Builder Interview: Charlie McGill

Every builder comes into combat robotics from a different angle. For Charlie McGill, it started with friends, a Robogames invite, and a very unconventional wedge bot. In this interview, Charlie talks about the evolution of Outrider, lessons learned the hard way, favorite fights, and what keeps the adrenaline flowing every time the robot hits the arena.

What is Your Name

Charlie McGill

What is Your Robot(s) Name(s)?

Outrider

How did you first discover combat robotics, and what made you decide to actually start building?

I started competing when my friends invited me to their team for robogames 2016.

What was the first bot you ever built, and what do you remember most about that experience?

For robogames 2016, we built a goofy wedge bot 60lb called Syntax Error that had a wedge built with door hinges.

Who were the early influences or people who helped you learn the ropes when you were just starting out?

Some of my teammates from that first 60 were college students and they taught me to CAD. These days, i've gotten a lot of input from Evan Rosenblatt and Jaaron Leibson

How has your current bot evolved from your first version or first idea?

Outrider sort of mutated from the idea of having the belts on the outside of the wheels. This lead to make a really small compact robot that's more defensively oriented that a standard 4wd vert. The TPU wheel guards just got heavier and heavier.

What’s one thing you wish you knew before building your first bot?

I wish I knew how to properly tension belts.

Do you prefer building, driving, or strategy — and why?

I prefer driving, There is just such a rush of adrenaline in the moment.

What was your favorite fight you’ve ever had and why?

Probably against Floodgate at MIT. I had messed up the ground contact point of one of my forks, but I was able to work through some drive issues that resulted from the misaligned fork and find a knockout. I was really impressed with my robots ability to actually damage components.

What keeps you excited about the sport?

Hanging out with the friends I've made, The rush of adrenaline when driving, seeing a niche idea I had work. I really enjoy the media work I do with team WPI. It feels really cool to see people enjoy the content I make.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about building their first bot?

Take your time in CAD. Give yourself time to develop ideas and refine the robot before building.

What are your goals for your next event?

If my next event is NHRL, I want to make bracket, otherwise I want to win 3 fights

Are there any events you hope to compete in in the future?

Obviously I want to make NHRL finals, but I really enjoy competing at RCE aka CMARCC. I love the atmosphere there.

Where do you see your bot, or yourself as a builder, a year from now?

I see outrider as a pretty decent robot when I fix a few things. I want to get the multibot beetle I've been working on off the ground as well