BattleBots
Encyclopedia
BattleBots is an American
company that hosts robot competitions. BattleBots is also the name of the television
show created from the competition footage. BattleBots Inc. is headquartered in Vallejo, California
and holds most of its competitions in San Francisco
.
In a BattleBots event the competitors are remote-controlled armed and armored machines, designed to fight in an arena combat elimination tournament
. If both combat robots are still operational at the end of the match the winner is determined by a point system based on damage, aggression, and strategy.
The television
show BattleBots aired on the American cable network Comedy Central
for five seasons, covering five BattleBots tournaments. The first season aired starting in August 2000, and the fifth season aired starting in August 2002. Hosts of BattleBots were Bil Dwyer
and Sean Salisbury
(with Tim Green
replacing Salisbury after the second season) and correspondents included former Baywatch
actresses Donna D'Errico
, Carmen Electra
, and Traci Bingham
, former Playboy Playmate Heidi Mark
, and identical twins Randy and Jason Sklar
. Bill Nye
was the show's "technical expert".
After five 'seasons', Comedy Central terminated their contract with BattleBots Inc. in late 2002.
, the brainchild of Marc Thorpe. Robot Wars had financial backing from Sm:)e communications, a New York record company. The Thorpe/Sm:)e partnership broke up in 1997, starting many years of legal wrangling between Thorpe and Profile Records
(the former Sm:)e communications). Profile licensed Robot Wars to a UK production company and Robot Wars ran for seven years as a popular television program in the UK.
The robot builders left behind in San Francisco formed BattleBots, Inc. and began a series of competitions. The first was held in Long Beach, California in August 1999 and was also cybercast on ZDTV. The second, held in November 1999, in Las Vegas, Nevada was a pay per view event. These led to the five semi-annual BattleBots tournaments televised as prime time series on the American network Comedy Central
starting in May 2000.http://www.battlebots.com/news_faq.asp
'Walking' robots ('StompBots') propelled by means other than wheels were initially given a 50% weight bonus. The rules changed following the victory of a heavyweight StompBot (Son of Whyachi) at BattleBots 3.0. For BattleBots 4.0 and beyond only a 20% weight bonus was given to walkers and the technical rules specified that walking mechanisms not use cam
operated walking mechanisms as they were functionally too similar to wheel operation. Since the rules change, walking robots have entered the competition, but none have achieved any success beyond preliminary rounds.
There are only two events that cause the match to be paused and people enter the BattleBox. One is the event that the robots are stuck together and cannot separate or that both have simultaneously become immobilized. The other scenario is that one or both 'bots have caught on fire. In that case, the people entering the BattleBox are equipped with a fire extinguisher.
If a robot is unable to move for thirty seconds, because it is too badly damaged or it is stuck on the arena hazards, it is declared knocked out. The driver may also call a "tap-out" to forfeit the match if his or her robot is about to be destroyed. This ends the match ten seconds later; the opposing driver is "asked" (but not instructed) not to attack during the ten-second count.
In about half the matches, both robots survive the three minutes; at that point, three judges distribute a total of 45 points (15 points a judge, 5 points per judge per category) over three categories. The robot with the higher score wins. The judging categories are Aggression, Strategy, and Damage. A robot who hangs back safely from its opponent will not get many Aggression points; one in there fighting the whole time, however, will. The Strategy category is about how well a robot exploits its opponent's weaknesses, protects its own, and handles the hazards. A robot driving over the kill saws will lose points here, unless it had good reason to do so, while a robot that is able to attack its opponent's weak areas will gain points. The Damage category is for how much damage the bot can deal to its opponent while remaining intact itself.
The winner moves on; the loser is eliminated from the tournament.
At the end of the tournament, a series of 'rumbles' or 'melee rounds' are typically held in each weight class, allowing robots that survived the main tournament to fight in a 'free for all' in a 5 minute match. Occasionally there are too many robots for one rumble, and multiple rumbles are held with the top surviving bots competing in a final event.
During the Season 5 Heavyweight rumble (the first rumble of that competition), a sheared-off robot part went through the Lexan arena roof and fell (harmlessly) into the audience. Because of this, the rest of the rumbles were canceled due to safety concerns.
created two series of BattleBots toys: the smaller BattleBashers and larger Grip N' Grapplers were made.
Tiger Electronics
created two series of remote controlled BattleBots toys:
McDonald's
released Happy Meal
BattleBots toys from April 26 to May 23, 2002.
Two video games based on BattleBots were released for Game Boy Advance
, BattleBots: Beyond the BattleBox
in 2002 and BattleBots: Design & Destroy
in 2003. Another game
was in development by THQ
for PlayStation 2
and GameCube
., but was cancelled.
Information on additional BattleBots toys can be found at Mutant Robots.
The deal with ESPN fell through, but a delayed competition took place April 21–25, 2009 with fewer than 20 college teams participating. Three divisions competed at the event: high school (middleweight), college (middleweight), and pro (heavyweight). BattleBots announced that some video from the college tournament would air on the CBS College Sports Network in summer 2009. The airing was first pushed back to December 9, then cancelled due to an asserted inability to sell commercial time. BattleBots claimed a broadcast deal with Fox Television Studios, but no air date was announced and a later announcement confirmed cancellation.
Battlebots noted on its Twitter page a Battlebots competition scheduled for April 8–12, 2010 in the San Francisco Bay Area, to feature a 220 lb professional league and 120 lb college/high school league as well as TableTop Robots. On January 20, 2010 Battlebots announced that the competition was postponed until further notice.
On March 5, 2010 the BattleBots webpage announced a professional Battlebots tournament to be held in San Francisco on May 21–23, 2010. According to the Battlebots staff, that event has been rescheduled to November 2010 in San Francisco.
On October 26, 2010 the BattleBots staff announced the 2011 Battlebots National Championship will be held in Miami, Florida from February 23–27, 2011. This will not be a taped event.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company that hosts robot competitions. BattleBots is also the name of the television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show created from the competition footage. BattleBots Inc. is headquartered in Vallejo, California
Vallejo, California
Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County, California, United States. The population was 115,942 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area on the northeastern shore of San Pablo Bay...
and holds most of its competitions in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
In a BattleBots event the competitors are remote-controlled armed and armored machines, designed to fight in an arena combat elimination tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
. If both combat robots are still operational at the end of the match the winner is determined by a point system based on damage, aggression, and strategy.
The television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show BattleBots aired on the American cable network Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
for five seasons, covering five BattleBots tournaments. The first season aired starting in August 2000, and the fifth season aired starting in August 2002. Hosts of BattleBots were Bil Dwyer
Bil Dwyer
William Michael "Bil" Dwyer is an American stand-up comedian and game show host. Television shows he has hosted include GSN's Extreme Dodgeball, I've Got A Secret and The 50 Greatest Game Shows of All Time, the PAX TV game show Dirty Rotten Cheater, and the FSN game show, Ultimate Fan...
and Sean Salisbury
Sean Salisbury
Richard Sean Salisbury is an American football analyst, former NFL and CFL quarterback, and actor.-Early life:Salisbury attended Orange Glen High School in Escondido, California...
(with Tim Green
Tim Green
Timothy John Green is a former American football player as well as a radio and television personality. He was a linebacker and defensive end with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League, a commentator for National Public Radio, the former host of the 2005 revival of A Current Affair...
replacing Salisbury after the second season) and correspondents included former Baywatch
Baywatch
Baywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...
actresses Donna D'Errico
Donna D'Errico
Donna D'Errico is an American actress and model. She was chosen Playboy Playmate of the Month for September 1995. Her centerfold was photographed by Richard Fegley.-Career:...
, Carmen Electra
Carmen Electra
Tara Leigh Patrick , professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, actress, television personality, singer, and dancer...
, and Traci Bingham
Traci Bingham
Traci Bingham is an American actress, model and television personality who is best known for playing Jordan Tate on the television series Baywatch between 1996 and 1998.-Personal life:...
, former Playboy Playmate Heidi Mark
Heidi Mark
Heidi Mark is an American model and actress. Heidi is of Finnish origin. Her father was born in Helsinki, Finland. She worked at her father's law office and Hooters. She was chosen as Playboy's Playmate of the Month in July 1995. Prior to being a Playmate, she appeared on the cover of April...
, and identical twins Randy and Jason Sklar
Randy and Jason Sklar
Randy Sklar and Jason Sklar , professionally known as the Sklar Brothers, are American identical twin comedians and sportscasters. They formerly hosted the show Cheap Seats on ESPN Classic, which came to an end on November 19, 2006, after four seasons.-Biography:Randy and Jason grew up in suburban...
. Bill Nye
Bill Nye
William Sanford "Bill" Nye , popularly known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, is an American science educator, comedian, television host, actor, mechanical engineer, and scientist...
was the show's "technical expert".
After five 'seasons', Comedy Central terminated their contract with BattleBots Inc. in late 2002.
Early history
BattleBots is an offshoot of the original American version of Robot WarsRobot Wars (TV series)
Robot Wars is a British game show modelled on a US-based competition of the same name. It was broadcast on BBC Two from 1998 until 2003, with its final series broadcast on Five in 2003 and 2004. Additional series were filmed for specific sectors of the global market, including two series of Robot...
, the brainchild of Marc Thorpe. Robot Wars had financial backing from Sm:)e communications, a New York record company. The Thorpe/Sm:)e partnership broke up in 1997, starting many years of legal wrangling between Thorpe and Profile Records
Profile Records
Profile Records was a record label that specialized in many types of urban-oriented music, such as hip hop, active until 1996..- History :In 1980, at 23 years old, after working briefly for MCA, Cory Robbins was looking to start a record label. He invited his songwriter friend Steve Plotnicki to be...
(the former Sm:)e communications). Profile licensed Robot Wars to a UK production company and Robot Wars ran for seven years as a popular television program in the UK.
The robot builders left behind in San Francisco formed BattleBots, Inc. and began a series of competitions. The first was held in Long Beach, California in August 1999 and was also cybercast on ZDTV. The second, held in November 1999, in Las Vegas, Nevada was a pay per view event. These led to the five semi-annual BattleBots tournaments televised as prime time series on the American network Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
starting in May 2000.http://www.battlebots.com/news_faq.asp
Weight classes
Robots at BattleBots tournaments were separated into four weight classes. The weight limits increased slightly over time. At the final tournaments the classes were:- Lightweight – 60 pounds (27 kilograms)
- Middleweight – 120 pounds (54 kilograms)
- Heavyweight – 220 pounds (100 kilograms)
- Superheavyweight – 340 pounds (154 kilograms)
'Walking' robots ('StompBots') propelled by means other than wheels were initially given a 50% weight bonus. The rules changed following the victory of a heavyweight StompBot (Son of Whyachi) at BattleBots 3.0. For BattleBots 4.0 and beyond only a 20% weight bonus was given to walkers and the technical rules specified that walking mechanisms not use cam
Cam
A cam is a rotating or sliding piece in a mechanical linkage used especially in transforming rotary motion into linear motion or vice-versa. It is often a part of a rotating wheel or shaft that strikes a lever at one or more points on its circular path...
operated walking mechanisms as they were functionally too similar to wheel operation. Since the rules change, walking robots have entered the competition, but none have achieved any success beyond preliminary rounds.
Matches
Matches are three minutes long. During a match, two robots do their best to destroy each other using whatever means available.There are only two events that cause the match to be paused and people enter the BattleBox. One is the event that the robots are stuck together and cannot separate or that both have simultaneously become immobilized. The other scenario is that one or both 'bots have caught on fire. In that case, the people entering the BattleBox are equipped with a fire extinguisher.
If a robot is unable to move for thirty seconds, because it is too badly damaged or it is stuck on the arena hazards, it is declared knocked out. The driver may also call a "tap-out" to forfeit the match if his or her robot is about to be destroyed. This ends the match ten seconds later; the opposing driver is "asked" (but not instructed) not to attack during the ten-second count.
In about half the matches, both robots survive the three minutes; at that point, three judges distribute a total of 45 points (15 points a judge, 5 points per judge per category) over three categories. The robot with the higher score wins. The judging categories are Aggression, Strategy, and Damage. A robot who hangs back safely from its opponent will not get many Aggression points; one in there fighting the whole time, however, will. The Strategy category is about how well a robot exploits its opponent's weaknesses, protects its own, and handles the hazards. A robot driving over the kill saws will lose points here, unless it had good reason to do so, while a robot that is able to attack its opponent's weak areas will gain points. The Damage category is for how much damage the bot can deal to its opponent while remaining intact itself.
The winner moves on; the loser is eliminated from the tournament.
At the end of the tournament, a series of 'rumbles' or 'melee rounds' are typically held in each weight class, allowing robots that survived the main tournament to fight in a 'free for all' in a 5 minute match. Occasionally there are too many robots for one rumble, and multiple rumbles are held with the top surviving bots competing in a final event.
During the Season 5 Heavyweight rumble (the first rumble of that competition), a sheared-off robot part went through the Lexan arena roof and fell (harmlessly) into the audience. Because of this, the rest of the rumbles were canceled due to safety concerns.
The BattleBox
The BattleBox is a 48' x 48' square arena designed to protect the drivers, officials, and audience from flying shrapnel and charging bots. It has a steel floor and steel-framed walls and roof paneled with thick, bulletproof polycarbonate plastic. The teams bring their robots in through doorways, which are sealed after all humans have exited. The drivers control their machines from outside the sealed arena.Arena hazards
Operated by "Pulverizer Pete", the arena hazards are intended to make fights more interesting and unpredictable, and to reward drivers who can avoid the hazards while pushing or carrying their opponent into them. The hazards include:- Pulverizers: 150 lb. mallets that can do major damage to any bot that passes under them. Originally normal sledgehammers that did minimal damage, they were replaced with 50 pound aluminum mallets that had a tendency to break (season 2), and were ultimately replaced with the 150 pound mallets (seasons 3 and on).
- Spike Strips: The walls of the arena are covered with 6-inch long sharpened steel spikes. Pushing an opponent hard into a wall can sometimes lodge it into the spikes, immobilizing it.
- Spinners: These rapidly-spinning discs in the floor do not damage a robot, but interfere with its driving or fling it across the room (depending on the weight). The spinners only adversely affect the Lightweight class, as the higher weight class robots are heavy enough that they can just pass over them with little resistance.
- Kill Saws: The Kill Saws are circular sawCircular sawThe circular saw is a machine using a toothed metal cutting disc or blade. The term is also loosely used for the blade itself. The blade is a tool for cutting wood or other materials and may be hand-held or table-mounted. It can also be used to make narrow slots...
s that rise out of the floor at high speed as soon as a robot drives over the red slots that conceal them. The carbide-tipped saw blades can tear into a bot's tires or chassis. In later seasons, red 'throwing blades' were added to increase the chance of a bot being launched. - Pistons: First introduced in Season 3, Pistons are steel columns that raise and lower from the floor without warning. As they are not sharp or particularly fast, they do not do much damage to robots, but they can stop a charging robot or flip one over or on its side. The Pistons were removed for Seasons 4 and 5.
- Ramrods: These are sharpened steel spikes that come out of the arena floor in groups of six, serving either to lift a robot off the ground or puncture its lower armor if poorly constructed.
- Hell Raisers: If a robot drives over the center of the arena, a pneumatic ram will open these sections of the floor to a 15-degree tilt. The Hell Raisers were taken out in Season 5 to allow more room for the robots to fight.
- Screws: First introduced in season 3, these devices were a modification to the static spike strips. The screws were continually rotating augerAugerAn auger is a drilling device, or drill bit, that usually includes a rotating helical screw blade called a "flighting" to act as a screw conveyor to remove the drilled out material...
s placed horizontally at the edge of the arena floor. The Screws were intended to scrape up a bot, and possibly drag it closer to the Pulverizers due to the corkscrew design. However, much like the Spinners, these affected the Lightweights the most. In fact, they barely made much of a difference in fights at all, rendering them a "cosmetic fix" instead. For Season 5, the screws were upgraded so that instead of 'pushing' in one direction, they converged in the center from opposite directions, forming a 'V' that would very often flip or damage robots. They were also given teeth, to catch onto armor better.
Long Beach; August 1999
- Gigabot Winner – BioHazardBiohazardBiohazard may refer to:* Biological hazard* Biohazard , a book by Ken Alibek* Biohazard , a New York hardcore punk band** Biohazard , a self-titled album from Biohazard...
(defeating Kill-o-amp 2, Monster, Tazbot, and Killerhurtz [twice]) - Megabot Winner – Son Of Smashy (defeating GoldDigger by forfeit, Ankle Biter, DeadblowDeadblowDeadblow is a combat robot built and driven by Grant Imahara. It competed in BattleBots in the middleweight division using a fast pneumatic hammer as its weapon. Deadblow won 2 rumbles and was ranked number 2 among middleweights, right after Hazard...
, and Knee Breaker (twice)) - Kilobot Winner – Ziggo (defeating Dr. Inferno / Hot Air (clusterbot), Executioner (twice), Toe Crusher, and Defiant)
Las Vegas; November 1999
- Superheavyweight Winner – Minion (defeating S.L.A.M., World Peace and Ricon)
- Heavyweight Winner – Vlad The Impaler (defeating Kill-O-Amp, BioHazardBiohazardBiohazard may refer to:* Biological hazard* Biohazard , a book by Ken Alibek* Biohazard , a New York hardcore punk band** Biohazard , a self-titled album from Biohazard...
, Rhino and Voltarc)
San Francisco; June 2000 (Season 1.0)
- Superheavyweight Winner – Minion (defeating GrayMatter, Grendal, Rammstein and DooAll)
- Heavyweight Winner – Vlad The Impaler (defeating GoldDigger, Tazbot, Overkill, Punjar and Voltarc)
- Middleweight Winner – Hazard (defeating Pegleg, Turtle Roadkill, Spin Orbiting Force and DeadblowDeadblowDeadblow is a combat robot built and driven by Grant Imahara. It competed in BattleBots in the middleweight division using a fast pneumatic hammer as its weapon. Deadblow won 2 rumbles and was ranked number 2 among middleweights, right after Hazard...
) - Lightweight Winner – Backlash (defeating Disposable Hero, The Crusher, Endotherm, Das Bot and Alpha Raptor)
Las Vegas; November 2000 (Season 2.0)
- Superheavyweight Winner – Diesector (defeating Hamunaptra, World Peace, Rammstein, War Machine and Atomic Wedgie)
- Heavyweight Winner – BioHazardBioHazard (robot)BioHazard is a combat robot built by Carlo Bertocchini. It was the most successful robot in the heavyweight division of BattleBots. It originally competed in the U.S. Robot Wars where it won 2 heavyweight division titles. It went on to win 3 BattleBots championships...
(defeating Marvel of Engineering (M.O.E.), Suicidal Tendencies, Nightmare, frenZy and Vlad the Impaler) - Middleweight Winner – Spaz (defeating Tobor Rabies, Blue Streak, Buddy Lee Don't Play In The Street, Bad Attitude and El Diablo)
- Lightweight Winner – Ziggo (defeating Scrap Metal, Scrap Daddy LW55, Afterthought 2.0, Beta Raptor and Backlash)
Treasure Island; May 2001 (Season 3.0)
- Superheavyweight Winner – Vladiator (defeating Juggerbot, Hammertime, Revision Z, Techno Destructo, Diesector and Minion)
- Heavyweight Winner – Son Of Whyachi (defeating Shaka, Crab Meat, Kill-O-Amp, Nightmare, MechaVore, Hexadecimator and BioHazardBiohazardBiohazard may refer to:* Biological hazard* Biohazard , a book by Ken Alibek* Biohazard , a New York hardcore punk band** Biohazard , a self-titled album from Biohazard...
) - Middleweight Winner – Hazard (defeating Fusion, Zion, F5, T-Wrex and Little Drummer Boy)
- Lightweight Winner – Dr Inferno Jr (defeating Blood Dragon, Toe Crusher, Bad Habit, Herr Gepoünden, Sallad and Gamma Raptor)
Treasure Island; November 2001 (Season 4.0)
- Superheavyweight Winner – Toro (defeating Maximus, The Judge, Vladiator, Little Blue Engine and New Cruelty)
- Heavyweight Winner – BioHazardBioHazard (robot)BioHazard is a combat robot built by Carlo Bertocchini. It was the most successful robot in the heavyweight division of BattleBots. It originally competed in the U.S. Robot Wars where it won 2 heavyweight division titles. It went on to win 3 BattleBots championships...
(defeating Stealth Terminator, Jabberwock, Nightmare, Tazbot and Overkill) - Middleweight Winner – Hazard (defeating Timmy, SABotage, El Diablo, Heavy Metal Noise and Complete Control)
- Lightweight Winner – Ziggo (defeating Snowflake, Serial Box Killer, Wedge of Doom, Death By Monkeys, and The Big B)
Treasure Island; May 2002 (Season 5.0)
- Superheavyweight Winner – Diesector (defeating Final Destiny, Dreadnought, HammerTime, New Cruelty and Vladiator)
- Heavyweight Winner – BioHazardBioHazard (robot)BioHazard is a combat robot built by Carlo Bertocchini. It was the most successful robot in the heavyweight division of BattleBots. It originally competed in the U.S. Robot Wars where it won 2 heavyweight division titles. It went on to win 3 BattleBots championships...
(defeating Center Punch, Greenspan, MechaVore, Aces and Eights, and Voltronic) - Middleweight Winner – T-Minus (defeating TriDent, Double Agent, Huggy Bear, previously undefeated Hazard and S.O.B.)
- Lightweight Winner – Dr Inferno Jr (defeating Afterburner, Tentoumushi 8.0, Death By Monkeys, Gamma Raptor and Wedge of Doom)
Merchandising
JAKKS PacificJakks Pacific
JAKKS Pacific, Inc. is a designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, with a range of products that feature numerous children's toy licenses...
created two series of BattleBots toys: the smaller BattleBashers and larger Grip N' Grapplers were made.
- Bots made into BattleBashers include: Biohazard, Vlad The Impaler, Alpha Raptor, Minion, Atomic Wedgie, Backlash, Bad Attitude and El Diablo
- Bots made into Grip N' Grapplers include: Toro, Killerhurtz, Ziggo, DieSector, TazBot, Grendel, Mauler 5150, Frenzy, and Deadblow.
Tiger Electronics
Tiger Electronics
Tiger Electronics is an American toy manufacturer, best known for its handheld LCD games, the Furby, and Giga Pets. When Tiger was an independent company, Tiger Electronics Inc., its headquarters were in Vernon Hills, Illinois....
created two series of remote controlled BattleBots toys:
- The simple 'Custom Series' robots included Minion, Killer Hurtz, El Diablo, Vlad the Impaler, Doo All, Blendo, Dr. Inferno Jr., and Son of Whyachi.
- The more complex 'Pro Series' were larger and had separate radio control of the weaponry. Biohazard and Diesector models were offered.
McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
released Happy Meal
Happy Meal
A "Happy Meal" is a meal specifically marketed at children, sold at the fast-food chain McDonald's since June 1979. A toy is typically included with the food, both of which are usually contained in a small box or paper bag with the McDonald's logo....
BattleBots toys from April 26 to May 23, 2002.
- BattleBots made into Happy Meal toys include: Ankle Biter, Biohazard, DieSector, Ginsu, Mechadon, Mecha Tentamushi and Overkill. The chain also offered a new bot called "Mac Attack", which was a hamburger shaped robot with spinning saws.
Two video games based on BattleBots were released for Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, BattleBots: Beyond the BattleBox
BattleBots: Beyond the BattleBox
BattleBots: Beyond the BattleBox is a video game based on the BattleBots license for Game Boy Advance. Players create and manage a team of BattleBots. It was followed by BattleBots: Design & Destroy....
in 2002 and BattleBots: Design & Destroy
BattleBots: Design & Destroy
BattleBots: Design & Destroy is a video game based on the BattleBots license for Game Boy Advance. Players create and manage a team of BattleBots...
in 2003. Another game
BattleBots (video game)
BattleBots was a video game based on the BattleBots license for PlayStation 2 and GameCube. It got fairly far in development. Many screenshots were released to media outlets and it obtained a rating from the ESRB, but it was ultimately cancelled after the show was cancelled....
was in development by THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
for PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
., but was cancelled.
Information on additional BattleBots toys can be found at Mutant Robots.
Personalities
- Jamie HynemanJamie HynemanJames Franklin "Jamie" Hyneman is an American special effects expert, best known for being the co-host of the television series MythBusters. He is also the owner of M5 Industries, the special effects workshop where MythBusters is filmed...
and Adam SavageAdam SavageAdam Whitney Savage is an American industrial design and special effects designer/fabricator, actor, educator, and co-host of the Discovery Channel television series MythBusters. His model work has appeared in major films, including Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and The Matrix...
(creators of BlendoBlendoBlendo is a combat robot designed and built by Jamie Hyneman. Adam Savage wired the electronics and control systems.Blendo had the first effective implementation of the full-body kinetic energy spinner weapon that became common in Robot Wars. The robot had a shell made from a wok and was spun by a...
), and Grant ImaharaGrant ImaharaGrant Masaru Imahara is a Japanese American electronics and radio control expert, best known for his work on the American television show MythBusters.-Education and early work:...
(creator of DeadblowDeadblowDeadblow is a combat robot built and driven by Grant Imahara. It competed in BattleBots in the middleweight division using a fast pneumatic hammer as its weapon. Deadblow won 2 rumbles and was ranked number 2 among middleweights, right after Hazard...
) of Discovery ChannelDiscovery ChannelDiscovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's MythBustersMythBustersMythBusters is a science entertainment TV program created and produced by Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The series is screened by numerous international broadcasters, including Discovery Channel Australia, Discovery Channel Latin America, Discovery Channel Canada, Quest...
are former competitors. Deadblow sometimes appears as a "guest Mythbuster," assisting Grant with various experiments. - Will Wright, the creator of SimCitySimCitySimCity is a critically acclaimed city-building simulation video game, first released in 1989, and designed by Will Wright. SimCity was Maxis' first product, which has since been ported into various personal computers and game consoles, and spawned several sequels including SimCity 2000 in 1994,...
and other Sim games, as well as SporeSpore (2008 video game)Spore is a multi-genre single-player god game developed by Maxis and designed by Will Wright. The game was released for the Microsoft Windows and Macintosh operating systems in September 2008 as Spore...
, was a long-time robot combatant. He competed at BattleBots with a series of "Chiabot" robots. - Michael Loren MauldinMichael Loren MauldinMichael Loren "Fuzzy" Mauldin is the founder and chief scientist of the Lycos Internet search engine company. He developed the Lycos Search Engine while working on the Informedia Digital Library project at Carnegie Mellon University. He is also, Director of Conversive, Inc...
, Founder of LycosLycosLycos, Inc. is a search engine and web portal established in 1994. Lycos also encompasses a network of email, webhosting, social networking, and entertainment websites.-Corporate history:...
entered multiple bots over the series. - One of the founders of BattleBots, Trey Roski, is the son of Edward Roski Jr.Edward P. RoskiEdward P. Roski, Jr. is an American real estate businessman in Los Angeles, California.-Biography:Roski was born in Oklahoma and raised in Southern California. He is a graduate of Loyola High School and the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, where in 1962 he earned a...
, one of the owners of the STAPLES CenterStaples CenterStaples Center is a multi-purpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. Opening on October 17, 1999, it is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Los Angeles...
sports arena in Los Angeles. - Jay LenoJay LenoJames Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
appeared with a novelty BattleBot, "Chin Killa" — a lift type robot. Chin Killa did not comply with the competition rules and only competed in special exhibition matches at BattleBots events.
Recent developments
In February 2008, BattleBots announced that ESPN had offered to broadcast a "Collegiate BattleBots Championship" competition limited to a single 160-pound weight class to be held during the summer of 2008, with competitors from as many as 160 colleges. Plans called for a "professional" 220-pound class tournament to be filmed at the same venue, but the broadcast deal was for the college teams only.The deal with ESPN fell through, but a delayed competition took place April 21–25, 2009 with fewer than 20 college teams participating. Three divisions competed at the event: high school (middleweight), college (middleweight), and pro (heavyweight). BattleBots announced that some video from the college tournament would air on the CBS College Sports Network in summer 2009. The airing was first pushed back to December 9, then cancelled due to an asserted inability to sell commercial time. BattleBots claimed a broadcast deal with Fox Television Studios, but no air date was announced and a later announcement confirmed cancellation.
Battlebots noted on its Twitter page a Battlebots competition scheduled for April 8–12, 2010 in the San Francisco Bay Area, to feature a 220 lb professional league and 120 lb college/high school league as well as TableTop Robots. On January 20, 2010 Battlebots announced that the competition was postponed until further notice.
On March 5, 2010 the BattleBots webpage announced a professional Battlebots tournament to be held in San Francisco on May 21–23, 2010. According to the Battlebots staff, that event has been rescheduled to November 2010 in San Francisco.
On October 26, 2010 the BattleBots staff announced the 2011 Battlebots National Championship will be held in Miami, Florida from February 23–27, 2011. This will not be a taped event.
See also
- Robot combatRobot combatRobot combat is a hobby/sport in which two or more custom-built machines use varied methods of destroying or disabling the other. As of today, in most cases these machines are remote-controlled vehicles rather than autonomous robots, although there are exceptions, particularly in the field of...
– includes "robot design" - Robot WarsRobot Wars (TV series)Robot Wars is a British game show modelled on a US-based competition of the same name. It was broadcast on BBC Two from 1998 until 2003, with its final series broadcast on Five in 2003 and 2004. Additional series were filmed for specific sectors of the global market, including two series of Robot...
- RoboticaRoboticaRobotica is a robot combat show produced for the American television cable channel TLC, a subsidiary of the Discovery Channel. Three seasons of Robotica were produced. The shows first aired in April 2001, with the final season beginning in late 2002. Show hosts for the first season were Ahmet...
- Robot Fighting LeagueRobot Fighting LeagueThe Robot Fighting League organizes and promotes combat robot competitions and other robotic sports. The RFL was created in November 2002 out of an ongoing discussion among many of the combat robot competition organizers...
- Survival Research LaboratoriesSurvival Research LaboratoriesSurvival Research Laboratories is a machine performance art group credited for pioneering the genre of large-scale machine performance. After about 30 years in San Francisco, California, SRL spent most of 2008 moving to Petaluma, California....