Robotics Combat
From Simreal
Robotic Combat (in the form of Robot Wars and BattleBots, among others), is the Mecca of tinkers and inventors. It is a battle-ground of ideas where the dream machines of technologists meet in the big arena to knock the rivets out of each other. May the best machine win!
There are many types of robotic competitions around the world, though few of them combine the finesse of cleverness with the force and durability of brute strength. In my many years as a software engineer I haven't seen anything that matches the harsh environment of Robotic Combat... where the machine doesn't just have to work, but it must work under severe, adverse conditions against fierce opposition.
A competitor's goal is to out-design, out-engineer, and out-program the "enemy." It is a challenge. It is an opportunity to develop new skills. And it is great fun!
As a sport, Robotic Combat gives public exposure to otherwise obscure technologies. It inspires a new generation to enter the field of engineering. It brings robots out of fantasy, out of obscure factories, and makes them part of the public entertainment experience. It makes motors and wheels and computer chips cool.
