AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM BATTLEBOTS INC.
As most of you are aware, our sport has grown remarkably over the past year.
As more and more BattleBots have entered the competition, they have exposed
several problems with the current BattleBots Competition Rules and Guidelines.
Thus, we are in the process of drafting a new set of BattleBots Technical
Regulations to be in effect for our next competition. We are making every
effort to have these revised rules posted on our website by the end of August
2001 (if not sooner).
Regarding the staging of our next event, we hope to make an announcement on
the matter no later than September 2001 (if not sooner).
The new Tech Regs address two important issues: Safety and Parity.
Safety has always been a major consideration at BattleBots. Now, due to the
vastly increased number of participants (and the number of safety-related
incidents), there is a heightened need for clarification on safety-related
design and construction issues. BattleBots' prime directive is to put on a
competition where only bots -- not humans -- get damaged.
Parity relates to the fairness of competition and the "mutuality of advantage".
As BattleBot design types have evolved, it has become obvious that the current
rules have given significant advantages to certain BattleBot configurations.
The goal of the new Tech Regs is to level the playing field somewhat, but
not to restrict the variety of designs. The uniqueness of our sport demands
that we uphold builder creativity.
The Tech Regs will contain clear specifications for the following key categories:
- Weight Classes
- Non-Wheeled BattleBots
- MultiBots
- Electrical, Pneumatic, and Hydraulic Safety
- Radio Frequencies
For those of you who are already in the process of building, we fully understand
that this may impact your preparation time and design considerations. Nonetheless,
we advise that you keep your building plans open and flexible in order to
accommodate the forthcoming Technical Regulations. We appreciate your patience
and cooperation and, as always, welcome your comments and suggestions.
BattleBots Inc.
