RoboGames 2011

I'd like to invite everyone to compete in the 8th annual International RoboGames. It will be April 15-17, 2011, in San Mateo, California (San Francisco area - San Mateo where the SF airport actually is - about 20 minutes south of downtown SF.)

RoboGames has 10 Junior League (K-12) events with NO* registration fees. Two of these school-specific events are combat - 120 pounds and 1 pounds (sorry, no 12 or 15 pound combat.) There are also 4 LEGO events as well as other various events for K-12 builders.

Note that at RoboGames, 75 Mhz transmitters are banned. All teams, regardless of age or weight class, must use 2.4 Ghz digitally mated pairs. No exceptions.

In addition to the free junior league events, there are about 50 other "anybody" events. Which is to say, both adults and kids compete in the same area. So if you have a 120 pounder, you can compete as a high-school team for free, or if you have a 60-pounder or 220-pounder, you can compete in the "pro" league. For those with 15-pound robots, we have 3:3 robot hockey. No weapons allowed, but it's a great team sport.

Full event list here: http://robogames.net/events.php

Some great TV clips here: http://robogames.net/videos.php

Registration is here: http://robogames.net/registration/event/register/8 - note that we do not use buildersdb, so if you haven't registered with us before, you'll have to create a new team.

Lots of other info on the site - past winners, photos, news clippings, etc.

We'd love to have everyone attend!

If I had the funding to build and take a 120 or 220 to the west coast, I'd be there.

RoboGames has signed a deal with Discovery network to shoot and televise the event.

So those competing will likely end up on TV if they do well.

As noted before, High School teams with 120 pound robots pay no registration fees.

If the NRL doesn't do anything soon, LS may considers this event...

How many HS 120's typically compete? And what are the chances of pro 120 and HS 120 being combined if numbers are low?

jeeves_m_d wrote:

How many HS 120's typically compete? And what are the chances of pro 120 and HS 120 being combined if numbers are low?

Very good questions. It's varied from 1 to 8 High school teams by year, with no real determinate year to year.

In the past, when we had 3 or less HS 120's, we've asked the teams if they wanted to stay in a separate HS bracket or combine with the regular 120's (there is no separate bracket for Univ. teams. Univ teams with 120's are grouped with all other 120's.)

We still don't charge the HS teams if we bump them into the "pro" bracket, but they do get a bigger field of play...

This year, I know of at least 3 HS 120's, so I strongly doubt we'll merge the brackets. But we've certainly had cancellation in the past, so anything can happen...

As of now, there are 16 220's, 3 "pro" 120's, and no HS 120's - but again, I know of two high schools (one with two bots) that plan on registering. As with almost all events, teams always wait til the last hour of the last day to register - why I will never know - so number of registered teams between now and they day before close isn't indicative of the final numbers.

FWIW, we also have a no-cost HS 1 pound class, but we do not offer 12 or 15 pound combat classes (although we do have a 15 pound no-weapons 3 on 3 hockey division ($50/team - not exclusive to schools.)

Hi Dave,

We'll be there with a 30(two robust 15s) and hopefully Gruff. I don't really feel like shipping a heavyweight in dufflebags again, so we're approaching a few local companies about sponsorship, and i think it will be helpful to say the event will/(will likely?) be televised. I was wondering if you will be releasing any of the deal details on the Robogames site in the next month or so?

We'll be issuing a press release shortly. Did the Production company contact you?

Yes, I talked with them for a while over the phone, and sent them pictures, but I haven't heard back since then.

So I showed this event to our team advisor, and he liked it.

Our school has been trying to get ourselves into more of the autonomous side of the robotics spectrum,
and this event has that along with combat.

This is in NO way set in stone BUT there is a possibility that LS robotics will be there with
2- 120's
1-Bot Hockey team(if our 15's work)
1-Fire fighting robot

Cool Stuff Jeeves !!!!

I hope you do attend.....

Can high school teams still compete for free if they choose to compete in the pro division?

is there any way we could enter like 8 15lb bots as on 120 pounder we have a bunch of them just laying around lol

team think tank did good with some multibots some years back https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0oce8jLkhg

or a team division where 2 15's v 2 15's or whatever other weight class

Judge Dave isn't about to create any new small bot classes, anytimr soon, from what I've read...

2 15's entered as 1 30 is possible tho...............

We're doing a multibot 30. It would be interesting to see a few multibot teams there. I don't recall ever seeing a match with multibots on both sides

Ryan McKinney wrote:

Can high school teams still compete for free if they choose to compete in the pro division?

No. If you're a pro team, you're a pro team - and pay to compete. If you're a Jr. team, you're a Jr. team - and it's free, but you're against other Jr.

Kids always want it both ways...

So.. Is anyone besides myself going?

we decided that the NRL event is the one for us this year, so its a no from us

USF RIG will be going.

Pine View's Engineering Club is going, but I don't think we'll make it in time to sign for our own crate. Can anyone else that's going sign for our robot if it arrives before we do?

I'm worried about shipping too, so I'm just gonna put it all in checked baggage hahaha its just gonna be my dad and I so it should be a sight to be seen

Will Bales wrote:

I'm worried about shipping too, so I'm just gonna put it all in checked baggage hahaha its just gonna be my dad and I so it should be a sight to be seen

You should get a flip camera and video tape most of your trip, I'd like to see what their expressions are when you check a 120lb robot

Yeah we decided to just ship it to the hotel...I hope they don't steal it.

Best of luck to everyone who is going to compete !!!!