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I know that Friday is potentially an issue, but in terms of getting students to watch, Friday is infinitely better as they will be in and around uni (particularly if we get an Orientation Week spot). After one more reply from ANUSA everything will be confirmed and people can hopefully give their employers notice if they want to come down. Saturday will work for ticketed finals, but the university really dies on weekends.

I'm pretty confident in the three student bots being ready, simply because the level of s**t-talking has been way too high for anyone to back now. Laughing

But you're right Marto, it is optimistic.

Post Mon Oct 13, 2014 9:14 pm 
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Glen
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Would love to be a part of whatever you end up organising Smile Can bring my pair of proper featherweights and that full pressure flipper sportsman is ready to go back together if you plan on doing two classes. As long as i don't draw Nick again in the first round i reckon they will be pretty reliable Laughing

Friday event probably isnt the end of the world for the NSW guys but would need to know decently well in advance to get time off of work.
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Post Mon Oct 13, 2014 9:15 pm 
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Thomas AIC



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Great Glen! Though I'm going to have to counsel some very sad students if they face demon in the first round... Laughing

Post Mon Oct 13, 2014 9:23 pm 
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dyrodium
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I can see the logic behind wanting Friday, but from the perspective of someone who works full time - I already have negative 12 days of leave, and Friday means missing Thursday - instead of being able to fly down Friday arvo, and back Sunday night. It doesn't sound like much - but it stopped me from attending ipswich (also the $1200 flights)... It sounds lame, and it is... a public holiday would be handy, but not sure if the uni would be open. Razz
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Post Mon Oct 13, 2014 9:32 pm 
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Jaemus
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I'm with Angus, I dont even have to fly down but I'm already out of annual leave so Friday will make it hard
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<Patrician|Away> what does your robot do, sam
<bovril> it collects data about the surrounding environment, then discards it and drives into walls

Post Tue Oct 14, 2014 9:59 am 
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Nick
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How about a Friday afternoon starting time? It doesn't take long to drive to Canberra nowadays, so with an early start, its possible to arrive by lunch time and avoid taking time off on Thursday.

On another matter, how likely is it that an arena can be constructed in time? It gets really quiet over summer at most unis I know.
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Post Tue Oct 14, 2014 10:12 am 
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