Outside of the Box

PopCon and Circle City Clash Preview on Outside of the Box

On the heels of the big event announcement, I wanted to give fans a little bit more information on what they can expect from the Circle City Clash tournament and PopCon as a whole. I first sat down with Kris Keys, co-owner of PopCon, to talk about how they value diversity in the many experiences they offer at PopCon which will include things this year like an even larger film festival and Purr Con for cat lovers. I also talked to Casey Jeremiason of Robot Smashing League about the opportunity to host such a big event for potentially thousands of new combat robotics fans.

NHRL Round 3 (April) Preview on Outside of the Box

We've got some heavy hitters in this episode as we talk about the upcoming NHRL Round 3 event happening on April 5th! It will be the 2025 debut of Chainsaw Kitty and the return of fellow Sleepy Anime Girl bot Usawgi whose builders Kezia and Mint are hoping not to face each other until deep in the bracket. I also talked to BattleBots veterans Matt & Jason Vasquez who are bringing a couple of robots that have the NHRL community buzzing including Lil Lash which is a 30lb Whiplash. Finally, I was once again joined by the Robojackets from Georgia Tech to talk about their swarm of robots coming to this event. Some great discussions you won't want to miss!

NHRL Round 2 (March) Recap on Outside of the Box

It is time to recap Round 2 of NHRL where we saw some amazing fights and underdog wins! In this episode, Christine chats with Dwight of Master Control Bot, Ben of The Wall Pt 2 and Ryan of Count3r Punch and ARES about all of their incredible runs in the bracket. Check out some great discussion from these amazing and talented builders!

National STEM Champion Ishaan Kunwar Talks About Using AI to Detect Cataracts

On this final STEM Spotlight ahead of the National STEM Festival, I chatted with Ishaan Kunwar - a high school student who was able to use AI to develop a better way to detect cataracts. His project could help many in less developed countries or in underserved communities where it would be difficult or a financial burden to obtain this diagnosis and get treatment.
Please check out https://www.nationalstemfestival.com/ for more information!

Talking with EXPLR Media Founder Jenny Buccos about the National STEM Festival on Outside of the Box

I had the pleasure of being joined by the amazing Jenny Buccos with EXPLR Media who has been running the National STEM Festival going on its second year. We talked about the surprising and exciting amount of kids whose projects centered on using AI tech for good to help people, what kids attending the festival get to experience while there and the importance of kids having mentors to help get them more engaged. You can watch the livestream of the National STEM Festival on March 22nd. Check out the cool things these kids are doing at nationalstemfestival.com and EXPLR's amazing content and initiatives at explr.com.

National STEM Champion Bryan Hijam Talks About Prostate Cancer Research

Check out another STEM Spotlight and this time Christine talks to Bryan Hijam whose project focuses on prostate cancer research for better treatment and management of this disease that impacts so many. Hear him talk about his passion for this area of research, his plans for future career paths and what he is looking forward to when attending the National STEM Festival.
You can check out more info about the festival at https://www.nationalstemfestival.com/

NHRL Round 2 (March) Preview on Outside of the Box

It feels like we just wrapped up Round 1 of NHRL and we are already so close to Round 2 of more exciting robot fights!
Join Christine as she talks to a number of builders about their plans and predictions for March's loaded event. We talk to Zech Matthews about the hype surrounding his beetleweight Fragment X, chat with Peter and Destiny Garnache about their respective robots and getting to attend an event together again, and lastly we break down all of the weight classes with Tyler, Ian, Kekoto, Mark, Will and Nik including strong thoughts on the beetleweight class coming down to a possible victory by Knuckle Sandwich/Repeater or Eruption builder Brian Boxell. Lots of exciting stuff!

NHRL Round 1 (February) Recap on Outside of the Box

It is Monday and that means it is time for a new episode featuring three NHRL builders who all had amazing runs deep into the bracket at the Round 1 NHRL event. I chatted with Alex from Pinevictus about the win against Coldsnap that surprised even him, Zack Knight talked about having to face friends and teammates in the bracket and Justin of Undertaker talked about his amazing path to the finals against powerhouse Chonkiv.

National STEM Champion Jerry Yao Talks About Developing Assistive Tech

We are back with another STEM Spotlight and this time Christine talks to National STEM Champion Jerry Yao about the tactile tech he has developed to help those with sight impairments to "see" art. The discussion highlights the importance of using technology to help people as well as dives into other potential applications for this type of technology. Please check out https://www.nationalstemfestival.com/ for more information on the Festival and how you can get involved!

Talking Turnabot with the Siegel Family on Outside of the Box

This episode is all about family as I chatted with the Siegels who run Turnabot out of Georgia. They have created a company that gets people into combat robotics at an affordable price point and has been an amazing resource within the community. The family talks about what they have accomplished so far as well as things to come. Check out turnabot.com for more information!