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Robot Carnage!

VARC - Vancouver Area Robot Combat

Upcoming Events

No events scheduled yet, hope to have the first one scheduled by mid-summer 2022. From then on we will be hosting Antweight (1 Lb) and Plastic Antweight (1lbs with restrictions on build materials)
If you're unclear on what is and is not a legal build, see SPARC guidelines for more info on weight classes and build rules.
Note: Due to budgetary restrictions we will likely not be able to run the 3lb Beetleweight class in the near future. The cost to build a safe arena is nearly $8,000 as opposed to around $2,000 for ant weight bots. When our finances can support it (hopefully within a year or two) we will build a Beetleweight arena so we can have two cages running at a time.

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Robot Combat teaches a diverse set of STEM skills to kids of all ages in an exciting, collaborative environment.

In fact they’ll have so much fun they probably won’t even realize how much they’re learning. Electronics, physics, materials science, teamwork, iterative design, manufacturing mathematics and more.

If you are a primary-school-aged child or you have schoolkids who you think might be interested but you don’t know where to start, this is the right place for you!

While we’re building momentum, VARC is offering free seminars to school robotics teams wishing to build their first combat robot. We’re happy to advise you on design, parts, and manufacturing, and we can even offer limited use of our CNC router to help turn your CAD design into reality.

Five General Rules for Building a Winning Bot

The most important thing is reliability. Being tougher than your opponent will win you more matches than hitting harder.
Keep your centre of gravity as low as possible within your overall design. This will help keep you upright and ready to fight, give you a better base to push from, and help keep your armour weight down.
Leave enough room for wires and wobbles. On small bots wiring takes up a surprising amount of room, be sure to leave about 1/3 more space than the components themselves need. Things like wheels and weapons need space too, often they get knocked askew on their axles but can still function so long as they have enough clearance.
Finish early and test safely. The day of the event is a terrible time to find out your bot isn’t working properly. This includes things like dropping it from ceiling height or driving it off stairs. It may be scary to take such risks with a bot you’ve worked so hard on, but if it can’t survive those tests it won’t last long against a heavy-hitting opponent.
Iteration is the key to success. Nobody builds a perfect bot on their first try. The best builders are the ones who come away from every match, win or lose, with ideas on how to be better next time. So enjoy the moment. If you’re going to get destroyed, make it spectacular and come back to the next event stronger than ever!

What's Stopping you from Building Your First Combat Robot?

Seth Schaffer of Just Cuz Robotics did a recent survey of people who wanted to build a combat robot but found barriers to entry were too high, and and posted the results on his Youtube Channel. So I thought I’d address them here. First, the reasons, then an explanation of why they might not apply to many people.

47% said a shortage of time or money.
23% said learning how to design robots, use CAD software, understand gears, belts, bearings, and the mathematics of robot combat.
21% Said the electronics, picking the right parts, wiring, soldering, troubleshooting.
6% Said the actual construction was their main barrier.
Finally, learning how to set up the radio control on a bot clocked in at 4%.

If you find one or more of these reasons is preventing you from entering a bot of your own, here are some things to consider.

1. Kit Bots are an easy way to get started. For around $200 for a basic bot, or $340 with everything you need, including battery, charger, and remote, you can compete. Assembly is simple, all the parts have been specially selected, and as you learn more you can grow and modify your bot, or once you understand the sport better, start designing your own. Our Links page has a wide range of available kit bots, from vicious spinners, to speedy plows. If that’s too much for you and you have some fabrication skills, it’s possible to build a fairly effective bot for under $100 including remote control, batteries, and charger.

2. We’re here for you. Not just at VARC, there’s a whole community of builders who actively encourage newcomers. If you have questions, I’m sure we can find the answers. Everything may look intimidating at first, but remember, most of what makes a good combat robot is keeping it simple. The parts are mostly off-the-shelf radio control hobby parts which are designed for user friendliness. There are also a ton of resources out there, from Youtube channels to step-by-step instructions. Literally anyone who can read this has all the skills they need to build a combat robot and it doesn’t take long to learn.

3. Winning isn’t everything! Losing a match in a spectacular fashion is the quickest way to get an audience cheering for you. It really is thrilling, and if you come with a fun bot that’s just there for the thrills, I guarantee you’ll have an amazing time! So, build it cheap, build it with the wrong materials, build it weird, build a whacky experiment, but build something. Bring it. The community will welcome you with open arms and after the fight is over they’ll even help you sweep up the remains.

What is Robot Combat?

Seth Schaffer from team Just Cuz robotics and team Bloodsport from TV’s Battlebots made this great introduction to the world of combat robotics. It’s a good starting place if you’ve never heard of the sport before, or if you’ve only seen shows like Battlebots where the robots are well beyond both the technical and financial means of most people.

My very first battle

I got to Seattle all ready to kick some bot. My first draw was against one of the best Beetleweights in North America. Things did not go according to plan. If you’re ever feeling down on yourself because your robot got destroyed just remember we were all there at one time. (In case you can’t guess by context, mine is the blue one)

Recent Antweight Battles from Seattle

QUESTIONS?

We’ve got answers. Please e-mail us if you’re thinking of getting involved.