Crash! Bits of metal and rubber fly through the air. It’s a BattleBots matchup between two remote-controlled robots named Marvel of Engineering (M.O.E.) and Matador. M.O.E.’s lawn mower-like blades have just torn off one of Matador’s tires.

The robots jockey for position as M.O.E. strikes again, shredding another of Matador’s tires. Suddenly Matador strikes back! With a lifter applying 21,000 pounds (9,525 kilograms) of force, it flips M.O.E. like a pancake. BattleBots come in all shapes and sizes. Their weapons include saws, lifters, spikes, chains, and hammers. BattleBot builders use technology and engineering know-how to create their own unique fighting machines. Some robots are simply wedges or blocks on wheels that ram opponents. Others tear opposing ’bots apart with high-speed spins.

Text by Sean Price
Photographs courtesy BattleBots, Inc./Daniel Longmire