Boltergeist

Boltergeist
Participation Information
Reboot Seasons	World Championship V (Withdrew) World Championship VI (Not selected) World Championship VII (Not selected)
Other Names	BOOm (working name)
Team Information
Team	Team Geist (formerly Team YTL)
Team Members	Aidan James Natasha Hrubovcak Josh Stevens Oscar "Dan" Humphreys (WC V)
From	London, UK
Robot Statistics
Weight	250lbs
Drive	2x Ampflow E30-400 motors
Weapons	Axe Hammer
Statistics correct as of its most recent appearance on the show, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

Boltergeist is a heavyweight robot built by Team Geist which applied for BattleBots World Championship V and VI, as well as World Championship VII.

CAD work of Boltergeist was first revealed in November 2019 having submitted their initial application two months prior, where it was shown to be predominantly black in color with gothic red eyes and bearing a large hammer. Its shape and primary weapon drew immediate comparisons between it and veteran competitor Beta.

Unlike Beta, however, Boltergeist features optional hinged forks at the front to slide underneath and hold an opponent in position before firing its primary weapon. According to the team, it was originally designed to look like a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. The pointed hammer head shown in its original CAD was unique in the fact that is was largely hollow, though the team also teased a double-edged axe in later designs. The axe head was shaped to resemble a bat, dubbed the 'Bat-tle Axe'. Boltergeist's name likely derives from the 1982 thriller Poltergeist, becoming a portmanteau of it and bolt.

Team Boltergeist were a late addition to the 2020 season, invited only within a few weeks of the season's filming being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, within the same period of time their team member Oscar "Dan" Humphreys sadly passed away. However, international travel restrictions and short time frames prevented them from making the journey and they would ultimately not compete. Despite this personal setback, Team Boltergeist again applied with an updated design, but were not selected to compete in the 2021 season.

The team have since stated their intention to apply for World Championship VII, which was confirmed by the network in 2021. They posted their submission in January 2022 and uploaded an application video in March 2022. Aidan James confirmed the primary weapon to be powered by a large Etek motor. However, in September 2022, the team confirmed their application had not been successful.

Away from BattleBots, members of the team compete in UK live events with a vertical spinner called Zeitgeist.

The first reveal of Boltergeist, dated November 2019.

Outside BattleBots

In June 2024, Boltergeist was revealed as one of the heavyweight competitors due to compete in the sportsman live event tour MechMania. Now featuring cam lifter forks at the front, it also sports a bladed axe, decorative eyes and cyan detailing for its armor and weapons. Team Geist initially planned for Boltergeist to debut at the Crawley stage of the tour, run by Robots Live! in collaboration with Mech+, but later withdrew following a delay in receiving weapon parts and armor. However, the team still intend to compete at the Stoke-on-Trent leg, scheduled for October 26-27.

CAD of Boltergeist in June 2024.

Trivia

• 2021 season competitor Glitch was also designed to resemble a stealth bomber, though is predated by Boltergeist.
• Boltergeist captain Aidan James and teammate Natasha Hrubovcak form part of a band called You The Living, referenced in their original team name 'YTL'.
  • As well as this, Boltergeist was originally going to be called 'BOOm' according to a BattleBots application dated September 2019.