Robocode Simulator

The impressive thing about Robocode is that we need not bother about the visual effects. How to draw the robot is not our concern. The Robocode simulator takes care of that. The battle is, I think, based on discrete event simulation.

Robot

Now coming to the interesting part. A robot is basically a tank with a body, a gun and a radar. Each component can move by itself, either independantly or relative to the component below (Radar is on top of the gun which is on top of the tank body). We need to define how the robot moves and how it handles different situations. What happens if the robot hits a wall (end of the battle ground)? What happens if the robot is hit by a bullet from another bot? The way each person handles these situations is what differentiates a simple robot from an exceptional one.
I am developing a bot myself (Mercury). It is ready for battle at the amateur level. It fights decently well with the sample bots but fails *miserably* against the pros . Please contact me if you want to discuss about the algorithm I have used or anything else regarding my bot.
I can rant on and on about what Robocode is all about. But I dont want to duplicate (or give false information!) about the details. I think the wise thing to do here is to give links to some good sites on Robocode. Which is what I have done below. Have Fun!!

Links

Robocode Site

Robocode Yahoo Group

Robocode Repository

Welcome to the world of RC (Radio Controlled) cars! Have a passion for high-adrenaline stuff? Love the sound of high-speed engines? Had thoughts about driving race cars? Can’t afford the bigger machines? I welcome you again to the world of RC cars.

Varying anywhere from 1/8th scale model to 1/24th scale model, these little monsters can reach up to 70-80 mph. Here I am specifying what little information I know about RC cars. If you get really interested, go ahead and check out the links at the bottom.

Electric Vs Gas

There are two basic types of RC cars – electric powered and gas powered. Electric powered are affordable, less noisy but the downside is that they usually don’t match up with the gas powered on speed. Also, unless you have multiple battery units and a quick recharger, your fun time will be interrupted with waiting for recharging. Gas powered ones are relatively costly and are noise (that is a plus rite?). They reach top speeds of 70-80 mph. As far as I know, the fastest is around 85 mph.

On-road Vs Off-road

The on road cars have lower ground clearance and are suited for corridors, pavements, even parking lots. They are comparatively faster than their off-road counterparts. The off-road ones have good suspension and are suited for any type of surface and can withstand jumps of speed-breakers.

My Dream

I am having a long lasting dream of buying one. I initially thought of going for a gas powered, fast and furious car. But patience and research has made me decide that it is virtuous to settle for a low powered electric one as a starter. It might even be a good idea to buy a mini RC car and first learn maneuverability. Though, my plan is to buy a 1/14th scale Ferrari F2002. Once I do that, I will post pictures of it. Please check later for updates.

Links

Here are some links that I found useful while looking for a hobby shop to buy rc cars.

Aero Hobbies
Horizon Hobby
Mike’s Hobby Shop
E-Hobbies