Application Instructions

Welcome

Thank you for your interest in applying for BattleBots. We greatly appreciate your enthusiasm and eagerness to compete. Below are instructions for applying. Please read everything carefully and thoroughly.

Registration for the 2022 season (World Championship VII) is now closed. We are accepting applications for the 2023 season (World Championship VIII). If your application was declined for the 2022 season, please try again for the 2023 season. Bot builders wishing to apply for the 2023 season should endeavor to submit their applications by February, 2023 (official deadline TBD). Please, only create new applications for new robots. If you are reapplying with a robot design you have already submitted, please update your exisitng application. Good luck! 

NOTE: To better understand the types of robots we are looking for, and how to get on the BattleBots TV show, we have created this downloadable PDF.

Please note that we’re asking applicants to design a robot, not build a robot. As building a robot is dangerous, time consuming and expensive, you should only start building if you are notified by BattleBots that your design submission has been accepted, and you have completed other entry procedures that will be required by our broadcast partners. If you decided to build before this, you do so at your own risk.

 

Please read ALL instructions and application questions carefully, fill out the entry application in its entirety, submit your application and blow us away with your robot design.

Good luck!

Summary

Each Team can submit only one robot design. A Team must have at least 2 people. No person can be a member of more than one Team.

If you want to compete in a BattleBots Tournament, your first have to:

  • Study our Rules to understand what you are allowed to build.
  • Design your combat robot down to the last details.
  • Fill out this application completely.
  • Make detailed drawings of your design.
  • Blow us away with a photo realistic image of your bot design
  • Make an “audition” video of your Team.
  • Submit this form, drawings and video to BattleBots.

Entry Team

A robot is entered by a "Team" that must have at least 2 people. Each Team has a "Primary Applicant", who is the main representative for the Team.

The Primary Applicant must be 18 years of age or older.

No person can be a member of more than one Team.

A Team can enter only one robot.

The Application Steps

If you want to compete in a BattleBots Tournament, you must to do the following:

1. Learn What You Can Build

Study the BattleBots Rules. Note these documents may be updated at any time, so check the BattleBots website often.

2. Design Your Robot

We are looking for thoroughly designed robots. Filling out the Robot Technical Description in this document requires that you have thought through and researched all of the details of all the functions and parts of your proposed robot.

3. Complete the Application Form

This Application Form has to be filled out completely in order to be accepted. Incompletely filled out forms will be automatically rejected.

We also need extensive information on your Team and your robot. You have to describe in detail what you plan to build, including detail drawings. Drawing requirements are given below.

Deliberately incorrect or misleading information on any part of your application is grounds for unconditional rejection of your submission.

4. Make a Video

You’ll need to create a video to show us who you are, why your robot will kick bot, how you will survive match after match, how your robot is original, why you’re entering, what sort of facilities you have for building your robot, and any other details about your Team that you think would be of interest to our TV audience.

Requirements and suggestions for the video are given below.

5. Submit Your Application

Submit the Application Form and design drawings to BattleBots. The form and drawings will not be made public. See below for details on what’s required for the drawings.

We suggest submitting your application before the end of December 2019 (exact deadline will be made public at a later date)

Design Acceptance

If your robot design is accepted for further consideration, you will receive additional requests for information to determine your eligibility for the tournament. The acceptance of your robot design does not mean you have been invited to compete in the Tournament. However, it does mean that you have passed a major hurdle in getting into the Tournament. There will be additional steps that at a minimum, will include a basic background check, entering into a separate agreement with the BattleBots production partners for the television show about the Tournament, and providing BattleBots with periodic updates on your robot's construction and testing. Even if your design is accepted and you complete the background check, agreement and any other additional steps, this does not guarantee that you will be invited to compete in the Tournament.

BattleBots Inc. and its affiliates reserve the right to reject any application for any reason at any time and without explanation.

Drawings

Two Drawing Types

Two different kinds of robot drawings are required to be submitted with this application.

  • Exterior design
  • Construction details

Appearance is very important, but an awesome exterior design without complete details on the robot’s construction and operation will not be enough to get your robot accepted.

Drawings can be in .vsd, .pdf, .jpg, .ppt, .png or .bmp electronic format.

Paper drawings will not be accepted.

Exterior Design

These are external 3-view and perspective renderings of the exterior of the robot. We’re looking for interesting and innovative designs with personality and a “purity of purpose”. If your robot design is menacing and aggressive, or cute with a secret weapon, your external design needs to embody that. Your robot should have character or a brand that reflects the unique personality of your team.

The drawings should be in color but monochrome renderings are acceptable (though perhaps less convincing). Photorealistic renderings are preferred. 

A very-short animation or a sequence-drawing showing the motion of your weapon system is encouraged, but not required.

Construction Details

The construction drawings of your robot have to include sufficient information to explain all aspects of the design configuration, including the placement and operation of all components.

The drawings do not need to be any particular scale, but parts in each drawing should be shown at the same scale (except for breakouts and cross-sections) and use a scale that shows the details of the smallest parts (generally excluding fasteners). At a minimum, the drawings need to show the following:

  • An exterior 3-view of the top, bottom and sides of the robot. All construction materials need to be indicated.
  • Placement of all components inside the robot. If a component is hidden in one view, an additional view has to show the component directly.
  • Location and any access details (covers, etc.) for the Master Switches.
  • Details of the weapon and its operation. If there are multiple weapons, details for each.
  • An electrical schematic showing all batteries, Master Switches, motors, solenoids, relays, etc., and the wiring connecting them. A schematic is not needed for the RC receiver internals.
  • If there is a pneumatics system, a complete connectivity schematic of the system, including labels and ratings for all of the components.
  • If there is a hydraulic system, a complete connectivity schematic showing labels and ratings for all of the components.
  • If there is a flame system, a complete connectivity schematic showing labels and data for all of the components.

Failure to provide any of the above relevant construction details may result in the automatic rejection of your application.

Non-Wheeled Robots

If you intend to build a non-wheeled robot (as specified in Section 12 of the BattleBots Design Rules), you must contact BattleBots at registration@battlebots.com to inform us of your intentions. Any non-wheeled design must be pre-approved by BattleBots prior to starting construction. Pre-approval of a design does not guarantee competition entry acceptance.
For the pre-approval of a Walker the Team must submit a detailed design proposal to BattleBots that includes the following:

  • CAD rendering of the walking mechanism
  • An animation of the bot walking mechanism
  • Full design specs for the weapon system(s)
  • Estimated completed weight
  • A statement on why any extra weight beyond 250 pounds is warranted and will allow fair competition with wheeled bots
  • Arena Loading and unloading procedure
  • Activation and deactivation procedure

In addition, after the basic walking mechanism is functional, the Team must submit a video of the partially completed bot moving in a straight line and also turning while moving. Additional videos may be required.

For further information on Walking Robots please see our Design Rules.

The Video

A video of your Team is required. Please have fun with it and prove to us that you're not only able to build an amazing bot, but also an incredible team.

Length

The maximum length of the video is 5 minutes. Anything on the video beyond 5 minutes may be ignored, so keep it tight. If you're accepted for further consideration, you'll likely have time to tell more of your story.

Format

The higher the quality the better, but using a smartphone camera in Landscape mode is acceptable.

Upload

Please upload your video to YouTube and set the privacy setting to “Unlisted”. In the application below you will enter the URL of the unlisted video for review.

What Should Be On The Video?

We want to get to know your Team and your robot. Your video can be as complex or simple as you like as long as you feel like it represents you and your Team. Some talking points to include are:

How your robot will KICK BOT? Describe your robot design in detail. Why will it be competitive and exciting to watch? How will it survive match after match and keep on fighting? What is your fighting strategy? NOTE: Please set the privacy of your videos to UNLISTED to ensure that they do NOT show up in YouTube search results (otherwise, other bot builders may find out what you're are building : )

What will your robot look like? We want robots that LOOK GREAT, have character, and are brandable. Prove to us that you will design an awesome looking bot!

What is unique about your robot? We don't want just another vertical disc spinner or wedge bot. We want bots that are new and innovated. Explain to us how your robot will be different and will stand out from the pack. What new twists will your active weapon(s) employ? Tell us if you bot is using any new types of mobility, or new attack and defensive strategies.

Why do you love doing this? Describe your passion for building and the excitement you get operating fighting robots.

What motivates your design philosophy? Do you want to build a violent weapon, or a spectacular work of art? Are you playing only to win, or to just put on a great show? Do you want to innovate, or do you want to dominate? Do you value elegant simplicity or prefer mad-scientist complexity?

Which BattleBot builders do you admire (or fear) and why? Not the robots, but the builders. Do you like builders who show good sportsmanship, or those driven to win? Or those who work like crazy to compete against Teams with more powerful bots?

What’s your workshop like? Home garage? School lab? Full-blown machine shop? Do you sneak in after hours at work? Just on weekends? Or does robot design and building occupy every spare minute of your time?

What about your Team? To compete well you will need a crack team of problem solvers. Explain in the video each team members role and special abilities. Do you have a designated driver? Introduce her/him?

What else do Team members do for fun? Do some of you play in a rock band? Race motocross on weekends? Go skydiving? Whatever it is, it helps us (and the TV audience) better understand who you are.

And please HAVE FUN with the video! Show us your creativity, your wit and sense of humor. But always be authentic. Don't fake it.

You're not limited to only talking about the above points; be as creative as you like. We simply want to get to know you and the Team and gain a sense of your personality.