Bots FC are an active BattleBots team based in Brooklyn, New York which have competed in every season since World Championship IV. They are best known for their heavyweight entry Shatter!, but also debuted Emulsifier during World Championship VII.
Bots FC during World Championship VII.
Based in New York, Bots FC have fought in a range of US events with heavyweight and lower weight class robots alike since the early 2000s. Founded by Adam Wrigley and Matt Bores, the team initially went under the name Team Atomic Carp. In 2015, they fought in RoboGames with Doomba (unrelated to the heavyweight of the same name from Team Hot Mess), which later formed the basis for the team's first BattleBots entry - Doomba and Friends.
Their flagship BattleBots heavyweight Shatter! is an upgraded version of a design which became synonymous with the team under the name Mega Melvin. Bots FC competed at the 2016 Orlando Maker Faire event in the sportsman class, and then in the 2017 edition of RoboGames. From its first iteration, Mega Melvin featured a powerful hammer weapon and four omniwheels for drive, which allowed the robot to strafe side to side and keep its front pointed at its opponent.
Outside BattleBots[]
In 2018, Mega Melvin was re-branded as Blue for China's King of Bots and This is Fighting Robots, where Bots FC would make their televised debut. In King of Bots, Blue advanced to the third round of the tournament before being eliminated by Chinese vertical spinner Two BBQ.
Mega Melvin twice attempted to apply for Robot Wars under their original name, but were unsuccessful both times. Despite this, Mega Melvin featured in an official promotional trailer for Series 10.
Having intended to enter Doomba again into RoboGames 2018, Bots FC instead fought with Cluster Flock, which was a makeshift multibot consisting of several of the team's robots from various weight classes.
Outside of heavyweight robots, Bots FC have also competed with 30lb robot Emulsifier, which inspired their 250lb of the same name, and a 45lb shuffler version of their hammer robots called Knock Off White. The team won the National Havoc Robot League 30lb division in November 2022 with Emulsifier, backing this up by winning the NHRL championship in their weight class a month later in the 2022 Championship finals.
Emulsifier again won the 30lb championship a year later, becoming 2023 World Champion of its division.
Team Members[]
Adam Wrigley[]
Captain of Bots FC and their main BattleBots entry Shatter!, Adam Wrigley is a mechanical engineer by trade and has spearheaded the design of each of the team's entries. He also takes pre and post-fight interviews on the show. In Episode 4 of World Championship VII, he provided commentary for Gruff vs. Quantum.
He is the elected president of CRAB (Combat Robotics Association of BattleBots), a roboteer association formed after the 2021 season that collaborates with BattleBots to improve the working conditions for roboteers.[1] As president, Adam serves as the spokesperson for builders, similarly to the match steward, Mike Jeffries, by acting as a mediator to convey anonymous feedback and concerns from the roboteers to BattleBots production team.
Main article: Adam Wrigley
Matt Bores[]
Matt Bores has been a part of Bots FC since the early 2000s. Bores assists with driving Shatter! and captains the smaller Emulsifier for Motorama and other such events. He also captained the 250lb Emulsifier too ahead of World Championship VII.
Eric Wrigley[]
Brother to captain Adam Wrigley, Eric Wrigley is Shatter!'s weapons operator and has also been part of the team since their BattleBots debut. He also operates Foam Bot, the team's 1lb antweight robot.
Mary Chimenti[]
Another mainstay in the team, Mary Chimenti is a product designer with experience in CAD software and machining. The 'Mary Special' weapon debuted on Shatter! during the 2021 season was named after Chimenti. Alongside Eric Wrigley, she also competes with Foam Bot.
Paul Gancitano[]
Paul Gancitano also joined the team ahead of Shatter!'s first season and was their weapons operator for World Championship V. The 'Paul Surprise' weapon, which debuted in World Championship VII, is named after him.
Robots[]
| Name | Weight Class | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Shatter! | Heavyweight | World Championship IV World Championship V BattleBots: Bounty Hunters World Championship VI BattleBots: Champions I World Championship VII BattleBots: Champions II |
| Emulsifier | Heavyweight | World Championship V (Withdrew) World Championship VI (Not selected) World Championship VII BattleBots: Champions II |
| Doomba and Friends | Heavyweight | World Championship III (Not selected) |
| Bliss 2 | Heavyweight | World Championship II (Not selected) |
Win/Loss Record[]
- Wins: 12
- Losses: 16
Trivia[]
- The team's 1lb antweight Foam Bot previously saw Team Overboard captain Dustin Esswein involved in various competitions across the United States.
- Another BattleBots captain in the form of Team Food Fight's Emmanuel Carrillo also drive Cluster Flock at RoboGames.[2]