3lb Weight Class

3lb Arena at NHRL with Brett the house robot

UPDATE: We have a new ruleset for bot design, starting with our May 2022 event. All bot design rules below will apply until then.

3lb Robots, sometimes known as Beetleweights, are the most competitive and most populate weight class at NHRL. 3lb robots are the easiest for someone new to combat robotics to approach, and a competitive 3lb bot can be built for only a few hundred dollars. Building a winning robot is hard. The best performers in the class are from competitors who have years of experience.

The following are the rules for 3lb robots competing at NHRL:

Safety

• All robots must have a weapon lock that prevents any spinning weapons from moving outside of the cage.
• All robots must have a way to turn off power without disassembling the robot.
• All robots must pass a radio fail safe test.

Physical Rules

Weight

• 3.0lbs in a fight ready condition. All robots will be weighed prior to their first match.
• Weight of cameras or video-recording equipment does not count towards the weight limit.
• There is a 2lb weight bonus for robots that do not use wheels or tracks for motion
  • For a multibot, only the heaviest bot is required not to have wheels to qualify for this weight bonus.
• There is a 1lb bonus for entrants made up of more than 1 robot (i.e. "multibots").
  • The robot will be considered disabled when 51% or more of the total weight of the bot is no longer moving.
  • The heaviest robot in any multi-bot setup must have an active weapon
• The weight bonuses may be combined for a maximum weight bonus of 6lbs (assuming a wheel-less multibot)

Size

• Robots must be able to fit in a 30"x30"x24" Box in a fight ready condition. The robots may expand or contract during the match

Electrical

• Robots must use electrical systems that operate at less than 60 volts

Weapons

• Robots must include at least one active weapon
• Weapons which use fire or heat must be able to self light, and self extinguish. See Safety for more information on flame-based weapons.
• The following weapon types are prohibited:
  • Nets
  • Projectiles over 150mph
  • Liquids of any kind
  • Weapons which purposefully disrupt radio signals
  • Strobe Lights
  • Lasers

• Any competitors that have qualified for the finals before July 2021 can keep their legacy configuration and aren't limited by the 50% weight rule. However all other rules apply.

Team Size

• 4 People Max

Example Bots

You can learn a ton more by studying past and present competitors at NHRL. Below is the 3lb bot category with information on individual bots.

3lb Robot Category