Beetleweight

The Beetleweight category is one of the most widespread and popular robot weight classes. With an upper limit of 1.5 kg, it allows for the construction of very powerful robots capable of carrying full-fledged spinning, kinetic, or impact weapons. Unlike in lighter categories, not only design and material selection play a major role here, but also drivetrain performance and component durability.

Typical characteristics:

• Weight limit: 1.5 kg.

• Dimensions: Not as strictly limited as in Antweight, but the robot must be able to fit into the competition arena.

• Electronics and motors: Typically hobby-grade motors (drone motors, geared DC motors, brushless setups with ESCs) – already strong enough to handle active rotating weapons.

This is the most competitive weight class, as it represents the ideal balance between compact size and high performance. The robots are large enough to carry destructive weapons and a durable structure, yet they remain affordable and easy to transport.

Brushless motors at this scale provide an incredible power-to-weight ratio, thanks to the massive drone market which has led to improvements in power density and the affordability of small motors. As a result, Beetleweight robots are incredibly powerful, and it often happens that robots are torn in half, which is one of the reasons for their popularity.

Although one might expect robots in this class to be predominantly metal, a surprising amount of engineering plastics are used, which provide excellent impact protection and strength while minimizing weight and cost. In addition, 3D-printed materials such as nylon and TPU are widely used, making manufacturing much easier than with larger robots. Beyond plastics, there is, of course, a large amount of custom-machined parts made from non-standard materials.

👉 The Beetleweight (1.5 kg) category thus represents an ideal competitive environment: plenty of room for more complex and powerful designs than in Antweight, but still an accessible level where both hobby builders and advanced engineers can excel.