Robot Competitions are different than Robot Battles. Robot battles are strictly robot vs robot battles. Robot competitions often feature obstacle courses or a defined issue that teams need to complete with their robot.
Robot competitions are done differently than robot battles. Here are some different types of competitions:
Same base model robot, can be altered by team, to complete challenge
Team designs and builds robot to complete particular challenge (like "complete the obstacle course")
Team uses a particular brand (like LEGO robotics or VEX robotics) to complete challenge
Team designs and builds a robot in an open-ended competition (like "design a moon lander that can accomplish x, y, z")
Exotic robots: flying robots, underwater/on-water robots
Industry-specific robot challenge
Chances are, you have some local robot competitors in your area. This is often a project that starts in K-12 - especially with LEGO robotics. It's a great way to encourage STEM learning.
Arrange A Competition
If you are interested in arranging a local competition, start by finding a few people to assist you. Your goals are to find a competition venue, outlining challenges for the competition, and figuring out what the winners get. Outlining challenges might lead to 1-4 challenges: large bot general challenge, small bot general challenge, a challenge that is related to your specific area, and possibly an engineering design challenge (like bridge design/hold heaviest weight, Rube Goldberg machine, solar-powered rover, etc).
Specific area challenges might deal with extreme weather (like snow or heat), industry in your area (like farming, fishing, or construction), and/or might attempt to resolve some sort of local issue (like security or medical).
In real life, robots are put to the test by running through various challenges, such as in the gif to the right. Boston Dynamics is testing two Atlas robots via obstacle course.
Important Links
Comments