The robotics tournament Battlebots was the inspiration that motivated the Brazilian competitions, therefore one of the reasons Riobotz was created (back in 2003). When ABC brought back Battlebots, we were extremely excited to be a part of it.
The tournament included more than sixty 115 kg robots, many of them created by excellent engineers. This was going to be the best competition we had ever been to and also one of the toughest.
A special team was selected among Riobotz students. I was chosen to be responsible for all mechanical components of our robot, Minotaur, due to the fact I was familiarized with it and because of my skills in the machine shop.
After a week of hard work and almost sleepless nights, we made our way to the semi-finals. Unfortunately, we didn’t go any further, but we were extremely pleased to win the “Most Destructive Robot” prize. Our first appearance on Battlebots was great, filled with good fights and experiences that have prepared us for the next one.
Here you can watch the video that went viral of the fight between Minotaur and Blacksmith: