15th-17th June 2007 Robolympics 2007

Ladies & gentlemen,
I know its a long way off but I thought it was worth putting this up now.
Robolympics 2007 will be held on 15th - 17th June and with over a years notice, I think its about time we made a concerted effort to fly the flag of UK roboteering in the good ol US of A.
We have agreed with David Calkins that entry fees will be waived and providing that your machine if fully compliant with the current FRA build rules it will be allowed to compete without any modifications.
Im willing to act as liaison for any UK or European teams that may wish to go, if I can get an idea of numbers Ill make enquires to see if we can get some sort of deal for flights, air freight, accommodation, etc.
So come on, start saving up and lets send a UK/European contingent to show our former colonial cousins just how robot combat should be done!!
Any interested teams can contact me at teamscorpion@aol.com

Geoff Smith
Chairman,
Fighting Robot Association.

Like i said in the other thread about this years games, this is a fantastic competition!

Going up against the likes of SJ, sewer snake and megabyte was definately an experience I will never forget.

We can get very good discounts on hotels near the venue - we do that every year.

Really hope to see you guys this year and next. And dont limit yourslef to combat! Weve got robo-soccer, hockey, sumo, and much more! Bring lots of bots to teh states, and lots of medals back home.. . :mrgreen:

If they are the same medals that we won they are very cool! Scrolling text across them on a wee display!

This sounds like a VERY good idea to me. And as indicated above, the Americans have a lot of weight classes for combat robots. The ones that are most popular there are not the same as ours; here is a table of the entries in the 2006 Robolympics as of a few days ago.

Wt Class Entries

150 g 6
1 lb 29
1 lb autonomous 4
3 lbs 9
12 lb 17
30 lbs 16
60 lbs 20
120 lbs 24
220 lbs 12
340 lbs 4

And from what Ive read they are very powerful machines. Have a look at http://www.botmag.comwww.botmag.com. Here is an extract from one of their articles:

Advances in battery, motor, armor, and electronics technology have permitted quantum leaps in the power that is packed into the latest generation of combat robots. Driven by the pressure of a National competition schedule that includes about 50 events a year all around the country, top competitors are forced to evolve and improve their machines every few months.

Kevin Berry, who fights in the smaller insect weight classes, reminisces; My first 3-pound beetle bot back in 2003 was built under a cake pan and it held up pretty well. Now I use custom formed titanium over a Kevlar honeycomb and we still get beaten up pretty badly in competitions.
--o0o--

We are going to face some rough competion.

Well, The Aussies are coming. Weve already got 4 Aussie teams registered in the 30 pound (13.6 kg) category. Korea will be sending several 60 pound (27.2 kg) bots. We had four Brazilian teams last year - and they won gold in 3 pound, and bronze in 120 pound combta and android soccer:
http://robogames.net/2006.phphttp://robogames.net/2006.php

There will be several robot soccer teams from England and Scottland coming as well as some hexapods, ants, and BEAM bots..

So how about it guys? 11 months to plan and build, but register soon. Im capping all events at 32 robots. Weve already got 54 as of this writing, so I expect 1, 12, 30, 60, and 120s to actually fill up this year.

http://www.buildersdb.com/eventdetail.asp?eventID=196http://www.buildersdb.com/eventdetail.asp?eventID=196

looks very interesting.
who else is planning to go so far. I know those above who have said so are planning to go, but any british teams signed up we dont know about?

TV?
if so
prize/apearance money?

sorry if that question is answered on your site, couldnt find it.
cheers

TV is always there.

No prize or appearance money - we just cant afford it.

this is tricky,
i REALLY want to be there, but cant commit until september, maybe even december due to the little on arriving (see profile pic for cute picture of her)
ill have to take my chances on there being places left if i am able to make it.

another option of course, if anyone else is going and assuming i cant, maybe they could run one of my machines there for me?

Wed be thrilled to have you or your bot. Weve had several other teams running bots for people that couldnt make it, so thats no problem.

The event is 11 months away. If airfare is Eu1200 (max), and hotel etc is another Eu300, its really only about EU200 per month if a person starts saving now. Its definatley do-able.

You can also try for SMALL sponsors. Many teams find success getting Eu100 or Eu250 sponsorships. A few of them and youre done. NOt very glamourous, but it pays the bills.

Point out the press page:
http://robogames.net/news.phphttp://robogames.net/news.php
Sponsors love press, but they often do it for a good feeling... (no really.)

I hope that you guys will start trying now to find a way to come. Ill waive the fees for the first 3 German teams that register - its a small bit I know, but it helps.

I would really like this to be a truly International competition. We will have Brit teams for soccer - but combat is the king. So please try to come.

Thanks for everything!

EU1200? what that in proper money lol
if i stick to my budgets i can afford to bring Tanto but i wont commit til i see how battered sheis after the UK championships, althou there shouldnt be much anyone can do to her. So proberbly David youll have an English heavyweigh over.

In proper money thats 1200 euros. In archa¯c denomination 830 gbp. :)

lol well done Leo

so how many of our old pennies buy you a yoo-roe?, 20?
new it may be, but until the exchange rate hits 1 for 1, we are still GREAT britain :)
just making up for my lack of interest in the football, and sticking up for our old island.

hi David, desided to come now, so long as im sensible money wise ill be going see u in june

craig, if i cant make this event could you run my robot for me?

long way off, so no info about my machine for you yet, but it will be featherweight, possibly lightweight, and ill cover any extra shipping costs.

damage is not your problem if it gets any, so no worries there.

let me know if it may be possible, assuming i cant be there myself

This looks like great fun, better start saveing!

yes james so long as u deal with entry for it urself ill ship it with tanto, also anyone else looking to go would be far cheaper to bundle together. email is on my profile or contact me on http://www.myspace.com/tantosarmy2www.myspace.com/tantosarmy2 lol lil self promotion

Pillow Torque & Pain in the Asp now signed up
Craig, will contact you about some shipping.
Pain In The Asp will be a featherweight Sewer Snake that Matt and Wendy Maxham have very kindly allowed me to build.

Big red bouncy wheels Im hoping :)

geoff, could you keep me up to date with your shipping arrangements please? It would be really helpful to me to liase with you on this. I am 99% sure to send robots, even if I cant follow them

cheers

The Bulldog Boyz are really interested!!!! for 2007,but have some serious personal issues underway at the mo, once sorted we will be back
competeing again, ( flippers forever)

Der Boyz

Heres the latest non-US registrants (with 9 months to go...) I still expect a lot of Korean and Brazilian bots.

Australia Featherweight Devastator
Australia Featherweight Jolt
Australia Featherweight King Cobra
Australia Featherweight ORBIT EVO

Netherlands Fairyweight DBA
Netherlands Fairyweight MBY
Netherlands Featherweight BonX
Netherlands Featherweight SKP

United Kingdom Beetleweight Boudicca
United Kingdom Hobbyweight Terror Turtle
United Kingdom Featherweight pain in the asp
United Kingdom Featherweight Pillow Torque
United Kingdom Heavyweight Tanto

to everyone who has emailed me bout shipping ill be in touch at the end of the month if i dont see u at doncatser

Iran and Brazil teams have registered. Slots filling up pretty quick...

Brazil - Antweight - MicroTouro
Brazil - Beetleweight - MiniTouro
Brazil - Hobbyweight - Tourinho
Brazil - Middleweight - Touro

Iran - Featherweight - Gootoo

Only 11 slots left for feathers. Id really love to see more middle and heavyweights from Europe. I know how expensive it is for you guys - but I hope more of you can make it!

Someday well have a nice sponsor to pay for everyones airfare...

Actually I make it 5 slots left for feathers. Twenty one registered and twenty six slots.

i think i might need to redraw SKP, its still a POP, and if i ever want to go to the US i need the money for the tickets.

John:

I set a buffer for all events. 32 bots can compete. Feathers is the hottest class, os it has the biggest buffer - 6.

In short, teh buffer is there for foreign contestants (read: you guys). Once the buffered alottment is full (26), I put bots on the reserve list. If there are 6 reserves, eveyone gets in. If there are 8, I pick 6. Country of origin and compeitiveness of robot are the only two factors there. So if a US builder with a crappy bot is on the reserve list, hes probably gonna save some money on airfair, while a UK builder with a lethal bot is gonna need a visa.

Get it?

Of course, anyone can circumvent my power-mad machinations by registering early.

I am considering entering some of my Antweights and need to know about the radio requirements.
Quote from Geoff Smith Above
We have agreed with David Calkins that entry fees will be waived and providing that your machine if fully compliant with the current FRA build rules it will be allowed to compete without any modifications.
Does this include radio frequencies.

Peter,
Radio is somewhat of a grey area, allocated frequency band are set in legislation by the government of individual countries and not by the likes of the FRA or the RFL.
Officialy it should be 75 Mhz. You could use 40Mhz in the US, (It has been done) BUT if the agents the FCC (Federal Comunication Commision) turn up to the event, slap the cuffs on you and drag you off to Guantanamo Bay then you are on your own!!! :wink:
You may want to consider 2.4 Ghz as a frequency that would be acceptable virtualy world wide.

Possibly David C. may be able to clarify the position further in relation to this event.

(Message edited by scorpion on September 16, 2006)

Im not the FCC.

Our only concern is checking frequencys in and out during the event, so no two radios are on at the same time.

We catch you using a radio w/o checking out the freq, I get VERY grumpy.

I catch you using a non-FCC compliant radio and I... hey, is that chicken? I love chicken. Oh, can I have the thigh? mmmm.... What was I saying?

Peter, 2.4 gigahertz seems to be emerging as a good alternative and it is legal both here and in the US. If you want to keep costs down you can use 27 MHz which is the only other band that is legal for ground model control both here and in the US. None of ants (fairyweights as the Americans call them)currently registered for the 2007 Robolympics is using 27 MHz - you would have the band to yourself.

john, could you drop me an email about this event please?
id like to keep in touch about your arrangements going over, as if possible i intend to join my robot over there.
it would be good for all uk roboteers to keep in contact about this event, so we can invade the US together?
cheers

Guys,
Jen & I are planning to fly out at the begining of June, hire an RV, and have couple weeks driving around the west coast, ending up in SF on the 14th. Im hoping to save on a hotel by parking the RV at the event (Mobile UK team HQ?)
(How big is the car park at the venue David?)
As to shipping robots, as we are only taking 2 feathers it is cheaper for us to pack them as checked baggage and pay for any excess weight at check in.
As James says, make sure we all keep in touch on this.
Geoff.

i probably stay at the youth hostel across the street from fort mason. its just 14 pounds a night.
i think ill check in my feather and antweights too, it costs about the same to ship it to the US compaired with the extra fees for heavier baggage

(Message edited by cavecrusher on September 19, 2006)

Geoff: You CAN park in the Ft. Mason parking lot, but theyll charge you. We have no contgrol over parking fees. For cars, its $8/day. For RVs, theres some exorbitant fee like $50/day. Im not exactly sure what it is, but it may be as much as $100. The parking lot itself is massive, and wont have any problems with space. Last year, we had 2 or 3 RVs there the whole week, so there is precedent for this kind of thing.

This is an OK arial photo. The shadows belie how much parking space is available.
http://www.skypic.com/sanf/12-6482.jpghttp://www.skypic.com/sanf/12-6482.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bre/168702125/in/set-72157594168170067/http://www.flickr.com/photos/bre/168...7594168170067/
Rick Russ can teach you teh fine art of BBQ if you guys park next to each other.

Tim: The hostel is great. Drunken stumbling distance from the venue. Your bots can be left at the venue though (we have paid security, although I can never 100% guarantee anything. We just do our best to reduce targets of opportunity. But with 5000 sq meters, you cant cover all the avenues of theft.)

All: Feathers and ants (1 lb) are now full to the buffer (26.) Email me and Ill put you on the waitlist for either. Lots of room still for 150g - what we call fairies and you call ants. With registration this hot at 9 months out, I expect most classes to get full.

I really hope more 100kg bots can make it.

Right I have entered 3 Ants (UK) and a 500gm Sumo
so I had better start saving.

FYI:

There was talk on teh RFL forum (for those here who may lurk) about a date/venue change to May in San Jose due to a possible full sponsorship. That wont be happening - which is actually good news on both accounts.

The sponsor is OReilly Books (the publisher of computer books with the animals on the cover.)

They will still be sponsoring both RoboGames 2007 as well as ComBots Cup 2007 (the US$10,000 heavyweight championship in Feb.)

Further, they WILL be doing an exhibition only show in San Jose in May. It wont have unlimited robots - its probably not something you guys want to attend - but it will help pay for RG07.

Theyre being incredibly genrous however, and helping to ensure our survivial. Theyre also helping us find other sponsors.

Really looking forward to seeing you all in June. And I really cant say this enough: If youre brinign a combat robot, please consider also building/buying a non-combat robot such as a sumobot, robo-one, fire-fighter, line-follower, or lego. There are 70+ categories. You can make some very lightweight robots in the non-combat classes. In some cases, these classes only have 3 or 4 entries, so medals are almost assured.

Thanks guys.

Were probably going to be able to do cash prizes for the event - up to $5000 for 220lbs/100kg.

Hope more of you can make it.

Hi David, were still planning to bring Tanto jus sorting out shipping and flights