K*bot World Championships

K*bots are moving models made from K'Nex Construction kits, built to participate in specific events run by the K*bot World Championships (USA) and K*bots UK (UK). Events are open to children aged 7-16 years and focus on competitive design & engineering challenges. The K*bot World Championship is an annual event in which students from around the World compete to be crowned World Champion across four distinct categories, explained in detail below.

K*bots events are currently run in the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Students come together for an event lasting anywhere from two to five days, during which they are guided through a range of simple engineering concepts in a workshop environment, with all students building one or more K*bots for competitive demonstration on the final day.

History

K*bots in America

K*bots were invented by Thomas Vermersch, a former Eco-tour leader from Texas, in the summer of 1998 at the San Antonio Academy during a Science Materials Fair. Two of his students made simple motorised machines from K'Nex parts one afternoon and placed them at opposite ends of a workbench, determining that they must try to push each other off the table. Mr. Vermersch saw potential with this idea, and the following year he held a K*bots competition as a discrete part of his Science Materials Fair.

In 1999, K*bots in America became more structured with the crystallisation of Division 1 (two wheel drive) and Division 2 (four wheel drive) K*bots. In 2002, a remote control Division 3 was added to the event roster to make use of Cyber K'Nex units. 2002 also saw the first World Championships, which featured solely American competitors in its inaugural year.

From its initial base in Texas and Nevada, K*bots expanded in 2006 to include new regional events in Phoenix, Arizona. Unfortunately, the number of events started to decline in 2007, with Texas losing its regional events before Phoenix also folded in 2009. However, there is still a strong desire to see K*bots return to states outside of Nevada.

K*bots in Britain

In 2001, a group of young people who posted on a discussion forum about the BBC show Robot Wars discovered that they shared a common interest for building moving models out of K'Nex to emulate the creations made famous by the show. These were manually operated models, built without a motor and moved by hand, which would come to be known in the future as Division M K*bots.

A committee comprising Toby Wheeler, David Weston and Chris Bowdon organised the first collective event in April 2002 in Carterton, near Oxford. A few months later, following a review of the event on the internet, Thomas Vermersch from America got in touch and alerted the group to the existence of the K*bot World Championships. In 2003, the UK group ran a second event, at which they trialled the American Division 1 format in addition to their own manual-based competition.

In 2004 the event formally became part of the K*bot World Championships, and started running all four Divisions in more structured events. With interest gaining momentum, in 2006 the UK started running Regional competitions of its own around the South of the country, leading to the first UK Championships in 2007, though in truth these only served as a qualifying round for the World Championships.

The K*bot World Championships

By the autumn of 2001, regional US K*bots events were running in San Antonio (TX), Corpus Christi (TX), Henderson (NV) and Las Vegas (NV). Mr. Vermersch sought a means to allow regional winners to test their K*bots against those from other events, and devised the K*bot World Championships to allow students from across all regions to come together and compete for trophies in each of Division 1, 2 and 3. The first World Championships were held in Las Vegas, NV at the Veterans Memorial Leisure Services Centre, which has become their permanent home ever since.

In 2003, the World Championships returned as a far larger and more prestigious event. Considerable expense went into trophies and prizes for the winning students and it started to attract interest from local television and press media. The 2003 event also saw Toby Wheeler from the UK group make an appearance for the first time. During the course of the week, it was agreed that UK events would henceforth adopt the same format as K*bot events in America, with a view to becoming an official part of the World Championships in 2004.

2004 accordingly saw the World Championships expand to feature students from outside America. Britain sent their first representative to the World Championships, and in addition there were students representing Japan, Austria and the Philippines, as well as several states of America itself.

2004 was also the first year to feature the British-style manual K*bots, re-branded as “Division M” (M for ‘manual’), raising the number of Divisions at the World Championships to four in total. However, it incredibly took until 2008 for a British student to actually win a World Championship in the Division conceived on British soil.

With enthusiasm for K*bots gathering pace and returning students becoming ever more inventive, the 2005 World Championships saw the emergence of some very advanced models which started, for the first time, to push the limits of what the K'Nex motors were capable of. The Division 1 World Championship Final, widely regarded as the best K*bot match of all-time, involved so much pressure on the materials that damage was caused to both the K'Nex pieces and the motors powering the K*bots.

This prompted a re-drafting of the rulebook in 2006, to allow technology to advance in a more sustainable fashion. The format has remained largely unchanged since that time, though rules have been tweaked in reaction to new technologies. The K*bot World Championships remain a proving ground for the best young engineering minds from around the World, and is looking to expand even further over the coming years.

Rules and Regulations

Note that the following guidelines are only an outline of the rules of K*bots, and are not exhaustive. A full, detailed set of rules and regulations for the K*bot World Championships can be found on the official website, kbotworld.com

Division 1 and 2

Competition Regulations

Division 1 and 2 K*bots are motorised models placed at opposite ends of the competition table and switched on. The aim is to push your opponent’s K*bot off the table within a 90-second time limit. If both K*bots remain on the table after 90 seconds, the winner will be the K*bot which has advanced furthest towards or past the centre line on the competition table.

A K*bot is considered eliminated as soon as any of its wheels are fully off the table. K*bots can also be eliminated if they are flipped completely over during a match, in such a way that they are unable to continue to move independently.

If the two K*bots have locked together and are not moving, after 45 seconds the referee can “tap the table” by lifting and dropping each end of the competition table in sequence, until the K*bots start moving again.

Build Regulations

K*bots can weight no more than 1.3kg (3 lb) and are limited by their size. In American and World Championship events, the maximum permitted dimensions are Length 65cm (26in) x Width 45cm (18in) x Height 35cm (14in). In British events, the maximum permitted dimensions are 50cm (20in) x Width 35cm (14in) x Height 35cm (14in).

K*bots are permitted a maximum of 4 medium-size K'Nex wheels, with an optional specialty Alliance Rubber™ band around each of the wheels to enhance grip. The sole difference between the Divisions is that Division 1 K*bots have only two wheel drive; Division 2 K*bots must have four wheel drive.

Division 3

Division 3 has undergone huge changes since its initial introduction into the regulations in 2002. It has appeared in a variety of forms, making use of a range of remote-control kits, and tends to change on a two-year basis.

• In 2002 and 2003, Division 3 K*bots were constructed using Cyber K'Nex, and ran to similar competition rules to Division 1 and 2.
• In 2004 and 2005, the short-lived and ill-fated K'Nex Ravage infra-red control units were used. K*bots competed for the first time in a tabletop arena enclosed within plexi-glass walls, and scored points for their attacks and damage, similar in concept to the Robot Wars TV shows.
• In 2006 and 2007, Division 3 reverted to a test of pushing power, using programmable computerised motor units. These powerful 2-channel motors allowed for some fearsome weaponry and fast-paced matches, but the software accompanying the units was ultimately unreliable and led to their demise.
• In 2008 and 2009, the Ravage units were revived for a last hurrah as the tabletop arena returned, but with a slightly different format. Emphasis was placed on building an active weapon, as well as building in multi-directional movement, which presented a challenge on only two channels.

From 2010 onwards, Division 3 will make use of custom-made radio control units with 3 channels, built specifically for K*bot competitions. These are currently in Research & Development. The full technical specification for these units will be released once the designs have been finalised. The full set of rules and regulations governing Division 3 from 2010 onwards will also be released once the designs have been finalised.

Division M

Competition Regulations

Division M K*bots are manually-operated models which compete in a tabletop arena enclosed within plexi-glass walls approximately 7.5cm (3in) tall. There are strict rules of engagement, the most important being that a K*bot must be pushed and released to initiate movement; a K*bot cannot be moved or turned directly by hand.

K*bots score points for attacks with an active weapon (e.g. a flipper or hammer) and damage caused to an opponent’s K*bot. Operators may also lose ‘penalty points’ for infringements of the operation regulations. The K*bot amassing the most points during a 90-second match is adjudged to be the winner. If both K*bots are tied for points after 90 seconds, they will enter a short “overtime shootout” in which the first K*bot to score a point is the winner.

If a K*bot leaves the tabletop arena at any point during the match, it is automatically eliminated. Indeed, some students have developed “one-hit-kill” weapons designed to achieve exactly this.

Build Regulations

K*bots can weight no more than 650g (1lb 4oz) and are subject to the same size restrictions as for Division 1 and 2 K*bots (see above). Builders are permitted more creative freedom within this Division, since the range of chassis and mobility types are not restricted.

All moving mechanisms on a K*bot must be mounted on a pivot, or be as a result of movement around or through a fixed point. This includes active weapons, which are generally considered flipper-type and hammer-type weapons. There is currently no provision for spinning disc-type weapons. Moving mechanisms must be operated by a handle or lever; the shafts cannot be directly operated by hand.

Previous Regulations

Before K*bots in the United Kingdom became an official part of the K*bot World Championships, there were two build categories of manual K*bots. “Division M1” was for lightweight K*bots weighing a maximum of 75g, designed to encourage students to build at home if they did not own a lot of K'Nex. “Division M2” was a more standard category, with a weight limit of 500g. In both of these categories, there was provision for spinning disc-type weapons, although the success criteria for them scoring points in matches was never made completely clear.

These split categories survived until early 2004, but with the growth of more structured K*bots events in Britain, they became obsolete when the standard World Championships weight limit was adopted.

Other Categories

Whilst the four K*bot Divisions comprise the vast majority of build time during an event, there is often opportunity for special team-based challenges, particularly at events in the United Kingdom. These special challenges focus on a specific design skill, and allow students to work collaboratively to devise the most effective solution.

Previous examples include wind-powered sail cars, pull-back dragsters, tennis ball launchers and motorised walking racers. Build regulations and success criteria for the challenges are usually set on an ad hoc basis, though each new challenge sets a precedent for future repeats.

The four K*bot Divisions may be the focal point of the week, but in British events at least, the special challenges are often the most memorable and stimulating activities of the workshop.

The Format

Regional Events

Each year, a number of Regional Events are held in preparation for the World Championships. Regional Events are week-long workshops at which students can prepare and test their K*bots for competition. At these events, first-time builders receive extensive support to get them started with their first K*bot. Under guidance from the Instructors, first-time students learn basic concepts of physics and mechanical engineering, specific to building an effective moving model out of K'Nex.

At the end of each Regional Event, a competition is held to determine the most successful builders in each Division throughout the week. Winning a Regional Event is therefore an indication of a builder’s ability, but “Regional Champions” do not receive the trophies and prizes which are available for winning a World Championship.

Participation at a Regional Event is not mandatory for students wishing to take part in the World Championships, but it is highly recommended for a number of reasons. Most importantly, first-time builders receive only limited instruction at the World Championships, whereas provision is much greater at Regional Events. Additionally, students benefit from the extra testing and preparation time during the Regional Event; World Champions are almost always veterans of the Regional Events, with very few historical exceptions.

The World Championships

In 2009 the World Championships underwent landmark changes to make the events more structured, and there are further changes planned for 2010 to improve the show even more. These events have previously run over five days, but from 2010 onwards the World Championships will encompass five and a half days.

During the first four days (usually Monday – Thursday), students have the chance to assess the opposition, and make any changes necessary to their K*bots to give them further competitive advantage. This will be the first opportunity that many students will get to meet other Regional qualifiers.

Also during the first four days, K*bots will compete in official Qualifying sessions which count towards a seeding system for the final day’s competitions. In these sessions, students are permitted a maximum of six official Qualifying matches (three per session in two sessions during the week), in which they are awarded points for performance. In Division 3 and M, these simply correspond to the number of points accrued during the match. In Division 1 and 2, K*bots are awarded points for the length of time they remain on the competition table.

The top eight qualifiers in each Division are seeded for the final competition. This means that they are kept separate from each other in the early rounds, and cannot meet other seeded K*bots until at least the Third Round. In the event of an uneven number of K*bots being entered into the draw, the top seed(s) will receive a first-round bye.

On the fifth day (usually Friday), the World Championship Finals are held for Division 2, Division 3 and Division M. From 2010 onwards, the Division 1 Finals (widely regarded as the most exciting of the four) will be held on Saturday morning, to encourage greater parental attendance at the event. Parents are warmly invited to watch the Finals and support participating students.

The World Championship Finals are run as a series of knockout rounds. Divisions are generally open to a maximum of 32 registered entrants, and are run to the following format:-

Preliminary Round (explained below) First Round – 32 students take part, 16 winners Second Round – 16 students take part, 8 winners Third Round – 8 students take part, 4 winners Semi-Finals – 4 students take part, 2 winners Grand Final – 2 students take part, winner is crowned World Champion

In the event of more than 32 students being registered for a Division (as is often the case with Division 1), the students finishing lowest in the official Qualifying sessions must take part in a Preliminary Round, in which they play each other in a knockout structure, to reduce the total number of students to 32.

Previous Winners

World Championship winners

Division 1 World Championships

Year	Winner	K*bot	From		Runner-Up	K*bot	From
2002	Edy Valdes	"The Greem Reaper"	Corpus Christi, TX		Daniel Kallio	"Red Alert"	San Antonio, TX
2003	Michael McPherson	"The Wall"	Las Vegas, NV		Chace Younger	"Clean Sweep"	Palm Springs, CA
2004	Mason Younger	"Snow Plow"	Palm Springs, CA		Dominic Holowell	"Gear"	Stoneham, MA
2005	Edy Valdes	"The Greem Reaper"	Corpus Christi, TX		Mason Younger	"Snow Plow"	Palm Springs, CA
2006	Evan Gray	"Deadbolt"	San Antonio, TX		Zachariah Rahaman	"Crusher Junior"	Las Vegas, NV
2007	Ryan Schnitzler	"Mini-Moo 3"	Henderson, NV		Zev Katz	"Revenge of the Bug"	Las Vegas, NV
2008	Dominic Holowell	"Blackout"	Stoneham, MA		Sam Steel	"Wheels Of Steel"	Cheltenham, ENG
2009	Brendan Mulcahy	"Pipsqueak"	Las Vegas, NV		Ryan Blount	"The Ramp"	Las Vegas, NV

Division 2 World Championships

Year	Winner	K*bot	From		Runner-Up	K*bot	From
2002	Kyle Young	"Tank"	Las Vegas, NV		Alejandro Levcovitz	"Godzilla"	San Antonio, TX
2003	Kyle Young	"Tank"	Las Vegas, NV		Drew Hickman	"The Goalie"	Las Vegas, NV
2004	Andrew Martin	"Crosshair"	Alloa, SCO		Kehni Jones	"Smoken 45"	Las Vegas, NV
2005	Devyn Bowden	"Man Eater"	Corpus Christi, TX		Thomas Lawless	"Lawless"	Las Vegas, NV
2006	Devyn Bowden	"Man Eater"	Corpus Christi, TX		Austin Dowd	"Bad Haircut"	Las Vegas, NV
2007	Devyn Bowden	"Man Eater"	Corpus Christi, TX		Andrew Martin	"Crosshair"	Alloa, SCO
2008	David Small	"Lotus"	Phoenix, AZ		Dominic Holowell	"Yin Yang"	Stoneham, MA
2009	Brendan Mulcahy	"Mohawk"	Las Vegas, NV		Bobby Gonzalez	"Corpus Christi Hurricane"	Corpus Christi, TX

Division 3 World Championships

Year	Winner	K*bot	From		Runner-Up	K*bot	From
2002	Gene Ward	"Texas Tornado"	Corpus Christi, TX		TJ Hackrider	"The Thing"	San Antonio, TX
2003	Evan Gray	"Flyswatter"	San Antonio, TX		Michael Klausmeier	"The Winner"	Las Vegas, NV
2004	Oliver Serrao	"Wrath"	Corpus Christi, TX		Gene Ward	"Texas Tornado"	Corpus Christi, TX
2005	Edy Valdes	"Wrath"	Corpus Christi, TX		Jake Grusman	"Rampanator"	Las Vegas, NV
2006	Jay Jay Kleips	"Black Hole"	Bangkok, THI		Brendan Mulcahy	"Gladiator"	Las Vegas, NV
2007	Sam Marrs	"Slicer"	Henderson, NV		Brendan Mulcahy	"Purple Beauty"	Las Vegas, NV
2008	David Small	"Hazard"	Phoenix, AZ		Andrew Martin	"Crazy Frog 3"	Alloa, SCO
2009	Dominic Holowell	"Hydraulic"	Stoneham, MA		Zachariah Rahaman	"Mouse"	Las Vegas, NV

NOTE: In 2005, Edy Valdes operated "Wrath", the K*bot built by Oliver Serrao, and dedicated his World Championship to him posthumously.

Division M World Championships

Year	Winner	K*bot	From		Runner-Up	K*bot	From
2004	Evan Gray	"Ripper"	San Antonio, TX		Koki Takanashi	"Flipper 2"	Tokyo, JAP
2005	Chace Younger	"C4"	Palm Springs, CA		John Ling	"Tomahawk"	Las Vegas, NV
2006	Chace Younger	"C4"	Palm Springs, CA		Nick Bembenek	"KAKO"	Las Vegas, NV
2007	Harrison Stanton	"Reaper"	Henderson, NV		Michael DeLeece	"Double Attack"	Las Vegas, NV
2008	Sam Steel	"Orbit"	Cheltenham, ENG		William Massey	"Whiplash"	Las Vegas, NV
2009	Ryan Schnitzler	"Long Shot"	Henderson, NV		Alec Fink	"Mini-Man Jr."	Siciliy, ITA

UK Championship winners

Division 1 UK Championships

Year	Winner	K*bot	From		Runner-Up	K*bot	From
2007	Sam Steel	"Wheels Of Steel"	Cheltenham, ENG		Ana Partridge	"Bingo"	Cookley, ENG
2009	Daniel Johnson	"Fiddlesticks"	Cookley, ENG		Sam Steel	"Wheels Of Steel"	Cheltenham, ENG

Division 2 UK Championships

Year	Winner	K*bot	From		Runner-Up	K*bot	From
2007	Andrew Martin	"Crosshair"	Alloa, SCO		Andre Christidis	"K-Shark"	Reading, ENG
2009	James Myatt	"The Incredible Bulk"	Cookley, ENG		Andrew Martin	"Crosshair"	Alloa, ACO

Division 3 UK Championships

Year	Winner	K*bot	From		Runner-Up	K*bot	From
2007	Andre Christidis	"Ram"	Reading, ENG		Daniel Roach	"Triceratops"	Cheltenham, ENG
2009	Ben Bolwell	"Bio-Wedge"	Cheltenham, ENG		Sam Steel	"Triceratops"	Cheltenham, ENG

Division M UK Championships

Year	Winner	K*bot	From		Runner-Up	K*bot	From
2002	Toby Wheeler	"Project X"	Kidderminster, ENG		Chris Bowdon	"BabyCuda"	Bedford, ENG
2003	Chris Davis	"Killer Flipper"	Carterton, ENG		David Weston	"Total Demolition"	Carterton, ENG
2007	Ana Partridge	"Devil Flux"	Cookley, ENG		Ben Bolwell	"Bobby B"	Cheltenham, ENG
2009	Sam Steel	"Orbit"	Cheltenham, ENG		Kristian Manton-Dever	<No name>	Cheltenham, ENG

NOTE: In 2002 and 2003, the Division M UK Championship was run under a different format.

Key Technologies

Throughout the history of K*bots, enterprising students have sought creative ways to gain an advantage over their rivals by developing technologies to improve the power or effectiveness of their K*bot. Working with K'Nex in tandem with advanced principles of mechanical engineering, students have exceeded the remit of K'Nex as merely a toy construction kit. Modern K*bots are complex, finely-tuned machines. This section details just a few of the innovative strategies employed at the K*bot World Championships.

Gearing Strategies

Paramount to an effective Division 1 or 2 K*bot is the use of K'Nex gears to alter the output of the standard K'Nex motor. By attaching a small gear to the motor shaft and meshing it with a larger gear attached to the wheel axle, the motor’s output is slowed down, moving it into a lower torque band and improving the traction (and therefore pushing power) of the K*bot. This process can be repeated multiple times to enhance the K*bot’s power still further. In America, this process is known as “Gear Reduction”. In Britain, it is referred to as “Downshifting”.

It is also possible to gear the motor the other way, increasing the speed of the motor’s output but reducing its overall torque. This strategy is counter-productive in Division 1 or 2, but can be employed to great effect in Division 3 as part of rotating weapons such as rotary axes or spinning discs.

Brakes

Brakes are non-motorised additions to a K*bot which prevent it from being pushed backwards. These vary from simple chassis protrusions, designed to snag and dig in to the tabletop surface, to more advanced strategies such as slip-gears and backward-mounted wind-up motors on axles to prevent them from turning backwards.

Due to increasing stresses being placed upon K*bots, all varieties of Brakes were outlawed from 2006 onwards in an attempt to protect the K'Nex motors from damage. A welcome side-effect of this ruling has been a shift in focus from defensive strategies to offensive strategies; in the absence of Brakes, K*bots has become more a test of pushing power, rather than who can resist a push most effectively.

Four Wheel Drive

A basic technology but nevertheless very important, four wheel drive was introduced on K*bots as early as 1999, at the birth of Division 2. Initially it was installed by way of a bevelled gear attached to an axle protruding from the second output port of the K'Nex motor, meshed with a gear on the front axle. However, when downshifting became commonplace at the World Championships circa 2005, this method become obsolete, since a small gear could not reliably be meshed with a larger gear in a bevelled setup.

Division 2 K*bots therefore evolved to have a drive train comprising a series of meshed gears, linking the front and rear wheel axles. This is now accepted as the only feasible method to achieve success in modern-day Division 2.

Variable Transmission

Taking gearing strategies to the extent of its logical progression, in 2008 David Small, from Phoenix, Arizona, created the first (and to date, the only) K*bot with a variable transmission system. The K*bot started a match with the motor running in high-speed, low-torque mode. However, when it came into contact with another K*bot, it triggered a mechanism which shifted the transmission to engage with a different drive train, which was low-speed and high-torque.

This allowed the K*bot to reach the centre-line of the competition table before its opponent, and then engage high-torque mode to prevent it from being pushed backwards at too great a rate. The efficiency of this system was remarkable, and it won David the 2008 Division 2 World Championship.

However, the introduction of such a complex system into the field would result in such dramatic potential changes to the Division 2 build philosophy that it would effectively prevent 99% of students from producing successful K*bots. The length of time necessary to learn, understand and effect this system would exclude all but the long-term veterans from being able to build such a device on their own K*bots, and would create a two-tier system at the World Championships; the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’.

To stave off this potentially damaging state of affairs, variable transmission was accordingly banned from 2009 onwards. It remains, therefore, an exceptional technological achievement – but one that will never be repeated at the World Championships.

Active Chassis

The famous pioneer of this technique was Edy Valdes, who installed an Active Chassis on his K*bot “Greem Reaper” to win two World Championships in Division 1, in 2002 and 2005. Its effectiveness is based on the twin premises that a K*bot requires pressure over its rear wheels to generate grip, and that, with the right technology, the pushing power of an opposing K*bot can be absorbed and used against it.

Active Chassis, more commonly referred to as “flexi-fronts”, are non-rigid constructions designed to arch up on contact with an opposing pushing force, creating elastic potential energy, and channelling the resulting pressure into the K*bot’s rear wheels.

This phenomenon can be highlighted by using the Human body as an example. If you are trying to push a heavy object, doing so with arms fully outstretched is seldom effective. However, if you bend your arms slightly and tense your muscles, it allows you to push against much greater resistance. K*bots work in exactly the same way.

Multi-Pivot Flippers

Moving into the field of Division M; there are two key types of weapon – flippers and hammers – and both have been subject to significant upgrades since their initial inception. Multi-pivot flippers have been around in Britain since K*bots first began, but did not appear in America until 2005, after students had been exposed to them at the 2004 World Championships.

A conventional flipper is manipulated by simply pushing down on one side of a pivot to generate opposing (upward) movement on the other side. A flipper built with multiple sets of pivots, however, is designed to multiply the force used and distance travelled by the input lever, which results in a significantly more powerful output from the weapon shaft. These flippers are designed to be capable of throwing a 650g K*bot several feet across the competition table, and possibly even clearing the arena walls to win by knockout.

Turret Hammers

As if in response to the rising dominance of the flippers, Turret Hammers made an all-too-brief appearance at the 2005 World Championships, before positively exploding in number in 2007. In a single year, the multi-pivot flippers were eclipsed by the sheer effectiveness of these new hammer weapons, and they began to pervade the field.

A conventional hammer can only be fired in one direction; namely, whichever direction the K*bot happens to be facing, since adjusting the K*bot’s position before firing a weapon is strictly prohibited. However, turret hammers exploit a lopphole in the rules which allows users to adjust the positioning of their WEAPONRY before firing. Turret hammers are therefore built on a fully rotating platform atop the K*bot, allowing them to be rotated to face an opponent before the hammer is fired, virtually guaranteeing a hit (and therefore a point) every time an opponent’s K*bot comes within striking range.

The K*bot Ollie Awards

In 2005, the popular Oliver Serrao, a K*bots student and Division 3 World Champion, tragically lost his life along with his parents in a fire at their home in Texas. This tragedy saddened the K*bots fraternity, as Oliver was not only a likeable young man but also had star potential. In commemoration of his name, the K*bot Ollie awards were set up to every year honour outstanding K*bots students from the previous year’s competition. Each year at the World Championships, the Ollie Awards ceremony is held and trophies are presented to the winners in each category, voted on by the K*bot students and their parents.

The Ollie Awards categories

Each year, six trophies are given out as the K*bot fraternity honours its top students. These categories are:

Best New K*bot Design

Awarded for the most innovative and successful K*bot debuted in the previous year.

K*bot Rookie of the Year

Awarded to a debutant student who achieved a lot at the World Championships.

K*bot World Championship Match of the Year

Awarded to the two students whose K*bots gave us the most exciting or dramatic match at the previous year’s World Championships.

Most Improved Student of the Year

Awarded to the student who has made the biggest improvement since their last showing at the World Championships.

K*bot Student Ambassador of the Year

Awarded to a student who has worked hard to promote the spirit of K*bots, both during events and throughout the previous year.

The Pro Challenge

Every year, a popular feature of the Ollie Awards ceremony is the “Pro Challenge”, in which the World Championships instructors all build their own K*bots to compete against each other for a special prize. Since the instructors are able to draw on vast amounts of K*bot building knowledge and are not restrained by the strict letter of the rules for this one-off special event, these Pro Challenge K*bots tend to be amongst the most powerful creations in existence, and matches are always well-received by the students who attend the ceremony.

There have been four Pro Challenge tournaments to date, with American instructors winning three of them and British instructors winning once.

The K*bot Hall of Fame

When a K*bot reaches the end of its useful life, the chassis is generally taken apart so that the parts can be recycled. However, if a K*bot has been particularly successful or noteworthy for some reason, it is preserved forever in the K*bot Hall of Fame, which is displayed every year at the World Championships to provide inspiration for current students.

The K*bots inducted into the Hall of Fame so far are:

“Godzilla” (Division 2)

Built in 1999, this was the first superstar K*bot. Its unbeaten run in Regional events which saw it win five Regional championships in five years is unlikely ever to be rivalled. Peculiarly, however, Godzilla never delivered on its potential at the World Championships, with its best result being to reach the Grand Final in 2002. Unfortunately, as one of the earliest K*bots to be built before proper documentation of students was effected, the identity of Godzilla’s builder is unknown.

“Greem Reaper” (Division 1)

Whilst it was competing in 2002 – 2005, this K*bot was quite simply the best in the World. It was years ahead of its time in terms of technology and pushing power. Greem Reaper cruised to the 2002 Division 1 World Championship, but was narrowly defeated in 2003 and then bombed out in the opening round in 2004. This prompted some upgrades by builder Edy Valdes, and Greem Reaper then returned to win the 2005 World Championship, before retiring the following year.

“Wrath” (Division 3)

A special K*bot in the hearts of many, this was the creation of Oliver Serrao, after whom the K*bot Ollie Awards are named. It won the 2004 Division 3 World Championship, and when Oliver lost his life in a fire the following year, its operation was taken over by his good friend Edy Valdes, who took it to repeat World Championship success in 2005. Edy dedicated his victory to Oliver posthumously and the K*bot “Wrath” was retired, therefore becoming the first K*bot in history to go unbeaten at the World Championships.

“Project X” (Division M)

Though its list of accolades seems short compared to other K*bots in the Hall of Fame, Project X is nevertheless a notable addition as it was the first UK K*bot to win an event in Britain. It is also the blueprint design for the vast majority of contemporary multi-pivot flippers, almost all of which are based on Toby Wheeler’s original design. Project X never competed at a World Championships, since its builder was too old at the time it was built.

“Crosshair” (Division 2)

This K*bot made history as the first ever K*bot built outside the United States to win a K*bot World Championship, when Andrew Martin took the Division 2 crown in 2004. It is also one of the longest-serving K*bots in history, having competed at no less than six World Championships, reaching at least the semi-final stage on four occasions. Crosshair also won two Regional events and a UK Championship, before finally being retired in 2009.

“C4” (Division M)

Built by Chace Younger from California, C4 was built in reaction to the multi-pivot flippers introduced in the 2004 World Championship, and featured an innovative new take on the design. Chace fitted hammers to the arm of his flipper, which automatically fired whenever the flipper was activated. This meant that, if the flipper failed to overturn an opponent, the hammers would strike and salvage a point. This perfect weapon synergy won C4 back-to-back World Championships in 2005 and 2006. It was retired, unbeaten, when Chace became too old to compete.

“Tank” (Division 2)

Most famous as the K*bot who repeatedly denied the mighty “Godzilla” from winning a World Championship, Kyle Young’s K*bot won titles in 2002 and 2003, knocking Godzilla out of the competition on both occasions. It was the first to make really effective use of gearing strategies to enhance its pushing power and, though unspectacular, it has always been a solid opponent.

“Man Eater” (Division 2)

Yet another Division 2 K*bot to achieve fame, Man Eater was the creation of Devyn Bowden from Corpus Christi, Texas. In its four years of competition, Man Eater achieved the incredible feat of winning three successive K*bot World Championships, dominating the Division from 2005 to 2007. During this time, it also achieved notoriety in Britain as the arch-nemesis of “Crosshair”, denying Andrew Martin the title on two successive occasions.

Important Links

For more information about K*bots, please be sure to check the following pages:-

kbotworld.com - The official website of the K*bot World Championships, containing a wide range of information, including competition reviews and the official rulebook (pending updates).

K*bots on YouTube - Official World Championship matches on YouTube, showing what K*bots is really like “in the plastic”.

This article was written by Toby Wheeler, regional co-ordinator for K*bots in the United Kingdom and Assistant Director of the K*bot World Championships 2004 – 2009.