Randomness

**anukhet** · 23rd June 2005, 19:02

I want one too....please santa Im a good girl really

**RogueTwoRobots** · 23rd June 2005, 20:04

Could be an interesting tactic for a battle - a big angry spinner is coming towards you, about to smash you up. Doomed? No chance - just take off and circle the arena and hope that his batteries die before yours. Battle won

(Provided it isnt outlawed by the rules :P)

**geoff** · 23rd June 2005, 20:07

To quote a line from Mr Will Smith.....

I gotta get me one of these!

They look like serious fun!

(Wonder where you can get one??)

**geoff** · 23rd June 2005, 21:07

Lenny,
This is what the FRA build rules say on the subject! I think 3.1.6. & 3.2 cover it!..Sorry!

3. Mobility
3.1.
All Robots must have (easily visible mobility) in order to compete. Methods of mobility include:
3.1.1.
Rolling (wheels or the whole robot)
3.1.2.
Walking (linear actuated legs)
3.1.3.
Shuffling (rotational cam operated legs)
3.1.4.
Ground effect air cushions (hovercrafts)
3.1.5.
Jumping and hopping (although the height may be limited by each event due to arena safety constraints)
3.1.6.
Flying (helium balloons, ornithopters, etc.)(Currently flying robots are not allowed unless prior approval by the event has been granted.)
3.2
Robots are not permitted to use exposed rotating aerofoil, rocket or jet propulsion methods.

**ewan** · 23rd June 2005, 21:15

Come to think of it, the possibilities of a flying 6kg robot are really good

please someone make one as it would be just so cool

**RogueTwoRobots** · 24th June 2005, 00:41

Ah nuts, thats my plan outta the window. Might as well stick to a wheeled robot and hope for the best

**geoff** · 24th June 2005, 01:07

I have been thinking...Provided that you only skim the arena floor, say at a height of no more than 100mm then you could conceivably argue that you are taking advantage of a strange aerodynamic property called ground effect.
Back during the cold war the Russians succeeded in flying a 500 ton jet powered boat I recall it was called an Accranoplan (spelling??) at a height of 2 or 3 meters above the water using what amounted to a cushion of high pressure air that formed under the craft above a certain critical speed.

Now, by using that premis you may get round rule 3.1.6. by claiming that rule 3.1.4. should in fact apply.
also if you could put the propeller in some sort of shroud you could also claim that you can comply with the exposed rotating aerofoil element of rule 3.2 !

There you go Lenny, all is not lost!

**RogueTwoRobots** · 24th June 2005, 12:15

Woohoo! lol. I doubt whether my level of engineering (which is practically non-existent) is good enough to develop such a craft - though it could make an interesting project when I start uni