Other class types

I was reading a book about combat robotics and it seemed to mention other class types such as hobbyweights. i plan to build my first robot but i fear a featherweight may be too heavy at 13.6kg. I was wondering if these other class types exist between 5 and 8 kg and if their are competitions for them in the UK. I was also wondering whether micro controllers such as arduino and rasberry pi are allowed in combat robotics, why people dont use them more and would it be a bad idea to make an arduino combat robot.

Best regards
Jamie:talker:

its pretty much beetleweights (1.5kg) then featherweights, beetles are good for starting out IMO

In the UK you are looking at ants (grams), beetles (1. something or other kilo), featherweights (13.6kg) and heavyweights (100kg although may now be 110kg). All very confusing.

Nothing to say that you have to build to the full weight limit although it would put you at a disadvantage. Why don't you want to build so high?

In terms of micro controllers, by all means go for it. However few of us are programmers and there are a good number of tried and tested control solutions available so we stick to those. As long as your robot doesn't fall foul of the rules and will failsafe when required then by all means go ahead.

The Hobbyweight you read about are primairily used in the states.
However here on europe's mainland (Netherlands, Belgium and Germany) we handle Raptorweights which are basicly hobbyweights.
They may also weigh up to 6kg but voltage and motorsizes are limited to balance the class. This is so that even newer builders stand a good chance to win.

So, even though there are no 6kg machines on your side of the northsea. There are a few nearby.

Nanoweights: 25g
Fleaweights: 75g
Antweights: 150g
Beetleweights: 1.5kg
Featherweights: 13.6kg (30lbs)
Heavyweights: 100/110kg

I actually use arduinos in some of my bots but the truth is that they aren't really needed in most bots. I use arduinos to enforce custom control and limit switches on axes but most other bots I run don't need them.

There are various weight classes that other countries use which your book may reference, but are not active in the UK:

Fairyweight: 150g with no size limit
US ant: 1 lbs
US Beetle: 3 lbs
Raptor: 6kg
Hobbyweight: 12 lbs(?)
Sportsman: Hobbyweight (?) with a special rule set
Lightweight: 25 kg
Middleweight: 50 kg
Superheavyweight: 150kg

I have an Adafruit Trinket in my featherweight, as well as custom code for the ESCs (basically Arduinos). Otherwise I avoid them, why make something that may not be reliable when I can just buy something for £5 which is?

Sportsman, Australian class, is the same weight as the feathers, but with serious limitations on weapons.

There is actually a logic to why only these weight categories exist in the UK:
Nanoweights: 25g
Antweights: 150g
Beetleweights: 1.5kg
Featherweights: 13.6kg (30lbs)
Heavyweights: 100/110kg
They're all roughly 1/10th the weight limit above it.

Fleaweights being the exception to the rule. UK Antweights have a reserved entry berth for Walkers or clusters. Thus enough Antweight cluster halves exist to make the weight class viable.

They pretty much all follow the square cubed law where the next class up doubles the dimensions of bots in the x,y and z axis increasing the volume and therefore the weight by 8 (give or take).