September Midwest Robot Rumble - MRCA Qualifier

We will be hosting a July MRCA qualifying combat robot competition at the Robotics Competition Center in Grandville, MI. The competition will include 1 lb (antweight) and 3 lb (beetleweight) weight classes going head-to-head in enclosed 8’ x 8’ arenas.

Tournament Format: Antweight and Beetleweight will play Modified Swiss format. Autonomous Hobbyweight will play Blind Draw, Single Elimination format with a 3rd place playoff.

Sign Ups: There are open spots for 48 antweight (1 lb) bots and 30 beetleweight (3 lb) bots, with a limit of 2 bots per team.  That's 2 robots total, not 2 robots per weight class. Each team is limited to one Autonomous Hobbyweight (12 lb) robot.

We are opening an autonomous hobbyweight (12 lb) event for registration. Robots will compete fully under program control and will compete under modified MRCA rules. This event will not be held unless there are at least 10 paid team registrations by April 21. If we do not have 10 paid registrations, we will refund all fees paid and will postpone this event to 2026. Event rules will be finalized with the competitors signed up as of April 21. All robots wil lbe required to install the event's radio kill switch inline with their robot's power supply which will disable the robot if it breaks the plane of the field enclosure or loses connection to the cage management system. Robots will fight in a newly engineered 12' x 12' x 6' cage.

Sign up reopens at 10am on Friday, March 21

Date: September 13, 2025 Location: Grandville Robotics Competition Center, 4900 Canal SW, Grandville, MI  49418

Venue: This competition center is the only built-for-purpose robotics competition center in the country.  Ample bleacher seating for spectators, large-scale audience and pit video displays to view the fights, comfortable pits with tables, chairs, and power.

Antweight & Beetleweight Prizes:

• First Place: RobotRumble Trophy and $100 gift card 
• Second Place RobotRumble Trophy and $50 gift card 
• Third Place RobotRumble Trophy and $25 gift card 

Autonomous Hobbyweight Prizes:

• First Place: Auton RobotRumble Trophy and $1,000 cash prize 
• Second Place Auton RobotRumble Trophy and $500 cash prize 
• Third Place Auton RobotRumble Trophy and $250 cash prize 

Food: Full concessions onsite.

Sponsors: This event is hosted in the Grandville Robotics Competition Center, sponsored by Westwood AI (https://www.westwoodai.com/) 

Arenas: The antweight and beetleweight events will play in four, 8' x 8' arenas, plywood floors with traction paint. Test boxes will be available for the September event.

Schedule:

• 8:00am – Doors Open / Safety Inspections
• 9:00am – Doors Open for Spectators and Antweight / Beetleweight fights begin
• 1:00pm - Autonomous Hobbyweight fights begin 

Entry Fee: Antweight and Beetleweight, $40 per bot. Hobbyweight, $200 per bot.  Entry Fee must be paid 30 days before event or competitor will be dropped from event.  There are no refunds of event fees once paid.

Ruleset: This event will follow MRCA rules. The autonomous hobbyweight event will follow rules modified to conform to autonomous robot performance.

Spectators: Spectators are welcome attend - admission will be free.  Doors open at 9am

• Under 18 must be accompanied by parents or guardian
• Competitors must register and pay 30 days before the event to ensure competition slots
  • you may bring a robot in case spots open day of
  • you can contact event organizer about last minuite registration requests
  • additional registration will be taken in order of wait list

Live Stream: This event will be live streamed on our YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@TheRoboDawgs

Social Links: Please subscribe to TheRoboDawgs YouTube Channel.  Follow events at this competition center on our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556070674257

Please email robodawgs@grandvillerobotics.com if you have any questions.