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funbotics - new class
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Valen
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Joined: 07 Jul 2004
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funbotics - new class

It is becoming apparent that the unlimited class is becoming harder and harder to compete in. Basically its becoming less about fun and more about spending money. There have been proposals in the past to create limited classes but they all seem to have been too limited. What we want to create is a class that's easy to get into, easy to repair, low cost and with lots of room for creativity and most importantly it has to look spectacular. To do this we want a class with as few rules as possible whilst maintaining a balance between weapons and armour. Taking ideas from the battlebots comp and the big guns boats we are proposing something like the following, we are open to suggestions.

These rules are additions to the existing robowars rules.

1) All bots are to be made of MDF (50% by weight ex batteries)
2) Kinetic energy limit on weapons
3) Weight Limit
4) "Open Source" and Community approval
5) No frames allowed
6) No external metal except weapons.
7) All bots must be "decorated" prior to competition start.


KE Limit will be in the form of energy over time Basically so it will allow crushers but not Plan-C style spikes or uber spinners. Basically at this stage we are thinking something like Plan-B based on our experiences with El-Bravo's wheels ;-> and about a quater second for the time (this is so crushing bots are still allowed). Calculating the KE is pretty straight forwards and i'm sure glen will point out the website that has the calculator in it, and I'll make a software program that people can use to calculate the KE of oddball spining designs by drawing it in paint.

Weight limit will exclude batteries.
We are thinking atm a limit on the "watt hours" of the batteries EG 90 What hours. (Amp hours of your pack times the voltage EG 3.6 * 24 = 86.4WH) this should be calculated at the *effective* Amp Hour rating of the battery (3 minutes rather than 20 hour)

Open Source means to compete you must publish the plans for your bot. Publish in this case would more than likely mean a forum post with some rough sketches. The reasons for doing this are
To encourage newcomers by giving them ready access to working designs (or a close approximation)
New builders will benefit from the peer review.
Encourage builders to build to a high standard and help newcomers avoid common pitfalls.

Community Approval. Thinking this will be a 2 step process, Basically before you build it the community (IE BUILDERS ) should say its ok, and before the event a majority of competitors (on the day) must also approve your bot. This is to prevent the exploitation of loopholes and stop bots that are against the spirit of the class. Safety is up to the event organiser.

The reasons for the choice of MDF are
its affordable
its readily available
easy to work
breaks in a cool fashion
easily repairable
the 50% figure was pulled from the ass of a passing donkey and as such is subject to change.

No frames allowed; Means that the MDF is structural damaging the MDF will lead to a broken bot that can be easily repaired.
We are tying to avoid framed Bots (welded, bolted, glued, riveted) because we what to see robot disabled though damage and then rebuilt for the next heat.
You can us blocks, brackets, angels, etc of any material to joining of MDF panels

No External metal. Basically speaking we dont want people to make titanium corner joints and put them on the outside cos it'll break peoples weapons. but if you have a rambot spikes and the like are fine.

"decoration", bowing to public pressure it seems that some form of decoration is in order, what people see wrong with furry tan boxes battling each other to the death i will never know. As such some form of suitiblle decoration is in required $3 worth of spray cans at bunnings should fit the bill. Only hitch i see here is theres some rules about spray cans for the younger guys, if you get the can when you are buying some XU1s and some MDF i dont think anybodys going to have too much of a problem. i am thinking we may have another "free weight" category for easily weighed "bling" you want the knightrider LED's and the marvin the martion bobbing head sure thing but if you dont want them in the weigh in make em easily removablle, so we can weigh it then put em back on. What constitutes "bling" and what constitutes "titanium armor" is left to the community voting.


Basically what we are trying for is a competition that anybody can enter and everybody will enjoy. We want a somewhat more level playing field but one where chunks of bot still go flying.

This is still very much a work in progress and all input on it is appreciated.[/b]
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Last edited by Valen on Tue Sep 06, 2005 10:16 pm; edited 4 times in total

Post Sat Sep 03, 2005 6:02 pm 
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Glen
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http://www.teamcosmos.com/ke/ke.shtml

i think this class encompases most things, its easy to make for, and the limit on weapons brings kids and n00bs in general back down to reality. oh yeah and damage eh eh.

lol just thinking of nick showing up with an MDF spinner bar
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Post Sat Sep 03, 2005 6:33 pm 
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Valen
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nick could still enter his Ti spinning bar
but it'd have to be going pretty slow like ;->
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Post Sat Sep 03, 2005 6:39 pm 
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Nick
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This sounds like a well thought out concept. Couple of questions:

What exactly IS the weight limit (excluding batteries etc) ?

How are you going to figure out the percentage of MDF? even with dimensioned plans, its not so easy if there are curved parts and we don't all have our bots CAded in Rhino like Glen Smile

Just by chance, the test version of Subliminal can be the first entrant in this class. As Glen and Andrew can testify, its a 100% MDF frame!
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Post Sat Sep 03, 2005 7:35 pm 
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Glen
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it would be safe to say a featherweight limit, after all it sounds like the entry into the featherweight world for new people.

i reckons it would be best to say all external panels have to be wood, saves complex percentage things and makes the spectacular annihilation thing even better. i mean you can still use a box section frame clad in wood in those rules.


quote:
we don't all have our bots CAded in Rhino like Glen


for the low low price of $99.95 per hour you could have one too!! Laughing
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Post Sat Sep 03, 2005 7:59 pm 
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Waddy the phoenix



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or you can come to the 2nd rate cad'er here and only cost yourself $5.95 an hour to have your bot cadded
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Post Sat Sep 03, 2005 10:34 pm 
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Russell



Joined: 16 Aug 2004
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I would think a weight of 13kg plus batteries would give the builder enough room to work in.
Having the outside to be clad in MDF as Glen suggested would be good, maybe all amour must be MDF.
I think the rules should encourage new builder to the sport by making it a fairly simple to construct, affordable to enter, with plenty of support from other builders.

Post Sun Sep 04, 2005 9:08 am 
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Rob Team Rotwang



Joined: 19 Jun 2004
Posts: 294
Location: Victoria


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quote:
Originally posted by Nick:
How are you going to figure out the percentage of MDF? even with dimensioned plans, its not so easy if there are curved parts and we don't all have our bots CAded in Rhino like Glen Smile



I don't remember you ever having a curve on your robot nick Wink



I can still have a metal frame to bolt the wood to correct? but that would need to be aproved by a builder..incase I have gone overboard with it Confused

Are there limits on motors used for drive? Prolly something around power of a Drill motor be about most you would want yeh?

can I make the MDF 4 layers thick? Smile

Do i need to use wooden wheels too? kekekekeke

Post Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:15 am 
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Glen
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well i should think it needs approval to stop someone say welding in ten side by side pieces of box section to make a solid wall and strap on some wood and saying its the frame

guess you can make it 4 layers thick, its all wood isnt it Smile


quote:
Do i need to use wooden wheels too? kekekekeke


been there done that, you should get extra credit Razz
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Post Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:27 am 
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dyrodium
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I'll be happy to build for that class! Smile
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Post Sun Sep 04, 2005 12:02 pm 
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Russell



Joined: 16 Aug 2004
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No frames allowed


No frames allowed; Means that the MDF is structural damaging the MDF will lead to a broken bot that can be easily repaired.
We are tying to avoid framed Bots (welded, bolted, glued, riveted) because we what to see robot disabled though damage and then rebuilt for the next heat.
You can us blocks, brackets, angels, etc of any material to joining of MDF panels


We do not need to see any limit on motor size, as ram bots must fit into KE limit.

Jake will change first post to include this.

Post Sun Sep 04, 2005 2:01 pm 
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Knightrous
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Sounds pretty good. I'm sure you could build a full robot in a day with MDF and all the parts sitting around. If you get this off the ground, I'm happy to support it and compete.

On the technical side. Would it be okay if we had several chassis of our robot made up or several 'cloned' robots to replace our damaged one instead of trying to cut and rebuild panels in the normal pit times? Any voltage limits or failsafeing rules that must be adhered to? Can you use stuff like cutting boards for bulkheads and motor mounts?

Anyway, sounds like a nice, simple, fun class to enter. I estimate less then $50 to build one from spare parts and scrap. Razz

EDIT: Can I build a Flame Thrower as a weapon Wink
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Post Sun Sep 04, 2005 8:19 pm 
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Valen
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these rules add on to the existing rules, so all the existing failsafe things are still in force.

Re multiplle clones, i dont see a problem with doing that but theres no real reason for it that we can see. theres no frames so aside from any custom bent bits the only tools you should need are a jigsaw and a screwdriver / socket wrench etc.

basically theres no limits on how you want to build your bot provided what you do dosent make the bot signifigantly stronger than standard mdf, so chopping board or titanium motor mounts are fine provided they mount onto mdf.
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Post Sun Sep 04, 2005 9:32 pm 
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Waddy the phoenix



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count me in i will start building one tomorow XD and have it finished 1hr later Razz

so from what i get is that any weopon that is already alowed is do'able but KE weopons have to be "throttled" down and its 13.6kg like the feathers and alls legit aslong as its made outta mdf and no frame does that include cross braceing of any kind and my final question can you have thin ali as caping for corners and such?
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Post Mon Sep 05, 2005 12:24 am 
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Philip
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"It is becoming apparent that the unlimited class is becoming harder and harder to compete in. Basically its becoming less about fun and more about spending money."

How can the above statement be true when bots like Bob, Tread and Speedbump can compete? How does spending money limit fun?
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Post Mon Sep 05, 2005 9:39 am 
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