This assumes the weapon is spinning at full speed and would come to a full stop and impart all that energy into the opponent, which is admittedly pretty rare. I have several weapon options for Crippling Depression, and the most powerful weapon can generate just over eight KJ worth of KE. If we start moving up to larger weight classes, the amount of energy starts to get pretty scary. This is roughly the same as a bowling ball falling from the same height, which could easily break some bones and cause serious damage to a person. So, a little one-pound (Antweight) combat robot could have a spinning mass that stores 150 Joules worth of energy, which is roughly equivalent to 50 apples falling from three meters. So just how much kinetic energy does a combat robot have? Well, it depends on the design and the weight class, but 150 Joules per pound is a good rule of thumb. Assuming an apple weighs around 100 grams and falls from three meters, you could assume that the force when landing is equal to about three Joules worth of energy. When it falls and hits the ground, that energy is transferred into the apple and the ground.

An apple sitting on a branch on a tree has stored energy (potential energy), but as it falls and gains momentum, it stores kinetic energy (KE). Here’s a quick physics refresher: kinetic energy is energy that a mass possesses while in motion.

To understand the forces involved, we need to talk a little about kinetic energy (KE) and Joules. Crippling Depression deconstructed, post-competition

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