why are these weight classes are not more popular?

[mattsdragons]

(though it was the best place to ask)

i dont see why these classes are not more popular?

you can get the same grunt as a heavyweight without the cost and they are bigger and easier to work with than featherweight.

i just want someone to clarify this really?

[Leonardomayo]

Re: why are these weight classes are not more popular?

Slightly related question: Could the robochallenge arena run Lightweight spinners?

[typhoon_driver]

Re: why are these weight classes are not more popular?

they were never popular even during the days of robot wars as they were never given much coverage. All the bots shown on tv were always heavyweights unless you looked to robot wars extreme. battlebots by contrast showed many different weight classes and so that's the reason there are more diverse numbers of bots in the US.

I don't think it's a bad thing. You want to play big, head for the heavyweights, you want to have smaller bots that can be handled by a single person, you go for the featherweights. Dilluting an already small group of people into middle ground weight classes wouldn't do much good imo.

I believe it could under current rules (would need to check) but you'd need at least two machines to compete and robochallenge to host it.

[mattsdragons]

Re: why are these weight classes are not more popular?

I see were your coming from but they would seem to have more of the spectacle and impact of Heavyweight without the massive cost of running them.

although, do they cost much less to build and run than heavyweights?

[typhoon_driver]

Re: why are these weight classes are not more popular?

near enough the same

[blazerbotics]

Re: why are these weight classes are not more popular?

I did come up with a set of rules for a 'sportsman' middleweight. As there seems to be alot of feather people wanting to get into the heavyweights, but its too big of a step. Quick rules that i came up with:

Max 400watt drive motors (wheelchairs ect)
LP pneumatics only (regulator mouted directly onto co2 tank)
No Ti
SLA batteries only (maybe allow nicads/mimh)

Thoughts? It would be a way of feather people moving up, without some of the risk and trouble of heavys, by limiting components will keep the costs down.

[mattsdragons]

Re: why are these weight classes are not more popular?

If we were able to get these going then I would certainly build one

[Laser]

Re: why are these weight classes are not more popular?

that would get a few more roboteers into this and it would be quite cheap.

[craig_colliass]

Re: why are these weight classes are not more popular?

It is a little bit like Catch 22 there are no fights in this class because no one has working middleweights, and there are no working middleweights because there are no fights in this class !! :shock:
How about Robots Live saying there will be one middleweight fight each show, if there are less than two working at the show the space will be filled with a heavyweight white board instead.

I have started making a middleweight but not finished it because there is no one out there to compete with.
similarly I will make a 1.3Kg or what ever the thing is, when the arena is finished and I see someone's robot fighting in it.

I for one think the Middle weight class is a good one for Robots Live and Roaming Robots. as the punters watching them will see robots not much smaller than Heavies a lot bigger than Feathers and they will be a lot cheaper to build than Heavies, and some Feathers.
Alan's idea of restrictive technology at least to start with is a good idea as it will make cheap robots competitive in this class.
I must warn everyone there is always lots of talk around this subject but I have yet to see much movement towards actually seeing Middleweights in the arena I for one am not holding my breath on this thread changing things either. :shock:

A bit negative sorry

[mattsdragons]

Re: why are these weight classes are not more popular?

if a few of us started building middleweights, then i think we could get enough to make a middleweight fight viable

[harry hills]

Re: why are these weight classes are not more popular?

the reason i think the class is not as popular is the more expensive bits, eg the speed controler and radio gear the cost is the same, so why not go for broke and build a heavy?

[mattsdragons]

Re: why are these weight classes are not more popular?

i think they would be a good step for feather builders, building a 13.6kg robot, then building a 100kg one is a massive jump. something around 50kg would be better so we can get experience building bigger robots.

plus, we might be able to get some bigger spinners in the arena

[craig_colliass]

Re: why are these weight classes are not more popular?

Speedo like this
http://www.technobotsonline.com/saberto ... 30702.html
For £184 with discount

or wotty 100 for about £200

Wotty 360 for heavy I think I paid about£380
Radio is the same for Ants as it is for super heavies if you use 2.4 ghz

[mattsdragons]

Re: why are these weight classes are not more popular?

if a few of us got together and agreed to build some middleweight i think we might just be able to finally start off this weight class.

but, would middleweight spinners be allowed?

[blazerbotics]

Re: why are these weight classes are not more popular?

Ive said before if any Middleweights turn up, we will get them a fight. I've got a middleweight i built years ago (2004 maybe) took it to a couple of events but never had any one to fight, so its sitting in the shed. So if anybody else can get one built i'll dig mine out.

We wouldn't allow spinners in our arena, the RoboChallenge arena wouldnt be big enough, as middleweights are going to be nearly the size of heavies.