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The
future is here.
Roboforge lets you construct gigantic robotic gladiators, train
them to think and fight, and then unleash them in massive international
tournaments for money and prizes.
Sound too good to be true? Read on... |
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The
design and construction of a robot is completely up to you.
Roboforge is not just a case of simplistic limb options. It
is a full 3D robotic construction environment. You can construct
virtually any kind of creation by simply clicking components
together. You are limited only by your imagination and ingenuity.
You can use components from several different manufacturers
to construct robots that may look like a creature or vehicle,
or ones that look like something never before seen. You can
texturize and color your creation component-by-component. You
can even create your own textures to further personalize your
robot. To get you started, we have a flexible construction wizard
that builds a fully functional robot for you in minutes.
Components can be basic structures, or one of several special
types:
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SENSOR:
Sensors
are the eyes of the robot. Placement of the sensors, combined
with the range and scope of the sensors chosen, affect how well
(if at all) your robot can see its opponent. |
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JOINT:
Joints
(or Servos) are the only moving parts of the robot. They have
differing power and speed settings. There are swivel, hinge
and telescopic joints to choose from. Their performance in battle
depends on the weight of the limb they are moving, and the torque
on the joint (how far extended the limb is from the joint),
giving a realistic and challenging element to your construction
decisions. |
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CONTROLLER:
The
controller is the brain of the robot. It controls how fast the
robot thinks and reacts in a fight. You can use several controllers
on a robot to increase its processing speed. |
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ENERGY
GENERATOR: Many
components consume energy when used, particularly joints. Energy
Generators replenish the energy used by the actions of your
robot. More powerful (and expensive) energy generators are required
if you have a particularly hyperactive robot. |
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WEAPON:
Weapons
are the business end of the robot. For interest and entertainment
value there are no projectile weapons. Such weapons would render
any design decisions pointless, as the game would revert to
simplistic point-shoot-evade tactics. Instead the robots must
conduct hand-to-hand combat, making for interesting designs
and entertaining battles. The momentum of the blow, combined
with the capabilities of the weapon, determines how much damage
is done to the other robot. Damage is inflicted upon individual
components, with the robot's limbs recoiling (and sometimes
exploding) from the impact. Damage is accrued over the duration
of the fight, and affects the performance of components (i.e.
a joint with 50% damage will only operate at 50% of its power
and speed). |
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SHIELD:
Shielding
is the best way to minimize damage from weapons. Shielding in
strategic places can mean the difference between winning and
losing, especially when protecting critical components (such
as the controller). |
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You
can train your robot to do an unlimited number of 3D combat
moves. These can be defensive and offensive. Training is a
simple matter of positioning the limbs in critical positions
and taking a snapshot of the pose (like a 3D photo). The power
and speed of the joints involved, combined with the weight
and extension of the limb, determines how fast the robot can
perform the move. A typical striking move would only require
2 snapshots (recoil and strike). The simulation engine fills
in the rest of the move automatically.
The
Artificial Intelligence system is where your robot makes decisions
about what moves it wants to do. The wizard system will automatically
build a comprehensive AI system for you, but you can tweak
or extend this system. The robot can process incoming (or
stored) information, and make decisions about what action
to take. The interface to the AI is declarative, which is
very close to the way we think. A Decision example is: "if
my opponent is in front of me and within 3 meters, then do
my right hook move" (this is a very simple example).
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Once
your robot is trained, you can test it against several training
robots that come with Roboforge. From these fights, you can
determine weaknesses in your design and strategy and make the
appropriate changes. Roboforge lets you analyze the fights in
a replay environment which is like a 3D video/DVD player, letting
you determine what your robot was thinking, frame by frame.
Once your robotic gladiator has crushed these opponents, it
is ready for something much, much bigger… |
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