Ask Aaron: questions and answers about combat robots

7681 Questions and Answers about Combat Robotics
from Team Run Amok

Privacy Policy

Team Run Amok receives a lot of email about designing and building combat robots. In 2003 my son and team member Aaron Joerger (then 12 years old) asked for a question and answer page to document our responses.

Even small combat robots can be dangerous! Learn proper construction and safety techniques before attempting to build and operate a combat robot. Do not operate combat robots without proper safeguards.

Ask Aaron is a simple little question and answer page. People ask questions about combat robots and we do our best to answer them.
Recently I've received some messages where the bulk of the text is used to express views or opinions that would be better suited as social media posts. Although I found the topics of these messages personally interesting, I did not publish them and I will continue to reject submittals of this type. I won't have Ask Aaron turned into Reddit. Let's keep it to combat robot questions, please.

Adjust Size as Needed
Q: what wheels to use [Uttar Pradesh, Bharat]
A: [Mark J.]
If you give me no information about your robot, I can give you no guidance on components.

It's Just Too Much
Q: I'm using a Flysky i6x transmitter with a Malenki Nano receiver/ESC in my fairyweight, but the turning is too fast. How do I turn it down? [Social Media]
A: [Mark J.] The easiest and most flexible solution is to assign a 'Dual Rate' for CH1:

Hold down 'OK' to open the 'MENU' screen.
Tap the 'Down' key to highlight 'Functions Setup' and tap 'OK'.
Tap the 'Down' key to highlight 'Dual rate' and tap 'OK' to select.
Tap the 'OK' key to select 'Rate' and use the up/down keys to set the value to '50'.
Press and hold the 'CANCEL' key to save and return to the previous menu.
With this Dual Rate set you will have reduced steering response when switch SWA (top left on your FS-i6x) is 'UP'. Flipping switch SWA 'DOWN' will restore full steering response -- handy for a victory gyro dance. You may adjust the '50' rate value up or down for more or less steering response. See my FlySky Combat Programming Guide for detailed instructions.
Q: Could you set 'End Points' for Ch1 to get the same steering sensitivity adjustment?
A: The short answer in this particular case is 'Yes', but it is preferable to use a 'Dual Rate'.
Long Transmitter Wonk Answer You may want to skip to the next question.

'Dual Rate' is a 'Transmitter Level' function that adjusts the input from the control stick before it is sent thru the mixing process.
Setting a dual rate on CH1 to reduce steering sensitivity will work with either transmitter or on-board mixing.

'End Points' is a 'Receiver Level' function that effects all commands delivered from a specific receiver port. With transmitter mixing it would restrict both steering and throttle commands on one side of the 'bot and have no effect on the other side.
Setting end points on CH1 to reduce steering sensitivity will work only with an on-board mixing module on the 'bot.

Longest Internal Diagonal
Q: Can my 30lb thwack bot be 6 feet long in NHRL? I heard that the longest it could be was 3 feet but I don’t know if I read it right so I’m super confused. [Social Media]
A: [Mark J.] Just to make things complicated, the NHRL has a 'cube rule' for dimensions:
"12lb and 30lb robots must be able to fit into a 36 x 36 x 36-inch box."
The 'bot does not have to sit flat on the box floor -- design your 'bot to fit into into the longest internal diagonal of the box and it could have a maximum dimension up to ( 3² + 3² + 3² ) ^0.5 ≈ 5.2 feet. Plus, there is a loophole that allows even greater length:
"Once the match begins, robots are allowed to expand or contract to any size."
If your 'bot can unfold of otherwise expand when it starts moving it can become much longer.

Machinations
Q: Did NHRL ever announce if/when they would release the teams tournament special on YouTube? I’m asking because I need footage of the event for a video I’m working on.
-sincerely, Iceywave [West of San Antonio ✪]
A: [Mark J.] I no longer care to discuss machinations of the National Havoc Robot League. Rodger the Web Gerbil has relatives in Connecticut and has been asking for more editorial responsibility, so I'll let him handle this topic.

Rodger the Web Gerbil here, reporting live from under the couch.
My cousin Sidney in Norwalk tells me that the ESPN TV networks have exclusive rights to all video footage from the NHRL Teams Tournament Finals thru the end of August. NHRL says they will release full coverage of the event on their YouTube channel in September.

A Job With Benefits
Q: I hope Roger the Web Gerbil enjoyed his vacation. I also have a couple favors to ask him.
In the Robotica Competitor Gallery, 'Ill Tempered Mutt' and 'PSHHHT!' have incorrect links for their wiki pages. I've attached the correct links.
A: [Mark J.] Hey, you're pretty good at this. I could sack that annoying rodent and give you his job. It comes with a water bottle, an exercise wheel, and a fresh scoop of alfalfa pellets every other day -- but you have to clean your own cage. Interested?
Q: And a commenter on Ill Tempered Mutt's page said that a robot of the same name tried to enter Robot Wars in 2017 but failed to qualify. I’ve never heard of this supposed robot before. Have you?
-sincerely, Iceywave [West of San Antonio ✪]
A: The Robot Wars Wiki lists an 'Ill Tempered Mutt' from Team Underdog that attempted to qualify for both the 9th and 10th Wars. It was a thwackbot with a horizontal circular saw in its long tail.
"And yes, we were inspired by the robot of the same name from Robotica 2.0. There needs to be more canine machines."
- Matt Robinson, Team Underdog on Facebook

So Very Many Types
Q: What type of battle robot weapons are there, and what are the different categories that deal the most damage? [ATT Network]
A: [Mark J.] The Wikipedia article on Robot Combat has a extensive section on "combat robot weaponry and design" that includes a very long list of weapon types with a discussion of each type.
I will point out that the most damaging weapons are not the most successful in winning matches, particularly for new builders. Take a look at Frequently Asked Questions #8 and What Weapons Win.

For Accuracy's Sake
Q: Because I’m a stickler for details, I have a couple of questions about two Robotica season 1 competitors before I finish their virtual Robot Arena 2 models.

Did 'Hamerschlag' have a bottom panel made of polycarbonate, or just the top?

Do you know the chassis dimensions of 'Hot Wheels'? If not, could you make a rough estimate based on its size compared to other robots?
-sincerely, Iceywave [West of San Antonio ✪]
A: [Mark J.] For the sake of accuracy:

You could NOT see all the way thru 'Hammerschlag' from top to bottom. The top was polycarbonate but the bottom was 1/8" aluminum.
'Hot Wheels' was small and light. Dimensions were about 20" by 30" with a weight of only 53 pounds.

Q: The final season one robots are ready! I didn’t think I was going to make my own deadline, but I did it!
I noticed you grouped Jeff Haas' Run Amok model with my Robotica replicas. I thought having it next to the 11 other robots I built felt a bit out of place, so I modified Jeff’s replica to have better ground clearance!
I’m REALLY proud of how this batch turned out. Look out for season two bots coming later in August.
A: Thanks for the 'Run Amok' update. I wanted to drop it in to complete the set of Robotica 'Fight to the Finish' competitors so your version is most welcome. This group of Robotica 'bots does look great!
P.S. I noticed that my model of 'Run Away' can do the iconic 'gyro dance'. Could the real life bot do that?
A: Gyro dances are annoying -- I try to avoid them. 'Run Away' has a single electric motor chain driving a differential gearset that allots power to the two rear wheels. If either rear wheel lifts, the differential will cut power to the other wheel and drop the 'bot back onto a level footing. No 'gyro dance' is possible -- even with a monster spinner weapon.
NOTE: A gyro dance lifts the OUTSIDE wheels in a turn. Run Away appears to be lifting the inside wheels. Is this a flaw in the RA2 simulation engine? Is the 'bot backing up? Regardless, Run Away can't hold a lifted wheel.

Make Two Like Four
Q: I've been seeing robots like Swamp Thing and Sawblaze be able to ram other bots while being 2 wheeled. What is it that is done for 2 wheeled robots to be able to push and ram other bots similar to 4 wheeled ones? [Somewhere on T-Mobil]
A: [Mark J.] What is it that is done to arrange words into a beautiful sonnet? There is no one thing done to enable precision control and pushing power on a two-wheeled 'bot -- there is a long list, and you have to get everything on that list right. Here is part of that list:

Tires that are a good match for high traction on the specific arena surface.
Carefully designed and refined forks and/or a plow to "win the ground game".
If on a steel arena floor and if allowed, a few carefully placed and reasonably sized magnets.
Center of gravity placed for best two-wheel traction: see page 46 of the RioBotz Combat Tutorial.
A carefully set-up R/C system that responds well to the driver's inputs, a well-practiced driver, and possibly a peizo gyro.

You'll go thru a long process of trial and refinement to get these things right. You may have noticed that the 'bots you mentioned are built by highly experienced teams.

Bulky With Limited Motion
Q: Would any of the spring flipper options be efficient in a four-bar flipper design like Ziggy or Defiant? [East Texas]
A: [Mark J.] I see two problems in adapting any of the Four Spring Flipper Designs to power a 4-bar flipper:

One of the benefits of a 4-bar mechanism is the compact form factor: you can get a lot of lift packed into a low and trim chassis. Spring energy storage and resetting mechanisms tend to require a fair amount of vertical space for gearing or linkages that would negate the compact package.
An effective 4-bar mechanism requires a large range of motion from both the front and rear bars. Spring mechanisms small enough to be effectively used with a 4-bar work best at a small range of motion -- around 45 to 60 degrees. Adapting to get larger ranges creates added complexity and increased motor torque requirements.
I'm not saying it can't be done, but I believe the problems outweigh the benefits.

Hypothetical Thinking
Q: Hi. I am thinking about building a hypothetical 1 lb cam lifter akin to NHRL's "Supreme Ruler" or "Needle/Ace" from BattleBots. So far, I am in the stage of part selection and I have some questions.

I have decided to use two KingMax KM1203MD servos to directly rotate the lifting forks. I also plan on using a 3S battery to power the robot's electrical system. Based on the operating voltage of the servo, it can operate between 5.0 and 8.4 volts (fully-charged 2S battery). Since I would be running it off a battery of 11.1V, I worry about damaging the servos by overvolting them. As such, I found a FingerTech Robotics 9.6V 4A Switching UBEC Regulator that is very lightweight. Is this still insufficient for reducing the voltage? Other UBECs I have seen that drop the voltage to 8.4 V weigh approximately 5 times more than the proposed Fingertech UBEC. It might also help to know that I plan on running FingerTech TinyESCs (as they have integrated 5V BECs). Recommendations for parts or solutions (especially simple ones that I am likely overlooking) are very welcome.

If Fingertech's UBEC is viable, then I am struggling to understand how the wiring diagram on their website works (located below product description and/or specifications). There are lots of instructions about IN+/- & OUT +/- wires and splitting connectors that I don't understand. Help with a possible wiring diagram or anything to make the layout clearer is greatly appreciated.

Any other advice you may have about cam lifter design is also welcome and appreciated.

Thank you very much. [Hidden in an iCloud]
A: [Mark J.] I'm wondering how you decided on two KingMax servos.
A cam lifter slides a pair of thin but wide blades under the opponent then axially rotates the blades 90 degrees to high-center their 'bot. The maximum torque required for this action would be the weight of your opponent times the width of the blade. For a 0.45 kg antweight with 2.5 cm wide blades that comes to 0.45 × 2.5 = 1.125 kg-cm. Even with a 100% torque safety margin to keep the servo cool and happy, a single 2.25 kg-cm servo with linkages to both blades would be fine for your purpose.
A pair of the KingMax servos @ 8.4 volts deliver a combined 21 kg-cm of torque -- about ten times what you require. They are massive overkill but if you have weight, space, and budget not really a flaw.
Overvolting There is no 'standard' used by servo manufacturers to determine a maximum allowable voltage, and there is no agreement on a safety margin. Some servos are limited by the voltage ratings of their electronics, while others may establish a voltage limit to remain under the current capacity of the electronics or motor when stalled. Running a servo at a voltage above the stated limit may:

Instantly destroy the electronics before the servo even moves;
Fry the electronics with the servo operating under load;
Fry the servo motor with the servo operating under load; or
Cause no harm at all.
There's no way to tell for a specific servo without trying, but you don't need to try and you don't need a UBEC regulator. Keep reading...
Battery Tap You can tap into the balance connector on your 3S LiPo to feed 7.4 volts direct to your servo while still supplying 11.1 volts to your motors. The amount of current used by the servos is small relative to the drive motors -- just balance charge the LiPos every time to keep the cells happy. If your receiver can run at 7.4 volts, clip the red receiver wires on the tinyESCs and the wiring diagram (which shows a single dual-channel ESC) looks like this: If the receiver needs a lower voltage, leave the tinyESC leads alone and run the servo power and ground direct to the 7.4 volts: If you still want to use a UBEC, the voltage regulator, battery, and servo are wired in like this, with power and ground (red and black) wires running to the ESCs and the signal wire (white) going to the receiver:

Reply: Hi, cam lifter person again.
I decided upon using a KingMax KM1203MD servo because I used the desired stall torque formula from the Electric Lifter FAQ, multiplying the theoretical blade length, opponent weight, and the 1.67 factor together. I was unaware that the formula is different for cam lifters. Having extra torque is good, but my initial choice was absolutely overkill.
Length of Lifter Arm (inches) × Weight Class (ounces) × 1.67 = Desired Stall Torque (oz-in)

Response: [Mark J.] Aha! Cam lifters were not a thing when the lifter FAQ was written. "Length" in the above formula refers to the maximum distance perpendicular to the axis of rotation at which your opponent might be lifted -- which in the case of a cam lifter will generally refer to the width of the blade rather than the length that gets shoved under them. I've added a section on cam lifters to the lifter FAQ.
Q: Additionally, I didn't consider that the blades could be run off a single servo. What kind of linkage system would you recommend for this application? Upon digging through Wikipedia and remembering an old Youtube video, my best guess would be some sort of modified "Watt linkage", but I would like to hear your thoughts.
A: A Watt's linkage is tricky to get to work for this application, and it isn't needed. Although 'Supreme Ruler' and 'Needle/Ace' rotate their blades in opposing directions it's more efficient to rotate them in the same direction to avoid scraping them across the underside of the opponent as the edges converge. A simple linkage setting a tie rod between two "steering" arms and running a drag link to the servo will work nicely. As the blades draw closer to vertical the torque requirement is reduced, so you don't need to get fancy. I leave trigonometry behind this as an exercise for the reader. Crude animation: There are some refinements available, but it's late and it's been a long day.
Addendum: Your wiring diagrams were extremely helpful, and your suggestions will certainly help me lower the amount of weight I need for electronics. [Hidden in an iCloud]

Can Ants Do That?
Q: I've heard of ants making a simple hub motor mount for weapons out of TPU, but I'm not sure how they do it. Is it a press fit? Do they use set screws? [Sacramento, California]
A: [Mark J.] I'm going to interpret "ants making a simple hub motor mount for weapons" as an antweight direct-drive weapon hub rather than a mount for a weapon hub motor made by ants. Tell me if I'm wrong.
I don't believe I've seen a good match for what you describe. I've seen soft and squishy TPU sandwiched between motor/hub and around the mounting screws to cushion the motor from impact shock, but I can't recall seeing a single-piece TPU weapon hub. I can tell you:

I would not trust a compliant weapon hub for a US antweight held in place solely by a press-fit; and
TPU is far too soft to hold set screws.
If you could provide a 'bot name I might be more helpful.
Q: Specifically I'm talking about this one horizontal spinner named Cheesecake. I know he has a lot of videos posted on his channel but I haven't found one yet explaining the hub. I was just hoping to see if you had any insight thanks.
A: That gives me something to work with. I wrote to the builder of 'Cheesecake' and asked for some details on the weapon hub. Alex F. was kind enough to write back quickly and confirm my assumption that the hub bolts to the top of the weapon motor, but the design has a very clever method of locking the weapon blade in place:
Yep! It's TPU, and it's bolted through to the rotor. Let me see if I can get a good illustration...
A very few minutes later...
Here's a cross section of the hub. It pushes down onto the motor, is held down by three screws, and the act of pushing it down onto the motor causes the collet to flare out, clamping onto the inner diameter of the weapon bar.
Thanks Alex!
I also found this side view of the weapon hub that shows the slots in the side of the hub that allow it to flex enough to 'click' down into the hole in the weapon blade before the assembly slides down over the rotor and is secured by screws into the top of the rotor: I think that gives a good overview of the weapon hub design.

Frequently
Q: how to desing a
beetle weight bot [Puducherry, Bharat]
A: [Mark J.] See Frequently Asked Questions #2. Read the rest of the FAQ while you're there.

Outside the Scope
Request: Since I don't have any social media accounts right now, I wanted to share my review of the recent NHRL TV special here.
Any constructive feedback is greatly appreciated. I'm always looking to improve my work!
- sincerely, Iceywave [West of San Antonio ✪]
Reply: [Mark J.] I sat and thought about your request for several hours, Icey.
Ask Aaron is a simple little question and answer page. People ask questions about combat robots and Team Run Amok answers them. Sometimes we have guest posts to help clarify topics outside our areas of expertise. I've allowed your posts leeway, extending well beyond the courtesies granted to our other contributors:

I'm pleased to have provided your own Ask Aaron sub-page for The Iceywave Troll-igy.
I'm happy to have hosted your BattleBots 25^th Anniversary Contest.
I'm delighted to provide display and storage to enable users to download your well-crafted Robot Arena 2 virtual robots.
I've allowed you to post the first Ask Aaron audio question, even though it consisted of a 1.3 megabyte sound file instead of the few hundred bytes for a standard question.

I've acceded to these Ask Aaron extensions because I believe they add variety while remaining within the established scope of the website. However, I believe that allowing Ask Aaron to be used as a convenient proxy for a social media site to post an unsolicited 3-megabyte audio opinion piece falls too far outside our scope.
You may not be aware of how contentious the NHRL special on ESPN2 has become and how far your review falls outside the mainstream opinions of the show. I'm willing to present my own opinions on touchy subjects here if asked and defend those opinions as needed, but I don't want Ask Aaron to become a war zone like Reddit with me in the middle.
I'm genuinely quite sorry, but I'm not going to post your audio review of the NHRL special.

The Magnum Opus
Announcement: To celebrate the one year anniversary of my magnum opus (now in a downloadable .pdf version!) I decided to make every robot that made it to the Fight to the Finish stage at Robotica! I’ll release them in groups of three to six over the coming weeks.
Reply: [Mark J.] Awesome, Icey!
For readers unfamiliar with the origin of the Iceywave era at "Ask Aaron", Icy decided to honor every single combat robot he could think of on his 2023 ballot to select members in the Combat Robot Hall of Fame. It was the largest ballot ever submitted, and it will remain the largest because it prompted me to institute "The Iceywave Rule" that will severely limit ballot size in future elections. For some reason Icey takes a great deal of pride in this accomplishment.
To celebrate the anniversary of his bloated ballot, Icy has gifted us the first season of Robotica 'Fight to the Finish' competitors in his new series of playable robots to upload into the popular Robot Arena 2: Design and Destroy action video game for Windows. The new robots may be downloaded from the Team Run Amok Robot Arena: Design and Destroy page, along with the thirty-seven robots from his previous three series. Looking forward to seeing the others in this set, Icey!

Q: The link to my ballot ends up with a 404 error message. Could Rodger the Web Gerbil help?
A: Rodger is out of control. The furry little bugger has taken to tacking his own opinions onto the end of some of my answers, and he has demanded a two-week vacation this year on very short notice. I gave him your ballot before he left with very clear instructions that it was to be uploaded before he could go, but I just now found it in the pile of litter next to his javascript manual.
I've personally uploaded your ballot and the link is now active and correct. I really must have a talk with Rodger when he returns.
Q: And if you don’t mind me asking, what did you send Draco as his prize [for winning Iceywave's BattleBots 25^th Anniversary Contest hosted by Team Run Amok]?
- sincerely, Iceywave [West of San Antonio ✪]
A: Let not your left hand know what your right hand has given.
However, I will point out that shortly after he received his prize, Draco shuttered BattleBots Update and is rumored to have retired and moved to the south of France. Must have been some prize, huh?

Hard Times at Horseshoe
Q: Is it true that destrucatathon has closed? Does this mean that battlebots has been cancelled? [Boise, Idaho]
A: [Mark J.] An internal memo to BattleBots staff from co-founder Trey Roski was leaked to the Las Vegas press and published on August 5^th by Vital Vegas at Casino.org. Here is an excerpt from that memo:
...When I embarked on the Destruct-A-Thon journey, my initial hope was to secure another seasonal TV show to support the costs and initial investment of our live show. However, we're still uncertain about when or if this will happen. Our previous network partner is experiencing financial difficulties, and their stock has declined sharply, leading them to pause on buying any new shows or renewing existing ones. Other networks are facing similarly difficult conditions.
Meanwhile I have been exploring the idea of an Internet show to see if there was potential value for us there. Unfortunately, the funding for that project has not yet materialized, and I'm not sure when or if it might become available.
Given these circumstances, along with other challenges like the upcoming F1 competition, I have had to make the difficult decision to put Destruct-A-Thon on hiatus. Our last show will be next Sunday August 10th, after which we will have a little pool party, and I hope to see you all there. Obviously I'm deeply disappointed and saddened, especially since we have made significant progress. For instance, I've been working on obtaining our liquor license for over a year, and we finally received it last Wednesday. I want to say I'm incredibly proud of Destruct-A-Thon and the show we have all created, and I'm so impressed by the effort many of you have put into exploring the potential for the Internet show...

"Our previous network partner" refers to the Discovery Network in the past tense, which I interpret as no more BattleBots there.
"F1" refers to the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix that shuts down a section of the Las Vegas Strip each November.
"On Hiatus" means the BattleBots Destruct-A-Thon at the Caesars Entertainment Studios at Horseshoe is shutting down with no definite plans to re-open.
Q: What about the battlebots faceoff tournament. Is it still on?
A: A couple of the teams scheduled to compete in the Fall Faceoffs are reporting that the pre-qualifier tournament is still on, and a schedule for the event has been posted at BattleBots.com. Without a scheduled full tournament I'm not clear on why the Faceoffs pre-qualifier is needed, and the Horseshoe facility is quite expensive to continue renting. Maybe I'm missing something?
UPDATE Well, that didn't last long -- just twelve days. From the BattleBots Facebook page:
Las Vegas, NV - Saturday August 17, 2024 - BattleBots Destruct-A-Thon, the explosive live Vegas robot combat show, today announced that that it will be returning from its current summer hiatus with a thrilling new format for the popular show and an exciting new robot fighting competition featuring star BattleBots teams from all over the United States.
Skipping ahead...
In addition to the revamped live show, BattleBots also announced that many weekend performances of Destruct-A-Thon will include the new Fall FaceOff competition, featuring robots and teams from all over the United States, including many faces made famous by the BattleBots TV shows. The FaceOffs see four robots competing each weekend in a round robin competition. The fights will be shown on BattleBots’ hugely popular YouTube channel, enabling millions of viewers all over the world to stream and see the latest developments in robot combat. These FaceOffs will serve as pre-qualifying matches for the upcoming BattleBots World Championships, slated for filming in Las Vegas early 2025.
Tickets for the new look Destruct-A-Thon, including the special FaceOff weekends, are on sale now, with the first performance scheduled for Friday September 6th.

Channel Trims Won't Help
Q: I'm basically brand new to combat robotics and I'm currently building a 1lb ant weight robot and just started testing with driving. When I throttle forward my left wheel starts moving before my right wheel does and vice versa happens when I attempt to go backwards. I'm using a FS-i6, a scorpion nano dual esc, and repeat robotics brushed motors. Ive also tried to mess around with trimming but haven't had any success. Any help would be appreciated!
A: [Mark J.] The channel trims won't fix your problem. With channel mixing in place you need to tweek the individual receiver output ports using your FS-i6 sub-trims.

See the "Unequal Motor Start-up" section of Transmitter Tweeks for Better Driving Control for an explanation.
For specific help in adjusting the sub-trims on your FS-i6, see my FlySky FS-i6 Combat Guide.

Can You Trust the Gerbil?
Q: Hello, I am wondering what thickness of TPU I should use for my beetleweight minibot? I started off with quarter inch, but it turned out to be to heavy. What should I do? [South of Hartford, Connecticut]
A: [Mark J.] See Frequently Asked Questions #17.

Pssst! Down here... It's me, Rodger the Web Gerbil.
Mark is kinda touchy about questions that don't provide the silly little details that might give him a chance to come up with a quantified answer. This time though, I think he missed something. I have access to all of his notes and the exotic software that he doesn't share with the robot community, and I found this equation filed under "If All Else Fails":
cos² (x) + sin² (x) × (e^ix + e^-ix )² / 4 + sin² (x) × (e^2ix + e^-2ix ) / 4 + e^2ln(sin(x)) + 1/2 = What Should I Do?
Plugging your values into the equation I get: "Make it thinner 'cause making it thicker won't make it lighter."

They Don't Get It
Q: What do your combat robots think of the current COVID-19 pandemic? [Kansas City, Missouri]
A: [Mark J.] My robots don't care. My robots don't spread, suffer from, or die from Covid-19 -- but you can. Don't be selfish. Follow the science. Stay safe.

Remembering Aaron Joerger, 1991 - 2013

The 'Ask Aaron' project was important to Aaron, and I continue the site in his memory. Thank you for the many kind messages of sympathy and support that have found their way to me. Aaron's obituary
- Mark Joerger

Q: how can robots help us deal better with hurricanes and why? [Ontario, California]
A: [Aaron] Few people in Nebraska are threatened by hurricanes, so send a swarm of killer robots into low Atlantic and gulf coastal areas to drive the puny human inhabitants toward Nebraska. Problem solved.
Robot haiku:
That's obviously
A question from your homework.
Do your own research.

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