- "Rotating weapon
Contact can cause death
Keep away!" - — 'Warning' message in Safety Factor's logo
Safety Factor was a heavyweight robot which competed in the 2009 BattleBots Pro Championship.
It was an invertible, box-shaped robot with two-wheel drive and a large front-mounted spinning drum as its main weapon. The robot's silver finish was complemented by a custom logo on the top panel, depicting a warning sign with graphics and a message advising against contact with the drum itself. A CAD render of Safety Factor also incorporated a large angled rear wedge into the chassis design, although this feature is not present in available photos of the finished robot.
Despite picking up a victory in its first match against Counter Revolution, Safety Factor enjoyed limited success in its Pro Championship run. Two consecutive defeats against SubZero and Mudhole Bullfrog eliminated it from the competition with a 1-2 record.[2][3]
Safety Factor was built by Backlash Robotics, a two-person team formed by Andrea Suarez and Mike Gellatly of Miami, Florida. Suarez would also compete in the concurrently-run Collegiate Championship with the University of Miami's Category 5, and the pair would go on to build Witch Doctor for the televised ABC and Discovery seasons.
Robot History[]
Pro Championship 2009[] |
|---|
Safety Factor vs. Counter Revolution Safety Factor's first 2009 Pro Championship match saw it face the twin vertical flywheels of Counter Revolution. Official BattleBots match records document both robots as having fought for the whole three minutes, with Safety Factor winning by knockout.[2][3] |
Safety Factor vs. SubZero Advancing further into the main Winner's Bracket, Safety Factor would next face Team Hammertime's 220lb version of their middleweight flipper SubZero. On this occasion, it would not be as successful, losing to SubZero by knockout after one minute and 14 seconds.[2][3] |
Safety Factor vs. Mudhole Bullfrog Safety Factor was knocked into the Loser's Bracket as a result, where it faced Team Wapu's vertical spinner Mudhole Bullfrog for a chance to remain in the competition. This, however, proved to be an even quicker loss for Safety Factor, with BattleBots records confirming that it was defeated by knockout after 57 seconds. As a result, Safety Factor was eliminated from the Pro Championship with a 1-2 match record.[2][3] |
Results[]
| SAFETY FACTOR | ||
| BattleBots Pro Championship 2009 | ||
| Pro Championship 2009 Eliminated in Loser's Bracket (1-2) | ||
| Winner's Bracket, Round 1 | vs. Counter Revolution | Won (KO) |
| Winner's Bracket, Round 2 | vs. SubZero | Lost (KO) |
| Loser's Bracket, Round 2 | vs. Mudhole Bullfrog | Lost (KO) |
Wins/Losses[]
CAD render of Safety Factor; note the larger rear wedge.
- Wins: 1
- Losses: 2
| Competition | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Pro Championship 2009 | Counter Revolution | SubZero |