Questions and Answers about Combat Robotics from Team Run Amok.











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7689 Questions and Answers about Combat Robotics
from Team Run Amok
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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.
Pick One Easy to Use
Q: What type of ESC works best with the FingerTech Silver Spark 16mm Gearmotors? [Fremont, California]

A: [Mark J.] FingerTech Silver Sparks do not place great demands on their speed controllers. With a 2-cell LiPo battery they draw a maximum current of 1.6 amps at stall -- 2.4 amps with a 3-cell battery. The Repeat Robotics Budget Ant DESC is a very affordable, compact, and versatile dual-channel ESC for brushed motors. It is favored by many competitors for ease of use and durability.

They Do Different Things
Q: Are there any benefits to a front hinged lifter/flipper compared to a "normal" rear hinge? [Sacramento, California]

A: [Mark J.] From a 2012 post in the Robot Weapons archive:

Q: Are there any advantages for front hinged flippers? It seems to me they push their opponents around more than anything else.

A: A front hinged flipper will, when combined with a ramming charge, toss an opponent in a low arc up and away. This is very useful in an arena where the opponent can be thrown out over a low barrier for a instant win. Such arenas are the prevailing design in the UK, where front hinged flippers have been quite popular.

Q: Do front hinged flippers have any advantage over back hinged flippers?

A: The two designs have different applications. Relative to the resting angle, a rear-hinge flipper will launch an opponent in a high and upward arc, and a front hinge flipper will launch the opponent in a lower arc to the front. Match the flipper design to the arena, your attack strategy, and the overall design of your robot.

I Have a FAQ For That
Q: how many joules does a 15 pound battle bot weapon need [Grove City, Pennsylvania]

A: [Mark J.] The very first question in the Ask Aaron Spinning Weapon FAQ is: "How much energy should my spinning weapon store?". It will be in your best interest to read the entire FAQ.

Being Irrational
Q: What's the square root of 24? [West of San Antonio ✪]

A: [Mark J.] I dislike giving imprecise answers here at Ask Aaron. As the square root of 24 is a non-repeating non-terminating irrational number the best precise answer I can provide is the simplified radical form: √24 = √(2×2×6) = 2√6

If you prefer imprecise: √24 = not quite five.

Feeling Overwhelmed
Q: Designing my first bot and have watched quite a few videos on it, but still feel overwhelmed, I'm aiming for a 1lb plastic since it sounds like the easiest to get into, and I want it to be a shuffler for the .5lb bonus with a spring powered hammer so it's at least a little unique.

I'm trying to figure out how to set up the electronics for fairly cheap and it sounds like a good start is a dual brushed ESC with two high ratio n20's but n20 motors say they are rated for 6v so is the 7.4v-8.4v of a 2s too much for them? I know there are better motors but I don't feel comfortable buying multiple $20 motors without a bit more understanding and I'm pretty sure a BEC can't provide enough current for running a whole bot.

I already have a Flysky controller and receiver, so I only need a power switch, esc, and motors. I thought that the most economical solution would be a Fingertech switch ($7), Repeat Electronics 'Budget Ant DESC' ($15), but then got stuck at the motors since the cheapest reliable motors I saw were $20 a pop which felt like a lot since I'd probably need three for the drive and hammer, can I just buy a few pairs of cheap n20's for $5 each and not have to worry about them failing immediately?

And for the hammer I'm going to cannibalize a cheap servo that I already have, then throw some extra mosfets on it to run a snail cam that can safely charge and discharge the hammer; so I don't need an esc for the weapon motor. [Northern Arizona University]

A: [Mark J.] So, for your first 'bot you've decided to build a plastic ant shuffler with a pair of the cheapest N20 motors you can find on a mild voltage boost dragging around a cam-and-spring hammer weapon controlled by a canibalized cheap servo board with extra MOSFETs. I wonder why you're feeling overwhelmed?

You've already rejected my standard advice on what a first robot should be, ignored my detailed list of reasons for that advice, and dismissed my opinion on cheap robot parts. I wonder what value you might place on my advice to the questions you now ask, particularly if I tell you something else you don't want to hear. Let's find out...

  • A 2S battery is fine for N20s; I've seen them run higher. You won't have to run a BEC to drop the voltage to your drive motors.
  • A pair of $5 N20s is marginal for a 16 ounce 'bot, and a shuffler system places a great deal more stress on the drive motor than do nice round wheels. A shuffler has to keep fighting gravity to raise and drop the robot as it runs -- much like like triangular wheels. If you want to use N20s at least use a pair of good ones.
Ask Aaron was founded to help builders create successful competitive robots. For some builders 'success' comes from impressing other builders rather than winning matches. To each their own.
Turn Two Into Four
Q: How can I convert an antweight into a 4 wheel drive? What gears or pulleys are to be used for that? [London, England]

A: [Mark J.] Given your location I'll assume we're discussing 150 gram UK antweights. You haven't told me anything about the design you would like to 'convert' so my comments must be very general.

  • The simplest and by far most common 150g 4WD solution is to add another pair of motors to directly drive the new pair of wheels. A pair of N20 motors weigh 18 grams; a pair of N10 gearmotors weigh 16.8 grams.
  • I do see a few 150g gear drive solutions that use custom printed plastic gears and hubs: Team Panic video.
  • I don't know of off-the-shelf components for the hubs, pulleys, and stub axles needed for a generic belt-drive conversion for a 150g robot. You would need to fabricate many if not all of these components.
Gear or belt drive 4WD antweight designs are generally used only where there is no space for extra motors due to weapon layout. Note that these solutions might very well weigh more than an added pair of motors and would likely be less reliable.
Weebles Wobble
Q: Help me unpack this discussion I'm having with a friend right now. He argues that one could solve the gyro dance problem that verticals have by attaching the vert to a powered rotating module (like how a gyro walker's weapon is mounted) and rotating it opposite to the turning direction. His argument is that the net forces would cancel out and the robot would turn without lifting. I feel like this is incorrect but I can't explain why. [Sacramento, California]

A: [Mark J.] If I properly understand your description, your friend is mostly correct. When force is applied to change the direction in which the axis of a spinning mass is pointing, gyroscopic forces act to realign the angular momentum vector in a direction perpendicular to the applied force. If you allow the weapon freedom to follow that realignment there is no force exerted on the chassis to lift one side of the 'bot in a 'gyro dance'. Note that you don't need to power the rotation of the weapon module -- the gyro forces do that work for you.

The video below is from the 2002 "Oregon Clandestine Street Fight" -- more event videos here. Team Mauser campaigned 'Strike Terror' at Comedy Central BattleBots seasons 4 and 5.

"By the way, there's nothing but gyroscopic forces making the wheel tip. It's totally free to move. The Season 4 version had a spring to help it return to center, which I should have kept." - Team Mauser
Flashback Post from 2021
Q: Hey, Mark! 2020 has been a rough year for all of us, so I'm hoping to bring something to my local competition this year. I'd like to bring something entertaining or unique to the table, but I keep running into the same problem: I can't decide on what to build, and I can't bring myself to completing any of the projects I've started even when I get the CADs close to complete.

I've gone everywhere from antweight clamps like 'King Googly' to overengineered monstrosities like 'Saturn' and most recently, an antweight version of 'Black and Blue' (render attached). Alas, after I get the CAD complete I still find myself dissatisfied, leading to a redesign from the ground up, then disliking something about that, and the whole process keeps happening. I don't know if other people have a similar problem. Is there any advice you can give on what I should do? What am I doing wrong? [Aurora, Illinois]

A: [Mark J.] Yes, other people have similar problems. It's called procrastination, but putting a title on it won't solve the issue. 'Psychology Today' has a list of 11 Ways to Overcome Procrastination that you might like to read thru. The one that may best fit your description is #11:

11. Drop the perfectionism.

Perfectionism is an all-or-nothing mentality: Something is either perfect, or it is a failure. People with perfectionistic tendencies tend to wait until things are perfect in order to proceed—so, if it's not perfect, you cannot be finished. Or if it is not the perfect time, you believe you can't start. This all-or-nothing mentality can hold you back from starting or completing tasks.

Instead, focus on being better than perfect. This means to still strive for excellence, creating excellence, or setting yourself up with excellent conditions, but at the same time, you focus on getting the job done. #DoneIsBetterThanPerfect

I like your antweight 'Black and Blue' render. It's practical. It's colorful. It's based on a robot that won some fights. Build it, name it 'Only Orange' and go fight some robots.
Wacky Trigger and Wheel
Q: I built a 150g fairyweight using a FlySky GT5 pistol grip transmitter and a Malenki Nano to control the n20 motors and a spinner. I got it all wired up, but when I pull the transmitter trigger the bot spins/turns and when I twist the transmitter wheel the bot goes forward/backward. Is something I can do to fix this? Seems like I need to swap channels 1 and 2 on the transmitter but not sure. [Parts Unknown]

A: [Mark J.] There aren't too many things you can get wrong when setting up a Malenki Nano and a simple transmitter like the FlySky GT5. The most common problem is getting the polarity wrong on one of the drive motors, which causes the exact symptoms you report. The fix is simple:

  • Identify the N20 motor that spins backward when the 'bot is given a 'forward' command.
  • Swap the the positions of the two power leads for that motor where they solder onto the Malenki.
That should do it.
For more complex mixing problems I recommend the Run Amok Mixer Fixer. Answer three questions about your robot and this interactive web page will give you a complete and accurate solution to your mixing problem.

Reply: Yep this fixed it. Thanks!

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.

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

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.

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) × (eix + e-ix )2 / 4 + sin2 (x) × (e2ix + e-2ix ) / 4 + e2ln(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.


Two photos of Aaron Joerger 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   
Killer Robot drawing by Garrett Shikuma

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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