Battlebots

I'm pit crew for one of the teams on the Battlebots TV show.

Intro

I got involved with Claw Viper and Team Bad Ideas since their rookie year in 2020. It has been an incredible experience - getting to see incredible fights first hand, but working on the bot is both challenging and rewarding. I've learned many new skills, from designing and machining parts to troubleshooting electrical problems to beating pieces of metal back into shape. Some of the best learning happens under the pressure of the TV show's schedule. More than once we've pulled a smoking box of scrap out of the arena only to promise the show runners we'd have it ready to fight the next morning.

In the off season, the team strategizes and designs. Sometimes parts we've relied on have become obsolete, and we scramble to find acceptable substitutes. We assess the competition, and plan new attacks and defenses. We try new parts and materials - harder armor, softer tires, lighter frame rails, new batteries.

It's an absolute blast.