Polycarbonate screen

[Jackpietrzak1]

I've notice that people were asking clusterbot fighting along side single heavyweight robots, middleweights & lightweights fighting in there own tournament but the reading the problems they have.

One mainly was that they were worried that the lighter robot end up not just flipped out of the arena but flipped out of protective polycarbonate outer screening by flipper running at full pressure co2 cause the lighter to fly into the fan which I understand it's dangerous, & the another problem been it that this day & age live events of robot combat have netting roof which I've notice when I go to these events (I haven't been to robo challenge or any antweight or beetleweight this about lightweight, middleweight & heavyweight clusterbots).

This got me thinking, surely if have a polycarbonate roof on the screening which goes around the arena surely it keeps the lighter robots including custerbots in light, middle & heavyweight safe from flying out of the protective polycarbonate screening & hitting the robot fighting fans right?

& if say the polycarbonate on a steel frame isn't enough to stop lighter robots flying out of the protective screening then make shock proof roof, let explain, if you use springs that not just take the blows but keep the roof strongly down by the use of hydraulics or safety cords (or other thing) so the lighter robot can't be thrown out of the screening as they are meant to be flipped out of the arena.

[playzooki]

this has already been suggested many times iirc

[Shakey]

The reason they lack a polycarb roof is because it drives up the amount of effort needed to move, build and take down the arena considerably and when the only benefit would be clusters it's not worth it (Todays arenas + a roof won't get heavy spinners back :P).

[blazerbotics]

the amount of polycarb needed to cover our roof, is the same amount required to surround it, therefore doubling the quantity. This provides several issues; the structures won't take double the weight, a 12m span needs alot of support (more weight), all of this has to be transported (another truck, driver and fuel), all this has to be setup (get-ins are already a rush to get up in the amount of time, therefore would require more crew or time), all of this has to be paid for (probably looking at £10k on the investment and plus the additional costs at every event). All for what result, a couple of robots that won't be competitive?

[maddox10]

Even if you go the cheaper route, replacing the polycarb with lighter, cheaper and more resilient HDPE, it still is a huge investment.
Covering a full HW arena roof in 5mm HDPE is at least £1200 (I know from first hand experience), and that's only the HDPE sheet. With ali trussing and connections, in a creative configuration, add another £2500.

Transport is more a question of volume than weight in this scenario, but that has a pricetag too.
Combine that with the time to raise and break down, what is at least 10 manhours extra per venue