Outside of the Box

J Lee of Game Over on Bot Buddies | NHRL | Outside of the Box

There are not many mech walker robots in combat robotics, but trying to bring this concept to NHRL in September was J Lee whose robot Game Over certainly drew a lot of attention at the event and was gloriously sacrificed to Chainsaw Kitty in an epic freestyle match. I talked to J about the inspiration behind Game Over which includes robots such as Chomp, Pawsitively Hissterical and Mark Setrakian's epic creation Stalker. We talked about the support J has gotten from Game U on this project as well as what may come next in the next iteration of this design.

BattleBots Breakdown w/Ashley Beckman | Golden Bolt Tournament Episode 1 | Shreddit WHOA

Welcome back to BattleBots breakdown where Ashley and I discuss all of the robot action from the previous episode of BattleBots. We kick off the season with some heavy NHRL representation as Shreddit Bro and Valkyrie slash their way through the competition to face each other for a place in the Golden Bolt tournament. We saw so many exciting matches in this episode that was all about redemption for two teams that had challenges in the main season. Hear us talk all about the excitement of seeing NHRL regulars Evan Arias and Lucy Du square off along with all of the fights that lead up to it.
#battlebots #nhrl #shreddit #valkyrie #combatrobotics #stem
 

Outside of the Box Ep 142 | Corey Nason of Synthesis | NHRL

In one of my favorite discussions ever, I got to sit down with my friend and mentor Corey Nason whose robot Synthesis took down two amazing robots simultaneously - not once, but twice by defeating both Loophole and Booty Brigade to move onto the finals of NHRL's September event. We touch on the event as a whole which was dominated by our friends from Brazil and Claw Viper's Kevin Milczewski in the higher weight classes as well as how the day went for the 3lb division including my robot Poison Apple which held up well against Loophole who would later be one of many bots who Corey left in his wake during this amazing run.

Outside of the Box Ep 141 | Kezia Skye - Chainsaw Kitty | NHRL

She may be named Kitty, but she fights like a tiger and after many requests I finally sat down with the builder/driver of Chainsaw Kitty - Kezia Skye. We talked about how she got started in combat robotics (shout out to Just Cuz Robotics), why it is important to stay grounded and not get overconfident as well as how she feels about the much anticipated Final Botdown being brought to you by NHRL on September 30. Will Chainsaw Kitty qualify for finals? I certainly hope so! Check out this great discussion with one of combat robotics' seriously talented builders.

Outside of the Box Ep 140 | Kari Byron | National STEM Challenge | EXPLR Media

It is time for a very special episode with a personal hero of mine and likely so many young people who grew up watching her be a curiosity communicator on Mythbusters - Kari Byron. We talk heavily about the National STEM Challenge which she organized as part of EXPLR with her business partner Jenny Buccos as well as collaboration with the Department of Education as well as Chef Andrew Zimmern. We get into the details of the festival including who can participate and the windows for submitting projects. Kari and I also discussed EXPLR's other initiatives, her personal journey in STEM and how art is closer to science than you think!
For more information about the National STEM Festival, including submission guidelines, visit: www.nationalstemchallenge.com
Follow Kari and the EXPLR team: Twitter/X - @nationalstemfestival @nationalstemchallenge @karibyron @jennybuccos @andrewzimmern IG: @nationalstemfestival @nationalstemchallenge @therealkaribyron @jennybuccos @chefaz Threads: @nationalstemfestival @therealkaribyron @chefaz

Outside of the Box Ep 139 | UK Combat Robotics Roundtable | Bristol Bot Builders | BattleBots

It is time for a giant serving of pits and chips with this roundtable full of amazing UK builders and event organizers to have a chat about the scene across the pond. I was joined by Tom Brewster & Sarah Asplin of Monsoon, James Cooper of Quantum plus two of the hardest working guys in UK combat robotics - Joe Brown and David Weston. There is also a bit of a bonus chat at the end with Sarah Malyan of Bugglebots. We all discussed how David Attenborough could revive Robot Wars, the pits and hazards that the UK is so well known for and the thriving scene there that is fueled by the passion of so many builders.

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).