Nightmare On Bot Street

Presented By Maryland Area Combat Robotics Organization

Columbia, MD, US

October 14, 2023

Event Information

Organizer: Maryland Area Combat Robotics Organization
Location: RC Underground Arena
8775 Cloudleap Ct
Columbia, MD 21045
US

Get Directions
Starts: Oct 14, 2023
Ends: Oct 14, 2023

Event Organizers


chris chamberlain

Robot Classes / Competitions

Category Robot Class Maximum
Capacity
Currently
Registered
Waiting
List
Entry
Fee
Pit Crew
Allowed
Combat 150 g - Fairyweight 8 4 Robots None 20.00 USD Unlimited
Combat 1 lb - Antweight 8 4 Robots None 40.00 USD Unlimited
Combat Plastic Ant Unlimited 14 Robots None 20.00 USD Unlimited

Event Description

Special thank you to our sponsors:

  • RC Underground Arena
  • Baltimore Hackerspace
  • Unallocated Space
  • NHRL for an awesome test box!
  • Repeat Robotics
  • ItGresa
  • SendCutSend
  • Fingertech
  • Printed Solid
  • DOOMBA Battlebot

We would like to recognize Chesapeake Arts Center and 5 Star Roofing for their continued support as well. 

Event organizer Porkchop email: Porkc22@gmail.com

 

Please look at the bottom for updates.

2023-09-24 - 3d Printed Plastic Ant rules update at the bottom
2023-09-24 - fights start at 11 am not noon as before

 

We are running the following classes at this event:

- 3d printed plastic 1 pound ant weight

- Full combat 1 pound ant weight

- Full Combat 150 gram fairy weight

 

Event schedule: (Please note that our normal times have changed.)

  • 9:00 am Competitor Setup
  • 10:00 am Event check in opens
  • 10:45 am Event Check in closes
  • 10:45 am Drivers meeting
  • 11:00 am Combat starts
  • 8:00 pm Event ends (must be off site, no matter what)

 

To check in, please come to the front table and a MACRO staff member will guide you through the process.

 

Please join us on Discord for construction specifications.  https://discord.gg/SXwArmv

 

Address: RC Underground Arena, 8775 Cloudleap Ct, Columbia, MD 21045 (If you use Google Maps, enter "RC Underground Arena" and NOT the address, as it will put you in the parking lot of the shopping mall, rather than the parking lot for the event.)

 

Site and event rules: 

1. All lipos *must* be charged in a lipo bag, in case of fire

2. Please do NOT walk on the RC car jumps/obstacles.  

3. Do not cross into areas which are taped off.

4. Once you have unloaded, please move your car to the designated parking area, as the venue has extremely limited parking available.  On the day of the event, competitors will be directed to the designated parking area.

5. Follow the black tiles floor from the registration to the pits.  The pit area has a red tiled floor.

 

Tournament procedures (These have been revised.  Please READ them carefully.  Violations can result in a match forfeit or worse.)

Bot load in to the arena procedure.

  1.  Turn on all transmitters involved in the match.
  2.  All transmitters involved in the match are placed in the designated area.
  3.  Until the load in procedure is complete, handling a transmitter involved in the match will cause an immediate forfeiture of the match.
  4. Least dangerous bot is loaded first.
  5. Bot is placed in the arena with the weapon lock in place and the power turned off.
  6.  Bot is powered on.
  7.  Weapon lock  is removed.
  8.  Visual check for stray tools, etc.
  9.  Arena loading door is closed.
  10.  Most dangerous bot is loaded last.
  11.  Bot is placed in the arena with the weapon lock in place and the power turned off.
  12.  Bot is powered on.
  13.  Weapon lock  is removed.
  14.  Visual check for stray tools, etc.
  15.  Arena loading door is closed.
  16.  The arena steward/judges will call "Competitors may handle transmitters"  At which point, competitors may handle their transmitter.
  17. Twitch tests may now be performed.

Bot unload from the arena procedure.

  1. All transmitters involved in the match are placed in the designated area. 
  2. Until the unload in procedure is complete, handling a transmitter involved in the match will cause an immediate forfeiture of the match.
  3. The most dangerous bot is first to be made safe.
  4. Weapon lock is put in place.
  5. Power is turned off
  6. Bot is unloaded from the arena
  7. The least dangerous bot is last to be made safe.
  8. Weapon lock is put in place.
  9. Power is turned off.
  10. Bot is unloaded from the arena.
  11. The arena steward/judges will then call "Competitors may handle transmitters"  At which point competitors may retrieve their transmitter from the designated area.

 

Emergencies

In case of emergency, such as battery exposure, battery fire, or unsafe condition, such as an arena breech, or a loading door being opened during a match...

  1. The arena steward/judges will call a hold on the match, using the phrase "CEASE COMBAT". Immediately place your transmitter in the designated area and do not touch it until instructed to. Failure to comply can result in a forfeit of the match.

General Procedures

  1. Testing a weapon outside of the test box/arena will be grounds for disqualification from the event or explusion from the event.
  2. If a battery becomes exposed, the match is over. The arena steward/judges have final say over this safety issue.
  3. In the pits, keep you bots turned off, weapons safeties on and the wheels off the ground.
  4. We will have someone call next match, and on deck match. We will also try to post the current brackets and next fight within the Discord event channel. We have 20 minutes between matches for any one bot, so towards the end, we will likely be having grudge matches to fill time.
  5. No late hits. If the other bot is disabled, ask before you hit them again. Basically be polite.
  6. Have fun, play safe.

 

There will be a test box available for use throughout the day (thank you NHRL!) Please use it for any testing.

  • Pits will be INDOORS!!
  • If you want power at your pit space, please bring an extension cord.
  • The entry fee is to be paid in cash.

 

Updates:

The Ruff:

These rule apply ONLY to the 3d printed plastic ant class at the Oct 2023 event.

Brackets will be by team and NOT by bot. This means each team may bring as many bots as they wish, but once the TEAM has lost twice they are eliminated from the tournament. 

Entry fee will be per bot. If you believe your bots are unique, then each must pay an entry fee. If you have questions, ask BEFORE the event. (Everyone will be busy at the event)

This double elimination tournament by team, not by bot. (This means that is you bring 4 bots, you pay 4 bots and can fight until your team loses twice.)

Please print two team tokens.  These will be surrendered to the winner of a match, as a prize.

Round 1: Grudge matches. Both team must agree to the match.  All other matches will be randomly generated.

All further rounds are by normal bracket matches. The first match will, immediately after the drivers meeting, engage the Mechanism of Randomness and have 5 minutes to prepare their robot. All subsequent matches will engage the Mechanism of Randomness when they are on deck. Their 5 minutes to prepare for their match will start when the in the arena match starts.

 

Mechanism of Randomness: 

 

The Mechanism of Randomness will be used to randomly select a "Fun" item. Someone, randomly selected from the spectators, will engage the Mechanism of Randomness. The result will apply to both teams.

 

"Fun" items:

- Drive with radio facing away from you and upside down (Control sticks towards the floor, and antenna towards the driver.  Pistol grip will point the front of the radio at the driver, use their thumb to control the throttle trigger, and their left hand to control the steering)

- Drive with mittens on your control hands

- Swap controllers and bots with opponent.  If you win, the win counts for your team.

- Add a toaster to your robot 

- Drive blindfolded (Verbal assistance from a team mate/crowd is allowed)

Toaster rules

- Toaster can not be permanently attached.  No glue, welding, etc

- Toaster can be attached via duck tape, zip ties, or hope.

- Bonus control points for Toaster taking no damage and being maintained on bot

- Extra damage points will be awarded for damaging the opponent's Toaster.

 

If you have questions about the rules, please feel free to ask via Discord or email the event organizer.

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