Robotic Combat, as seen and glorified in such TV shows as "Battlebots" and "Robot Wars", and hundreds more I don't feel like getting into, is a growing "sport" where two teams battle, each with a remote-controlled robot with all sorts of contraptions to saw, flip, and otherwise destroy the opponent.

I say we bring this to the next level and have...Underwater Robotic Combat! Each team builds a submersible robot capable of inflicting damage on the other team's robot, the ultimate goal being to breach the other robot's hull and "sink" it. The difficulty level could be variable by making the water clearer or murkier. A camera on the robot would be required to help both the team control their robot and for the audience to see what the robot sees. Of course, certain precautions and other consideratons must be taken, such as remote control of the robot, since most radio waves won't travel through water. A tether with cables would be needed for video data, robot control, and to pull the robot out of the water when it is sunk. I can see this as a much more challenging and interesting "sport" than the original battlebots ever was, because of the bouyancy and three dimensional aspects.
-- BinaryCookies, Aug 25 2002

Robot Wars http://www.robotwars.co.uk/
Now seen in 27 countries! [Aristotle, Aug 27 2002]

category suggestion http://www.halfbake...Robot_3a_20Fighting
[bungston, Apr 16 2008]

// most radio waves won't travel through water //

Most radio waves won't travel FAR through water- but in this case the required range is limited to a few metres, so you can still use fairly conventional R/C kit with some simple mods. And this gives 3-d mobility without resorting to flight. Croissant.
-- 8th of 7, Aug 25 2002


Please don't take Battlebots to *any* level. Once upon a time, there was an interesting idea there, then they got it confused with WWF.
-- DrCurry, Aug 25 2002


Dammit Dammit Dammit
I *knew* I should have posted my
Jack Hammer Combat Swimmer idea
<mutter, grumble, croissant>
-- thumbwax, Aug 25 2002


Frankly, I'd rather see the geeks off Robot Wars ditching their mechanical proxies and fighting like drunken Scotsmen.
-- calum, Aug 26 2002


*Robotic* drunken scotsmen, please.
-- BinaryCookies, Aug 26 2002


this'd be quite amusing although the first (and probably illegal) move I'd make would be to cut the umbilical and laugh as the robot shuts down.
-- kaz, Aug 26 2002


Either that or a few hundred kva electrical discharge . . .
-- bristolz, Aug 26 2002


mwuhahahaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
-- kaz, Aug 26 2002


Creative, but I can't say this would be as entertaining as BattleBots is. (I refuse to acknowledge Robot Wars.)

1. Speed of hammers, saws, robots, etc. will be greatly reduced by the drag of the surrounding liquid. It will also make it harder to discern a KO with such slow speeds.

2. Refraction and murkiness will keep the audience guessing at what they just saw much of the time.

3. A robot can't burn underwater when the other robot kicks its ass. We want smoke and FIRE! DESTRUCTIONNNNN!!

4. A tether for remote control? I don't like the extra precautions and rules this would require.
-- XSarenkaX, Aug 26 2002


[XSarenkaX],

1. This would be a battlefield of new weaponry and rules. Magnets may play a more of a vital role to attract the other robot and attempt to pierce the other bot's hull.

2. Cameras on each robot as well as cameras placed thoughout the pool would keep the audience informed of what was going on. I do acknowledge your point that murky or cloudy water would have to be avoided.

3. Um...well...sinking robots are cool...especially when they short out and electrify the water.

4. Depending on the range required, there might be a few ways around a tether. I'll look into it. I don't know how we could ever aquire the needed bandwidth to recieve video information without cabling of some sort. Low-frequency radio waves are limited, but could work.
-- BinaryCookies, Aug 27 2002


You would have to have some arena hazards like those in Robot Wars, such as mines, ship wrecks and robot fish.
-- Aristotle, Aug 27 2002


Robot fish? Hmm. As long as they're not as annoying as the robot rats on Robotica.

I suppose this new arena might have its place in robot battling history. I took my fishbone off this idea because I would actually watch this to see how it goes. As you say, there would be an entirely revamped set of rules. I also believe there would be a different feel to the battles. Propellers would likely replace wheels as the most common speed propulsion mechanism, for instance.
-- XSarenkaX, Aug 27 2002


While this version would be more fun to participate in as a competitor (it takes the challenge of strategic design to the next level), it would lose much of the spectator appeal the previous versions had. There are two camps of fans: those who just want to see robotic carnage (smoke, sparks, shredded metal) and those who are more focused on the strategy of attack and the beauty of a well built machine. Without fast action and visually dramatic destruction, the first camp of fans will be entirely lost. Furthermore, the second camp of fans will be less satisfied because many of them like the smoke and sparks too.
-- BigBrother, Aug 27 2002


WHAT HAPPENED TO BATTLEBOTS?

I was just talking to my friend about that. Where did it go? Is it still on air? What channel? I've not seen it for a long time! I loved that show!

This might be cool, but it eliminates the need for such weapons as flamethrowers (which nobody needed anyway), axes, hammers, and spinning blades of death..
-- TahuNuva, Apr 16 2008


The underwater combat thing does sort of lack all the flames and sparks of land-based robot combat. Solution? Flying robots!
-- qt75rx1, Apr 17 2008



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