obviously. I used to just use motor oil and I
had to take everything apart and clean it
all down after every match. It was messy
and painful! Royal Purple is better than
anything I have used before, and it’s not
slinging stuff everywhere like the oil
would.”
Ray’s careful preparation and muss
free components fell prey to that ol’ black
magic: physics. About halfway through the
tournament, Ray’s tool-steel blade sheared
at the midway point in a fight against
Original Sin. Suddenly weaponless, Team
Hardcore Robotics was forced to regroup
fast in the pits. Luckily, combat robot
camaraderie came through as Matt and
Wendy Maxham lent team Hardcore a
new front end for Last Rites’ next fight –
against them!
All the teams fought hard, and both won
and lost with great showmanship. Perhaps
the most dramatic victory came in the 30
pound class. “Caolho,” the only Brazilian
entry, won all of its matches and Paulo Lenz and his
comrades finally took home their first first-place win —
having come to America since 2005 to compete at
ComBots events. Caolho was so well built that on winning
their final match, the team threw their robot across the
arena in a victory cheer – where it bounced around
unharmed, ready for another fight! John Frizell of the UK
was the other international first-place winner, with his
autonomous three pound robot “Otto.”
Of course, everyone wants to know who won the big
trophy and took home the check. The previous winners of
the Cup continued to dominate the competition ladder,
with the “big three” staying in the top three. Last Rites fell
to third place, and the final round saw Gary Gin with
Original Sin going head to head with Matt Maxham and
Sewer Snake for the Cup. Like all the fights over the
weekend, it was a great match-up, going the full three
minutes. The first minute was dominated by Sewer
Snake as it pushed Original Sin around the arena, but
Gary’s great driving came back in the final minutes,
before the clock finally ran out and the match went
to the judges for scoring.
While Sewer Snake had bested Original Sin for
first place at this year’s RoboGames, a repeat
performance was not to be had, and Original Sin
won by a unanimous judge’s decision. Congrats
to Gary Gin and all of Late Night Racing on
their second ComBots Cup victory!
The ComBots Cup will return in October
PHOTO 6. Kilt-wearing Piedmont High
students and "Ragin' Scotsman."
2011 for its sixth year, with many of this year’s contestants
coming back for both the cold hard cash and the chance to
take the trophy away from Gary and let it decorate their
home for the year. With a year to design and build a robot
— and save for trip — the only question to ask is will you be
ready to compete and take the trophy away from Gary’s
grip? SV
www.servomagazine.com/index.php?/magazine/article/
january2011_Calkins
PHOTO 7. Billy Moon and Dick Stuplich with
their multibot "Death and Taxes."
SERVO 01.2011 43