Robotica
Encyclopedia
Robotica is a robot combat
show (similar to the early seasons of Robot Wars
) 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 Zappa
, Tanika Ray
, and Tanya Memme
. For the second and third seasons, Dan Danknick
replaced Tanika Ray.
style "Fight to the Finish" to determine the winner of the show.
Total points were added for the three events to determine a winner. In the event of a tie, the robot who won the greater number of events advanced.
The Fight to The Finish took place on a 15' by 15' platform elevated high above the floor. A low guard rail surrounded the platform for the first minute and then fell away. The last robot on the platform moved on to the finals.
The finals worked the same way as the preliminary shows, except there were six robots, competing in three pairs. Three robots met in the Fight to the Finish. The winner of the show was awarded the largest cash prize in robot combat to that date: $12,000.
The former side-by-side Gauntlet course was now arranged in a diamond-shape. The first barrier wall was now a wooden plank, the walls of metal cans, bricks, and concrete paving stones remained, and the safe was gone. Each robot had to complete their own two legs of the diamond and then return through the opponent's rubble field before climbing a ramp up to the Forest of Glass in the center of the diamond. When all the glass strips were broken, a final glass sheet lowered as the final challenge. Scoring was 10 points for each barrier, 5 points for each rubble wall, 10 points for first up the ramp, 5 points for second up the ramp, 15 points for the final glass pane. This challenge had 150 total points available and a three minute time limit.
The former two-path Maze was now a single Labyrinth wherein both robots could roam to choose from six scoring obstacles. Also roaming the Labyrinth were two rat-shaped robots named the "Robotica Rats" that could interfere with (or sometimes help) the competitors. Breaking the glass strip beyond each obstacle claimed the points. Obstacles were:
Robots started together in a motorized rotating turntable
, where combat was encouraged. A robot could be penalized the entire point total for an obstacle if they broke down or got stuck in a position that blocked access to the obstacle.
At the end of three minutes, or when all the obstacles were cleared, the exit opened. The final glass strip on the far side of the exit was worth 30 points. This challenge had 150 total points available and a four minute time limit.
The winning pair of robots faced each other in The Fight to The Finish. The platform was enlarged from season 1; it was now a 25' by 25' elevated platform. A new rule called for robots to hold the other robot 'pinned' for no more than 15 seconds before release. A low guard rail surrounded the platform for the first minute, then fell away. The last robot on the platform moved on to the finals.
For the finals, three pairs of robots competed in The Gauntlet. The two robots with the lowest scores were eliminated, and the remaining four robots paired off for The Labyrinth. The two winning robots met in The Fight to The Finish to determine the champion.
Robot combat
Robot 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...
show (similar to the early seasons of Robot Wars
Robot 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...
) produced for the American television cable channel TLC
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
, a subsidiary of the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
. 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 Zappa
Ahmet Zappa
Ahmet Emuukha Rodan Zappa is an American musician, actor and novelist.-Early life:Ahmet was born in Los Angeles, California, the third of four children born to businesswoman Adelaide Gail Sloatman and musician Frank Zappa. Ahmet's father was of Sicilian, Greek-Arab and French descent and his...
, Tanika Ray
Tanika Ray
Tanika Ray is an American television personality. She was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Los Angeles. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater Arts from Spelman College in Atlanta and studied theater at New York University....
, and Tanya Memme
Tanya Memme
Tanya Memme is a Canadian actress and television presenter best known for hosting Sell This House.Born in Wainfleet, Ontario, went to Denis Morris Catholic High School in St. Catharines, in 1993 she was crowned Miss World Canada .She has been host of A&E's Sell This House since its debut in 2003...
. For the second and third seasons, Dan Danknick
Dan Danknick
Dan Danknick is a physicist and roboticist that graduated from UCI and has made several appearances on robotics related television shows.-Battlebots:...
replaced Tanika Ray.
Season 1
Each preliminary show in the first season of Robotica featured four robots weighing as much as 210 pounds paired off in a series of three challenges. The winners of each pairing faced each other in a Robot-sumoRobot-sumo
Robot-sumo, or pepe-sumo, is a sport in which two robots attempt to push each other out of a circle . The robots used in this competition are called sumobots....
style "Fight to the Finish" to determine the winner of the show.
- The first challenge was The Speedway. Robots raced in opposite directions around a figure-8 track. Robots were awarded 10 points for each lap completed (up to 8), with an additional 20 points awarded to the winner. This challenge had a two minute time limit.
- The second challenge was The Maze. Robots negotiated obstacles in two identical, twisting courses that met in the middle. Five obstacles (teeter ramp, push box, rotating paddles, guillotineGuillotineThe guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
, and waterfall) worth 15 points each, plus 25 points for the first robot to the center platform. This challenge had a three minute time limit.
- The third challenge was The GauntletRunning the gauntletRunning the gauntlet is a form of physical punishment wherein a captive is compelled to run between two rows—a gauntlet—of soldiers who strike him as he passes.-Etymology:...
. Robots crashed through barrier walls of increasing difficulty. Five barriers (glass pane, paint cans filled with sand, bricks, concreteConcreteConcrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
paving stones, and a heavy safeSafeA safe is a secure lockable box used for securing valuable objects against theft or damage. A safe is usually a hollow cuboid or cylinder, with one face removable or hinged to form a door. The body and door may be cast from metal or formed out of plastic through blow molding...
) worth 15 points each, plus 25 points to the first robot to complete the course. This challenge had a three minute time limit.
Total points were added for the three events to determine a winner. In the event of a tie, the robot who won the greater number of events advanced.
The Fight to The Finish took place on a 15' by 15' platform elevated high above the floor. A low guard rail surrounded the platform for the first minute and then fell away. The last robot on the platform moved on to the finals.
The finals worked the same way as the preliminary shows, except there were six robots, competing in three pairs. Three robots met in the Fight to the Finish. The winner of the show was awarded the largest cash prize in robot combat to that date: $12,000.
Seasons 2 and 3
Robotica seasons 2 and 3 featured redesigned challenges. The Speedway was eliminated, The Gauntlet was redesigned, and The Maze had been completely re-done and renamed The Labyrinth.The former side-by-side Gauntlet course was now arranged in a diamond-shape. The first barrier wall was now a wooden plank, the walls of metal cans, bricks, and concrete paving stones remained, and the safe was gone. Each robot had to complete their own two legs of the diamond and then return through the opponent's rubble field before climbing a ramp up to the Forest of Glass in the center of the diamond. When all the glass strips were broken, a final glass sheet lowered as the final challenge. Scoring was 10 points for each barrier, 5 points for each rubble wall, 10 points for first up the ramp, 5 points for second up the ramp, 15 points for the final glass pane. This challenge had 150 total points available and a three minute time limit.
- Push Box - 15 points
- Lifting Spikes - 15 points
- Suspension Bridge - 20 points
- Flipper - 20 points
- Rollers - 25 points
- Sand Box - 25 points
Robots started together in a motorized rotating turntable
Revolving stage
A revolving stage is a mechanically controlled platform within a theatre that can be rotated in order to speed up the changing of a scene within a show...
, where combat was encouraged. A robot could be penalized the entire point total for an obstacle if they broke down or got stuck in a position that blocked access to the obstacle.
At the end of three minutes, or when all the obstacles were cleared, the exit opened. The final glass strip on the far side of the exit was worth 30 points. This challenge had 150 total points available and a four minute time limit.
The winning pair of robots faced each other in The Fight to The Finish. The platform was enlarged from season 1; it was now a 25' by 25' elevated platform. A new rule called for robots to hold the other robot 'pinned' for no more than 15 seconds before release. A low guard rail surrounded the platform for the first minute, then fell away. The last robot on the platform moved on to the finals.
For the finals, three pairs of robots competed in The Gauntlet. The two robots with the lowest scores were eliminated, and the remaining four robots paired off for The Labyrinth. The two winning robots met in The Fight to The Finish to determine the champion.
Winning robots
- Season 1: Run Amok
- Season 2: Flexy Flyer
- Season 3: Panzer Mk. 3
See also
- 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...
- 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 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...
- Robot-sumoRobot-sumoRobot-sumo, or pepe-sumo, is a sport in which two robots attempt to push each other out of a circle . The robots used in this competition are called sumobots....
External links
- Pictures of the Robotica competitor robots
- Rules for Robotica Season 1
- Rules for Robotica Seasons 2 and 3
- Full results of major robotic competitions, including Robot Wars, Battlebots, and Robotica
- Ask Aaron: Questions and Answers about Combat Robotics
- RoboCore - robot competitions in Brazil.