Inspiration/innovation in weaponry

[Runsler]

Whips are effective (not in terms of robot combat, but generally) because the end flies towards the target, while you already pull the whip back at the same time, causing the tip to accelerate even more (the crack is from getting faster than sound... at least that's what i've heard^^). since energy = m*v², the speed is much more important than the mass hitting. Plus, most whips got a very thin end, and since pressure is N/m² (took these units to simplify) it really hurts when this really fast thing hits you in a really small area.
But that only really works, when you let the whip crack as close to the target as possible. Somehow i doubt you could build a robot doing that^^
Also, the material of the whip would have to be harder than the armor to actually do some damage, and well... building a whip harder than hardox?

Flails and maces were only popular in medieval warfare since they are harder to predict (and control), and also the shock from a hit doesn't get back to you. but they are also hitting way weaker than any solid weapon of same size/weight, because the weight of the hitter isn't behind the blow.

[Tim The Plumber]

Cutting in here but has anyone ever thought of a whip like weapon with a sharp barb on the end. Maybe not so effective against metal armor but could possibly disable some weapon systems or drive systems.

I would expect that a whiping/springing/good golf swing type of ax action would make it far more effective than the basic arc that seems to be used.

Also more damage resistant.

Also I have been thinking of using a walker. The thinking has been done for 2 weeks or so in intensity. My conclusion is that I can replace my wheels with 2 sets of 3 legs for shuffle bot using 32 moving parts at 10kmh if I am very lucky and somehow sort out the wear and over heating that these parts will get as they move against each other.

So wheels it is. If the TV makers want a walker then let them make one as a house robot and we can see how it should be done.

[team death]

So wheels it is. If the TV makers want a walker then let them make one as a house robot and we can see how it should be done.

I remember seeing these toy insects on the apprentice programme a few years ago and I was quite impressed, they moved at quite a speed for thier size and I believe they worked by just vibrating - I'm thinking if you scalled it up to a heavy and could control the direction it would brilliant-the basics could be a compact whacker plate set in a frame with wooden or
metal legs around - could be vibrated by a camshaft again-feelers could come out to change direction-an insect head
with a flipping tongue to finish the look-different yes

a bugs.jpg

[Roboteernat]

I remember seeing these toy insects on the apprentice programme a few years ago and I was quite impressed, they moved at quite a speed for thier size and I believe they worked by just vibrating - I'm thinking if you scalled it up to a heavy and could control the direction it would brilliant-the basics could be a compact whacker plate set in a frame with wooden or
metal legs around - could be vibrated by a camshaft again-feelers could come out to change direction-an insect head
with a flipping tongue to finish the look-different yes

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I know a guy who is making this very design...

[Eventorizon]

So would anarchy's walking mechanism be considered a shuffler by today's standards?

Yes, Anarchy is now classified as a Shuffler.

A bristle-bot would gain you no weight bonus at all, not to mention the issues with getting the thing to reverse, a total lack of traction, how fragile the legs would be...

[RogueTwoRobots]

There are reasons why we have the weapons we have, and why they have evolved to the point they are at now. Rather than trying to think of different or new weapons, I think people are better off finding different ways to deploy or use the current class of weapons

Noooo. Current builders tend to stick to using the current class of weapons for their robots and finding different to ways to deploy them, but if you discourage new people or those with a different outlook from thinking of new or creative weapons, then the game will stagnate and become less interesting as everyone sticks to tried and tested. Those looking for and experimenting with new and different creative things are what helps drive the sport forward

[adamclark]

Also bearing in mind the increasing number of contestants anything that appears outside of the box is going to stand a great chance of at least getting into that first 4-way melee. Materials might have changed over the years, but I still see mega expensive contraptions fail at the first hurdle. My current temptation is either a shuffler drillzilla drive with a mahoosive drum, a hoard of 100+ minibots or a unique four legged walker if I could ever work out how to scale up a servo to HW size.

[team death]

I remember when my team and I attended auditions for series six of Robot Wars-we had a petrol driven spinner called
devil-rider, the competition auditions had hundreds of good quality heavyweights applying and as I stated
in my Memoirs of a veteran Roboteer we failed to get through the auditions-I agree with Adam and Jamie
if your aim is a tv viable robot its going to have to be different -sadly a lot of those robots from the early
noughties were scrapped and interest was lost waiting in vain for series 8 many years later.
Don't dismiss new ideas-polyprop legs and body on a walker-they seem to take a bashing even if
it seems to be in the wrong thread-still Inspiration fits the bill if not weaponry

[Runsler]

if you could get a swarm of antweight really controlled...
i'd hate the repairs afterwards, when many got sacificed, but just imagine 50 mini-wedges swarming to your bot from all sides, drive under you (maybe you can flip a few to the moon or shred some more to dust, but enough will get through) and just drive you (with themselves) in the pit, while more than 50% of them stay safe.

If you can control that...

Okay, active weapon rule... pff... give them all a mini-lifiting arm or something o0.

Well, obviously less effective in a 4-way-melee, since you most likely can't sacrifice enough to beat more than one without getting more than half your bots destroyed. but still... interesting idea.

[craig_colliass]

IMG_2112.jpgIMG_2113.jpgIMG_2114.jpgIMG_2115.jpgIMG_2116.jpg
Above is an ongoing project (stopped by a certain TV program ATM) the Idea was to make a Feather walker robot on the old double weight rules it is not easy with double allocation with the 2 degrees of freedom rule.
With the silly weight advantage now in place, a viable featherweight robot isn't possible ATM.

[RogueTwoRobots]

The double weight advantage is still in place for FRA events per the current edition of the build rules. The reduced weight is only for RW, and feathers have been pushed back for that.