I would like to be very clear that I am not having a go at Scoopy or any other individual robot. I am just asking about the rule.

My favourite bot ATM is a control bot, Sproing. (see coolest robot in 2005 thread) I cheer every time Andrew manages to catch a bot and lift it. I think that it is ingenious and requires great skill.

I do find myself looking at the clock and waiting for the release after about 15 seconds, however.

Control bots are a very important part of our sport and I would like to see more of them. I just find the hunt and capture more exciting than the next thirty seconds.
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So even the rain that falls isn't actually going to fill our dams and our river systems

I think that pinning another robot is a valid aggresive action but it still seems un-sportsman like to me. For a control robot (eg Sproing) grabbing hold of the other robot is all part of the fun but for a wedge or scoop robot to simply hold another robot against a wall is just anoying.
As for seperating robots during a match I reckon that it is a good idea that the robots be moved a meter or so appart and be turned away from each other until the match can be resumed.
As for tapping out or calling for a seperation then it only makes sense that the drivers are standing within earshot of the referee who is in charge of the timing. If they are not or cannot then it is the resposibility of the EO to make sure that they are able to.
Stuck and/or tapout buttons sound good to me (Most American arenas have them, even some antweight arenas) because if your robot is stuck or imobilised then you obviously don't need both hands on the controls anyway. Footpedals are bad because it would be horrible to lose a fight because you accidently stood on the tapout button.
Unrelated but anyway, I believe that starting a spinning weapon or moving a robot before the buzzer sounds is bad sportsmanship!
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Get Some!!!

Secretary of the Queensland Robotics Sports Club inc.

I think Scoopy and now possibly Skeletor bring up the control rule more often than bots like Sproing and Pinscher, because just being held in the air for 30 seconds is a lot less scary than watching a saw (or a drill) chomp into you for 30 seconds while you cant move.. it seems like ages as you watch the cut go deeper and deeper.

Control Bots that are equipped with Active weapons are what bring on the "Let me Go NOW !!" feeling and hence people worry about them.

True, a wedge holding you up against the arena wall for 30 seconds is also exhibiting control, but no-one panics while being held there, usually the wedge driver gets bored and backs off for another ram attack well ebfore 30 seconds is up.

On a related note, Andrew A's ingenious foam strategy with Sproing has been discussed a bit post-event, and the conclusion we have come to is that being stuck on a piece of the robot counts as being stuck together with that other robot, and if the stick lasts 30 seconds, then the robots should be seperated.

Picking the opponent up and lowering them down on the foam again doesnt count, since there is no time that the opponent is *seperated* from the main or "sub-pieces" of Sproing, and so it counts as a Stuck-together. Only if the opponent is free of contact from *any* piece of Sproing would the 30 second countdown be reset. Sorry Andrew..

Can you imagine what would happen if we had active-hazards in the Arena ?
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Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people

quote:

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Originally posted by Philip Taylor:


I do find myself looking at the clock and waiting for the release after about 15 seconds

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in most of the batles i was in i couldnt hear the start buzzer or the end one mabe it needs an amplifier or a louder buzzer i think most people can hear the car horn on the HOC timer we use at our local events .It is sounded to start the match and sounds again after 3 minutes and can also be turned on by a driver to anoince a tap out .

As builder of a ram bot who hates this the most 30 seconds is fine so long as we got a judge keeping a eye on the time (did very well this event)

It takes a lot to build it and then event more to actully use it I see no problem

As for the foam thing lol was intersting but didn't care that fight as I would have lost anyway as due to the armor the only point I could really ram was the frount and no reverse means I was basily helping to clamp myself
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Team KO