The future of roboting

[craig_colliass]

The future of roboting

This thread is being set up so anyone who runs a robot at events can say how things are and how they see them changing in the future. I know in a recession it is easy to be all doom and gloom but try and keep the posts here as optimistic as you can. Remember there will always be changes to this sport/hobby so lets try and predict how things will be in say 1 2 & 4 years time.

[cliveb]

Re: The future of roboting

The £5.00 prize for getting Seraphim OOTA will still be unclaimed.

[cliveb]

Re: The future of roboting

Iron Awe 8 will be flipping all comers OOTA
Stagefright will still refuse to fight
Green Flag will have refused to renew my membership

[craig_colliass]

Re: The future of roboting

No OOTA for The Mighty Seraphim!!! Clive that€™s a future I can live with!!

For me I can see there being less robot specific events like Swindon or Reading as the number of people who will want to pay to see them will dwindle and more combined events with technology shows like The Space Centre or Air Shows were we would be part of a bigger event will be a way forward.

I think some shows will have arenas that will be smaller because of cost of transport and setup times. So Heavies may well become less popular for roboteers as there are less shows for them to fight in, and so these machines may end up as static exhibits in some cases.

On the plus side I think there will be a move towards Light and middleweight machines. Cheaper to build and run and will fit better into the smaller arena shows.
I can see featherweight shows doing well in the next few years. As some organisers may have trailer type arenas that folds out like a trailer tent. For smaller venues were they could be set up in less than 2 hours and with costs lower a crowd of only 150 people means they break even. They may even be able to run spinners in the featherweight class and none spinner in the light or middleweight classes.

So for me I think the future is good, but I can see it different to what it is now.

What do you think.

[robotwars]

Re: The future of roboting

Craig,

Your post is quite well timed actually, as I am in the process of deciding on what the future is, both for Roaming Robots and John Findlay.

We are all aware that we are in a credit crunch, and some say we havent hit rock bottom yet. Its no suprize that tickets sales are down compared to 2008, we have to remember that its been 5 years since RW was on TV. So I would agree that robot events are about to change, RR events anyway,

The problem with feather weights, light and possibly middle weights is that they will never replace Heavy Weights, the size and power of HWs is the entertainment factor we need for large shows.

It has been a year since I changed the arena and added the cages and flip out zone, It was a 1 year experient and now its over its time to try something new again. I now have another plan for a twist, so Portsmouth 2009, maybe even RIAT you will all see what I have planned. However where as the flipout / cages were for roboteers and the show... the new arena concept will be for commercial reasons in the current climate and nothing else.

Some may have noticed that there are no future events on the forum, or tickets on sale for the rest of 2009, that is becuase everything is currently on hold, until I make my decisions for the future.

Luckily for me, My work doesnt just involve events, I am as people know pushing hard in the educational sector, and my projects i put onto schools now dont just involve the robots.

Over the next month there are going to be some decisions made which are going to affect everyone, unfortunately for RR to survive there will be changes made, some will understand, others might not like it, but one thing is for sure, After being head hunted and offered a full time job, only to turn it down just last night after agonising over the pro's and cons, I am still motivated to keep RR alive one way or another.

Without the support of roboteers and my crew the events wouldn't carry on, so while I'm rambling... Thank You.

John
Roaming Robots

[typhoon_driver]

Re: The future of roboting

Technology wise the featherweights are the main driving force. The power of the current generation of featherweights coming out is insane, something that most heavyweights could only dream about during the first 5 or so series of robot wars. The reason is simple, cost. Its far easier to build a crazy powerful featherweight and have somewhere to run it than do the same with a heavyweight.

There will always be a place for heavyweights. As Jonno rightly said, you need the size of them to entertain a large crowd but I sometimes feel that there isn't the same driving force to keep pushing boundaries as there is with the feathers.

[craig_anto]

Re: The future of roboting

Hi Craig

Rebel Robots has at least 2 more events lined up for this year, next year I hope to have a more definative plan for events and a longer running championship, I'd like to introduce some new sub catagories of robots and use them to encourage diversity in robots, planning a walker division for example

As Jonno says the events are going to have to change we're looking into one way of cutting costs one being using a high pressure compressor rather than CO2 to refill pneumatics, Our Arena has been rebuilt to a smaller (and much stronger) size which is the arena we will be using in our next championship likely to be in August in Gloucestershire

A new Championship style and new trophy
5 years? for me its just getting through this year and on to the next time will tell what will happen, I'm going into educational stuff too

[craig_colliass]

Re: The future of roboting

Hi Craig

Walking robots sound fun , I'm with you on that every robot is an invention we are inventors (of a kind) so we should be able to invent some entertaining robots for the public to look at and interact with. I€™m looking forward to hearing more about your new events when you are ready to present them to us lot. :shock:
Thanks for your input.

Craig

[robotwars]

Re: The future of roboting

just need robots live. And robo challenge for their plans and we know where we're going. :-)

[craig_colliass]

Re: The future of roboting

I hope they will in their time contribute as much or as little as they want to the discussion, which is what forum is all about.

But also it is for the lowly roboteer to put forward where he or she sees the future for the robot movement, input from everyone all good bad and just crazy is what we need.

And let€™s face it were all a little crazy!

Oh and Jonno I know I speak for the silent majority when I say thanks to you and your team for what you have done for the movement, still that€™s enough sucking up for now. :|

[robotwars]

Re: The future of roboting

I havent been on the forum for ages.... nothing much to read,

But I will be reading with interest of where people see things !!

John

[john]

Re: The future of roboting

forums dead, need something good to happen

[swanaldo]

Re: The future of roboting

Jonno i would look after number 1. Numer uno. Its your business and if you need to make changes and cut back in this time of resession then so be it. You will have Teambuds support and we will adapt to the changing climate. Not just you of course that goes for robots live and robo challenge. The future of our sport will remain with us roboteers attending events and entertaining crowds that come to see our machines. Guildford seemed to be an entertaining event what with Envy and Thor playing with MD, Thz chasing a tv around the arena, Iron Awe flipping itself out of the pit 3 times in 1 fight and of course the ultimate in entertainment.............Envy ootaing Iron Awe. The shows will go on and we will carry on going enjoying boys toys and getting away for the day for good company and good playtime.

Then there is the dutch event and the irish event and of course riat. All worth building a robot for alone.

There are somenew teams coming through the ranks too with new and old robots. There is an Fra meeting soon i hope and there will be discusson on what to do and where to go with the Fra.

the future looks bright

the future looks teambud

[widow_twanky]

Re: The future of roboting

Jonno i would look after number 1. Numer uno. Its your business and if you need to make changes and cut back in this time of resession then so be it. You will have Teambuds support and we will adapt to the changing climate. Not just you of course that goes for robots live and robo challenge. The future of our sport will remain with us roboteers attending events and entertaining crowds that come to see our machines. Guildford seemed to be an entertaining event what with Envy and Thor playing with MD, Thz chasing a tv around the arena, Iron Awe flipping itself out of the pit 3 times in 1 fight and of course the ultimate in entertainment.............Envy ootaing Iron Awe. The shows will go on and we will carry on going enjoying boys toys and getting away for the day for good company and good playtime.

Then there is the dutch event and the irish event and of course riat. All worth building a robot for alone.

There are somenew teams coming through the ranks too with new and old robots. There is an Fra meeting soon i hope and there will be discusson on what to do and where to go with the Fra.

the future looks bright

the future looks teambud

Agree whole heartedly Swanny. It's in all our interests that the event organisers survive difficult times. It's been absolutely clear to me that revenues haven't been as good as they were last year. One comment I've made regularly over the last year is that I can stay in bed and earn no money so if it's not commercially viable something has to give to make it so.

The reality is that some things will affect roboteers and mean that we have less of the perks you were able to provide last year. If that means you save a few quid by not doing sandwiches then we'll bring our own. If that means we have events in a field rather than a nice warm sports hall we'll bring a coat. If that means we have to pay an entry fee we'll moan like hell but we'll pay it cos we know what's driving it.

Whilst I'm speaking for our team obviously I'm sure most will understand that businesses have to make a profit.

Andy

[botmad]

Re: The future of roboting

AMEN To them posts ...

Swanny's and Andy's....

TeamTilly