Spinnerproof Sam Hutchins and Ryan Bratley

This episode is pointless
Rules and judging! Yay!

Rule changes

You should read them and not just trust what we say: Design rules, Tournament rules, Judges’ Guide
Safety!

Power lights you can see [Design rules: 3b]
Cradles that cradle [Tournament rules: 3.4.2]
Fires are bad [Design rules: 16]

Minibot battery limitations [Design rules: 4b]




No more OotA disqualification threat

But a higher wall


Lifting/pinning/grappling timing changes [Tournament rules: 7.5.6/7/8]

Separation procedure [Tournament rules: 7.5.9]


Mobility & count-outs

If you’re moving, you’re moving [Tournament rules: 7.6.2]

Even if you’re only using your weapon to do so
Reducing the chances of people getting angry at officials




Unsticks [Tournament rules: 7.6.3/4]

We won’t see nearly as many unsticks
More fights will end early, but they’re more likely to end ‘fairly’
Time savings for production?
Minibots get removed after a second unstick


Engagement avoidance [Tournament rules: 7.6.7]


Judging changes

Post-match functionality displays [Tournament rules: 7.6.11]
Aggression - circling is more aggressive than staying faced up [Judges guide: Aggression FAQ]
Control - Robots which get their weapon and the hazards into play better than their opponent should win a control tie [Judges’ guide: COntrol matrix]
Appeals [Tournament rules: 2.4.7]

1 minute window to lodge your appeal, requiring a specific reason for appealing
A failed appeal removes your right to appeal

Should there be a mid-ground?


Sam explains why this doesn’t apply to refereeing decisions






Experimental UK judging system

The system!
Already used at BBB’s ‘Subterranean Showdown’ and in use for the upcoming BBB Beetleweight Champs
Intended to give all robots fairly equal access to every category
Damage is dead, long live weapon effectiveness!

Not all weapon types can be expected do damage, so judging them on damage is dumb. Everyone with a weapon should be able to use it effectively

Lifters lift, grabbers grab, flippers flip, spinners do damage just like before
Wedges are a blind spot for the system. They were also a blind spot in the existing system, but the name we’ve used makes the issue more visible

Active weapon rule?






Aggression is still aggression

Free a stuck opponent? ALL OF THE POINTS!


Control & Strategy

Control - control your robot well, get your weapon into play, use the hazards
Strategy - make smart choices

Think of strategy as a place for judges to add points, but not a place where we really take them away

We’re back!

Back-ish
Editing sucks and we’re not doing it.


BEVs

Northdown Havoc
Sportsman feathers are dope


Judging

Judging is hard

Coin-toss fights
Let The Good Times Stroll vs Crossblow III vs Head for the Exit


Battlebots…

This community sucks as talking about this stuff
The system doesn’t seem that ‘broken’
Do we need Battlebots?




What now?

No Battlebots episode reviews
Robot building?
Events?
Clickbait awfulness?
Hoping Sam doesn’t die

We went to the BBB summer showdown with Split Decision 2

We’re a little rusty, and failed to record a proper outro. I hope you can come to forgive us.

Here are the pictures! https://imgur.com/a/TVheEHJ

Follow Up/Front Matter

There is a bingo winner. We haven’t worked out who yet
A quite vast amount of information about brushless motors and ESCs

Sensorless still involves some small degree of sensing/feedback, and this is important


Dual brushless hammer fun

Stripped grub screw threads


Ryan made a fuss

Fake spinner test
The real testing setup




Battlebots and stuff

General thoughts

A very strong season, especially under the circumstances
A slightly underwhelming end result


Robot by robot

Hydra

The journey
Vs Gigabyte - a fight for newcomers?


Whiplash

Mad lifts vs Valkyrie

Sam’s sympathy for Valkyrie




Ribbot

Not a joke bot.


Tantrum

There are no words. Except the words we speak.


Sawblaze
Mammoth vs Copperhead

Judging…
The judging is made of judgment

The whole AMA is very much worth checking out




Shatter!

Making bets

Shatter! shirts
Since recording this episode, shipping to the UK has been made available.


Trying not to believe and believing anyway


End Game

M E T A
Variety and length of forks
Not being Biteforce
Being Biteforce






Aftershow: Sam’s computer troubles

Front matter

Lockdown finally made Sam build things

More on that later!
Ryan doesn’t know what tools he owns


Bugglebots 4K special

Vote here! (may require time machine)
Watch here!




5 episodes of Battlebots 2020 in 40 minutes

P1

The robot is very good
Accidentally discussing the top 32 selection

A hypothetical 0-3 making the top 32?
Is 3 wins a lot of wins?




Beta

The hammer is very good

Magnets!

E F F I C I E N C Y
Firing while moving?




What have they actually proven in their 3 fights?


Kraken vs HUGE

The fight is very good
Effective flamethrower-ing
Kraken’s forged teeth


Tombstone vs Skorpios

The countout is very bad

Tombstone still seems to have a lot of mobility
Tombstone is still being attacked




Unaired fights

Fights less TV-worthy than Perfect Phoenix vs Extinguisher?




Spinnerproof’s robot building exploits

Ryan has access to CNC now

How and why - work stuff

The ‘real’ use of the machine vs the fun use of the machine


CNC ant spinner frame
Trying to avoid CNC-creep

The ease and fun of designing digitally vs designing as you build
The satisfaction of taking a hand-built robot to an event


The ’training’ given by just watching CNC-based content online


Sam has been developing a weapon setup

“A more assertive hammer”
PVC - prototyping wonder-material
Using cogs, because they are cool

Initial brushed setup
The brushless setup

Thanks Joe 3


Brushless motor/gearbox setup

Thanks Alex 3
1806 brushless outrunners
Adding a gearbox




Running multiple brushless motors
P R E C I S I O N
The power of using the correct screwdriver

PoziDriv vs Phillips (Spoiler: Posidriv wins)

Front Matter

Sliding slowly an inexoribly towards The Fight
Bounty Hunters

How do you cover something which has no formal air date?
Is it good?
Bronco the “legend”

The team? Yes. The robot? Eh…


Lack of attention to spoilers




Episodes 4 & 5

Good things!

Slammow working
Chomp working

Gamma 9 working




Shatter! vs Malice

Short memories
Expecting Malice to take the decision

Because it deserved it? Because we’re used to spinners winning these decisions?


Clickbait


Hydra vs HUGE

Yes, there are still 45 minutes of the episode left
Playing Ultimate

We promise this is far more relevant than it looks when you see it written down


Sport vs TV
The attachment

It’s a good attachment


Exceptional driving skill

Questionable driving choices?
Similarities to Warrior Dragon vs Chomp


Communication with the ref

Timings in the edit

3 seconds in reality -> ~10 in the edit




Exploiting the weaknesses of HUGE
Are production to blame for the dull fight?

The team claim to have warned production about their plans


Not using your weapon
Ideas for preventing fights like these

Time outs to deal with disputes?
Forced weapon demo pre-fight?
Changing nothing?


Ryan did not make the diagram


Kraken vs Witch Doctor…

…in exactly 25 seconds