Robot Combat - Weight Classes

Weight Classes

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 weightclasses are as follows:

• 75g- Fleaweight
• 150g- Fairyweight (UK - Antweight)
• 1 pound (454 g) - Antweight
• 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) Kilobot (Canada)
• 3 pound (1.36 kg) - Beetleweight
• 6 pound (2.72 kg) - Mantisweight
• 12 pound (5.44 kg) - Hobbyweight
• 15 pound (6.80 kg) - BotsIQ Mini class
• 30 pound (13.6 kg) - Featherweight
• 60 pound (27 kg) - Lightweight
• 120 pound (54 kg) - Middleweight / BotsIQ Large class
• 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 UK Antweight class limit as 150g.

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, because 1 pound antweights do not need 50 foot (15 m) wide arenas in which to fight, but 220 pound heavyweights do. Having multiple arenas allows the event to progress more quickly.

Competition rules set limits on construction features that are too dangerous or which could lead to uninteresting contests. Strict limits are placed on materials and pressures used in pneumatic or hydraulic actuators, and fail-safe systems are required for electronic control circuits. Generally off-limits for use as weapons are nets, liquid, radio jamming, high-voltage electric discharge, untethered projectiles, and usually fire.

The Robot Fighting League (RFL) was created in 2002 when several builders decided that robot combat needed standardization of rules and judging criteria The majority of robot combat events in the U.S. have become RFL members and have adopted their ruleset, but some event organizers oppose the direction in which the RFL is taking the sport and remain independent. The topic of event standardization has lent itself to a healthy amount of controversy since the RFL's inception.

The sport continues today despite the lack of television coverage. The size of the events has diminished, but there are scores of tournaments scattered throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.