GettingStarted - Revision history

Chklnk: /* Getting Started Guides */ New description for MM tutorial and move toward front

2025-10-25T07:15:01Z

Getting Started Guides: New description for MM tutorial and move toward front

Chklnk: /* Preparing yourself */ Rewording pit strategy a bit

2024-01-06T07:18:07Z

Preparing yourself: Rewording pit strategy a bit

Chklnk: Added headers to preparation section

2023-11-06T06:15:18Z

Added headers to preparation section

Chklnk: /* Preparing yourself */ Pit tactics

2023-11-06T06:12:04Z

Preparing yourself: Pit tactics

Chklnk: Removed duplicate guidebook and emboldened links in Guides section

2023-03-19T22:36:16Z

Removed duplicate guidebook and emboldened links in Guides section

JungleDave: added build4thewin to resouces

2023-03-04T23:02:19Z

added build4thewin to resouces

User: /* Getting Started Guides */ Test box guide

2023-02-12T16:59:08Z

Getting Started Guides: Test box guide

User: /* Getting Started Guides */ added Just Cuz' guide

2023-02-12T16:58:00Z

Getting Started Guides: added Just Cuz' guide

User: /* Getting Started Guides */ Added Witch Doctor Guide

2023-02-12T16:56:35Z

Getting Started Guides: Added Witch Doctor Guide

User: /* Getting Started Guides */ - Added Repeat Robotics Guide

2023-02-12T16:51:43Z

Getting Started Guides: - Added Repeat Robotics Guide

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 =Getting Started Guides=
 *Robert Cowan's '''[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tXSzwzEM2jNGjZ2KYn00ldeHvEru0y3_zlNkVw-F9iI/edit?usp=sharing Combat Robot Resource Guide]''' is packed with useful links and tips.
 *Peter Garnache's '''[https://drive.google.com/file/d/12gA-8xjnxF9-k8PxmurhnEiuI-fv-Lz7/view Beetleweight Combat Robot Design Handbook]'''  is aimed at builders of smaller bots and is a great resource for design tips, manufacturing techniques, and avoiding damage that is common in robot combat. Don't miss the classifications and naming conventions used in combat robotics.
 *'''[https://www.wikihow.com/Build-an-Antweight-Combat-Robot Build an Antweight]''' is a great visual guide to the process.
@@ Line 81: / Line 82: @@
 *'''[https://youtu.be/-fyxuHzDUaY Just 'Cuz Robotics]''' provides a guide on what to expect at your first event.
 *'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw5YuJKg8vA How to build a test box]''' will keep you safe! A guide from team Scorpios.
 *'''[https://build4the.win/ Build 4 The Win]''' is a free site to help you organize the parts list for a bot, including looking at other bot designs and a searchable parts database.

@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 ===Study and engage===
-You will need to effectively engage your rivals in the battle arena, identifying their strengths and seeking out and exploiting weaknesses in their bot designs and in their own driving. You might be able to watch videos of your opponent bots in prior matches to learn about their behavior. However, only in real combat will you learn all the instincts needed to adapt to ever-changing situations. Robot combat is a true sport, and its techniques can be learned and studied not only by watching the videos, but by going to events and fighting.
+You will need to effectively engage your rivals in the battle arena, identifying their strengths and seeking out and exploiting weaknesses in their bot designs and in their own driving. You might be able to watch videos of your opponent bots in prior matches to learn about their behavior. However, only in real combat will you learn all the instincts needed to adapt to ever-changing situations. Robot combat is a true sport, and its techniques can be learned and studied not only by watching videos, but by going to events and fighting.
 ===Pit strategy===
-While at each event, you will have your own spot in the "pits" for repairs and adjustments. Take the time to visit as many competitor's pit tables during the competition and see what they're up to. It's not uncommon for bots to be refitted from one competition to the next, or even modified for individual matches, and you should be prepared with new tactics against potential new threats. You may find your next competitor has a stronger weapon; better armor; or maybe they have had to switch to their old, slightly cracked frame. There is no formal [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homologation_(motorsport) homologation] in combat robotics; anything that meets the weight limit and the rules is fair game, and it's best not to be surprised just at the moment your match starts.
+While at each event, you will have your own spot in the "pits" for repairs and adjustments. Take the time to visit as many competitor's pit tables as possible during the competition, and see what they're up to. It's not uncommon for your opponent's bots to be refitted from one competition to the next, or even modified for individual matches, and you should be prepared with new tactics against potential new threats.
 ===Strong spirit===
-Finally, steel yourself for failure. Parts will fail, things will break, batteries run out, circuits overheat, gears jam, connectors come unplugged, and mighty opponents may cut your bot to ribbons. "The general rule of thumb in any robot competition regardless of weight class is not to put a bot in the arena you aren't comfortable having destroyed."[https://old.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/8ogjpe/choosing_a_controller_rather_costprohibitive/e046ct1/] If defeat comes, congratulate your opponent, return to the pits, rebuild, and return to the arena and triumph.
+Finally, steel yourself for failure. Parts will fail, things will break, batteries run low, circuits overheat, gears jam, belts fall off, connectors come unplugged, and mighty opponents may cut your bot to ribbons. "The general rule of thumb in any robot competition regardless of weight class is not to put a bot in the arena you aren't comfortable having destroyed."[https://old.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/8ogjpe/choosing_a_controller_rather_costprohibitive/e046ct1/] If defeat comes, congratulate your opponent, return to the pits, rebuild, and return to the arena and triumph.

@@ Line 85: / Line 85: @@
 =Preparing yourself=
-After the bot is built, it must be operated. Combat robots need drivers to succeed.
+After the bot is built, it must be operated. Combat robots need drivers to succeed. Two keys to success in the bot arena are '''driving skills''' and '''strategy'''.
-Two keys to success in the bot arena are '''driving skills''' and '''strategy'''. First, you must become a master of your own bot. Find or make a safe place to test your bot without chance of injury to yourself, family, pets, and others, and get plenty of practice driving it as often as possible. Learn how long the battery will hold out before it must be charged. If possible, adjust your controls so that the bot moves and performs as your hands expect it to; for example, adjust the bot or the radio so that when the stick is pushed straight forward, the bot will go straight ahead, and not veer to one side. All of the bot's motions should be predictable and reliable. Then you can practice your moves, just as with any sport, even if all you have is a wood-block dummy to push around.
+===Master driving skills===
 You will need to effectively engage your rivals in the battle arena, identifying their strengths and seeking out and exploiting weaknesses in their bot designs and in their own driving. You might be able to watch videos of your opponent bots in prior matches to learn about their behavior. However, only in real combat will you learn all the instincts needed to adapt to ever-changing situations. Robot combat is a true sport, and its techniques can be learned and studied not only by watching the videos, but by going to events and fighting.
 While at each event, you will have your own spot in the "pits" for repairs and adjustments. Take the time to visit as many competitor's pit tables during the competition and see what they're up to. It's not uncommon for bots to be refitted from one competition to the next, or even modified for individual matches, and you should be prepared with new tactics against potential new threats. You may find your next competitor has a stronger weapon; better armor; or maybe they have had to switch to their old, slightly cracked frame. There is no formal [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homologation_(motorsport) homologation] in combat robotics; anything that meets the weight limit and the rules is fair game, and it's best not to be surprised just at the moment your match starts.
 Finally, steel yourself for failure. Parts will fail, things will break, batteries run out, circuits overheat, gears jam, connectors come unplugged, and mighty opponents may cut your bot to ribbons. "The general rule of thumb in any robot competition regardless of weight class is not to put a bot in the arena you aren't comfortable having destroyed."[https://old.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/8ogjpe/choosing_a_controller_rather_costprohibitive/e046ct1/] If defeat comes, congratulate your opponent, return to the pits, rebuild, and return to the arena and triumph.

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:12, 6 November 2023
Line 90:		Line 90:

	You will need to effectively engage your rivals in the battle arena, identifying their strengths and seeking out and exploiting weaknesses in their bot designs and in their own driving. You might be able to watch videos of your opponent bots in prior matches to learn about their behavior. However, only in real combat will you learn all the instincts needed to adapt to ever-changing situations. Robot combat is a true sport, and its techniques can be learned and studied not only by watching the videos, but by going to events and fighting.		You will need to effectively engage your rivals in the battle arena, identifying their strengths and seeking out and exploiting weaknesses in their bot designs and in their own driving. You might be able to watch videos of your opponent bots in prior matches to learn about their behavior. However, only in real combat will you learn all the instincts needed to adapt to ever-changing situations. Robot combat is a true sport, and its techniques can be learned and studied not only by watching the videos, but by going to events and fighting.
		+
		+	While at each event, you will have your own spot in the "pits" for repairs and adjustments. Take the time to visit as many competitor's pit tables during the competition and see what they're up to. It's not uncommon for bots to be refitted from one competition to the next, or even modified for individual matches, and you should be prepared with new tactics against potential new threats. You may find your next competitor has a stronger weapon; better armor; or maybe they have had to switch to their old, slightly cracked frame. There is no formal [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homologation_(motorsport) homologation] in combat robotics; anything that meets the weight limit and the rules is fair game, and it's best not to be surprised just at the moment your match starts.

	Finally, steel yourself for failure. Parts will fail, things will break, batteries run out, circuits overheat, gears jam, connectors come unplugged, and mighty opponents may cut your bot to ribbons. "The general rule of thumb in any robot competition regardless of weight class is not to put a bot in the arena you aren't comfortable having destroyed."[https://old.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/8ogjpe/choosing_a_controller_rather_costprohibitive/e046ct1/] If defeat comes, congratulate your opponent, return to the pits, rebuild, and return to the arena and triumph.		Finally, steel yourself for failure. Parts will fail, things will break, batteries run out, circuits overheat, gears jam, connectors come unplugged, and mighty opponents may cut your bot to ribbons. "The general rule of thumb in any robot competition regardless of weight class is not to put a bot in the arena you aren't comfortable having destroyed."[https://old.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/8ogjpe/choosing_a_controller_rather_costprohibitive/e046ct1/] If defeat comes, congratulate your opponent, return to the pits, rebuild, and return to the arena and triumph.

@@ Line 70: / Line 70: @@
 =Getting Started Guides=
-*Robert Cowan's [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tXSzwzEM2jNGjZ2KYn00ldeHvEru0y3_zlNkVw-F9iI/edit?usp=sharing Combat Robot Resource Guide] is packed with useful links and tips.
+*Robert Cowan's '''[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tXSzwzEM2jNGjZ2KYn00ldeHvEru0y3_zlNkVw-F9iI/edit?usp=sharing Combat Robot Resource Guide]''' is packed with useful links and tips.
-*Peter Garnache's [https://drive.google.com/file/d/12gA-8xjnxF9-k8PxmurhnEiuI-fv-Lz7/view Combat Robotics Design Handbook]  is a great resource for bot builders looking to learn more about bot design, manufacturing techniques, or even just the classifications and naming conventions used in combat robotics.
+*Peter Garnache's '''[https://drive.google.com/file/d/12gA-8xjnxF9-k8PxmurhnEiuI-fv-Lz7/view Beetleweight Combat Robot Design Handbook]'''  is aimed at builders of smaller bots and is a great resource for design tips, manufacturing techniques, and avoiding damage that is common in robot combat. Don't miss the classifications and naming conventions used in combat robotics.
-*[https://www.wikihow.com/Build-an-Antweight-Combat-Robot Build an Antweight] is a great visual guide to the process.
+*'''[https://www.wikihow.com/Build-an-Antweight-Combat-Robot Build an Antweight]''' is a great visual guide to the process.
-*[https://combatrobotics.co.nz/build-guides/general/ New Zealand guide to getting started] connects "kiwis" with the local scene.
+*'''[https://combatrobotics.co.nz/build-guides/general/ New Zealand guide to getting started]''' connects "kiwis" with the local scene.
-*[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u2wszjPiJOVeC017CCnXBpdU2_T24qVbukyguQFecx4/edit# The Box is Locked] helps you prepare for your first competition.
+*'''[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u2wszjPiJOVeC017CCnXBpdU2_T24qVbukyguQFecx4/edit# The Box is Locked]''' helps you prepare for your first competition.
-*[https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/3euojn/what_now_getting_started_in_robot_combat/ Reddit on getting started] has more great links.
+*'''[https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/3euojn/what_now_getting_started_in_robot_combat/ Reddit on getting started]''' has more great links.
-*[https://www.sparkfun.com/news/2763 SparkFun] had a rundown article by Cowan with great photos.
+*'''[https://www.sparkfun.com/news/2763 SparkFun]''' had a rundown article by Cowan with great photos.
-*The most comprehensive is the [http://meggi.usuarios.rdc.puc-rio.br/docs/riobotz_combot_tutorial.pdf RioBots] tutorial, a full sized book packed with engineering know-how and real life experience. Beginners with small bots don't need to read this to succeed, but at least skim it to learn the basics and gain inspiration.
+*The most comprehensive is the '''[http://meggi.usuarios.rdc.puc-rio.br/docs/riobotz_combot_tutorial.pdf RioBots tutorial]''', a full sized book packed with engineering know-how and real life experience. Beginners with small bots don't need to read this to succeed, but at least skim it to learn the basics and gain inspiration.
-*[http://repeat-robotics.com/handbook/ Repeat Robotics Beetle Guide] has a more focus approach to the popular Beetle weight class.
+*The '''[https://www.teamwitchdoctor.com/build-a-robot Witch Doctor Junior Video Series]''' is an easy to understand resource for new builders.
-*[https://www.teamwitchdoctor.com/build-a-robot The Witch Doctor Junior Video Series] is an easy to understand resource for new builders.
+*'''[https://youtu.be/-fyxuHzDUaY Just 'Cuz Robotics]''' provides a guide on what to expect at your first event.
-*[https://youtu.be/-fyxuHzDUaY Just 'Cuz Robotics] provides a guide on what to expect at your first event.
+*'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw5YuJKg8vA How to build a test box]''' will keep you safe! A guide from team Scorpios.
-*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw5YuJKg8vA How to build a test box] will keep you safe! A guide from team Scorpios.
+*'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvNRtRuOALw Great YouTube Tutorial]'''. There is a lot of incomplete or inaccurate material on YouTube but this video does a great job covering the basics.
-*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvNRtRuOALw Great YouTube Tutorial.] There is a lot of incomplete or inaccurate material on YouTube but this video does a great job covering the basics.
+*'''[https://build4the.win/ Build 4 The Win]''' is a free site to help you organize the parts list for a bot, including looking at other bot designs and a searchable parts database.
 =Preparing yourself=