DASTAAN ROBOWAR AMRITA SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

NOVEMBER 24,25&26

GUIDELINES FOR
ROBOWAR
Problem Statement:

Design and construct a wireless remote-controlled robot capable of engaging

in one-on-one combat in a tournament setting. The objective is to create a
robust and competitive robot that can withstand and outmanoeuvring
opponents, ultimately surviving until the end of the tournament to be declared
the winner.

General Rules:

• All participants need to build and operate robots at their own risk. Combat
robotics is dangerous. Kindly take care to not hurt yourself or others while
building, testing, and competing.
• Robots will be inspected for safety and reliability before entering the arena.
As a developer, you are obligated to disclose all operating principles and
potential dangers to the event coordinators.
• Moving weapons that can cause damage or injury must always have a clearly
visible locking device in place when not in the arena. Locking devices must
be clearly capable of stopping, arresting, and preventing harmful motion of
the weapon.
• It is expected that all teams follow basic safety practices during work on the
robot at the event.
• Any kind of damage to the arena or people standing by would mean
immediate disqualification without the need for a proper explanation.
• In all cases, the decision of the coordinators at the venue would be final,
binding, and unquestionable.
• Teams of 2-5 people are allowed.
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• The organizers reserve the right to change any or all the above rules as they
deem fit.
• Change in rules, if any will be notified to the registered teams.
• Violation of any of the above rules will lead to disqualification.
• The decision of the Judge shall be treated as final and binding in all
situations and discrepancies

Bot Specifications

Mobility:

All competing robots must possess easily visible and controllable mobility.
There are several methods of achieving mobility:

1. Rolling: This category includes robots with wheels, tracks, or a whole-body

rolling mechanism.

2. Non-Wheeled: Robots in this category do not have any rolling elements in

contact with the floor, and they do not employ continuous rolling or cam-
operated motion. This category allows for novel non-wheeled drive systems and
linear-actuated legs.

Style:

• Robots can be constructed using wheels, tracks, or legs (Walker robots).

• Only wireless robots are permitted.
• Alternative styles or methods may be considered, but it is advisable to
contact the coordinators before registering.
• 'Cluster Bots,' which consist of two or more components, are allowed.
However, they must enter the arena as a single object. If 50% or more of the
Cluster Bot becomes immobilized, the robot will be considered to have lost
the battle.
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Weight Category: 8kg Specifications:

• Maximum Dimensions: The robot's maximum dimensions should not

exceed 350 x 350 x 350 mm³ (l*b*h).
• Weight Limit: The robot's total weight, including any pneumatic source or
tank, must not exceed 8 kilograms (17.637 pounds). Only the weight of the
remote controller is excluded from this count.
• A "Cluster Bot" formation is allowed, but each individual bot within the
cluster must meet these size and weight requirements. The combined weight
and dimensions of all bots in the cluster must adhere to the specified limits
(refer to “style”).
• Allowed Mechanisms:
• Robots with pneumatic or hydraulic mechanisms or electric lifters are
permitted only with the specified guidelines(refer ‘hydraulics’ and
‘pneumatics’).
• Active Weapon Requirement: Only robots with active weapons are allowed.
• Weight Tolerance: A tolerance of a maximum of 10% over the 8kg weight
limit is acceptable.
• Interchangeable Weapons/Armor/Systems: The measured weight is based
on the setup with the heaviest components in place when interchangeable
weapons/Armor/systems are used.
• Absolute Walker Bots: Absolute walker bots are eligible for a 50%
relaxation in weight and dimensions. The determination of whether a bot
qualifies as an absolute walker bot will be made by the organizers upon
abstract submission.
• After each duel, the robot is expected to autonomously retract itself to its
original dimensions if any alterations occurred during the fight. Failure to do
so will result in the robot losing the battle.

Battery and Power:

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NOVEMBER 24,25&26

• The robot must be powered solely by electricity; the use of any IC engine in
any form is strictly prohibited.
• Onboard batteries must be sealed, immobilized-electrolyte types, such as gel
cells, lithium, NiCad, NiMH, or dry cells.
• Any onboard voltage exceeding 24 Volts requires prior approval from the
event organizers.
• Battery terminals must be safeguarded to prevent a direct short circuit and
potential battery fires, failure to do so will result in immediate
disqualification.
• The use of damaged or non-leak proof batteries may also lead to
disqualification.
• Special attention must be given to protecting onboard batteries, and
insufficient protection may lead to disqualification.
• Battery changes are not allowed during a match
• All electrical connections from the battery to weapons and power systems
must meet the following fail-safe criteria:
• A manual disconnect switch that can be turned off without endangering the
operator. This means that no body parts or weapons should obstruct the
switch.
• Teams are advised to have at least one extra charged battery available during
the competition to avoid delays or issues in advancing to the next level.
Failure to appear during the allocated slot will result in disqualification.
• All electrical power to systems that could cause injury to humans, such as
weapons and drive systems, must have a manual disconnect that can be
activated within 15 seconds without endangering the person operating it.
• Shutdown must include a manually operated mechanical method of
disconnecting the main battery power, such as a suitable high-current switch
or removable link.
• Relays may be used to control power, but a mechanical disconnect must also
be present.
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• All necessary precautions must be taken to protect the battery terminals from
direct short circuits and fire hazards, failure to do so will result in
disqualification.
• Only robots with onboard power supplies are permitted.

Pneumatics:

• A robot can use pressurized non-flammable gases to actuate pneumatic

devices. Maximum allowed outlet nozzle pressure is 50 bars*.
• Also note that Dastaan, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham will not be providing
any mechanism to refill the pneumatic cylinders/containers of maximum
pressure exceeding the limit mentioned above.
• The storage tank and pressure regulators used by teams must be certified.
Failure to provide certification may result in direct disqualification.
• Participants must be able to indicate the used pressure with an integrated or
temporarily fitted pressure gauge. Additionally, there should be provision to
check the cylinder pressure on the bot. Organizers will not provide
equipment for pressure measurement.
• Teams must have a safe method for refilling the system and determining the
onboard pressure.
• All pneumatic components onboard a robot must be securely mounted. Care
must be taken when mounting the pressure vessel and armor to ensure that
nothing escapes the robot in case of rupture. The terms 'pressure vessel,'
'bottle,' and 'source tank' are used interchangeably.
• The entire pneumatic setup should be onboard, and no external input from
outside the arena can be used to operate the robot's pneumatic system.

Hydraulics:

• Robots can use non-inflammable liquid to actuate hydraulic devices, such as

cylinders.
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• All hydraulic components onboard must be securely mounted. Particular

attention must be paid when mounting the pump, accumulator, and armour to
ensure that no direct fluid streams will escape the robot in case of rupture.
• All hydraulic liquids used must be non-corrosive, and the device must be
leak-proof.
• The maximum allowed pressure is 50 bars*.
• Participants must be able to indicate the used pressure with an integrated or
temporarily fitted pressure gauge. Organizers will not provide equipment for
pressure measurement.
• The entire hydraulic setup should be onboard, and no external input from
outside the arena can be used to operate the robot's hydraulic system.
• The competitor must be able to demonstrate the pressure used and carry with
them a portable pressure gauge that can be fitted to the system if required by
the organizing team. The organizers will not provide any pressure gauging
equipment.
• The use of accumulators on the hydraulic circuits is strictly prohibited.
• Hydraulic fluid storage tanks must be made of suitable materials.
• Hydraulic lines must be routed to minimize the chances of being cut.

Weapons

Weapon Systems: Robots are permitted to use various types of weapons,

including magnetic weapons, cutters, flippers, saws, lifting devices, spinning
hammers, etc., provided they meet the criteria outlined below.

Spring-Loaded or Flywheels:

a. Large springs must never be loaded when the robot is outside the arena or
testing area.

b. All springs, flywheels, and similar kinetic energy-storing devices must

automatically move to a safe position in case of loss of radio contact or power.
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Prohibited Weapons:

• The following items are strictly prohibited: pyrotechnics, explosives, flames,

firearms, corrosives, liquids, and electronic devices such as radio jammers,
heat guns, and Tesla coils.
• Small, non-offensive pyrotechnics (e.g., flash puffs) may be allowed at the
organizer's discretion.
• Devices using inflammable or combustion-supporting gases are not allowed.
• Untethered projectiles are prohibited. Tethered projectiles are allowed but
must not exceed a length of 1.5 meters (approximately 5 feet), measured
from the centre of the robot to the tip of the projectile.
• The speed of any rotating weapons, such as circular saws or cutting discs,
must not exceed the manufacturer's specifications. These specifications must
be available for inspection.
• Rotating hardened steel blades that may shatter are not permitted.
• Commercial blades (e.g., bayonets) must not exceed 20 cm (8 inches) in
length.
• All sharp edges of weapons, including fixed weapons like spikes, and robot
bodywork in general, that are sharp must be equipped with adequate
protection. This protection must always be in place, except when inside the
arena. Note that these guards are not counted towards the overall weight of
the robot.
• Any moving or swinging arms, regardless of whether they hold sharp and/or
rotating weapons, must be equipped with a visible locking pin to indicate
that the arm(s) is securely locked into place.
• The use of lasers is not allowed.

Robot Control Requirements:

• The robot must be controlled exclusively through a wireless remote, and all
power supply must be onboard.
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• Full control over all robot functions and positions must be maintained. While
autonomous functions within the robot are acceptable, the controller must
have the capability to remotely disable or override these functions at any
time. It is important to note that any damage caused due to this function is
the responsibility of the team. Additionally, there must be a mandatory
manual emergency stop (E-stop) function on the radio controller to manually
override autonomous functions in case of an emergency.
• The team must possess at least a four-frequency wireless remote control
circuit or two dual control circuits, which can be interchanged before the
start of the race to avoid frequency interference with other teams. Cases of
interference in wireless systems will not be considered for rematch or results.
• Remote control systems from toys may be used. Remote control systems
available in the market are also allowed. However, non-standard or self-
made remote control systems can only be used after obtaining approval from
the organizers.
• The team must pair the wireless remote with the robot before entering the
arena. No additional time will be provided for this once the robots are inside
the arena, and failure to connect the remote with the robot beforehand may
result in a penalty for the team.
• The robot can be controlled through wireless remotes or wired remotes only.
• The power supply must be onboard only. For further details on battery and
power, refer to the specifications mentioned above.
• There should be binding capability between transmitters and receivers, and
only remotes with this feature will be allowed.
• The team should pair the wireless remote with the robot before entering it
into the arena.

COMPETITION RULES AND SPECIFICATIONS

Team Specifications:
• A team may consist of a maximum of 5 participants. These participants can
be from the same or different institutes.
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• Team Name: Every team must have a unique name. Techfest Organizers
reserve the right to reject entries from any team whose name it deems
inappropriate, offensive or conflicting. Organizers must be notified if a
team's name has been changed.
• Team Representative: Each team must specify their team representative
(leader) at the time of registration on the website. All the important
communications between Techfest Organizers and the registered teams will
be done through their team representative. The team representative must
submit valid contact details (phone no., email ID etc.) at the time of
registration.

o NOTE: During any kind of conversation, registration,

communication, emails or submissions the team must identify
themselves by their Team ID only provided at the time of
registration and not by your team’s name. Please DO NOT use
your team’s name as your identification in any kind of
communication with us.

Written Abstract:
• The weapon systems and power supply method must be explained in detail,
along with proper diagrams and pictures.
• The functioning of wireless remote or any other wireless module used for
wireless remote, and its frequency, must be explained in detail.
• A description of any unusual advantageous mechanism used must be given.
The specifications of all the components used, including motors, suspension
springs, remote controller, wires, battery etc. must be mentioned.
• You can email the portfolio minus the video and send the video later, thus
making sure that at least the abstract of your portfolio reaches us before the
deadline. An email will be sent to the team leader confirming the receipt of
the entry. Each team must make an online submission only by email. In the
case of multiple submissions, only the first submission will be used for
judging purposes.
• All submissions must be made online before the deadline.
• Soft copy of the permission regarding pneumatics and hydraulics capacity
must be mailed to us before the deadline. A hard copy of the permission
must be brought with you to the competition. Teams failing to do any of this
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(soft copy submission and hard copy presence), will not be allowed to
participate. All submissions must be made online before the deadline.

Here is the information about match duration and type with improved grammar
and organization:

Match Duration and Type:

- Matches will have a duration of10 minutes of active fight time, excluding any
time-outs. Therefore, it is not mandatory but highly recommended that teams
design their robots with sufficient battery capacity, power efficiency, and
machine defences to endure a 10-minute battle.

- Matches will follow a regular 1-on-1 combat format between two robots.

Criteria for Judgement:

•A robot would be victorious if its opponent is immobilized.

•A robot will be declared immobile if it cannot display linear motion of at
least one inch in a timed period of 30 seconds. A robot with one side of
its drive train disabled, demonstrating some degree of controlled
movement would not be considered.
•A robot that is deemed unsafe by the judges after the match has begun
will be disqualified and therefore declared the loser. The match will be
immediately halted and the opponent will be awarded a win.
• If a robot is thrown out of the arena the match will stop immediately, and
the robot still inside the arena will automatically be declared as the
winner.
• Robots cannot win by pinning or lifting their opponents.
• Organizers will allow pinning or lifting for a maximum of 15 seconds per
pin/lift then the attacker robot will be instructed to release the
opponent. If, after being instructed to do so, the attacker can release but
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does not, their robot may be disqualified. If two or more robots become
entangled or a crushing or gripping weapon is employed and becomes
trapped within another robot, then the competitors should make the
timekeeper aware, the fight should be stopped and the robots separated
by the safest means.
• In
case both the robots remain mobile after the end of the round then the
winner will be decided subjectively.
• Pointswill be given based on aggression (frequency, severity, boldness,
and effectiveness of attacks deliberately initiated), damage (through
deliberate action), control, strategy (attack as well as defense), and
crowd reaction. Further details will be intimated later.
• Ultimately,
the Judge’s decision would be final, binding, and
unquestionable.