Water Bots - Floaters

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limpet
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Water Bots - Floaters

Post by limpet »

Following some initial ideas and discussions at the recent AWS I am designing and building a water arena to enable floating robots.
This will be a whole new class and will be trialled at Robonerd this year.
If you would like to build for it the weight limit is 200 grams and must fit in a five inch cube. Rules are debatable be will be based on the AWS format. We can adapt as it goes.
Full combat, enclosed arena with a ‘drop off’ area.
Spinners and water.... hmmm
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Spaceman
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Re: Water Bots - Floaters

Post by Spaceman »

Surface floaters or submersibles... or both?
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limpet
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Re: Water Bots - Floaters

Post by limpet »

build a floater for now
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Kyro
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Re: Water Bots - Floaters

Post by Kyro »

are tiny cannons allowed? and can i have nano bots swing from the masts armed to the teeth and board my opponent's vessel?

there are no rules at sea... ;)
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Re: Water Bots - Floaters

Post by James Williams »

This sounds like it could be a lot of fun. Being on water really would create a new meta as well as create new weapon types (I'm already thinking of some sort of drill to damage the underside of robots). I'd imagine there would have to be a new layer of safety rules & procedures since water & electrics don't mix.
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Re: Water Bots - Floaters

Post by MarkR »

Are liquid (water cannon) weapons allowed, given that it's in water anyway?

Maximum battery voltage for Antweights is 24v according to the AWS rules. Max for all classes is 50v DC according to FRA. Even 50v is unlikely to cause any real harm to someone who gets their fingers wet and stuck across the battery; they might feel it a bit.
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limpet
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Re: Water Bots - Floaters

Post by limpet »

I`ll make a draft set of rules but basically if its allowed at AWS then its probably allowed in this, so tethered projectiles etc.
For safety there is a 4s lipo limit.
Water in your electrics will probably kill your bot, a bit like a spinner blade going through them, just a hazard to design against.
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Re: Water Bots - Floaters

Post by peterwaller »

Just hooked up this test rig to see what is possible in this new field. The paddle steamer drive means it it amphibious assuming there are shallows in the arena.
https://youtu.be/Ow2mLp1GdOU
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Re: Water Bots - Floaters

Post by peterwaller »

I have been playing with hulls for a floater and have been surprised just how big they need to be to support 200 gms.
Below is a picture at my first try compared with one that still only just worked and when you consider this is a catamaran so there are two hulls and this is before you consider lifting another robot.
Image
Also I have been thinking how the arena is going to work. I can see how you can have a drop off but with possible over 100 mm below the surface lifting them over the edge is going to be very difficult. Balance is another problem I have been putting weights on the twin hulls to see what it can support and even just a little off center on a boat that is low in the water causes terrible tipping / capsizing problems. Also if spinners are allowed you would need to ensure they don't get anywhere near the water proof liner of the arena. I am not trying put a dampener (pun) on this just highlight things that need to be solved if this is going to work. On the plus side I am learning all sorts of things I hadn't known before and having a great time trying to solve the many problems even though it is taxing my ageing brain.
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