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There are several things that you have to do right to even have a chance to stand in the winner's circle. Competitors have endless discussions about which is the best motor to use or what weapon would be the most effective. What is the most important single factor? It is something you rarely hear discussed. An idea so simple that it would be very unlikely to make most people's top-ten list of secrets to success. Yet it is a secret that most of the veterans know. Are you ready? Here it is: Finish your robot before you come to the competition!
This seems too obvious to even mention, let alone to place at the very top of a list of secrets to success. Besides, so what if you just have a little wiring to do, or that one last gear to mount? It's 3:00 AM you have been working for 36 hours straight and it is almost time to load the robot in the car and get to the competition. You can do that last bit of wiring in the pits, right? Well, the fact is, if you are in this situation, you have probably already insured a loss in the BattleBox.
The veterans have seen this many times before, but if you are new to BattleBots, let me tell you what it is like in the pits. Let's take a look at two hypothetical competitors: Larry and Moe. Larry's robot is finished. He came in yesterday, set up his pit table, got a safety inspection and weigh-in, and posed for a few pictures with his robot. He was then free the rest of the day to wander through the pits, checking out the cool hardware and make some new friends.
Moe got in late with just a few "minor" adjustments left to do. He spent his whole day trying to work on the robot while at the same time getting through all the required procedures. He was somehow able to convince the inspectors that his robot was safe and able to move under its own power.
Editor's Note: Safety/Technical Inspectors will check to see if your robot is capable of sustained controlled/movement.
Now it is the first day of competition. Larry is not scheduled to do battle for a few hours so he goes to the contestant bleachers and gets himself a good seat to watch the action. Moe is still working on his robot after having slept just two hours last night under the pit canopy. Moe was hoping he could cheat Mr. Murphy (of Murphy's Law fame), but the time-honored law held true. Moe found that the minor adjustments took longer than he expected, and he found a few more changes that just had to be made. |
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Now Moe is called to battle. He drags his toolbox to the battle queue and continues to wrench on his robot. At this point he is desperately wishing that he had paid more attention to that "Secret to Winning" article he read on the BattleBots web site.
Time to fight. He sets up his robot and steps out of the arena. The box is locked. The blue driver is ready. "Red driver are you ready?" "Uh, I guess."
Three thousand people watch anxiously from the stands as the starting lights count down to green... Three thousand people watch with disappointment and ill-disguised hatred as Moe walks in to the box to collect his robot which never got off the red square.
Moe decides to go all-out to get his robot ready for the Rumble. He spends two solid days working in the pits. Meanwhile, Larry has won a match or two, and he has spent most of his time in the contestant bleachers watching the most amazing show on Earth.
Larry may not have won the competition, but he has had a great time, and he has learned a great deal by watching the other robots in battle, and by examining them closely in the pits. Moe has had a terrible time. He hasn't seen any of the show, and Curly, (who won the Rumble), keeps pointing at him while yelling "Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk". And the only thing Moe has learned is this: Finish your robot before you come to the competition!
The time to start worrying about finishing your robot in time is at the beginning of your building process. By the time that contest day comes around, your robot should be finished, you should have had plenty of time for driving practice, and you should be well rested.
What I am suggesting here is not easy. I have come to a competition with items still left on my to-do list, and so have some of the most successful competitors. It takes good planning, discipline, and lots of free time to get the job done. But here is one simple way to guarantee that your robot will be finished: If it looks like time is running short, rather than drive or fly hundreds of miles just to work on your robot in a tent, why don't you just leave your robot home! Come and see the show, have the time of your life, learn a few things, and set your sights on doing well and enjoying the next competition.
Carlo Bertocchini
http://www.robotbooks.com/biohazard.htm
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DO NOT CONSTRUCT OR OPERATE A ROBOT OR BATTLEBOT UNLESS SUPERVISED BY A QUALIFIED ADULT.
CONTESTANTS ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ROBOT OR BATTLEBOT WHETHER OR NOT IT COMPLIES WITH THE RULES OF BATTLEBOTS, INC. (COMPANY) OR HAS BEEN INSPECTED FOR SAFETY OR OTHERWISE BY THE COMPANY.
THE CONTESTANTS' RESPONSIBILITY INCLUDES ALL MATTERS OF SAFETY, CONDITION, DESIGN, CONFORMITY TO LAW, OPERATION, MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR USE AND FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
BY ACCESSING THE COMPANY RULES OR PARTICIPATING IN ANY EVENT EACH CONTESTANT WAIVES ALL AGREEMENTS, WARRANTIES, GUARANTEES, RIGHTS AND REMEDIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED (IF ANY), INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY OBLIGATION OR LIABILITY OF THE COMPANY WITH RESPECT TO ANY MATTER DESCRIBED ABOVE AND ANY DIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND OR NATURE, WHETHER OR NOT ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE COMPANY OR ANY OTHER PERSON, AND ANY RISKS WITH RESPECT THERETO ARE HEREBY ASSUMED BY CONTESTANTS. |
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This "Tips from the Pros" instalment comes from current, two time Heavyweight Champion Carlo Bertocchini -- Builder of BioHazard. Just in time for the May 2001 competition, Carlo let's us in on a little secret -- How to Win!
