Robotics Combat Event
Wisconsin Robotic Combat 01.15.22
OVERVIEW
Wisconsin Robotic Combat 01.15.22
General:
The Wisconsin Robotic Combat events are new events by a new league to help fill in the gaps left by COVID. WRC believes that holding events such as these helps encourage engineering and build the sport. We hope that you can support us. All are welcome, please join us.
Event Details:
Presented by Betz Botz! See our “Smallest combat switch ever,” the Nano power switch here.
Additional details are on our website: https://midwestrobotcombat.com
The event is being held at The event is being held in the gym (lower building) at Crosspoint Community Church in Oconomowoc, WI.
Wisconsin Robotic Combat Event Registration:
Registration will be open from December 03, 2021 – January 10, 2022
Weight Classes:
Fairyweight Matches: ARE NOT AN OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT. However, I won’t stop someone from using my 4×4 box to organize a tournament or some matches during the event.
Please see the table for entry fees by robot class.
| Robot Class | Entry Fee | Slots |
|---|---|---|
| Fairyweight (150g) | 30 | |
| Open Antweight (1lb) | $30.00 | 32 |
| Beetleweight 3lb | $30.00 | 16 |
Weight Class Sidenote: We need constant action. Bring fairyweights if you have them. I’ll have a 4×4 arena ready to go for use in testing and or straight-up grudge matches. I’ll have a whiteboard with grudge matches ready to go, and whenever there’s a dull moment I’ll pick the first match from that whiteboard and try to fill time. The best-case scenario here is I tell a grudge match to get queued up in the small arena so that while a tournament match gets unloaded we can already have another fight running to keep the crowd entertained. If there’s enough interest to run a fairyweight tournament simultaneously, someone can organize that, but I won’t be able to announce every match or pay close attention because the main Wisconsin Robotic Combat tournaments take priority.
Wisconsin Robotic Combat Schedule:
- 8:00am-9:30am – Setup and check-in
- 9:30am-9:45am – Driver’s meeting and bracket shuffle
- 9:45am-10:00am – Crowd address and fight queuing
- 10:00am-4:15pm – Main fights
- 4:15pm-5:00pm – Finals and rumbles
- 5:00pm-7:00pm – Event teardown
Rules:
Antweight (MRCA) Rules: https://midwestrobotcombat.com/rules/
Beetle (SPARC) Rules: http://sparc.tools/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/SPARC_Robot_Construction_Specifications_v1.3.pdf
We all know that “Just 5 more minutes!” means your robot is in four pieces. I will try to be as reasonable as I can with delays and repair times early in the tournament, but I can only guarantee 20mins and one potentially short delay past that. I was able to relax this for the last event because of dropouts and a bit of extra time, but if we’re pushing a 5:00pm finish time, I’ll have to enforce these rules. It’s not my fault if you don’t design a combat robot of all things for serviceability. 😛
An important note about unsticks because of a particular antweight: If you embed yourself in the arena, aka become immobile by causing damage to something that should be assumed indestructible, you are granted one unstick per match. This is different from getting propped up against a wall, doing the thing, or becoming stuck on a piece of debris from another robot. If a piece of debris detaches from the arena during a fight and causes you to get stuck, you are allowed one unstick because this wouldn’t have happened with an indestructible arena.
Safety:
All bots will be required to pass a safety check verifying the following:
- All robots must failsafe.
- All bots must have appropriate weapon locking.
- We will have a little meeting before we actually get going to go over some basics so everyone is on the same page.
Arena and Hazards:
Arena: Wood floor, steel kickplates, and a lipped pushout so a deliberate push is required for a win. 8’ x 6’ x 4’ box.
Pits:
Tables and chairs are provided, but if you don’t like round tables please bring your own. There will be space for that. Extension cords (not just power strips) are highly recommended.
The plan is to use the church’s kitchen as a concession stand. I think I have enough friends and family who are willing to do it with really good home-cooked meals.
Tournament Style:
Open Ant: Double elimination tournament with 2 minute fights.Challonge:
https://challonge.com/2022MRCAjanuary
Beetle: Double elimination tournament with 2 minute fights. Challonge: https://challonge.com/WRCjanuary2022Beetle
Volunteers:
Between 5:00pm and 7:00pm, the event will need to be torn down and packed up. Help is greatly appreciated. Email us or see us at the beginning of the event.
Spectating:
The time slot for spectators is 9:30am-5:00pm. Before this time you will need to get a wristband and sign the WRC release form. If you’re a minor, a parent or guardian will need to sign.
Most people reading this will be competitors or people dragged along with competitors, so you’ll get a special wristband and get in free. People just spectating will be given a different wristband and be subject to a $5 admission fee. (5yrs old and under are free.)
MRCA League:
This is a Midwest Robot Combat Association qualifier event. That means the antweight bracket fights will earn you points towards potentially qualifying for the finals this year at Milwaukee Makerfaire in late September. Details and the rules we are using are found here: https://midwestrobotcombat.com/rules/
Livestream:
https://www.twitch.tv/wisconsinroboticcombat
Discord:
Discord server: https://discord.gg/hzvM5zQURg
In Closing:
Please email me with any questions josephmbetz@gmail.com. I hope to see you there!
Want to compete but don’t know how to get started? Check out this very basic article on getting going. The Naked Viper kit is designed to supply all of the electronics and mechanicals, other than the chassis, for antweight bots. You’ll also need a transmitter/receiver combo like this, and probably a battery charger like this.
Return to ItGresa Robotics Store:
