MBB Post Event Pictures

As promised some pix from our Machines Behaving Badly event.  It went quite well.  I would say that the kids had better driving skills this year and so were able to avoid arena hazards better than in some past years.  This kept visits to Robot Hospital and Robot Cemetery under control.

Atypically the robots with powered weapons did well.  Usually the final matches are mostly boring pushers and wedges.

A few images and comments.

Stuff flying

Sometimes we let kids volunteer to drive robots, for instance in situations where a student could not be at the event but wanted his robot to be there.  This kid in the orange shirt was around five I figure.

For later matches in the "non winners" side of the tournament bracket we just tossed in four at a time. It made for more interesting interactions.  Note that the arena floor is now littered with small bits of robots.  The Pit opens half way through the match.

The arena has its own fluorescent lighting.  This plus reflections off the impact resistant Lexan walls makes for some odd photo effects.  Here you can see the arena and its reflection.  Note also my shirt with the Machines Behaving Badly Official Minion logo.  The "stuff" in the picture is an array of drop hazard items.  Basically when a robot is foolish enough to drive underneath an audience member hits a switch that lets fly various items.  We go for both Insult and Injury, hence the TeleTubby, the bowling trophy and the saw blade.  Oh, also an anvil.  In homage to Coyote-Roadrunner it has the word ACME written on it.

The arena walls are pretty safe, that's why we allow kids to get up close.  This nose to the glass younger fan is pretty into the proceedings.

Farewell until next year.