I recently said to someone that when it comes to competitors at robot events, it often feels like a bunch of people in their 20s, me, and Glenn Boxell. It’s hyperbole of course, but my general sense is that a lot of people learned about robotics in their high school, are or were part of collegiate teams, or have otherwise had some exposure to the technical/builder side of the sport from a younger age. That was not my path. Before building my first bot I had been in deathcare for 19 years, had never touched CAD software, and my experience with wiring didn’t extend too much past replacing some light switches to have a “smart” home. So I would say I took a somewhat long and unusual path to find myself in the pits with such young and talented folks as Lars Elliot, Johnny Tsoumpas, and Brian Boxell.
My story with fighting robots begins like a lot of others, seeing 250lb heavyweights duke it out on TV. The difference between me and some of those people I just mentioned, is I was starting high school in the same fall that BattleBots was debuting on ComedyCentral. And while my dad and I didn’t always have a lot in common, and failed to connect in many ways throughout our lives, we liked sitting down and watching these giant pieces of metal beat the crap out of each other. I also have vivid memories of playing a PC game called Robot Arena 2 a good bit. A memory exclusive to my dad as my parents were divorced basically my entire life and I only had a PC at his place.
Fast forward a good number of years, and my wife and I found we enjoyed the modern era of BattleBots together. And for the many competitors who might have gotten a cool crocheted item or other goodie after a fight, that is always her wonderful doing. Somewhere during this time as well I learned via a shared forum that Brian Mendicino also liked BattleBots as we were two of a handful of folks who participated in the thread about the show. In the 2017 edition of our Secret Santa for the forum, I even sent him the Hexbug Blacksmith and Minotaur Arena Kit, and he only learned very recently that I was the responsible party, a rare santa that actually stayed secret!
Fast forward to 2023, and Brian convinced us to come up and attend the June NHRL event, which would end up being the last of their two-day events. We got the VIP tickets, did the pit tour, ate from the food trucks, and of course watched a lot of good fights. Seeing things in person there, my brain immediately made the switch to the smaller weight classes. I still get excited about BattleBots, but quickly understood that smaller bots could be just as, if not generally more entertaining than their big brothers. We would become followers of NHRL and we wanted to make a point to watch the streams, but at this point I didn’t have any real thought of becoming a builder. I did start to prod Brian to try and build a bot, hoping I could hop onto his squad, but he wouldn’t listen, for now at least.
Then came the unexpected passing of my dad that October. Although we never built bots together, he was in construction his whole life, and every tool I’ve used, and what applicable technical knowledge I did have was thanks to him. On the practical side of things, although he didn’t have a lot, for the first time in my life I was going to have something in the way of a cushion, and not just going paycheck to paycheck. So when it came to what to do with some of that money, one thing seemed obvious. As I alluded to earlier, we often failed to come together, being two stubborn Dutchmen leading different lives. I often wonder what things would have been like if we discovered the sport together. Back in reality, I still think about my dad a lot when involved with the sport and ponder if he’d appreciate how I’m using some of the skills he taught me. As someone who always earned his ire by “sitting on my ass and playing video games” I have no doubt he’d at very least be pleased I was using my hands and building anything.
Having set my mind on actually competing at NHRL, I saw the January 2024 new bots event fast approaching. I may have started looking into things earlier, but for reference my first post on the NHRL Discord was Nov. 24, 2023. I knew that it was probably wise to wait for a later event, but really wanted to get into new bots where the field was likely to be a little less intimidating for a first time builder. Through a combination of the Black Frost EVO frame, a lot of basics from PalmBeachBots, and some electronics from JustCuzRobotics I managed to put together Little Bob in time for the January event. Somehow this basic Fingertech Beater Bar bot with no CAD, no customization, and a brand new driver managed to go 2-2 at that first event. Having helped me out through this, Brian finally gave in and would design Trip Hazard, which would then evolve into Titanium Hwhite, and our fun team moniker of Crafty Cat Combat was put out into the world. The rest, of course, is history.
And while so much of my outward branding is about the cute little creatures that run our home, inside it’s most often about my father.
In Loving Memory
Scott Robert Andreas
April 29, 1958 - October 18, 2023