SPARC Arena Construction Best Practices
The SPARC Arena Construction Best Practices give recommendations for building an arena that can safely contain fighting robots, along with real examples from existing events. It is one of the SPARC documents, and is mainly for event organizers.
Current version: SPARC Arena Construction Best Practices v1.1
This summary is based on v1.1 (21 September 2025). It is an overview only – always check the current document. The recommendations reflect weapon power levels when it was published, and weapons tend to get more powerful over time.
Cost
Typical costs (USD) for a full-combat arena:
| Arena for | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| 150 g | $200–1,000 |
| 1–3 lb | $3,000–8,000 |
| 30 lb | $10,000–25,000 |
| 220 lb | $100,000+ |
Frame, walls and floor
- Frames: wood (usually reinforced with metal), aluminum extrusion or welded steel for insect classes; extrusion or welded steel up to 30 lb; welded steel above 30 lb. Inspect frames regularly for loose fasteners, bent tubes and cracked welds.
- Walls: polycarbonate (Lexan, Makrolon), protected by a kickplate around the floor that takes direct weapon hits. Panels should float in a groove around their edges rather than being bolted, since bolt holes can cause them to fail. Two thinner air-gapped layers are better than one thick sheet. Store polycarbonate out of sunlight and avoid scratching it.
- Floor: wood, steel or stainless steel. A steel floor lets robots use magnets for traction; if you don't want that, say so in your event rules.
| Event weight | Recommended wall thickness | Minimum floor size |
|---|---|---|
| 150 g | 3/16″ | 3 × 3 ft |
| 1 lb | 1/4″ | 6 × 4 ft |
| 3 lb | 3/8″ | 8 × 6 ft |
| up to 30 lb | 3/4″ | 16 × 16 ft |
| up to 220 lb | 1.5″ (or 1″ with tip speed or weapon weight limits) | 40 × 40 ft |
Wall thicknesses assume an air-gapped multi-layer wall; use more if your walls are a single layer. Modern robots are fast enough that they can often fight in an arena one or two sizes bigger.
Access, roof, lighting and hazards
- Doors and sliding panels must lock so an impact can't force them open, without drilling stress points into the polycarbonate.
- The roof must withstand the same hits as the walls.
- Lights are best placed inside the arena, where they reduce glare and any damage stays contained.
- Arena hazards (pits, saws, hammers) need to survive full-power hits, and pits must be as strong as the walls.
Fire safety
Keep on hand: a large metal or fire-resistant container partly filled with sand, with a scoop; thick heat- and cut-resistant gloves; and a fire extinguisher (CO2 is recommended, since it doesn't foul robots). For a LiPo fire, put out the fires around it and get the robot outdoors immediately. Ventilation is recommended, because LiPo smoke is harmful to breathe.
See also
- Test Boxes – smaller test arenas for your own shop
- Events – hosting an event
- Safety