NERC members kick some robutt
For robot builders, the thrill
is in the competition
Two competitors set up their robots in the arena before a recent match sponsored by NERC (North East Robotics Club) at Fort Washington, Pa. Drivers control their robots from outside the arena.
Whether they have names as innocent sounding as Bubbles or Sunflower or as intimidating as Tyrant or Rampage, the radio-controlled robots at a recent competition were lean, mean, fighting machines intent on crushing, shredding or otherwise incapacitating their opponents.
About 75 robots showed off their technical wizardry and prowess at the NERC (North East Robotics Club) competition the East Coast Hobby Show at Fort Washington, Pa.
The event drew NERC members from the tristate area as well as competitors from as far as Colorado.
Coordinating the event were the founders of NERC, James Goeke, of northeast Philadelphia, president, and John Pagano, of Mount Laurel, vice president. With the help of club members, they set up the 16-by-16-foot, 3-ton arena which was enclosed by polycarbonate plates, the material used in police riot shields, to ensure the safety of the robot operators and spectators.
Chris Perrone, of Freehold Township, a member of Team Mad Scientist, makes an adjustment before the next round.
Competitors were matched up in three classes: 30 pounds, 12 pounds and 1 pound (ant weight). Using a double-elimination format in the 12- and 30-pound categories, two contestants at a time battled to disable each other during a 3-minute match (ant-weight rounds were 2 minutes long). If neither robot is disabled, explained Pagano, the winner is determined by a panel of judges who score on aggression, strategy and damage inflicted.
Despite their small size, these robots are capable of delivering enormous destruction.
Although the drivers remain safely outside the area, it’s not unusual to see wheels, pieces of metal and electronic parts fly through the air during a match.
Underlying the obvious competitive spirit, however, is a remarkable camaraderie.
The 1-pound or ant-weight competitors get ready to rumble.
Explained Al Kindle of Edison: "You might destroy a guy in the arena, but you’re the first one to help him put his robot back together for the next competition, offering parts, tools, whatever he needs."
Kindle is a typical robotics competitor, the kind of person who was "always building models, taking things like radio-controlled cars apart — even getting some of them back together," he said.
An avid robotics enthusiast, Kindle, who works for Distek in North Brunswick as an electronics technician, ventured out to Las Vegas for a Battlebots competition in November 2000. He competed in the 60-pound class, and although he said he didn’t fare too well, he found the experience rewarding.
Kindle, who won two first places in six competitions finds robot building a great venue for ingenuity and technical know-how.
“You might destroy a guy in the arena, but you’re the first one to help him put his robot back together for the next competition.” Al Kindle Edison Secretary North East Robotics Club
"It’s a challenge coming up with a design that works well," he said.
Part of the design includes deciding the method of locomotion. Some robots at the competition used wheels; some were walkers.
Methods of defense and offense include scoops, wedges, spinners, spikes, hammers and saws.
And like any hobby, robotics can be somewhat costly. The radio component is about $200, according to Goeke, who noted that the total expense might run a few more hundred dollars.
But to the die-hard hobbyists the expense is worth the thrill of victory, no matter how far they have to travel. Take Peter Covert, Derek Zahn and Ted Zeiger, for instance. When the Colorado residents heard that a local competition had been canceled, they hopped on a plane and headed to the NERC competition, which they found out about on the Web.
"We were ready," Covert said, "so we said, ‘Why not?’ " Covert who’s been into robotics for about 18 months, also got his start by watching Battlebots on TV.
Long trips are nothing new for robotics competitors. Covert said they drove 20 hours to San Francisco for a match and came in third in October at the Botbash in Phoenix.
The trip east paid off. Between the two Colorado teams, they placed first in all three weight classes.
Although most of the entrants at the NERC competition were male, robotics is not a men’s-only club. Women are welcome, and several competed at various levels. And there are some "bot widows" who cheer their husbands and boyfriends on from the sidelines and sometimes lend a hand as part of the "pit crew."
Goeke was quick to credit his wife, Joanne Nuzzi, for her help in running the competition. "She makes sure everything runs smoothly," he said. Nuzzi is also treasurer of NERC and plays a large role in running the organization.
The robotics club, which has 31 dues-paying members ($60 per year), is looking to expand its ranks with new members and corporate sponsors. The more members and financial backing NERC can acquire, the bigger the competition it can stage.
And although TV’s Battlebots continues to gain popularity, local competitors are gaining ground.
"I’m amazed at how much local energy there is," said NERC member Andrew Lindsey of Somerset, "and the people who have made the club what it is."
Lindsey, who acted as a judge in the recent competition and ran the first Central Jersey robot competition in a small arena, was very pleased with the latest one. "It exceeded my wildest expectations, and I’m so impressed with the number of people donating their time and money to help," he said, adding that although TV’s Battlebots is responsible for a huge boost in awareness, he believes the real future of robotics is in local competitions, "the home-grown events."
"I believe the heart of the competitions is in the local, privately run ones, not the for-profit ones," Lindsey said.
NERC may be reached through its Web site www.robotconflict.com.