This is the full developer documentation for Combat Robots Wiki # Combat Robots Wiki > An open, community-maintained knowledge base for building and competing with combat robots. Building Weight classes, drive systems, weapons, armor, electronics, and materials. Competing Finding events, safety inspection, the pit, match strategy, and etiquette. Reference Rulesets, glossary, suppliers, and a reading list. AI-friendly The whole wiki is available to LLMs at [`/llms.txt`](/llms.txt) and [`/llms-full.txt`](/llms-full.txt). # Electronics and power > Batteries, ESCs, receivers, and wiring basics for combat robots. ## Core components [Section titled “Core components”](#core-components) * **Battery** — LiPo is standard. Match voltage (cell count “S”) and current (C-rating) to your motors. Use a hardcase pack where the ruleset requires it. * **Drive ESCs** — brushed or brushless speed controllers sized to stall current. * **Weapon ESC** — brushless controller with a slow spin-up / soft-start. * **Receiver** — 2.4 GHz hobby radio. Set failsafes so the robot stops on signal loss. * **Power switch** — a removable link or high-current switch, reachable from outside. ## Wiring checklist [Section titled “Wiring checklist”](#wiring-checklist) * Fuse or link sized correctly; no exposed high-current terminals. * Strain-relieve every connector; the robot will take 100 g shocks. * Keep the receiver away from motors and the weapon ESC. * Test failsafe **before** every event: kill the transmitter, confirm all motion stops. > Expand with brushed-vs-brushless guidance, connector standards, and BEC sizing. # Weapon types > The main combat robot weapon archetypes and their trade-offs. | Type | How it works | Strengths | Weaknesses | | ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | | **Vertical spinner** | Horizontal-axis disc/bar throws opponents up | Self-righting hits, hard to flip | Bite can be inconsistent | | **Horizontal spinner** | Vertical-axis bar/shell sweeps the floor | Huge energy, wide reach | Gyro forces, drives itself around on hit | | **Drum / eggbeater** | Small-diameter horizontal-axis drum | Fast spin-up, controllable | Lower tip speed than a bar | | **Flipper / launcher** | Pneumatic or electric arm | Control, crowd-pleasing, low self-damage | Needs the opponent on top of it | | **Hammer / axe** | Overhead striking arm | Good vs. thin top armor | Low match-ending power | | **Control / wedge** | No active weapon; geometry and pushing | Reliable, cheap, hard to damage | Can’t finish fights; loses on aggression | ## Picking one [Section titled “Picking one”](#picking-one) Beginners often do best with a **wedge or flipper**: fewer failure modes, and you learn driving before you manage a spun-up weapon. Spinners deliver the most damage but punish design and wiring mistakes. # Weight classes > Common combat robot weight classes and what to expect at each. Weight classes vary slightly by organization and country. These are the most common. Always check the ruleset for the specific event you’re entering. | Class | Nominal weight | Notes | | ------------- | --------------- | ------------------------------------------- | | Antweight | 1 lb / 454 g | Cheap entry point; often plastic-bodied | | Beetleweight | 3 lb / 1.36 kg | Very popular hobby class | | Hobbyweight | 12 lb | Bridges beetle and featherweight | | Featherweight | 30 lb / 13.6 kg | Big step up in power and cost | | Lightweight | 60 lb | Less common in the US | | Middleweight | 120 lb | | | Heavyweight | 250 lb / 113 kg | *BattleBots*-style; large budgets and teams | ## Choosing a first class [Section titled “Choosing a first class”](#choosing-a-first-class) * **Antweight / Beetleweight** — lowest cost, forgiving, large event scene, parts fit on a bench. * Walk before you run: most builders start at 1 or 3 lb and move up. > Add per-class build guides as subpages here. # Finding events > How to find combat robot competitions near you. * **Robot Combat Events (RCE)** — the main event calendar and registration platform for North America. * **National / regional leagues** — many countries have their own governing bodies and circuits; search for one in your region. * **Local makerspaces and universities** — often host antweight and beetleweight events with low entry fees. * **Online communities** — builder forums and Discord servers post event announcements and help you find a first competition. ## Before you register [Section titled “Before you register”](#before-you-register) * Read that event’s ruleset in full — weight allowances, weapon limits, and arena size differ. * Check whether the class you built for is actually running at that event. * Budget for spares: you will break things. # Safety inspection > What inspectors check before your robot is allowed to fight. Every event runs a safety check (“tech inspection” or “safety”) before you can compete. Common items: * **Weight** — on the official scale, with your competition battery installed. * **Power removal** — a link or switch that fully disconnects power, operable from outside the robot without tools. * **Weapon lock** — a physical restraint that holds the weapon still during handling in the pit. * **Failsafe** — radio loss stops the drive and weapon within a set time. * **Battery** — approved chemistry, secured, undamaged, correct connectors. * **No sharp hazards** exposed while the robot is powered off and being carried. ## Passing on the first try [Section titled “Passing on the first try”](#passing-on-the-first-try) * Bring the robot to inspection already at fighting weight. * Have the weapon lock and removable link ready to demonstrate. * Power up and show the failsafe working when asked. # Glossary > Common combat robotics terms. * **Bite** — how much of the opponent a spinner’s weapon actually catches per pass. * **Brick** — a robust, weapon-light robot built mainly to survive and push. * **Gyro dancing** — unwanted tilting/hopping of a robot caused by its spinning weapon’s angular momentum. * **Link** — a removable connector that completes the power circuit; pulled to make the robot safe. * **Melty / melty-brain** — a full-body-spinning drivetrain that translates while rotating. * **Pit** — (1) the team work area; (2) an arena hazard that robots can fall into. * **Self-righting** — the ability to get back upright after being flipped. * **Spin-up** — the time for a weapon to reach full speed. * **Wedge** — a low, angled robot that gets under opponents. # Rulesets > Where to find the combat robot rulesets that events are based on. Most events adopt or adapt one of a few widely used rulesets. Always follow the specific event’s published rules, but these are the common starting points: * **SPARC** (Standardized Practices for the Advancement of Robot Combat) — the widely referenced open ruleset in North America, covering weight classes, safety, and arena requirements. * **National governing-body rules** — many countries maintain their own (e.g. for the UK, mainland Europe, Australia); search for the body in your region. * **Event-specific supplements** — individual competitions publish deltas on top of a base ruleset (weapon energy caps, arena size, allowed materials). > Link the exact current ruleset PDFs here and note the version/date. # Contributing > How to add and edit pages on the Combat Robots Wiki. Every page is a Markdown file in `src/content/docs/`. To contribute: 1. Fork the repository. 2. Add or edit a `.md` file in the relevant folder (`building/`, `competing/`, `reference/`). 3. Open a pull request. ## Page format [Section titled “Page format”](#page-format) Each file starts with frontmatter: ```md --- title: Brushless drive motors description: One-line summary for search results and social cards. --- Page content in Markdown... ``` New folders appear in the sidebar automatically if their parent section uses `autogenerate` in `astro.config.mjs`. ## Style [Section titled “Style”](#style) * Write for someone building their first robot in that weight class. * Prefer tables and lists over long paragraphs. * Cite rulesets and sources with links. * Keep vendor mentions neutral; this is not a marketplace. ## Local preview [Section titled “Local preview”](#local-preview) ```bash npm install npm run dev ``` # Introduction > What this wiki is, who it's for, and how it's organized. The Combat Robots Wiki is an open, community-maintained knowledge base for combat robotics: designing and building robots, and competing with them safely. ## Who this is for [Section titled “Who this is for”](#who-this-is-for) * **Newcomers** deciding on a weight class and a first build. * **Experienced builders** looking for reference data and prior art. * **Event organizers and volunteers** who need shared rules and safety guidance. ## How it’s organized [Section titled “How it’s organized”](#how-its-organized) | Section | What’s in it | | ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | | **Building** | Drive, weapons, armor, electronics, power, materials | | **Competing** | Events, safety inspection, the pit, match strategy | | **Reference** | Rulesets, glossary, suppliers, reading list | ## License [Section titled “License”](#license) Content is contributed under an open license (see [Contributing](/start-here/contributing/)). Reuse it, remix it, and send corrections back.