Aegis

Aegis
Participation Information
Reboot Seasons	World Championship V
Other Events	BattleBots: Bounty Hunters
Other Names	Aegis 2.0 Zombie Aegis (BB: Bounty Hunters)
Team Information
Team	Team Phalanx
Team Members	Chris Sparzo (Captain) Danielle Rossillo Andrew Godfrey Colin Stevens Alex Judge Timothy Homan
From	Fishers, IL
Robot Statistics
Weight	250lbs
Drive	2x Castle 2028 brushless motors
Weapons	Flipper
Statistics correct as of its most recent appearance on the show, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

Not to be confused with the robot of a similar name which dropped out of World Championship V.

Aegis was a heavyweight robot built by Team Phalanx which competed exclusively in BattleBots World Championship V.

It was an ovular, four-wheel drive robot armed with a pneumatic flipping arm and designed to resemble a warrior's shield. Despite its low profile, Aegis measured approximately four feet long and three feet wide, in part due to the complex drive system consisting of six chain reduction from the drive motors to its wheels, offering a 30:1 total reduction. The team opted to armor the robot in Kevlar 29, a heat-resistant synthetic fiber. In order to shape the Kevlar, one of the team's sponsors Owings Patterns manufactured a wooden mold for the fiber to form around. Team Phalanx claimed their unique approach would be as strong as more traditional materials such as AR400 and AR500 steel at just a fraction of the weight. To reinforce the flipping arm, aluminum and steel was also used in the construction of Aegis. The flipper on Aegis had a very limited range of motion compared to robots such as Bronco and Hydra, who the team cited as inspiration for creating a flipper bot. According to Team Phalanx, the weapon could reach approximately 10½" in 100ms and produce 6,000lbs of force. Though unproven at the time of answering, team member Andrew Godfrey claimed Aegis would likely be able to self-right if overturned. Earlier renditions of Aegis' CAD sported a glossier finish on the armor, though this was not incorporated into the finished robot.

"We should be able to do a low powered actuation of the flipper to chuck Aegis back on to its wheels. Haven't quite gotten to test that yet but it's definitely on our to do list."

— Andrew Godfrey on whether Aegis would be able to right itself if flipped

Aegis during World Championship V hero shots.

The name derived from the device carried by Zeus and Athena in Greek mythology, often featuring animal skin and the head of a Gorgon, and sometimes being represented as a shield. This ties into the team's theme, as they would often sport Greek-inspired costumes made from everyday materials as they entered the box, as well as carry Aegis on a large wooden chariot bearing names of supporters for their GoFundMe page. In modern English, the word 'aegis' can be used to describe how something is protected or supported by someone or something else.

Aegis struggled in its debut season, as the team needed several days of filming to get Aegis ready for combat. Its first and only loss in the Fight Night rounds came to Fusion - a new robot from the experienced Team Whyachi. The team's theory defending their use of Kevlar armor was quickly debunked as it was torn apart in its opening battle. Due to the damage inflicted, Aegis was unable to compete in any further Fight Night battles and took four days to repair.

Team Phalanx and Aegis returned with a new look for BattleBots: Bounty Hunters. Aegis sported minimal, makeshift armor comprised of a painted car tire, and was unofficially dubbed Zombie Aegis. Its weapon still proved largely ineffective and its drive struggled too, losing out in Round 1 to Bloodsport. Post-season, the team expressed how much they had learned from the experience.

"The sidepods were too thin and not sloped enough. The flipper shield is a lot thicker and actually did what it was designed to do against fusion (deflected the horizontal spinner, only got scraped a bit). But yeah, in hindsight, traditional armor would have been easier and more effective.

I can't even begin to describe how much we learned. Especially going with such an original design with so many unknowns. We definitely had a blast and got to meet a lot of awesome people!"

— Two Reddit posts by Andrew Godfrey

Team Phalanx and Aegis did not return for any future seasons of BattleBots.

Aegis being wheeled into the BattleBox.

Aegis' complex drive system.

Another look at Aegis' drive system.

Aegis in The Pits during World Championship V.

CAD of Aegis, underneath its shell.

Robot History

World Championship V
Aegis vs. Fusion Aegis is completely destroyed by Fusion. Aegis' first and only match of the regular season was against Team Whyachi's newest heavyweight robot, Fusion. When the battle started, Fusion was having traction and weapon problems. However, as soon as its weapons began working, Aegis fired its flipper too early, and Fusion was able to avoid being flipped, allowing it to attack with its drisk where Aegis went flying. This allowed Fusion to drive underneath and send small fragments flying before Aegis was brought into the path of Fusion's horizontal weapon, completely tearing off the right side of the armor. After dishing out another massive hit that flipped the rookie robot over, Aegis stopped moving, and while it was being counted out, Fusion dished out a few more hits before taking the win by knockout.
BattleBots: Bounty Hunters
Aegis vs. Bloodsport "Zombie Aegis" as teased on Reddit ahead of its Bounty Hunters fight. Bloodsport immobilizes Aegis. Aegis fought Bloodsport in the first round of Bounty Hunters for the chance to fight Beta. Due to the damage done by Fusion, the team had to opt for a makeshift look in its second battle, dubbed "Zombie Aegis" or "Aegis 2.0" by the team. "Fusion pretty much shredded the drivetrain sections of our chassis, so we improvised." — Andrew Godfrey on Reddit Evidently still feeling the effects of its previous fight, Aegis struggled to drive from the off against Bloodsport, even after their opponent moved them away from the screws. After taking a hit or two, Aegis was only able to drive in circles but without controlled movement, they were in danger of a countout. Aegis frantically fired its flipper in a desperate attempt to avoid the count, but it was to no avail, giving Bloodsport the win by KO and a spot in the next round.

Results

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 0
• Losses: 2

Competition	Wins	Losses
World Championship V	None	Fusion (Undercard Match)
BattleBots: Bounty Hunters	None	Bloodsport

Faruq Taheed Introductions

"From Salt Lake City, Utah, the Ute of ill repute - AEGIS!"

"From Salt Lake City, here to prove it's gritty, it's AEGIS!"

Trivia

• Kevlar has been used on BattleBots competitors prior to Aegis, even in the modern era. A notable example is Splatter, the predecessor to 2020 season runner-up Whiplash, and Mortis of Comedy Central's second season.
• Aegis entered the BattleBots test box with spines protruding from the Kevlar armor, though these were removed prior to its first fight for unknown reasons.
• HUGE captain and driver Jonathan Schultz was among the many backers of the team's fundraiser ahead of the season, and in turn got to keep a piece of Kevlar armor from Aegis.