GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Robot Wars® is a competitive mechanical sporting event that features radio controlled robots in combat. Competitors must employ a combination of skill, power and strategy in this contest for survival.

DATE
The Second Annual Robot Wars® competition is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, August 19 and 20, 1995. Weigh-ins and inspections are on Friday, August 18, starting at 9:00 am.

PLACE
Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, California, USA

ARENA DESIGN
The arena will be rectangular and measure approximately 30 feet by 54 feet and will present the following challenges to your robot:

The surface will be asphalt.

A variety of mechanical hazards will be positioned around the arena. Some traps will be continuously active. Others will lie in wait. These hazards may damage robots that come within reach or that pass too slowly.

GAME DESIGN

FACE-OFF: Robots will be randomly paired within weight classifications. Contestants win by immobilizing their opponent. Winners advance through elimination rounds until the last two fight for the Face-Off championship. Each match is timed at 5 minutes. Judges may first warn then disqualify robots for excessive evasion.

Face-Off Judging: Winners are determined in one of three ways:

1. By rendering your opponent immobile within the 5 minute time limit Any robot that becomes pinned against any arena surface and is unable to move for 30 continuous seconds shall be considered "immobile".
2. If after 5 minuets both robots are still mobile, then the audience will choose the winner with applause that is registered on a decibel meter. The highest reading wins. The audience will use criteria that takes into account: Damage, Aggressiveness and Control.
3. If the decibel meter readings are very close, then a panel of 3 judges will determine the winner using a point system based upon the same criteria.

MELEE: This game is a free-for-all fight between contestants that are randomly grouped within each weight classification. The last one to remain mobile will be the winner of this event. The same rule for pinning shall apply. Each match is timed at 5 minutes. Any robots that remain mobile after 5 minutes will be allowed to compete with other groups of survivors until there is only one robot left mobile in each weight class. Here, too, in order to promote competitive action, judges may first warn then disqualify robots for excessive evasion.

AUTONOMOUS ROBOTS
We are planning to present matches between autonomous robots (internal controls) in this special category of Face-Off and Melee. Those who are interested should check out the Autonomous Guidelines.

WEIGHT CLASSIFICATIONS FOR FACE-OFF AND MELEE:

• 2-20 lbs Super Lightweight Class
• 21-40 lbs Lightweight Class
• 41-80 lbs Middleweight Class
• 81-160 lbs Heavyweight Class

Contestants may enter one weight class per robot.

As an incentive, legged (walking) robots will be permitted to enter the weight class immediately below their official weight or weigh up to 200 lbs in the heavyweight class.

POWER
Electric or Fuel

SAFETY RESTRICTIONS

• All explosives, corrosives, flames, pyrotechnics and untethered projectiles are prohibited.
• Sighting/pointing lasers are allowed up to 5 mW. Any laser above 5 mW is prohibited.
• Compressed gas is limited to 1000 psi.
• Fuel capacity limited to 8 oz. or 6 minutes operating time.
• Fuel tanks must be adequately protected against penetration.
• Robots will be inspected for safety and reliability before being allowed to compete according to guidelines that require and insure safe construction and operation. This means that tethers, blades, arms, levers, air cylinders and all other mechanical parts and weaponry must be strong and secure.
• Contestants must be able to transport the robots to and from the combat arena quickly and safely.

OTHER RESTRICTIONS
The following is a list of materials and practices that are prohibited:

• All forms of radio jamming.
• All electronic weaponry (stun-guns, tesla coils, etc.)
• All liquid weaponry (water, glue, etc.)
• All physical interference between contestants. This includes obstruction of sight-line and destruction of equipment.

TECHNICAL RECOMMENDATIONS
We recommend the use of PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) radios to avoid interference. FM is acceptable. The use of AM radios is allowed but is discouraged due to potential interference problems.

We recommend that contestants have at least two transmitter/receiver sets on hand as a remedy for frequency incompatibility. Receivers inside robots should be accessible and easy to change or replace.

PRIZES
Prizes will be announced prior to the event.

PIT AREA
Work tables and 110VAC power provided. Safety guidelines for the pit area and staging procedures for competition will be distributed at a later date.

LIMITED NUMBER OF ENTRIES
Over the two days of the event there is a limit to the number of entries that may compete in each weight class. RWI (Robot Wars® Inc.) will reserve a number of spots as discretionary, some of which will be reserved for last year's entrants.

NOTE
All rules and guidelines are subject to change. Contestants who fail to adhere to rules and guidelines may be subject to disqualification.