|
Robotic Combat has lived in
many forms across the world over the past decade or so. It is most famous
for its television programme, Robot Wars. Robotic Combat, now no longer on
the TV screens (except for endless repeats of Robot Wars) lives on in live
events where these homemade battling machines go into the battle arena to
fight it out (similar rules to the TV show apply) until the opponent is
immobilised and the winner is crowned! This sport is now a very serious
one and there are many live events and festivals organised by many
different roboteers and organisations (mainly the FRA) with many different
robot warring tournaments. The live events are shown in front of a live
audience. Live events are organised all over the place (mainly in the UK)
and you can be there to experience the series, but still very entertaining
and fun sport of robotic combat!
This sport is not only fun but
is also very educational. It gets kids (and females) involved in
engineering, physics, electronics, design & technology, materials,
maths (and there's more). It makes everyone learn and be educated in these
things (adults and young people) as well as having fun at the same time.
Anything that does this, is definitely a good thing! So, it is one of the
very few sports that is also educational as well as fun and
competition-like.
Robotic Combat is not just
luck. Luck plays a very small part in this. The winning robot depends on
how well it is built and how well it is driven. A good robot needs to be
reliable, strong enough to withstand attacks and it must have a great
weapon so it can cause damage to the opponent with the intention of
immobilising it. The building of a robot takes a lot of skill and so does
the controlling of it - skill, knowledge and practice! A good robot driven
badly often loses and a bad robot driven well can often win! Robots need
to be controlled tactfully and skillfully. Come up with your tactics
before the battle. Check out the weaknesses of your opponent so you know
where best to attack it. Control your robot well, attacking the opponent
in the right places at the right time and drive the robot accurately which
often means bashing your opponent into the arena walls and not yourself!
The Fighting Robot
Association (FRA) is the main governing body of this incredible new sport.
They set the standards and rules which all teams must obey. To take part
in live events and in the open circuit, you need to be a member of the
FRA. For more details, click
here. The FRA is an organisation of roboteers and event organisers who
are carrying the banner of robot combat into the future. Their rules and
guidelines not only cover robot build, but include arena safety for
the open circuit.
For details of how you can
witness a live robotic combat event for yourself, check out the various
websites. Many
features of the TV show do not exist in proper robotic combat events (e.g.
the live events). These features that no longer exist include arena
hazards and the house robots. This is so the serious tournament and
competition side of the sport can be focused on at all times and not just
for pure entertainment reasons as was the case for the TV show.
Is Robotic Combat a Sport?
Yes, it is - read the
following.
Take a look at this. It is the
definition for "sport" in a dictionary:
" sport
noun (plural sports)
1.
competitive physical activity:
an individual or group competitive activity involving physical exertion
or skill, governed by rules, and sometimes engaged in professionally
2. pastime:
an active pastime participated in for pleasure or exercise"
Ok, let's analyse this.
1. Robotic combat is competitive because
robots (Robotic Combat Vehicles - RCVs) take part in tournaments, challenges and competitions
eliminating the loser(s) and the winner(s) go through to the next
round/battle. It is an individual or group activity (robot teams can
consist of one or more team persons controlling their robot). It says
"involving physical exertion or skill" in the above dictionary
definition. Robotic combat doesn't involve much physical exertion (except
for lifting heavy robots and tools etc.) but it does involve a lot of
skill. Skill is required to build the
robotic combat vehicle in the first place so skills in engineering,
physics, electronics, welding, building, soldering, possible computer
programming and designing are necessary to build a robotic combat vehicle
which functions properly. Parts like electric motors, chassis, drive
systems and speed controllers will be needed. The other time in this sport
when skill is required (all sports require skill of some sort and robotic
combat is no exception) is when actually controlling/driving/operating
your RCV in either the arena (when battling another RCV, your opponent) or
during practice and testing of your robot. You gain the skill of driving
your robot through experience which gives you practice and teaches you how
to handle your robot. In another sport, say, football, the skill of
kicking the ball in the right direction, dribbling, tacking etc. are
gained by practice and experience just like skills in robotic combat.
Continuing with my analysis of the dictionary definition of
"sport" proving that robotic combat is a sport, it says
"governed by rules" and robotic combat certainly has got many of
its own rules keeping the game safe, entertaining and fair just like all
other sports. "Sometimes engaged in professionally" is the next
thing mentioned in the dictionary. Well, I haven't come across an example
of this and if this does happen, it is rare as people do take up this
sport in their spare time but I am sure it won't be long until people
start taking up this sport professionally.
2. "Pastime:
an active pastime participated in for pleasure or exercise." I
totally agree with this. It is an active pastime (people pursue their
interest in their spare time) and people do participate in it (a hobby, an
interest, in their spare time etc.) for pleasure. It says or
exercise and people don't do robotic combat for the exercise but
definitely for the pleasure involved in this sport.
So, I think we can safely say that robotic
combat is a sport!
Robot Wars is the entertainment show for
this sport but now robotic combat is very much alive outside television with
roboteers and other organisations (like the FRA)
organising live robotic combat festivals and
events on a national and international level.
Also see: Robot
Wars Info, Live Robotic Combat Events
|
