RobotRobot: Robobrawl is held at the end of March (per its official site)

2026-10-17T23:18:06Z

Robobrawl is held at the end of March (per its official site)

RobotRobot: New page: NRL and school-friendly classes, university clubs, starting a club

2026-10-17T14:28:15Z

New page: NRL and school-friendly classes, university clubs, starting a club

New page

Combat robotics is a great way to teach engineering: students design, build, test, break and fix real machines, and they get a fun, hard deadline in the form of a competition. This page covers school and university programs, and how to start a club. See also '''[[GettingStarted]]''' and '''[[Running an Event]]'''.

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==High school programs==
===National Robotics League (NRL)===
The '''[https://gonrl.org/ National Robotics League]''' is a workforce development program of the National Tooling & Machining Association (NTMA), launched in 2009 to get students interested in manufacturing careers.[https://gonrl.org/about/][https://www.digitalengineering247.com/article/bots-battle-gladiator-style-in-the-national-robotics-league/education] Teams, mostly from high schools, build '''15 lb robots''' (20 lb for walkers) and compete at regional events and a national championship.
* NRL scoring isn't only about fighting: teams also submit engineering documentation and are interviewed, and awards include best engineered robot, innovation and sportsmanship.[https://gonrl.org/nrl-national-championship-results/]
* NRL has its own rules, with some notable differences from SPARC – for example, its posted technical regulations don't allow LiPo batteries (LiFePO4, NiMH and Li-ion are allowed).[https://gonrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/NRL-Technical-Regulations-update-2018-19.pdf]
* Schools can sign up through the NRL's '''[https://gonrl.org/get-involved/start-a-team/ Start a Team]''' page. Regional NRL programs are set up with a local NTMA chapter, a school representative and an industry sponsor.[https://gonrl.org/get-involved/start-an-nrl-program/]
* The 2026 national championship was held in Colorado Springs in May 2026.[https://gonrl.org/event/nrl-national-championship/]
* Related programs exist in some regions, such as '''BotsIQ''' in the Pittsburgh area.
Because only teams in authorized programs can take part, the NRL isn't listed with the open rule sets on the '''[[Rules]]''' page.

===Open events and classes for schools===
Many schools and makerspaces take part in regular open events instead. Two classes are especially school-friendly:
* '''1 lb [[Plastic Antweights]]''' – robots are 3D printed from common plastics, so they're cheap to build and repair, and the damage level is low. Many university clubs start new members in this class.[https://combatrobotics.byu.edu/getting-started]
* '''150 g (Fairyweight, called Antweight in the UK)''' – very small, cheap robots that fit in a small arena. Kits designed for schools and workshops include the '''[https://combatrobotics.co.nz/pages/crnz-antweight-kit Combat Robotics NZ antweight kit]''' (see '''[[Kits]]''' and '''[[3D Printing]]''' for more).
Makerspaces in several countries run 150 g build workshops for beginners.

==University clubs==
Combat robotics clubs are now common at universities, building robots from 1 lb up to 30 lb, competing at events such as '''NHRL''', and often running their own competitions. Some examples:
{| class="wikitable"
! University !! Club !! Notes
|-
| Brigham Young University || '''[https://combatrobotics.byu.edu/ BYU Combat Robotics]''' || Founded 2023. 1 lb and 3 lb robots, with competitions each semester open to other colleges and high schoolers. Recommends the plastic antweight class for first-timers.[https://engineering.byu.edu/news/combat-robotics-ignite-sparks-of-interest-in-byu-community]
|-
| Duke University || '''[https://combatrobotics.wiki.duke.edu/index.php/Main_Page Duke Combat Robotics]''' || Teams build a 1 lb antweight each semester, with an internal competition; no experience needed. Its wiki has a good beginner build guide.
|-
| University of Illinois || '''[https://irobotics.illinois.edu/teams/combots/ iRobotics Combots]''' || 30 lb robots for NHRL; hosts '''Robobrawl''' each April during Engineering Open House.
|-
| MIT || MIT Combat Robotics Club || Its 30 lb robot ARES won an NHRL qualifier in October 2024.[https://edgerton.mit.edu/news/mits-combat-robotics-club-wins-nhrl-october-competition]
|-
| Clarkson University || '''[https://clarkson.edu/student-life/clubs-activities/speed-teams/combat-robotics Clarkson Combat Robotics]''' || New members build 3D printed 1 lb robots; most robots are 3 lb, some 12 lb. Competes at NHRL.
|-
| Purdue University || Purdue Railside Robotics || Ran its first public tournament, the Railside Rumble, in 2025.[https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECE/News/2025/purdue-railside-robotics-set-to-host-battlebots-showdown]
|-
| Arizona State University || '''[https://students.engineering.asu.edu/clubs/crr Combat Ready Robotics]''' || Runs the 3 lb "Sun Devil Smackdown."
|-
| University of Maryland || Leatherbacks || 1, 3, 12 and 30 lb robots.[https://terp.umd.edu/gearing-up-for-battle]
|}
Many more universities have clubs, including in the UK, Europe and Australia. In 2023, NHRL gave $10,000 grants to around 100 US college robotics programs to help start or grow combat robotics teams.[https://www.cs.iastate.edu/robotics-club-awarded-nhrl-grant] There's no single national intercollegiate championship; college teams mostly compete at open events and at each other's campus events. RobotCombatEvents.com also publishes '''[https://www.robotcombatevents.com/ university rankings]'''.

Combat robotics also shows up in coursework, as senior design or capstone projects and in fabrication classes, although most university activity is club-based.

==Starting a club==
# '''Pick a starter class.''' 1 lb Plastic Antweights (in the US) or 150 g robots are cheap, safe and need only a small arena.
# '''Find space and tools''' – a makerspace or lab with 3D printers, soldering stations and a test box. See '''[[Tools For Beginners]]''' and '''[[Test Boxes]]'''.
# '''Plan a semester.''' Duke's club uses a 13-week plan: wiring and a simple test robot in the first two weeks, design in weeks 3–5, building in weeks 6–9, test fights in weeks 10–12, then a competition.[https://combatrobotics.wiki.duke.edu/index.php/Main_Page]
# '''Use a guide.''' Duke's '''[https://combatrobotics.wiki.duke.edu/index.php/Making_your_first_combat_robot Making your first combat robot]''' and BYU's '''[https://combatrobotics.byu.edu/getting-started getting started pages]''' walk new members through a first build. Kits are another easy start (see '''[[Kits]]''').
# '''Make safety part of the club.''' Use the '''[[Safety]]''' rules from day one: weapon locks, test boxes, safe battery charging ('''[[LiPo Battery Safety]]'''), and a working '''[[Failsafes|failsafe]]''' on every robot. Duke's club, for example, has '''[https://pundit.pratt.duke.edu/wiki/Combat_Robotics_Safety safety guidelines]''' with safety officers and battery incident reports.
# '''Check with your school''' about insurance, liability waivers and any rules for student activities. Schools' risk-management offices can advise; there's no single standard.
# '''Find funding and mentors''' – local companies, engineering departments, and robotics suppliers sometimes sponsor clubs.
# '''Compete.''' Find events on '''[https://www.robotcombatevents.com/ RobotCombatEvents.com]''' (see '''[[Events]]'''), or host your own (see '''[[Running an Event]]''').

==See also==
* '''[[GettingStarted]]'''
* '''[[Plastic Antweights]]''' and '''[[Kits]]'''
* '''[[Local Groups]]''' – clubs near you
* '''[[Robot Combat History and TV]]'''

@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 | Duke University || '''[https://combatrobotics.wiki.duke.edu/index.php/Main_Page Duke Combat Robotics]''' || Teams build a 1 lb antweight each semester, with an internal competition; no experience needed. Its wiki has a good beginner build guide.
 |-
-| University of Illinois || '''[https://irobotics.illinois.edu/teams/combots/ iRobotics Combots]''' || 30 lb robots for NHRL; hosts '''Robobrawl''' each April during Engineering Open House.
+| University of Illinois || '''[https://irobotics.illinois.edu/teams/combots/ iRobotics Combots]''' || 30 lb robots for NHRL; hosts '''[https://robobrawl.illinois.edu/ Robobrawl]''' each year at the end of March.
 |-
 | MIT || MIT Combat Robotics Club || Its 30 lb robot ARES won an NHRL qualifier in October 2024.[https://edgerton.mit.edu/news/mits-combat-robotics-club-wins-nhrl-october-competition]

Combat Robotics in Schools and Universities - Revision history

RobotRobot: Robobrawl is held at the end of March (per its official site)

RobotRobot: New page: NRL and school-friendly classes, university clubs, starting a club