Team BioHazard are a retired team which competed in the 1999 Las Vegas and Long Beach events, as well as every Comedy Central BattleBots season with their heavyweight entry, BioHazard.
Led by Carlo Bertocchini, the team competed from 1996 until 2005, spanning nearly a decade in the sport. Having attending the first two events of its kind, Team BioHazard debuted their four-bar lifter design in 1996's Robot Wars event, winning five consecutive fights before beating La Machine in the finals, led by BattleBots founders Greg Munson and Trey Roski. As well as the heavyweight division title, BioHazard also won the Best Design and Best Engineering awards.
A second robot was intended to be built by Carlo and his team, but specifics on this successor are scarce other than being "nothing remotely like" BioHazard.[1]
Despite the team's success in the classic era, neither Carlo Bertocchini nor Team BioHazard returned to BattleBots following its revival in 2015. However, one of his heavyweight BattleKits formed the basis of 2015 season entry Plan X. His son, Lucas Bertocchini, is involved in the US combat robotics scene.
Team Members[]
Carlo Bertocchini[]
Having competed with combat robots since 1993, Raychem Corp. mechanical designer Carlo Bertocchini won numerous US sumo competitions with a 6.6lb robot called The Beast. Weighing 6.6lbs and utilizing rubber treads for drive, The Beast used its hinged titanium wedge to its advantage. Carlo Bertocchini captained FIRST Robotics competition winning team in 1995 and debuted BioHazard a year later. He would captain the team and drive BioHazard for each of its BattleBots competitions. He held these roles for numerous events following the cancelation of BattleBots on Comedy Central, leading up to its retirement at the hands of Brutality during the 2005 ComBots Cup event. He would later make an appearance at RoboGames 2007.[2]
Carlo Bertocchini's silverware collection.
Outside of combat robotics, Carlo Bertocchini designed and built a robot to help his injured cat, Elvis, move around more easily and without pain. He has since unofficially retired from the sport and remained quiet within the wider community. In February 2016, he uploaded a YouTube video showcasing his custom-built ninja gym.[3] This is currently the only video on his self-titled YouTube channel.
In June 2024, Carlo and his son attended Open Sauce in San Francisco, which featured numerous BattleBots competitors on display.
Carol Bertocchini[]
Wife to team captain Carlo Bertocchini, she was part of the team for each of BioHazard's competitions. According to the team website, Carol managed the team's logistics.
David Andres[]
David Andres' speciality within the team involved the electronics of BioHazard, ensuring the components fit into the 4" tall robot's chassis while maintaining its power and reliability.
Rick Slagle[]
Rick Slagle specialized in the mechanical side of BioHazard's construction, sharing this responsibility with Carlo himself.
Jeff & Margaret Lewis[]
Listed as additional team members on the now-archived BattleBots website, their roles are unknown. It is also not known whether they were present for each of BioHazard's seasons.
Robots[]
| Name | Weight Class | Season |
|---|---|---|
| BioHazard | Heavyweight | Long Beach 1999 Las Vegas 1999 Season 1.0 Season 2.0 Season 3.0 Season 4.0 Season 5.0 |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 27
- Losses: 3
See Also[]
References[]
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/battlebots/comments/1dt6qjj/comment/lbe2xly/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
- ↑ https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/san-francisco-united-states-carlo-bertocchini-uses-a-remote-news-photo/74687913?adppopup=true
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FLR3i-w7MY