Something to think about.

[robjones]

If you can build a 6Kg one you can build a 12Kg one
We use free speed controllers and motor drives systems from scrapped radio contol cars/houserobots in our 6Kg robots. Too weak for the 12+ kgs. (pics on http://www.xenomania.co.ukwww.xenomania.co.uk)

Is everythng is OK in the featherweight world?The facts speak for themselves. Look at how many new feathereweight teams have appeared in the last twelve months? We are hardly overrun with new blood (in the UK anyway)Is it better in Oz I wonder.

Babeth. If it takes more than 18 months to build one then your going to be well gutted when it gets chopped to bits by vortex, scorpion jnr or another nasty spinner!! Ive personally seen those robots destroy feathers in seconds. If teams CAN use genuine scraps like heavy wiper motors, scraps of steel plate, heavy ex burglar alarm sla batteries, home made microswitch controllers, the robot will be heavier but much cheaper to replace. I bought a second hand arc welder for £15 from a car boot for steel welding but you need much more expensive kit for aluminium.
I noticed Kashei Bessmertney uses a nicad pack. My students could never afford nicads....and if we waited 18 months for them to finish their robots the kids would have left school. We only have lunchtimes, twice a week.

Maybe we need a radical approach to this. A new entry class at 13.6Kg? Limited costs? Limited age category?
Just some thoughts!

[maddox]

Rob, the cells that you see on Kashei are old UPS Hawker Cyclon SLA 2V 2.5Ah cells. Recycled from Compaq brand UPS systems. One of the belgian roboteers had a line to the remover.Those UPS systems get a replacement every 2 years.
Those are replaced by one of our Heavyweight PBQ 12V 9 Ah batteries.

And the reason Kashei is still in the build, is that Im having more work than only building a feather for ourselfs.
Remodeling a house ,inventing new ways for weaponsystems, and building them.And of course a normal permanent nightshift job.

And when Kashei is finished, it will be put against other feathers like Vortex or Scorpion Junior or even worse. Without any problems in the fact he could be destroyed in mere seconds. The only result will be that I will curse myself by building it that bad.

Personally, if we€™re talking about an entry level to roboteering or starting a new weight category, the hobby weight debate might kick back up again€¦

*thinks*
Dear God!!!!! Noooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!

Anyway, as we were saying. Personally, I think creating another category at the featherweight weight limit (possible or otherwise) would undermine it, myself, but there you are.

Though if you were thinking imposing limits, these seem fair to me:

Max voltage: 24V
Max motor power: 500w per motor
No brushless motors on spinners.
Max pneumatics pressure: 16 bar
Banned materials: Performance RC battery packs, Titanium, Hardox, etc.
Spinners cannot:
Be more than 24€ in length at any point.
Spin over 500 rpm.
Weigh more than 20% of the weight limit.

Though someone will no doubt object. But there we are. By the way:

Rob: http://www.combatchip.comwww.combatchip.com is down :sad:. Is there any chance you could post me the URL to the shop linking off the site?

Elizabeth: What a gorgeous name . However you mentioned an incapacitating illness:sad:. What kind exactly?

[robjones]

Combatchip is no more. 4 hits a week doesnt justify £20 per year!! I havent renewed it.

@ Ceri: Elisabeth is my official name but I prefer Babeth which is shorter and more difficult to mispronounce. I have ME (a.k.a. chronic fatigue syndrome) and fibromyalgia.

It seems that our featherweight and heavyweight may never come off the ground because Mario makes so many parts for other people (in order to have the finances to build ours) and he sometimes takes other peoples robots in for an overhaul. Time is a most precious and rare commodity in this house.

@ Rob: The point I was trying to make is that even for adult roboteers its not always easy to come up with a robot just like that and many of us have in fact the very same problems as students, i.e. lack of finances, tools, time and materials. But we communicate, negotiate and co-operate. And that is why we have now a community of roboteers.

Mario has invented a formula that perfectly describes the problem:
time + money = robot.

Based on that you can say:
(+time) + (+money) = (+robot)
(+time) + (-money) = (-robot)
(-time) + (+money) = (-robot)
(-time) + (-money) = (0robot)

You can add creativity, materials and tools to the equation, like for instance:
(+time) + (+creativity) + (-money) = (+robot)

Instead of time one can use patience. And that is a valuable lesson for youngsters because they are going to need loooots of it when trying to find and keep a job. Consider it an education. Which is exactly what life is all about, really.

Geoff, you posted on Sunday, 06 February, 2005
quote:

Any possable changes to the weight limit are due to be discussed at the next FRA committee meeting, due to take place on 12/02/05.
We will let you all know the outcome shortly afterwards.
How soon is shortly?

The full version will be published in the minuets, but the feeling at the meeting was that the weight limit should remain at 12Kg for the foreseeable future.

minuets?????
I look forward to the Committees performance. Will you all dress up for it?

Geoff

Does that meet the committee favoured option 1? A quick tally of the above posts since you posted the four options gave 1 for option 1, 14 for option 2 and none for option 3 or 4 (if I read them correctly). If so, there must have been plenty of postal votes for option 1!!

Personally I would have preferred the outcome to be decisive and not greyed by foreseeable future, e.g. nothing wrong with saying it will be reviewed again in 3 years time.

Paul

Paul,
You seem to miss the point, it was NOT up for a vote. It was mearly on the agenda to be discussed amongst the committee. Taking all the options into account the overwhelming majority view was that the current 12Kg limit doesnt need to be changed.
There are no plans to re-visit this subject, unless of course the membership formaly ask for a rule change as allowed for in our constitution.

Geoff.