General

All participants build and operate robots at their own risk. Combat robotics is inherently dangerous. There is no amount of regulation that can encompass all the dangers involved. Please take care to not hurt yourself or others when building, testing and competing.

If you have a robot or weapon design that does not fit within the categories set forth in these rules, or is in some way ambiguous or borderline, please contact josephmbetz@gmail.com. Safe innovation is always encouraged, but surprising the event staff with your brilliant exploitation of a loophole may cause your robot to be disqualified before it ever competes.

It is at the sole discretion of the event staff performing inspections that your robot is allowed to compete. As a builder, you are obligated to disclose all operating principles and potential dangers to the inspection staff.

Cardinal Safety Rules
Failure to comply with any of the following rules could result in expulsion or, worse, injury and death.

Radios that do not operate using spread spectrum technology may not be turned on at or near events for any purpose without obtaining the appropriate frequency clip or explicit permission from the event.

Proper activation and deactivation of robots is critical. Robots must only be activated in the arena, testing areas, or with expressed consent of the event and its safety officials.

All robots must be able to be fully deactivated, which includes power to drive and weaponry, in under 30 seconds by a manual disconnect.

Locking devices
Moving weapons that can cause damage or injury must have a clearly visible locking device in place at all times when not in the arena.  It is strongly recommended that locking devices are neon orange or another high-visibility color.  Locking devices must be clearly capable of stopping, arresting or otherwise preventing harmful motion of the weapon. Weapon locks must be reasonably secure according to the discretion of the event organizer. If tipping your robot sideways makes the weapon lock fall out, you’re probably going to be disqualified.

Weapon locking pins must be in place when weapon power is applied during a robot’s power-on procedure.  This includes all powered weapons regardless of the power source.

Weight and size

Robots must weigh less than or equal to 1lb (454g). There are no weight bonuses in the Plastic Ant class.

Approved Materials and Use

PET, PETG, ABS, PLA, or PLA+ are the only materials that can be used for the chassis and weapons. These materials must be 3D printed. No other types of plastics or materials are allowed for the chassis and weapons (i.e. metal, carbon fiber, UHMW, etc.).

Non-plastic parts such as motors, electronics, axles, fasteners, and adhesives can be any material, but cannot be used in such a way to enhance the structural integrity, armor the robot, or enhance any weapon. Foam is allowed for the padding of electronics. Wheels and hubs can be made from any material.

Paint is allowed if its sole purpose is decoration. Coating your robot in garage floor paint or stacking layers of some other “decorative” material will get you disqualified before you ever compete.

Robots may be disqualified at the Event Organizer’s discretion if it is deemed to violate the spirit of the class. Contact josephmbetz@gmail.com ahead of time if you are not sure your robot meets the above definition.

Robot control requirements

Tele-operated robots must be radio controlled, or use an approved custom system.

Tethered control is not allowed.

Fail-safes

Radio systems that stop all motion in the robot (drive and weapons) when the transmitter loses power or signal are required for all robots with active weapons. This may be inherent in the robot's electrical system or be part of programmed fail-safes in the radio.

Weapons must become fully deactivated within 60 seconds of shutdown or fail-safe.

Batteries and Power

The only permitted batteries are ones that cannot spill or spray any of their contents when damaged or inverted. Examples of batteries that are permitted: gel cells, Hawkers, NiCads, NiMh, dry cells, AGM, LIon, LiFe, LiPoly, etc. If your design uses a new type of battery, or one you are not sure about, please contact the event you’re planning to attend.

All electrical power to weapons and drive systems (systems that could cause potential human bodily injury) must have a manual disconnect that can be activated within 15 seconds without endangering the person turning it off. (E.g. No body parts in the way of weapons or pinch points.)  Shutdown must include a manually operated mechanical method of disconnecting the main battery power, such as a switch or removable link. Relays may be used to control power, but there must also be a mechanical disconnect.

All efforts must be made to protect battery terminals from a direct short and causing a battery fire.

All robots with active weapons must have a light easily visible from the outside of the robot that shows its main power is activated. It is still highly recommended for robots without active weapons.

Pneumatics

Pneumatic systems on board the robot must only employ non-flammable, non-reactive gasses (CO2, Nitrogen and air are most common). It is not permissible to use fiber wound pressure vessels with liquefied gasses like CO2 due to extreme temperature cycling.

For pneumatic systems, the maximum actuation pressure is 250 PSI and all components must be used within the specifications provided by the manufacturer or supplier.  If the specifications aren't available or reliable, then it will be up to the event organizer to decide if the component is being used in a sufficiently safe manner.

Hydraulics

Hydraulic systems are allowed with pre-approval by contacting josephmbetz@gmail.com. The event organizer reserves the right to disqualify any hydraulic system deemed to be unsafe. You will be expected to clean any hydraulic fluid that leaks into the arena.

Forbidden Weapons and Materials

Weapons designed to cause invisible damage to the other robot are not allowed. This includes but is not limited to:

• Electrical weapons

• RF jamming equipment, etc.

• RF noise generated by an ICE. (Please use shielding around sparking components.)

• EMF fields from permanent or electro-magnets that affect another robot’s electronics.

Entangling weapons or defenses are not allowed:  these are weapons or defenses that can reasonably be expected to stop drivetrain and/or weapon motion by being wrapped around rotating parts. This includes nets, tapes, strings, and other entangling materials or devices.

• Weapons or defenses that can reasonably be expected to stop combat completely of both (or more) robots.

• Unintentional entangling weapons or defenses are subject to disqualification if the same entanglement happens in more than one match. This is up to the event organizer’s discretion.

Weapons that require significant cleanup, or in some way damage the arena to require repair for further matches are not allowed. This includes but is not limited to:

• Liquid weapons. Additionally, a robot may not have liquid that can spill out when the robot is superficially damaged.

• Liquefied gasses

• Powders, sand, ball bearings and other dry chaff weapons

• Un-tethered projectiles

Open flame weapons are not allowed.

Explosives are not allowed.

Flammables (gas or liquid) are not allowed.

Light and smoke based weapons that impair the viewing of robots are not allowed. (You are allowed to physically engulf your opponent with your robot.) This includes, but is not limited to the following:

• Lights such as external lasers above ‘class I’

• Bright strobe lights which may blind the opponent.

Hazardous or dangerous materials are forbidden from use anywhere on a robot where they may contact humans, or by way of the robot being damaged (within reason) contact humans. Contact josephmbetz@gmail.com if you have a question.