@Background Pony #EE55  
Nice! I really need to remember to look at those shows when I have the time.
 
Though automation is very difficult to get competing with human reflexes and instinct.
 
We’d either have to advance quite a lot with that kind of technology, or actually make a separate playing field for the fully automatic bots.

@Detsella Morningdew  
In the new Battlebots (now hosted on Discovery) there’s only one competitor iirc that uses some sort of automation for attack. It’s a bot called Chomp that uses a hammer-like weapon, and its firing is automatic. It was once able to precisely disable the weapon of a former champion, but in the recent season it didn’t seem to be working very well. Guess there’s still a long way to go.

@Background Pony #EE55  
Oh, totally. Robot decision-making is based on things like the locations of infrared beacons (the most reliable), and sonar, which basically tells the distance to things in a straight line.
 
While things like color sensors and touch sensors exist, they are either unreliable or the robot just doesn’t have the reaction time to deal with the information.
 
The only feasible way that I could see a robot fight working out well with completely automated bots, is if each bot was required to have an IR beacon in the robot’s center of mass or something, and each team’s robot had two or three sonar sensors that could tell where things were.
 
But even at the international level, the programming required for that would not be feasible. (I mean, as bad and hacked together I thought my program was (since I was the only one working on it), it was considered to be one of the best in the competition, since almost everybody was focused on the “build the robot” bit.)
 
Maybe in competitions made for adults, and not pre-teen/teens.
 
But most people like the remote-control competitions, since they are more exciting to watch. And more marketable, since people watch them on TV.
 
Edit: I just thought of a very simple program that would work for the setup I described. But still, most people just aren’t excited about that sort of thing, and would rather play a very fun, real-life video game with awesome hunks of metal.

@Detsella Morningdew  
That sounds really cool… Always hoped to join a team like this but there doesn’t seem to be a team in my school for that, and usually the semesters are just too busy for this.  
Combat robots would be kinda different in my opinion (though I’m at best only an audience member). Robot decision might not be fast enough during combat, and usually teams rely on their experienced drivers to take the game.

I think I’d have to know the specifics of the battle rules to fully evaluate strategies and stuff. (It didn’t seem to have the aim of destroying the other bot.)
 
But that kind of play is just fine with me. The main robotics competitions I’ve been in have been focused more on performing activities efficiently and faster thant the opponents.
 
(I was in charge of programming the fully autonomous portion of the competition, where the robot “decides” what to do in changing situations.)

@stereo  
Hmmm, drill bit does seem to be one of the most ineffective weapons in the field of robot combats.  
I sure do hope your Sweetie Bot doesn’t get flipped.

Well, there is some history for the horn placement. On the first design, the weapon was a step drill bit (not an effective weapon) that I replaced by the plastic glowing horn when I put the spinning bar.  
Sweetie Bot V1.0 :  

@stereo  
But what if the horn is on the center of the weapon bar? Or a small flat light on the head could also work. The place where the LED light used to be can probably even be replaced with a boop-able nuzzle, too.

@Background Pony #EE55  
Nope, it would block the spinning bar.

@stereo  
Nice.  
Would it be possible to move the LED horn to the top?

I have a bit of work to do to put her in a good shape again but she will here for the next event.  
I will try to improve the weapon, but it will be the same configuration.

@stereo  
Cheaper than I expected… absolutely nice.  
Will we see her again next year? And do you plan to keep using the same weapon configuration?

@Background Pony #EE55  
Electronics and motors are fine, but after the first hit a bearing support broke.  
I spent maybe 200€ on her, mostly on electronic components, battery and screws. The traction motors are from drills bought at a flea market, the weapon motors come from my stock of salvaged stuff, the electronics is all custom-made (except the RC receiver).

So excited to see a battlebot with pony reference. Just curious, how much did it cost? Did the motor burn out, or was it just knocked loose due to the hit / the landing?

@Background Pony #FDC4  
Well, the basic design is sound; it’s just seriously lacking in horsepower.

@Background Pony Number 17  
look at the video in the description. it’s barely able to spin…

@Background Pony #FDC4  
The metal bar looks rather like a lawnmower blade. I’m guessing it spins like mad, smashing into any bot that gets too close.

@Background Pony #FDC4  
I’m not entirely sure how the battle works, but it looks like the goal of the “weapon” is to push the opponent outside of the ring.

I just don’t get it… what attack does this bot even have? Lightly hit the other bot with a metal bar???

Ah, the perfect cross between young, female pastel ponies and destruction robots.

I forgot about her!!! Glad she’s back!