How Much Does A Battlebot Cost?

When it comes to the popular televised BattleBots competition, the budget to build top-end robots will be around $50,000, if not more. This is a cost estimate for building a robot like HyperShock and getting a few spare parts for it. This is one of the more expensive machines used in the competition, so cheaper robots are also used in the show.

While most Battlebots will be very expensive, Hypershock is still among the most expensive of them, with a price of around $50,000. Keep in mind that winning the Battlebots competition will get you a prize of just $10,000. This makes it safe to assume that most robots will cost up to $10,000 to build, to make them worth the prize they are fighting for.

If you don’t know, BattleBots is a TV show that portrays exactly what you’d expect. Each match has two competitors who have to control their robots using a remote control, having them fight in several three-minute matches. Robots will have to navigate around the arena and figure out how to use the traps inside it to disable the opposing robot. So how much does a typical battlebot cost?

How Much Does A Battlebot Cost?

While the more expensive Battlebots are known to be worth about $50,000, most battlebots cost between $5,000 and $10,000 to make. For a simple robot, all you need is standard remote equipment, some metal sheets, and some time to be put towards designing one.

An article on Design1st talks about an unspoken budget of around $100 per pound, when it comes to building a BattleBot. As some robots are known to weigh 250 pounds or more, prices upwards of $25,000 are not very uncommon when robots are built and prepared for the competition.

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While some people build home projects with items from the scrap bin, this isn’t the case for bots that are built to compete. These are custom-made and built using only high-end components.

Switches, for example, that are usually used to drive on and off a fight and use the weapons, are $100 or more each. Team Whyachi is one of the manufacturers of such switches. You will likely need at least 2, on the bot and you should get some spares as well.

Having them shipped will take their cost closer to $400, and this will be just so that your bot can be turned on and off safely. Most robots have a ton of switches for different features.

Battlebot overview

It’s rather simple to apply to be on the BattleBots show. The rules page on the official website states that you will have to submit your design for the competing robot. This includes everything from artistic renders to technical details and sketches.

As an applicant, you will have to submit designs that are visually appealing. You will also have to have a team with a strong bond and team spirit among your peers. Showing off the team’s personalities will also help so that you give off the fact that you’re ready to battle. The building process can officially begin only after you’re accepted to be on the show.

Building a robot is far from easy and it surely won’t be cheap. It will be even harder to do this if you’re not an engineer. The price will go up as you need more internal components, raw materials, or tools.

Although there are talks about battlebots costing $100 per pound to build and your average bot costing somewhere into the middle 5 figures, these are rough estimates and the real price is always harder to figure out.

Aside from the brute cash amount that represents the parts and tools needed to build a robot, you will also spend on prototyping and then testing the robot so that you know it can fight in a competition will surely add to the final bill.

To cover the cost of more intricate designs, a lot of the teams usually depend on sponsorships. If you’re not sponsored, you’ll have a really hard time getting the necessary funds to build the best possible robot.

The Battle Bots Robot Show

BattleBots has a lot of fans and is currently in its BattleBots World Championship VIII season, so it has some age behind it. The new competition is in the 24th year of the Battlebots tournament and the robots are fighting for a World Championship.

Battlebots can be watched on Discovery Channel or streamed on Discovery Plus.