Outside of the Box

Outside of the Box Ep 138 | September NHRL Event Preview w/Ashley - The Final Botdown

It is finally time for another episode featuring my BattleBots Breakdown co-host, Ashley Beckman. There is a LOT going on with the September NHRL event called The Final Botdown because it is the last chance to qualify for November finals. We dive into the many storylines for this event starting with the historic growing waitlist for registration. We also talk about the massive Brazilian representation at this event, the return of Lynx, why Chainsaw Kitty needs to qualify and I show off my bot Poison Apple which I hope will take a bite out of the competition.

Outside of the Box Ep 137 | Growing Combat Robotics Roundtable | NHRL | BattleBots

As combat robotics fans, we all know why we love this sport, but how do we get more people into it? I was joined by Bunny Liaw (Malice), Rob Farrow (Seattle combat robotics event organizer and builder), Seth Schaffer (Just Cuz Robotics/ Bloodsport) & Diana Tarlson (Skorpios) to talk about the great work they are all doing to grow the sport as well as other points to consider. We talked about arena pits, the importance of the ant and beetle weight classes and why competing should be about fun and not fame. Really great discussion with a group of folks who are super passionate about the sport!

Outside of the Box Ep 136 | Active Weapons vs Control Robots Roundtable | NHRL | BattleBots

Join me for another spirited discussion, this time featuring James Cooper (Quantum), Brandon Bennett Young (Vorion), Matt Lantry (Half Life), Zack Knight (Pramheda) & Johnny Tsoumpas (Spartan). We first got into a discussion on how you define what a "control bot" is, debated on whether we will continue to see some meta shift towards control bots winning more in the future, the importance of durability whether you have an active weapon or not and so much more.

Outside of the Box Ep 135 | Robot Design & Inspiration Roundtable | NHRL | BattleBots

Join me for another amazing roundtable discussion - this time about robot design and influence. This was a very special episode as it featured a builder whose design inspired another builder on the roundtable so we talked about that inspiration and whether there is a line when it comes to drawing inspiration from another design. We also talk about whether using AI to design robots is one step away from The Terminator movies, whether the fork meta has hit its wall, discussion on whether modular design is necessary and why designing robots literally can change the world. Join myself, Craig Danby (Slammo!), Alex Pezza (Yes Chef!, Shreddit Bro), Kyle Kuffrey (Synthwave designer), Nik Buchholz (Bloodsport), Will Bales (Hypershock) & Pete Abrahamson (The Bot Whisperer).

Outside of the Box Ep 134 | Rules & Judging Roundtable | NHRL | BattleBots

Combat robotics rules and judging criteria are some of the most hotly debated topics in the sport and I had Mike Jeffries (BattleBots match steward), Connor Benton (New Zealand builder & judge), Michael Hall (MRCA board member) and David Calkins (RoboGames & former BattleBots judge) join me to talk through all of it. We got into a whole host of topics including OOTA rules and whether it can be done safely, a judging criteria deep dive, the merit of challenges and tapouts at all levels and a brief glance at Ray Billings' fan mail!

Outside of the Box Ep 133 | Cole (Nubert) & Josh ( Red Hawk) | NHRL

Getting young people into the sport of combat robotics is so important and I talked to two of them who have already started to make their mark with 1 and 3 lb bots. Cole and Josh both have their own individual robots, but will be coming together for the NHRL August event to bring something they say has never been seen before. We also talked about their inspirations and their potential plans to build a future heavyweight which, in Cole's case might be inspired by Spartan and Johnny Tsoumpas.

Outside of the Box Ep 132 | Owen & Cory Cokley | NHRL

In this episode, I talk to the brothers from Ohio who have taken the 12lb NHRL weight class by storm this year - Owen & Cory Cokley. We talked about how they got their start in combat robotics, a breakdown of how the June event went for their bots Cthulhu and Superscope including their take on the big showdown with another pair of brothers (the legendary Doerfler brothers), and what their thoughts are on the future including talk of heavyweights.

Outside of the Box Ep 131 | Diversity Spotlight: Women in STEM Roundtable | NHRL | BattleBots

Get ready for a very special episode where I spoke with a group of wonderful ladies in combat robotics including Genny Korn (Banshee), Ashley Beckman (Milktank), Kezia Skye (Chainsaw Kitty), Shea Johns (Triton/Jackpot), Ellie Clark (Bloodsport) & Lisa Winter (Builder & BattleBots Judge). We talked about their sources for inspiration for getting into combat robotics which included many amazing builders such as Andrea Gellatly of Witch Doctor and Zoe Stephenson of Chomp. We also touched on many topics including tiny hands & feet, the importance of diversity & inclusion, growing the sport and their proudest moments in combat robotics. This is an amazing episode full of great advice and stories.

Outside of the Box Ep 130 | Don & Joe Doerfler of HUGE | NHRL | BattleBots

In this episode I talk to two brothers who hail from the Steel City and have done a great job bringing their robotics skills to the table both at BattleBots with HUGE and also to NHRL - the Doerfler Brothers. We talked about the amazing journey for World Championship VII with HUGE as well as the crazy brother vs brother showdown at the June NHRL event where they fought the Cokley brothers and ended up finishing third and fourth respectively with Disko and Ugee. We also touched on the evolution of NHRL and whether we may see more creative/innovative robots at BattleBots.

Outside of the Box Ep 129 | Jordan Neal of Squire | NHRL | BattleBots

If you recognize Jordan Neal from BattleBots, you may remember DragonSlayer from World Championship VI. Lately, he has been slaying the competition at NHRL with his robot Squire. We talk about everything from his incredible chainmail ensemble that he wore at the event, a breakdown of every one of Squire's fights at June NHRL including multiple fights against eventual winner Kablooey Tango and possibly trying to work on a mini bot for the finals.