Wooden Robot Class

[ewan]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

So would this mean use of metal angle brackets/frame members is disallowed- only screws and wood to wood joints are permitted?

[razerdave]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

Thats how I was planning to do it. I do it with HDPE blocks in Hell's Angel because the armour isn't thick enough for a screw through the edge.

[typhoon_driver]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

It's a challenge gentlemen. That's why I would advocate no metal angle as well as plate and sheet. Bolts, screws, nuts, washers etc are fine. But it makes it far more challenging to have to work out how best to bolt it all together.

And remember wood has a very low relative density so going for some 20mm thick wood planels all over or just regular 2 by 4s would work.

The only metal I believe we should allow should be entirely for the weapon systems and drive systems. so any cogs, gears, pneumatics, motors etc are all good but the structure of the robots and armour etc is wood based and the weaponry should have come from woodwork tools (be they power or hand).

I will agree to a metal box for electronics if people so wish

[razerdave]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

If its only wood working tools then I can't do my idea. I had planned to have something like the Rex's robot challenge robot that rex himself made with the wiper motor powered lifter. If the flipper was made from a wood panel rather than a metal one, would it be accepted ?

I would also have a damaging weapn, a saw on the back. It would look like a cross between Cassius and Roadblock

[swanaldo]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

It's a challenge gentlemen. That's why I would advocate no metal angle as well as plate and sheet. Bolts, screws, nuts, washers etc are fine. But it makes it far more challenging to have to work out how best to bolt it all together.

And remember wood has a very low relative density so going for some 20mm thick wood planels all over or just regular 2 by 4s would work.

The only metal I believe we should allow should be entirely for the weapon systems and drive systems. so any cogs, gears, pneumatics, motors etc are all good but the structure of the robots and armour etc is wood based and the weaponry should have come from woodwork tools (be they power or hand).

I will agree to a metal box for electronics if people so wish

Thats it.

[ewan]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

I do think the just wood thing is a good concept as it'd spur creativity, the issue is getting all of this into easily understood writing as there'd inevitably be lots of ins and outs over tool permissibility (e.g. a set of chisels angled to the ground would basically be a metal wedge, but would that be allowed?).

Also, what about li-pos? Personally I think they should be allowed on the basis of availability, price and transferability to other projects, but they would probably require a metal box.

[typhoon_driver]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

wood chisels as ramps etc would be cool. using motors and pneumatics for internal workings should be ok so building a featherweight flipper would be fine. In fact it would add a whole bunch of challenges to get the panels strong enough

I'm the biggest supporter of lipo but i'm not sure that they are appropriate for a wooden bot

[Max]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

I don't think it should be wood working tools only as for spinning weapons you can't use circular saw blades as they shatter and I think the cool thing about wooden armour is it gets destroyed by spinning weapons, as dave says you also can't have lifter.

I think don't limit people's imaginations too much.

[ewan]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

I think the shattering circular saws thing has been way too over-hyped.. if you're running spinning discs at all it shouldn't matter one bit if one shatters

[Ellis]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

I think don't limit people's imaginations too much.

The point of going as wood-orientated as possible is to force people to use their imagination! To start allowing things found in normal weight classes is to ultimately reduce creativity. I don't see limitations as limiting imagination at all, I see it as helping it!

As I have said, the closer this class gets to standard FW combat the less interesting and attractive it becomes.

[typhoon_driver]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

How about this for a draft set of rules?

30lb wooden class rule set

The primary aim of this robot class is to provide a completely different challenge and type of combat to regular featherweight (30lb) competition.

1. The primary building material used must be wood. Any type of wood is allowed.

2. Metal is allowed in limited quantities in the following instances
2.1. Drive systems (walkers must use wooden legs)
2.2. The internal workings of weapon systems such as cogs, gears, pneumatic rams, chains etc.
2.3. Threaded rod and nut with a motor attached are allowed for the purposes of home made linear actuators
2.4. Weaponry should at the sharp end should be based on wood working tooling. This can either be manual or power operated in origin
2.5. A metal box containing all electronics may be used for protection purposes of valuable components however this should be as small as reasonably possibly and should not constitute part of the external armour of the robot.

3. All remaining FRA rules shall be followed for the weight class (sharp edge protection, activation LED, radio fail safes etc).

[Anttazz]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

How about this for a draft set of rules?

30lb wooden class rule set

The primary aim of this robot class is to provide a completely different challenge and type of combat to regular featherweight (30lb) competition.

1. The primary building material used must be wood. Any type of wood is allowed.

2. Metal is allowed in limited quantities in the following instances
2.1. Drive systems (walkers must use wooden legs)
2.2. The internal workings of weapon systems such as cogs, gears, pneumatic rams, chains etc.
2.3. Threaded rod and nut with a motor attached are allowed for the purposes of home made linear actuators
2.4. Weaponry should at the sharp end should be based on wood working tooling. This can either be manual or power operated in origin

2.5. A metal box containing all electronics may be used for protection purposes of valuable components however this should be as small as reasonably possibly and should not constitute part of the external armour of the robot.

3. All remaining FRA rules shall be followed for the weight class (sharp edge protection, activation LED, radio fail safes etc).

Seems sensible. Essentially, anything that can be made of wood, should be made of wood.

[PJ-27]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

Looks like we're actually making some head way!

Just spent the best part of today testing Bitzawood out, smashing up wood, metal, plastic, all sorts. I'll post a video later.
It should hopefully dispel somethings.

Li-Pos are fine. To satisfy the 'not written' metal protection rule I have a block of mild steel under my Li-Po the same size as the battery. Besides the rule was in place to protect the arena floor, but it's only going to run in the RC arena, so it'll be fine. Plus a fire inside a wooden robot can only end AWESOME!

One thing I did learn today was that Circular saw blades are very tough, and don't carry ANY inertia. The spinning element on BW is 1.5kgs, but that's all in the centre so it fouled and stopped on pretty much everything, but did in the meantime make some awesome gashes, dust and splinters.

[PJ-27]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

Also, thanks Gary for drafting out those rules.

We should also add in the class thesis, which is written somewhere else in the topic. It's something like:

Cheap and easy to build and repair.
Level playing field for all competitors.
More destruction.
Friendly attitude and have fun!

[Max]

Re: Wooden Robot Class

Just a suggestion, make standard drill motors a requirement?