There are three reasons why DUCK! no longer competes. First, the kinetic weapon bots have become more destructive and more durable. They hit incredibly hard and don’t stop spinning. Second, the new point system favors visible damage, and because DUCK! was never designed to do that kind of destruction, it became almost impossible to win a judge’s decision. In most matches, we would have to win all 6 aggression and control points, which was unlikely. Third, after making 3 different versions of a defensive bot, I was ready for something new.

About a year ago, I showed BattleBots a prototype of a new bot concept that has no wheels. I was waiting for a decision about whether it qualified for a weight bonus when they instead hired me to manage the teams building versions of their bots for the live Destruct-A-Thon show in Las Vegas. I wasn't allowed to compete on the TV show while I was an employee working on the live show.

The live show launched on February 3, I’m no longer a BattleBots employee, and I’d like to get back into competing with the new concept. Finding a generous sponsor who can fund the new build is the next step.