Robot combat is a type of robot competition in which machines fight each other using various methods to disable, defeat, or outscore opponents. The machines have historically been remote-controlled vehicles; some newer completions have introduced autonomous and humanoid robots, though remote-controlled machines remain the overwhelmingly more popular choice in most competitions.
Robot combat competitions have been made into television series, including Robot Wars in the United Kingdom and BattleBots in the United States. These shows were originally broadcast in the late 1990s to early 2000s and experienced revivals in the mid-2010s. As well as televised competitions, smaller robot combat events are staged for live audiences such as those organized by the Robot Fighting League.
Robot builders are generally hobbyists and the complexity and cost of their machines can vary substantially. Robot combat uses weight classes, with the heaviest robots able to exert more power and destructive capabilities. The rules of competitions are designed for the safety of the builders, operators, and spectators while also providing an entertaining spectacle. Robot combat arenas are generally surrounded by a bulletproof screen.
Competitor robots come in a variety of designs, with different strategies for winning fights. Robot designs typically incorporate weapons for attacking opponents, such as axes, hammers, flippers, and spinning devices. Rules almost always prohibit gun-like weapons as well as other strategies not conducive to the safety and enjoyment of participants and spectators.
History
Among the oldest robotic combat competitions extant in the United States are the "Critter Crunch" (founded about 1987) in Denver and "Robot Battles" (founded in 1991) based in the southeastern United States. Both events are run by members of the "Denver Mad Scientists Society". 1987 – The "Denver Mad Scientists Society" organized the first Critter Crunch competition at Denver's MileHiCon science-fiction convention. 1990 – The First Robot Olympics took place in Glasgow, Scotland organized by the Turing Institute and marked a 'peacetime' recreational contest between robots from multiple countries. 1991 – Kelly Lockhart organized the first "Robot Battles" competition at Atlanta's DragonCon science-fiction convention. 1994 – Marc Thorpe organized the first Robot Wars competition in San Francisco. Four annual competitions were held from 1994 to 1997. 1997 – Rights to the Robot Wars name are transferred to British TV production company Mentorn, who produce the Robot Wars television series. Series 1 and 2 feature competitive games and obstacle courses as well as simple combat. In Series 3, the main competition switches to entirely combat. In the United Kingdom, Robot Wars aired 157 episodes across nine series (seven main tournament series and two "Extreme" side-competition series) from 1998 to 2003. Three spin-off series were produced for the United States (2001–2002), two for the Netherlands (2001–2003), and one for Germany (2002). 1999 – Former Robot Wars competitors in the United States organize a new competition, named BattleBots. The first tournament was shown as a webcast, with the second tournament shown as a cable 'Pay-per-view' event. 2000 – BattleBots is picked up as a weekly television program on Comedy Central. It would span five seasons ending in 2002. 2001 – Robotica appears on The Learning Channel as a weekly series. The format features tests of power, speed, and manoeuvrability as well as combat. The show ran for three series, ending in 2002. 2002 – Foundation of the Robot Fighting League (RFL), a regulatory body composed of the organizers of robot combat events in the United States, Canada, and Brazil. The body produces a unified set of regulations and promotes the sport. 2003 – Foundation of the Fighting Robots Association (FRA), a regulatory body managing robot combat events in the United Kingdom and Europe. 2004 – Robot Combat is included as an event at the ROBOlympics in San Francisco, California, with competitors from multiple countries. ROBOlympics competitions including Robot Combat run from 2004 to 2008. 2008 – ROBOlympics changes its name to RoboGames and, while most events are not combat-related, Robot combat is significantly featured. Events run from 2008 to 2013, 2015–2018, and in 2023. Robot combat matches are live streamed to Twitch starting in 2017. 2009 – Three official BattleBots competitions were managed and filmed in the hopes of securing a television sponsorship, though no deals materialized. 2013 – Robot Combat League, a fictional Syfy show themed around robot combat, premieres for one season. 2015 – BattleBots returns to television as a summer series on the ABC television network; it is renewed for a second season, which aired in the summer of 2016. 2016 – Robot Wars returns to British television on BBC2, with two further series in 2017. 2017 – Human-piloted "robot" fight: Eagle Prime (produced by MegaBots) vs. Kuratas (produced by Suidobashi Heavy Industries)MegaBots vs. Kuratas fight: Rewatch the Giant Robot Duel 2018 – After a year long hiatus, BattleBots returns to television on the Discovery Channel and The Science Channel. New seasons of BattleBots have been produced for the network yearly as of 2023. The first seasons of King of Bots (KoB), Fighting my Bot, This Is Fighting Robots (TIFR) and Clash Bots are held and broadcast in China. After the cancellation of Robot Wars by the BBC, Bugglebots, a beetleweight competition featuring former BB, RW, and KoB competitors, is broadcast on YouTube. Another season of Bugglebots is broadcast in 2019. Norwalk Havoc Robot League (NHRL) is founded, an organization that hosts and live streams the largest 3 lb robot combat competition league in the world. 2021 – BattleBots: Bounty Hunters, a spin-off of BattleBots, premieres on Discovery+. A sequel series, BattleBots: Champions, premieres in 2022. NHRL expands to 12 and 30 lb weight classes 2023 – NHRL rebrands as National Havoc Robot League and becomes the biggest robot combat event in the world, with a $2million+ prize pool at their 3 lb, 12 lb, and 30 lb World Championships. 2025 – In Hangzhou, Unitree Robotics hosts a televised kickboxing match for its G1 humanoid robots that are tall and weighed . 2026 – EngineAI debuted a large-scale freestyle combat tournament featuring its T800 humanoid robots, which stand 1.73m tall and weigh 75 kg.
Rules Robot combat involves remotely controlled robots fighting in a purpose-built arena. A robot loses when it is immobilized, which may be due to damage inflicted by the other robot, being pushed into a position where it cannot drive (though indefinite holds or pins are typically not permitted), or being removed from the arena. Fights typically have a time limit, after which, if no robot is victorious, a judge or judges evaluate the performances to decide upon a winner. The evaluation usually consists of 3 categories such as control, aggression, and damage.
Weight classes
Similar to human combat sports, robot combat is conducted in weight classes though with maximum limits even in the heaviest class. Heavier robots can exert more power and have stronger armor and are generally more difficult and expensive to build.
Class definitions vary between competitions. The below table shows classifications for two organizations: the UK-based Fighting Robots Association (FRA) and the North American SPARC. +Maximum weight per class Class FRASPARCFairyweight Antweight Beetleweight Mantisweight Hobbyweight Dogeweight Featherweight Lightweight Middleweight Heavyweight Alternative Heavyweight Class
There are also competitions specifically for Lego combat robots. + Max Weight at Lego Robot Combat Competitions Competition Max Weight Battle Bricks UK competitions
Most televised events are heavyweights. It's worth noting that the definitions of each weight category have changed over time - with European (FRA) rules for heavyweights advancing from 80 kg, to 100 kg, to 110 kg over time. Currently Battlebots has a weight limit of . To encourage diversity of design, rules often give an extra weight allotment for robots that can walk rather than roll on wheels.
Safety precautions
Given the violent nature of robot fighting, safety is a central factor in the design of the venue, which is generally a sturdy arena, usually constructed of steel, wood, and bullet-resistant clear polycarbonate plastic. The smaller, lighter classes compete in smaller arenas than the heavyweights.
Competition rules set limits on robot construction features that are too dangerous or which could lead to uninteresting contests. Strict limits are placed on materials and pressures used in pneumatic or hydraulic actuators, and fail-safe systems are required for electronic control circuits. Generally off-limits for use as weapons are nets, liquids, deliberate radio jamming, high-voltage electric discharge, untethered projectiles, and usually fire (allowed at NHRL and Battlebots).
Robot fighting associations The sport has no overall governing body, though some regional associations oversee several events in managerial or advisory capacities with published rulesets. These include: Robot Fighting League (RFL), primarily U.S., 2002–2012 National Havoc Robot League (NHRL), primarily U.S., 2018–present. The largest robot combat competition in the world. Hosts 3 lb, 12 lb and 30 lb. Fighting Robot Association (FRA), U.K and Europe, 2003–present Standardised Procedures for the Advancement of Robot Combat (SPARC), U.S., 2015–present
The major televised competitions have operated outside of these associations.
Combat robot weaponry and design An effective combat robot must have some method of damaging or controlling the actions of its opponent while at the same time protecting itself from aggression. The tactics employed by combat robot operators and the robot designs that support those tactics are numerous. Although some robots have multiple weapons, the more successful competitors concentrate on a single form of attack. This is a list of most of the basic types of weapons. Most robot weaponry falls into one of the following categories:
Inactive weaponry Inactive weaponry does not rely on a power source independent from a robot's mobility. Many modern rulesets, such as the rebooted versions of BattleBots and Robot Wars, require robots to have an active weapon to improve the visual spectacle, thus eliminating certain designs such as torque-reaction axlebots and thwackbots, and requiring other designs such as wedges and rammers to incorporate some other kind of weapon.
Rammer – Robots employing high-power drive trains and heavy armour can use their speed and manoeuvrability to crash into their opponent repeatedly with the hope of damaging weapons and vital components. Their pushing power may also be used to shove their opponent into arena traps. Rammers (AKA 'Bricks') typically have four or six wheels for traction and stability and are often designed to be fully operational when inverted. Because many modern rulesets require all robots to have a moving weapon, modern rammers are often equipped with other weapon types. Robot Wars Series 6 champion Tornado and Series 7 runner-up Storm II were effective rammers. The former used interchangeable weaponry (usually a small spinning drum) while the latter opted for a lifting arm to avoid disqualification. Battlebots 3.0 superheavyweight champion Vladiator was a rammer armed with a small lifting spike.