MassDestruction: Resurgence V

Winter is coming, and it's time for more MassDestruction! We're pleased to return to the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation for more robot mayhem, in partnership with LeafLabs. We will be running standard beetles and plastic ants in our MassDestruction arena.  Spectator admission to MassDestruction is handled by purchasing a ticket to the museum, for $10 (Adult) or $5 (Child). Competitors get two free tickets.

We'll be doing 3-4 rounds of "qualifying" fights, and a final single-elimination tournament for glory and silly trophies (size will depend on the number of bots).

Final schedule will be sent out closer to the event date, but expect:

• 8:30am competitors arrive
• 9am  safety and weigh in
• 10:30am fights start
• 1:30/2pm midday break
• 6:30-7:30pm fights finish up

Please contact our facebook page with any questions!

Event Rules

This event will generally follow the NERC Rules, with some exceptions/additions that are described below. If you are new, please contact us if you have any questions! The event is most fun and smooth if everyone is on the same page with rules. The NERC ruleset can be found here.

MassD-Specific Weapons Rules

• Your robot must have an active weapon
  • Thwack bots, flail-type weapons, and other robots that have a specific attachment meant to inflict damage are allowed
  • EO discretion will be final on non-active weapons, please contact us if you would like to check if your design will be allowed!
  • Spinning weapon tip speed limit will be 250 MPH.
• Bots with passive wedges only are not allowed, generally
  • On a case-by-case basis, for competitors new(ish) to the sport and/or children under 18, passive wedges may be allowed. Please reach out to us for more information/mention this in your registration!
• The use of “kitbots” is discouraged, unless the participant is new to combat robotics or a child.  We want to see your craziest designs!
• Banned weapons (These rules are for competitor & audience safety, as well as respecting the limitations of our arena. If you have something you think is borderline, please reach out.):
  • NO Fire
  • NO Liquids (including canned beans)
  • NO Explosives/fireworks/rocket engines
  • NO Nets, tape, glue, other entanglement devices
  • NO Radio jamming, tazers, lazers, tesla coils, high voltage or blinding devices
  • NO Projectiles

MassD-Specific Robot Weight Limits

• Beetleweights
  • Maximum of 3lbs, or about 1,942 fully grown adult bumblebees.
• Antweights
  • Maximum of 1lb, or about 90,709 fully grown adult red ants.

Weight Bonuses

• Walkers
  • Any robot that qualifies as a "walker"; is allowed 2x its nominal class weight limit (ex. Beetleweight walker: 6lbs).'
  • A walker qualifies as "those robots in which multiple linear or limited-travel rotary actuators are intermittently driven to produce linear travel of the robot. Actuation may be through electric, pneumatic, or hydraulic means. Walkers must have no parts normally in contact with the ground undergoing continuous rotation, and must require some change in timing or sequencing of the driving mechanisms in order to reverse direction. Walkers will typically have control systems significantly more complex than those found on shufflers or rollers, involving multiple actuators, servos, or valves running through a specific sequence to produce motion."
  • A shuffler (a robot that "uses a system of mechanical devices such as cams or crankshafts to generate reciprocating motion of those parts from one or more continuously rotating drive shafts") is not considered a walker.
  • Please reach out before the event to confirm that your robot qualifies, as we'd prefer not to have to disqualify anyone the day-of (not fun for anyone!)
  • Note: an entrant can only use one type of weight bonus.
• Weapon-Based Locomotion
  • Any robot that uses their weapon as a primary mode of locomotion is allowed 1.5x its nominal class weight limit (ex. Beetleweight WBL 4.5 lbs)
  • Typical examples of weapon-based locomotion are bristle-bots and gyro walkers.
  • Please reach out before the event to confirm that your robot qualifies, as we'd prefer not to have to disqualify anyone the day-of (not fun for anyone!)
  • Note: an entrant can only use one type of weight bonus.
• Multibots
  • A multibot system consists of two or more robots entered as a single entrant
  • A beetleweight (normally 3lb) multibot entrant may weigh up to 4lbs, with no robot weighing more than 2 lbs
    • Ex. two robots, each weighing 2lbs
    • Ex. three robots, one weighing 2lbs and two weighing 1lb each
  • A plastic ant (normally 1lb) multibot entrant may weight up to 1.5lbs, with no robot weighing more than 0.75lbs.
    • Ex. two robots, each weighing 0.75lbs.
    • Ex. three robots, each weighting 0.5lbs
  • Note: an entrant can one type of weight bonus.

MassD-Specific Plastic Ant Rules

The plastic class is meant to encourage builders who may not have access to metalworking tools, or who would like a new challenge. As such, we ask that competitors conform to the spirit of the rules and not try to loophole them. Competitors found to be doing this may be disqualified, or otherwise be forced to bear some Terrible Consequences.

Additional Rules (rules above still apply!)

• “Anything that I can touch must be plastics”
  • Armor, structure, wheels, weapon, etc. must all be made of plastic or polymers (ie. foam wheels are ok)
  • Motors, electronics, axles, fasteners and adhesives can be any material, but cannot be used in such a way to enhance the structural integrity, armor the robot, or enhance any weapon
• Allowed materials: PLA/PLA+, PET/PETG, ABS, Polycarbonate, Acrylic, PVC, standard SLA, ASA
  • TPU is not allowed
    • NEW Exception: TPU will be allowed for wheels.  However, if this is abused, we reserve the right to ban it in the future.
  • Nylon is not allowed
  • UHMW is not allowed
  • Carbon-fiber, kevlar, fiberglass are not allowed
  • SLA materials that mimic or exceed the properties of banned material are not allowed (ex. Formlabs Flexible 80A, simulates TPU). Please check with us if you are using SLA.
  • Carbon- or metal-reinforced materials are not allowed (ex. Onyx, )
  • Please contact us if there is a material you would like to check!

MassD-Specific Arena Features

• Pit of Despair
  • Roughly 18" x 18" footprint
  • Two states: "Loaded" (7" deep) and "Fired" (roughly flush with floor)
  • Functionality
    • The Pit of Despair will start the match in the Loaded position, and once a robot is pushed in, the Arena Announcer will Fire the pit!
    • The robot will be launched out of the pit, back into the fray.
    • The Pit of Despair can and will be reloaded and fired again, but keep in mind there will be panel gaps all around the edge of the pit and slight height inconsistencies.  There are still no arena unsticks, so be careful!
  • Purpose of the Pit
    • It's funny
    • Provides an objective for fights with broken spinner weapons or control-type weapons
    • Demonstrates good control of your opponent to the Judges
• Snuffleupagus
  • Active fume ventilation for fires, smoke, and dust
  • Floor grate will be 18" by 18" and  have 1/4" holes that are 3/8" apart, and is 3/16" thick steel.  Didn't pose a catch hazard at the last event.

Let's make this the most fun MassDestruction yet!