Hello fellow nutcases,

Just pointing out a few things and asking some questions in the case of rules and in the case of the rules during a match.

AT the recent Marayong event (which was AWESOME) there were many small accidents which in the end led to my machine ORBIT going AWOL and i was disqualified as i did not demonstrate proper safety measures with saftey on Orbit as what came loose did and the failsafe failed etc. Luckily it didnt mean a thing as i was out anyway's but i just want to say well done on the guys and i do apologise for what happened and it wont happen again.

Now thats off my chest i wish to ask abuot rules during a match.

During a match if say im caught by scoopy (and the evil Mel) and she starts sawing away, how long is she allowed to hold me for and all that as ive heard 10 seconds and 30 etc. Also when the times up is she mant to let me go completely free of just sorta let me go in the corner then scoop me up again as i hear at recent Vic event in match against Hell Raiser that Mel didnt let Tim go after the time or whatever (if im wrong please correct) and that after the bell Mel kept sawing away on Hell Raiser.

Also if a robot is immobilised is it 10 seconds (as in american comps) or 30 seconds that u must demonstrate translational movement.

With robots in the pits, is it ok to do a very small on bench (wheels and everything off ground and weopon locked up) tap test to check all is working or is it arena only?

Thanks for any help discussing above matters and if anybody else has anything troubling them or requires help in understanding some things please feel free to post here.

thanks yall
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Andrew Welch, Team Unconventional Robotics

Was the above issue that you had a failsafe but it did not go to shut down mode when required? Did your robot failsafe in testing before the event?

The above, IMO, reiterates the point that we must always trreat robots with due respect. Remember Marauders pressure gauge failed after only a couple of fights. Equipment will fail when pushed to extremes.

I thought the hold rule was 30 seconds and then release.

I wouldn't like to see a spinner start it's weapon outside of the arena.

This thread should be moved to the rules section.
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So even the rain that falls isn't actually going to fill our dams and our river systems

agreed on moving thread to rules

things failed as the failsafe servo I(kills power aldo acts as a rc switch to robot) wouldnt failsafe right and then i realised that on the failsafe theres a set button and it must have bene bumped when servo was in wrong position and thus robot didnt failsafe as i couldnt figure out why until AFTER the match.
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Andrew Welch, Team Unconventional Robotics

I would not have disqualified a robot for something as simple as a button being bumped. I would think it a problem if it wasn't sorted over the next few events.

Have you taken steps to prevent a ecurrence? I did read your post in another therad but I can't remember what you said just now.
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So even the rain that falls isn't actually going to fill our dams and our river systems

The reason your failsafe didnt work is because its designed for aircraft. If the reciver looses all power in an aeroplane, its a good bet its totaled anyway. What the failsafe is ment to do is just reset the servo's so a set, neutral position in the event of signal loss. Without power, the servo doesnt move.

BTW, you wernt disqualified for having a dodgey failsafe, as things like that happen . . . you were disqualified for entering the arena with a live and very deadly weapon.
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Jeff Ferrara
fb@ffej.net

ffej.net

bah i knew what i was doing, i was just lying in wait so i didnt have to jump up the gap so when it slowed or refbot got it jammed i could just charge in and stop it.

meh it didnt make a difference anyway's as i was out so whatever.

Ill be fixing those probs so it wont happen again.
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Andrew Welch, Team Unconventional Robotics

it should make a difference, i guess getting a DQ was to be a bit of a kick in the ass to safen up.

im making some pic controllers for kang in the next week, so ill knock you up a decent electronic activator this time, i sure as hell dont feel safe with that servo powered monstrosity in the arena
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www.demon50s.com - Minimoto parts
http://www.youtube.com/user/HyzerGlen - Videoooozzz

dude, honestly. SHUT UP

Orbit for last two events has been besides the mishap with failsafe and receiever coming loose etc last event prob one of the safest bots there as i can throw it in arena and remotely activate it under RC thus no risk of it spassing out or triggering anything until the arena's locked up

There were maybe one incident in testing drive (off ground on table) where i bumped the weopon and it fired up for like 1 second but it was a honest mistake that others have made (look at scoopys saw mishap last event) and now i lock the weopon in when doing it

When i mount receiever better and connections and that done good there will be no unsafeness at all.

Plus i wouldnt have gone into the arena if i knew i was in danger, Orbit was locked against wall cornered by refbot and i was waiting so i culd rush in to kill him plus i was half ready to bolt out the door at the arena if ANYTHING happened.
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Andrew Welch, Team Unconventional Robotics

LOL yer scoopys saw at robowars 1 and 2 fired up an cut into the wall and table while they were wroking on it
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Tim Team Reaper.

The only problem with scoopy's scoop is that it's designed to catch and hold robots (as far as i know), which is kinda against the rules (no entanglement devices), so periodicaly releasing robots will always be a problem because sooner or later they'll end up caught again, continuing till the end of the match.

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some replies to the various questions..

The hold/release rule is 30 seconds.

As far as "completely free" goes, at a guess, I would say anything that results in complete seperation of the robots would be considered "free" - there is nothing in the rules that I know of that requires someone to move away a significant distance giving a spinner a chance to spin-up again or anything like that. If they can keep you cornered without "pinning" you (physical contact), good for them. Does anyone else know otherwise or think this should be interpreted differently ?

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The countdown for an imobile robot is 10 seconds to demonstrate movement from when the judges decide you are disabled and start a count against you

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Speaking officially, Robots are not allowed to be powered up in the pits *at all*. This is to keep the insurance companies happy. Other Event Operators may have different opinions according to their willingness to accept liability for pit-accidents.

In practice, we know everyone does it for testing purposes, and may not "officially" notice provided you do so in a safe manner.. Wheels off the ground, Dangerous weapons disarmed etc etc. If your 'bot is of a particularly dangerous nature (Hi pressure flipper, Hi powered spinner etc), then you could expect this rule to be enforced more tightly.

Also, as we grow as a sport, these sort of things will gradually get stricter since we wont "all be friends" and cant expect "peer group pressure" to harass some competitors into behaving safely..

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As far as Scoopy goes, the tray is *not* designed to catch and hold robots in the sense of an "entrapment device" any more than a wedge or spikes are an entrapment device. There are no one-way catches, clamps or anything like that to actively hold onto a bot that would require "releasing"

If you consider the tray an entrapment device, then you would also have to consider the spikes on the front of Hell-bringer (for example) the same way, since it is just as possible for your bot to get stuck in between them if they ram you from the side.

If you drive into (or are scooped into) Scoopy's tray forwards, you can just as easily reverse out of it, provided your Bot doesnt get high centered due to low ground clearance or something similair.

If you get scooped from the side and cant go back and forwards enough to get free, then after 30 seconds, Mel would be required to make an attempt to reverse away from you, and if she was unable to do so, she will say "I'm stuck" then the robots would be considered jammed together and a pause would called to seperate them.

If she refused to make an attempt to seperate or failed to advise the judges that she was stuck and unable to seperate, then she would be liable for disqualification after 30 seconds.

At the recent Rye event, Mel *tried* to back away from Tim (Hell Raiser) and was unable to do so, due to a wheel coming undone on Scoopy, in which case Rick (Moth) judged them stuck, paused the match and seperated them manually.

At this point, Scoopys wheel fell out meaning she could only drive in circles, but Hell-Raiser was unable to move at all thereafter (thanks to an Antenna-Amputation) and Scoopy was judged the winner because Hell -Raiser was immobilised first and worst.

Scoopy is modelled after a Battle-Bots Robot called S.O.B. (Or "That Darn Dustpan") which has competed in 3 BattleBots tournaments and many other U.S. events and has never been called "against the rules" by any of them, so I consider your opinion as to the designs legality to be incorrect Angus.

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As far as the accidental saw activations go.. I stand Guilty-as-Charged and accept the criticism. I will endeavour to lift my game safety wise in the future.. If anyone sees me doing something unsafe, feel free to kick my butt (figuratively speaking), since I can be just as stupid as anyone in the rush to repair & recharge before the next round, and we all have to help remind each other to be aware of the danger of these machines.

I dont remember why it happened at RoboWars 1 now. At RoboWars 2, it was caused by me reprogramming the Radio Tx and being unaware that Mel had plugged Scoopy's batteries in.. (The danger of having more than 1 person working on a bot at once).
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Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people

[quote="Spockie-Tech"]some replies to the various questions..

The hold/release rule is 30 seconds.

As far as "completely free" goes, at a guess, I would say anything that results in complete seperation of the robots would be considered "free" - there is nothing in the rules that I know of that requires someone to move away a significant distance giving a spinner a chance to spin-up again or anything like that. If they can keep you cornered without "pinning" you (physical contact), good for them. Does anyone else know otherwise or think this should be interpreted differently ?

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I talked this one over with Moth as it’s relevant to Skeletor and he wonts a more complete separation.
Let them go and move well back at the 30 sec mark. I think he was cool with a quick release and keep them trapped in the corner approach if the release is made well before the 30 sec mark?
Probably not really my place to announce it but one of the features they are working on at Rye is controls in the drivers boxes ,there are going to be buttons to push if you are stuck to start timers for the 30 second count etc.
Good idea I think especially if there’s a nice countdown clock or flashing light arrangement in the arena so Skeletor and Scoopy etc can do their thing.

point taken
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quote:

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bah i knew what i was doing, i was just lying in wait so i didnt have to jump up the gap so when it slowed or refbot got it jammed i could just charge in and stop it.

meh it didnt make a difference anyway's as i was out so whatever.

Ill be fixing those probs so it wont happen again.

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I think Orbit can be made completely safe as long as the failsafe and safety server stay powered up. We can make that area more reliable and orbit will have a good safety record again.

On pit area testing, I always take the weapon blade off if I am going to work on the bot and I chock the wheels off the bench if I might be powering up the bot.
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Australian 2015 Featherweight champion
UK 2016 Gladiator champion