68 SERVO 02.2014
In October 2001, while most kids were taking in horror movies or planning out Halloween costumes,
we were among a dedicated cadre of
roboticists that descended upon
Phoenix, AZ for Botbash 2001. Under
the tutelage of our dad (who was
also our robotics mentor), we built a
60 pound fighting robot with the aid
of an educational grant. Thus began
our adventures in the world of
competitive robotics. Adventures that
took us to FIRST regionals, connected
us with SERVO Magazine, and even
took us underwater.
Our experience with Botbash and
combat robotics has influenced
everything that we’ve done since, by
teaching us the basics of good robot
design and about the incomparable
excitement of competition.
As we moved from high school
to college, and then eventually on to
our careers, we found ourselves with
less time for competitions. The last
event we competed in was the 2008
MATE ROV event. The last combat
robotics event that we competed in
was 2003’s Botbash by the Sea, held
at the San Diego, CA County Fair.
While our combat robots have made
occasional appearances in the pages
of SERVO, our 60 pounder
Troublemaker and 30 pounder Twibill
Trouble have — like us — been retired
from the combat robotics scene for
11 years. We thought that was long
enough, and that 2014 would see
our return to combat robotics.
After so long, we knew that
upgrades would have to be made —
both for the sake of updated rules
and for the reason that not all
components stand the test of time.
We also knew it might be a challenge
to find the right competition. With
RoboGames concluded, where would
combat roboticists go? We were
eager to find out, and to prove that
even after 11 years we still had what
it takes to skirmish with the best of
them.
Days Gone By
As mentioned, our first foray into
the wild and crazy world of combat
robotics came in 2001 when we
received a grant which we pledged to
use for the educational endeavor of
designing and building a fighting
robot. Even though we were just
completing middle school, we already
had some exposure to robotics in the
form of the classic LEGO
MINDSTORMS kit. So, of course, the
next logical step was a 60 lb combat
robot.
Twin Tweaks
by Bryce Woolley and Evan Woolley
Immortal Combat
Go to www.servomagazine.com/index.php/magazine/
article/february2014_Twin Tweaks to comment on this article.
TROUBLEMAKER COMING OUT OF RETIREMENT.