Robot Fighting League
Encyclopedia
The Robot Fighting League (RFL) organizes and promotes combat robot competition
s and other robotic sports. The RFL was created in November 2002 out of an ongoing discussion among many of the combat robot competition organizers. The RFL mission is to promote the sport of fighting robots, provide consistency among events and support builders and event organizers.
The RFL has developed a standard set of rules and regulations for robot combat events. These rules are used by all RFL member events, providing combat robot builders with a consistent environment in which to build and compete.
RFL Events publish their results in a publicly accessible data base.
The RFL organized a national championship event every year from 2003 through 2005. Competitors who qualified by placing in the top tier at RFL events during the preceding year competed for the championships in weight classes ranging from 150 grams to 340 pounds.
of the Mythbusters
.
Robot competition
A robotic competition is an event where robots have to accomplish a given task. Usually they have to beat other robots in order to become the best one.Most competitions are for schools but as time goes by, several professional competitions are arising....
s and other robotic sports. The RFL was created in November 2002 out of an ongoing discussion among many of the combat robot competition organizers. The RFL mission is to promote the sport of fighting robots, provide consistency among events and support builders and event organizers.
What the RFL does
The Robot Fighting League is composed of Event Organizers who organize and promote combat robot competitions. Since the founding of the league in 2002 RFL members have presented over 120 events for combat robots in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Brazil. This exceeds the number of robot combat events put on by all other sanctioning bodies in the Americas since the beginning of the sport.The RFL has developed a standard set of rules and regulations for robot combat events. These rules are used by all RFL member events, providing combat robot builders with a consistent environment in which to build and compete.
RFL Events publish their results in a publicly accessible data base.
The RFL organized a national championship event every year from 2003 through 2005. Competitors who qualified by placing in the top tier at RFL events during the preceding year competed for the championships in weight classes ranging from 150 grams to 340 pounds.
Current membership
Any group that organizes robot combat events using the RFL rules is eligible to apply for membership in the league. Current event members include:| Event | Location |
|---|---|
| Battle Beach | Ormond Beach, FL |
| California Insect Bots | Gilroy, CA |
| Carolina Combat Robots | Greensboro, NC |
| Central Illinois Robotics Club | Peoria, IL |
| ComBots (RoboGames RoboGames RoboGames is an annual robot contest held in San Mateo, California. The most recent RoboGames was held April 15–17, 2011.RoboGames is the world's largest open robot competition... ) |
San Francisco, CA |
| Ohio Robot Club | Cleveland, OH |
| Queensland Robotics Sports Club | Brisbane, Australia |
| RoboCore | São Paulo, Brasil |
| Saskatoon Combat Robotics Club | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
| Western Allied Robotics | Seattle, WA |
Rules
The RFL rule set is revised annually in the last calendar quarter of the year. Member organizations submit changes for discussion by the RFL general membership, and a "draft for review" emerges from that discussion. The draft is published for public comment on the RFL Forum during a 30-day review period. Builder comments and suggestions on the draft are welcomed. After the review period, the comments and suggestions are reviewed and incorporated. The final draft is then submitted to a vote by the RFL general membership, with a simple majority required for acceptance. If accepted, the revised rules become effective for the next calendar year.Winners of the RFL National Championships
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 g | Quark2 | VD | ||
| 1 lb | VDD | Pneu Jimmy | MC Pee Pants | UnderWhere?! |
| 3 lb | Wallop | Buster Blade | Itsa? | |
| 12 lb | Li'l Shocker | Target Practice | Li'l Shocker | CheepShot 3.0 |
| 30 lb | Peanut | Totally Offensive | Totally Offensive | Xhilirating impaX |
| 60 lb | Wedge of Doom | West Side Glory | Joe 2.0 | Son of Whacky Compass |
| 120 lb | Max Wedge | Max Wedge | Devil's Plunger | Ice Cube |
| 220 lb | Megabyte | SJ | Sewer Snake | Shrederator |
| 340 lb | Mer Madd | Shovelhead | Shovelhead | Psychotic Reaction |
Media coverage
In May/June of 2011, Science Channel broadcast selected heavyweight combat division matches from RoboGames in a one-hour special entitled Killer Robots: RoboGames 2011. The program was hosted by Grant ImaharaGrant Imahara
Grant Masaru Imahara is a Japanese American electronics and radio control expert, best known for his work on the American television show MythBusters.-Education and early work:...
of the Mythbusters
MythBusters
MythBusters is a science entertainment TV program created and produced by Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The series is screened by numerous international broadcasters, including Discovery Channel Australia, Discovery Channel Latin America, Discovery Channel Canada, Quest...
.
See also
- Robot CombatRobot combatRobot combat is a hobby/sport in which two or more custom-built machines use varied methods of destroying or disabling the other. As of today, in most cases these machines are remote-controlled vehicles rather than autonomous robots, although there are exceptions, particularly in the field of...
- Robot Combat Events
- CombotsCombotsComBots are the star of the sport in which robots are made to compete in a gladiator styled fight against each other.- ComBots Organization :...
- Robot WarsRobot Wars (TV series)Robot Wars is a British game show modelled on a US-based competition of the same name. It was broadcast on BBC Two from 1998 until 2003, with its final series broadcast on Five in 2003 and 2004. Additional series were filmed for specific sectors of the global market, including two series of Robot...
- BattleBotsBattleBotsBattleBots is an American company that hosts robot competitions. BattleBots is also the name of the television show created from the competition footage. BattleBots Inc...
- RoboticaRoboticaRobotica is a robot combat show produced for the American television cable channel TLC, a subsidiary of the Discovery Channel. Three seasons of Robotica were produced. The shows first aired in April 2001, with the final season beginning in late 2002. Show hosts for the first season were Ahmet...
- Combots
- The Big Bang TheoryThe Big Bang TheoryThe Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers...
episode "The Killer Robot Instability", which repeatedly mentions the Robot Fighting League as the sponsor of a robot combat event central to the plot.