Combat Robotics League
Combat Robotics League
⚠️ WEAPON LOCKS REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES OUTSIDE THE ARENA / TEST BOX ⚠️ ⚠️ MANDATORY SAFETY CHECK & WEIGH-IN BEFORE ENTERING THE ARENA ⚠️
🏆 Next Event — Tournament, Saturday, November 21, 2026
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The votes are in — our next event is a tournament-style competition on Saturday, November 21, 2026. Whether you're fighting, helping, or just watching, come be part of it.
⚠️ Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. |
🔧 Build & Prep Day: Saturday, November 14 at 1:00 PM
Come work on your robot at the makerspace alongside other bot-heads on Saturday, November 14 at 1:00 PM. Bring your bot, your parts, and your questions — it's a good chance to get repairs, upgrades, or a brand-new build ready before the tournament.
🎉 Founding Event Recap — Thank You!
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GRM's first Combat Robotics event on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 (part of Grand Rapids Tech Week) is in the books! Huge thanks to every builder, driver, volunteer, and spectator who came out and made our founding season's finish line a success. 📸 Photos & VideosRelive the fights — photos and match videos from September 16: 📸 Grand River Rumble - 9/16/26 @ Grand River Makerspace (Imgur album) Have your own shots or clips? Send them our way and we'll add them to the album. |
👕 League T-Shirts
We're working on GRM Combat Robotics t-shirts with a league logo and hope to have them ready by the November 21 tournament.
- Paid league registrants will receive a shirt as part of their registration.
- Additional shirts will be available for purchase for family, friends, supporters, and anyone else who isn't a league registrant. Pricing and ordering details to come.
League Overview & Registration
Welcome to the Grand River Makerspace Combat Robotics League! This league features the 1 lb Plastic Antweight class, designed to be accessible, affordable, and encourage rapid prototyping and experimentation using 3D printing.
| 🤖 Join the Combat Robotics League |
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✅ Registered League Competitors
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These folks have paid their league registration — 39 registrations as of October 14, 2026. Names listed as first name and last initial. Entries marked with multiple registrations cover more than one competitor (e.g., family members).
Paid but don't see your name, or need a family member's name added? Let us know and we'll update the list. |
🛠️ Getting a Robot — Palm Beach Bots Kits
Want to join but don't have a bot yet? Most of our league's robots came from Palm Beach Bots plastic ant kits — beginner-friendly, easy to assemble, and they come with STEP/STL files so you can print your own replacement parts.
- Kits: Six kits by weapon type (lifters, horizontal/vertical spinners, undercutter, drum), roughly $94–$160 for the base bot.
- Add-ons: A radio (~$40) and a charger (~$45) if you don't already have them.
- Full price reference: 📄 View Palm Beach Bots Kit Price Sheet PDF
- Order at: palmbeachbots.com
Prices on the sheet are for reference only and can change — always check palmbeachbots.com before ordering. Group orders of 10+ kits may qualify for a discount (sales@palmbeachbots.com).
Ordering a kit for the November 21 tournament? Order early to leave shipping and build time — and bring it to the November 14 build & prep day.
Official Rules & Documentation
| Document | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| GRM Construction & Building Rules | Official Grand River Makerspace Plastic Antweight build specifications & material allowances. | 📄 View Building Rules PDF |
| Zeke's Judging Criteria V2 | Match scoring breakdown, damage assessment (Drive vs. Weapon), tiebreakers, and judging score sheet. | 📄 View Judging Criteria V2 PDF |
| GRM Match Rules v1 | Load-in/out procedure, match duration, un-sticks, KOs, pins, tap-outs, and emergency protocols. | 📄 View Match Rules PDF |
| Palm Beach Bots Kit Price Sheet | Reference pricing for the plastic ant kits most league bots are built from, plus radio and charger add-ons. | 📄 View Kit Price Sheet PDF |
Weight Limits & Locomotion Bonuses
Weigh-ins occur at the beginning of the competition and at any time deemed necessary by officials. Standard rolling bots must not exceed 1 lb (454g).
| Locomotion Type | Bonus Multiplier | Maximum Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Rolling (Wheels, tracks, rolling chassis) | 1.0x | 1.00 lb (454 g) |
| Shuffler (Rotational cam-operated legs) | 1.25x | 1.25 lb (567 g) |
| Non-Traditional (Bristle/torque drive, gyro walker, ground effect) | 1.5x | 1.50 lb (680 g) |
| Walker (Linear-actuated legs, non-continuous rolling elements) | 2.0x | 2.00 lb (907 g) |
Materials & Build Specifications
The spirit of the Plastic Antweight class is rapid iteration via desktop 3D printing.
| Category | Permitted / Recommended | Prohibited / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3D Printed Parts (Frames, armor, weapons) |
Allowed: PLA, PLA+, PET, PETG, ABS, ASA (Must be FDM/FFF printed). 💡 Recommended: Overture Super PLA |
Prohibited: Carbon Fiber blends (CF-PLA, etc.), Glass-filled filaments, TPU/Flex for armor/weapons, metal, UHMW, polycarbonate, or resin 3D printing. |
| Post-Processing | Painting or marking solely for aesthetics is allowed. | Annealing, boiling, chemical/acetone vapor smoothing, or treatments that artificially increase impact resistance are prohibited. |
| Traction Elements | COTS rubber wheels/tires, custom cast rubber, foam wheels, rubber coatings. Bristles for bristle-drives may use TPU. | Traction magnets or downforce magnets are strictly prohibited. |
| COTS Hardware (Commercial Off The Shelf) |
Motors, ESCs, receivers, batteries, bearings, shafts, fasteners, and adhesives. | COTS parts may not be used as armor, counterweights, or weapon impactors/teeth. |
| Weapon Types | Active spinners, lifters, flippers, grabbers, tethered projectiles (max 8 ft). | No heat/fire, untethered projectiles, entangling devices (nets/strings), liquid/foam, or RF/electrical jamming. |
Safety & Power Requirements
All robots must pass safety inspection prior to fighting.
🔒 Weapon Locks & Safe Handling
- Mandatory Weapon Locks: Any robot with a kinetic/spinning weapon must have a dedicated, brightly colored physical locking device installed whenever the robot is assembled outside of the arena or testing box.
- Standard spring clamps (e.g., Harbor Freight 1-3/4" Spring Clamps) work well.
- Exemptions: Non-kinetic weapons (passive wedges and lifters) do not require a weapon lock.
⚡ Radio Failsafe & Power Disconnect
- Radio Failsafe: All active weapon bots must automatically shut off power to drive and spin-down weapons immediately when the transmitter is turned off or signal is lost.
- Manual Power Disconnect: Robots must have an easily accessible mechanical switch or removable power link capable of fully deactivating the bot in under 15 seconds.
- Battery Safety: Non-spillable batteries only (LiPo, LiFe, NiMH). Terminals must be insulated against direct shorts.
Match Format & Rules Summary
- Match Length: 2 minutes (or until KO / Tap-Out).
- Time Between Matches: A competitor may claim a minimum of 20 minutes between their own matches to repair before fighting again.
- Load-In / Load-Out: Bots load in in a fixed order — robot in weapon-away, power on, weapon lock off, both doors closed, transmitters on, then functionality test. Load-out reverses it: driven to the door, transmitters off, doors open, weapon lock on, robot off. Never drive a bot or spin a weapon with the doors open. Lifters and wedges may be driven out of the box without a weapon lock.
- Knock-Outs (KO): A robot unable to demonstrate controlled translational movement for 10 seconds is declared knocked out. An exposed battery is an immediate KO loss.
- Pins & Holds: Stationary pins are limited to 5 seconds; active pins (moving/sawing) are limited to 10 seconds, after which the attacker must fully release.
- Un-Sticks: Each bot gets one un-stick, but only if the opposing robot did not cause the immobilization. Only the driver of the stuck robot may call it, and the cage manager decides if it applies.
- Tap-Out: A driver may tap out at any point — by hitting the side of the cage or verbally (loud enough for the cage manager to hear) — to concede the match and protect their robot from further damage.
Judging Criteria
Based on Zeke's Judging Criteria V2.
Judging only takes place if neither robot is knocked out (no KO or tap-out before the 2 minutes are up). Robots are scored on damage taken during the match — the bot with fewer points wins.
- Maximum 8 points: 4 points for drive and 4 points for weapon.
- Partially working = half points. A system counts as partially working if it is spinning slowly, working intermittently, or damaged in a way that makes it less effective.
- Single systems: A single drive or single weapon counts as the whole system and is worth the full 4 points if knocked out entirely.
- Dual systems: Robots with two weapon systems (e.g., a spinner with a lifter) split the weapon points in half — 2 points per part disabled.
Drive Points
| Drive | Fully Working | Partially Working | Not Working |
|---|---|---|---|
| Left Drive | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Right Drive | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Both Sides of Drive | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Weapon Points
| Weapon | Fully Working | Partially Working | Not Working |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Part 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| All Parts | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Tiebreaker Rules
In the event of a points tie:
- The first robot to lose any drive functionality loses.
- If it is unclear who lost drive first, the judge may decide based on which robot looked more aggressive and in control.
- If it is still unclear who was winning, the winner is determined by a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors.
📝 Judging Score Sheet
Judges record each robot's Robot Name, Drive Damage, Weapon Damage, and Total. A printable score sheet is included in the Judging Criteria V2 PDF.
📚 Past Events
| Date | Event | Format | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Sept 16, 2026 | Founding Event — Grand Rapids Tech Week | Grudge matches + closing rumble | 📸 Photos & Videos • 📄 Attendee Guide |
