T
he combat robotics community spreads
across the entire world, with major
competitions happening on almost every
continent. Combat robots are divided into
different weight classes based on the robot’s
overall weight, and within those classes an
amazing number of weapon types are possible.
In this guide we’ll introduce you to all of the
most important weight classes and weapons.
THREE FLAVORS OF COMBAT
In addition to weight, three different class
modifiers are common in robot combat:
• Full Combat or Standard class is the
least restricted ruleset, allowing kinetic
energy weapons, wedges, and a variety of
control bots (lifters, etc.). Most events run
Full Combat classes.
• Sportsman classes add tip-speed limits to
spinning weapons, drastically reducing their
ability to do damage. They also require an
active weapon on each robot, to stop passive
wedges from dominating the competition.
Sportsman classes are common at the 12lb
and 30lb weight classes.
• Plastic classes, generally only found at the
1lb Antweight scale, require robots to be
entirely fabricated from plastic parts (aside
from electronics, motors, and fasteners).
The Plastic Antweight is rapidly growing in
popularity as an entry-level class due to the
ease of 3D printing and the low damage rate,
which make the robots extremely affordable
compared to other weight classes. (Build your
own on page 44.) You can learn more about
combat rules online at sparc.tools.
ROBOT WEIGHT CLASSES
There have been many weight classes over
the last 30 years, from 25g to 350lbs, but not all
of them have active competitions today. Here’s
your guide to currently active combat robot
weight classes.
FAIRYWEIGHT (U.K. ANTWEIGHT) — 150g limit
A good class for beginners. Many free designs
can be downloaded from Thingiverse and printed
on a 3D printer; components are cheap, and
Caleb Kraft
A field guide to competition weight classes and weapons
the lack of devastating weapon power makes
Fairyweight bots cheap to repair. Unfortunately,
motors and electronics take up more of the
overall weight of a Fairy, as it is hard to find
super small components, making custom
designs challenging. Although Fairyweights
are usually made from 3D-printed plastic, the
most competitive are packed with titanium,
steel, and carbon fiber to maximize strength and
performance.
ANTWEIGHT (U.S.) — 1lb limit
Antweights are the best place to start out.
Designs that are mainly 3D printed or fabricated
with cheap materials can be competitive. Weight
is not as much of a limitation as it is in Fairies.
Common robot construction methods, such as
directly bolting weapons and wheels to motors,
can be used successfully with little modification.
This class is generally less destructive than the
Beetleweight class, so your robot is less likely
to get completely destroyed. And because the
electronics take up less of the entire weight,
robots that are homemade with cutting boards
and duct tape can easily survive and even win
Antweight events.
BEETLEWEIGHT 3lbs (U.S.) / 1.5kg (U.K.)
By far the most competitive insect weight class.
Brushless motors at this scale provide insane
power-to-weight ratios, thanks to the huge
market for micro drones which has driven the
improved power density and affordability of
small motors. This makes Beetleweight robots
incredibly powerful and dangerous. While they
can be made by hand and with 3D-printed parts,
the most successful Beetleweights feature a
multitude of custom machined parts in exotic
materials. Solid engineering and design are
a must for this class, as robots regularly get
ripped in half.
While you might expect bots in this class to be
mostly metal, a surprising amount of engineering
plastics are used, giving superior impact
protection and strength while minimizing weight
and cost. Additionally, 3D-printed materials such
as nylon and TPU are heavily utilized, making
fabrication much easier than with larger bots.
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