ANURRC × UC Robo

Canberra BattleBots 2026

A combat robotics competition we co-run with UC Robo and the Canberra Combat Robotics Group — 150-gram antweight robots, an enclosed arena, and a main competition day each year. Here's exactly what that means: the rules, the archetypes, match day, and safety.

The competition

How it works

Matches are decided by knockout, pit-out, or judges' decision inside an enclosed arena, open to ANU and UC students regardless of prior experience. Builds follow the SPARC Robot Construction Specifications v1.5 (adapted by CCR) and SPARC Match Rules v1.2.

Weight limit
150g
Match length
3 min
Events
2
Destruction
∞
Schedule

The season, start to finish

Show past phases (6)

  1. Information night — October 2025

    Competition overview and early team formation, with guest speakers from CCR and UC's Collaborative Robotics Lab.

  2. BattleBots meet — November 2025

    Final team formation and sign-ups, with starter kits handed out.

  3. Holiday design phase — December 2025 – January 2026

    Teams sketch and CAD their builds over the break.

  4. Design workshops & production — February – March 2026

    Build sessions at UC Workshop 7, with 3D-printing and materials guidance. Kit orders closed March 8.

  5. Preparation & testing — Late March 2026

    Final testing and safety checks ahead of the exhibition match.

  6. Exhibition match — Early April 2026

    A showcase event — friendly bouts and feedback ahead of the main competition.

  1. // now

  2. Design iteration & rebuild

    Teams take lessons from the exhibition, redesign, and upgrade their robots for the main event, over the Semester 2 mid-term break.

  3. Main competition day

    Late September 2026 — the official BattleBots 2026 tournament, double-elimination bracket, trophies awarded. Location TBA.

What's provided

Kits, workshops, and a real arena

Workshops provided
Design workshops, 3D-printing sessions, and build days at UC Workshop 7 — from idea to fighting robot.
Starter kits available
Kits include motors, electronics, and a receiver — teams design their own chassis and weapon.
Professional arena
A polycarbonate enclosed arena with pit drops in two corners — spectator-friendly and safe.
Open to all students
ANU and UC students, no experience required — just enthusiasm and a willingness to learn (and break things).
Construction Rules

What your robot needs to meet

Builds follow the SPARC Robot Construction Specifications v1.5, adapted by the Canberra Combat Robotics Group:

Weight class
Standard antweight is 150g (0.33 lb) — shufflers get a 225g bonus, walkers 300g.
Power & batteries
Non-spillable cells only — anything over 48V needs approval, plus a manual disconnect reachable within 15 seconds and a visible power LED.
Radio control
2.4GHz systems with failsafe and at least 2 channels — toy radios are allowed for weaponless antweights.
Safety requirements
Weapon locks stay visible outside the arena, full deactivation within 60 seconds, wheels off the ground outside competition.
Materials
Open choice — 3D-printed plastics, composites, metals — with an emphasis on repairability.
Spinning weapons
Allowed, but must self-brake within 60 seconds of losing power.
Forbidden weapons
No electrical weapons, entangling devices, liquids, projectiles, fire, or explosives.
Not allowed at this event
CCR also bans tethered projectiles, heat/smoke effects, unapproved pneumatics, and combustion engines.
Design Inspiration

Six ways to build one

Common antweight archetypes, if you're starting from a blank sheet:

Spinner
Vertical, horizontal, or drum weapons built for high damage.
Flipper
Mechanical arms that flip opponents — control-focused.
Wedge / pusher
Low-profile — the classic "door stopper 2.0."
Hammer / axe
An overhead striking weapon — dramatic and crowd-pleasing.
Grabber / lifter
Clamps and controls opponents, useful for pushing into pits.
Walker
Non-wheeled locomotion, earning a 300g weight bonus.
Match Day

How matches actually run

Matches run on the SPARC Match Rules v1.2, adapted by CCR — 3 minutes long, with a 10-second KO countdown and 20 minutes minimum between matches for the same team:

Match length
3 min
KO countdown
10 sec
Max pin time
10 sec
Between matches
20 min min

Four ways to win

Knockout (KO)
A robot loses if it can't show controlled translational movement within the countdown.
Pit-out
Arena pits open with one minute left — push an opponent in and win instantly.
Judges' decision
If both robots survive, judges score on damage, aggression, and control.
Tap out
Drivers can concede verbally or with a designated button.

Round robin for five or fewer robots, double elimination for six or more — with a modified single un-stick rule giving one free un-stick if the opponent wasn't responsible for the robot getting stuck.

Safety First

Safety requirements

Combat robotics is inherently dangerous. All participants build and operate robots at their own risk.

Cardinal safety rules

No spin-up outside the arena
Do not spin up weapons outside the arena — ever.
Weapon locks visible
Weapon locks must be clearly visible at all times when not in the arena — use "remove before flight" tags or similar.
Fast deactivation
Robots must be fully deactivated within 60 seconds by manual disconnect.
Wheels off the ground
Wheels must be off the ground when the robot is not in the arena or official testing area.
Power LED required
A visible power LED is mandatory on all robots.
Safety inspection
All robots must pass the safety inspection before entering any match.
Drive system testing
When testing drive systems, weapon lock must be engaged and wheels off the ground.
Power-on procedure
Weapon locking pins must be in place when weapon power is applied during power-on.