Robot Combat League

Lore & Background

Each weekly show has tournament competitions between 8-foot, 1,000-pound humanoid robots controlled by human competitors, one robo-jockey and one robo-tech per team. The series has 12 teams of individuals from diverse backgrounds. Each team is paired with a robot that they control using an exo-suit that directs its movements. Each fight is of three rounds and the winning team advances. There are 12 robots. The robots range from an axe-headed laser-eyed warrior to a robot made of plexiglass and a roll cage. The robots and the suits used to control them were created by the robotics expert Mark Setrakian. Each team consists of a uniquely themed robot and two human controllers. One human is the 'Robo-Jockey,' controlling the robot's arms and torso while standing via an exosuit-like harness strapped to his or her back and arms. The other human is the 'Robo-Tech,' seated in a chair while using two joysticks to control the robot's feet and any other unique parts, such as the movable axe 'head' on A.X.E. Each robot is powered by hydraulic and pneumatic actuators. Each robot moves on two feet, stabilized by a bar that attaches at the back of the robot, above the legs. The robots each have six actuators at the waist, and several more in each arm. The robots are all styled and painted to be unique and distinct from each other. This unique styling is especially expressed in the different types and designs of armour that cover each robot, from sheet steel, to steel pipe roll cages, to carbon-fiber, to leather. The robots' hands are also all individually styled, and can be quickly detached to facilitate repairs between rounds, or swapped out for weapon attachments. Several cameras may be mounted on each robot by the show staff to capture show footage, but none of the camera images were used to help control of the robot. The robots are controlled by the 'Robo-Jockey' and 'Robo-Tech' by direct line of sight, from two raised platforms at either end of the arena. The initial team seed order was determined by a timed challenge in the first episode.

Reader's Guide

Robot Combat League represents a notable entry in the history of televised robot combat, distinguished by its use of full-size humanoid robots controlled via exosuits. Unlike smaller remote-controlled competitors in shows like BattleBots, RCL featured 8-foot, 1,000-pound machines piloted by a two-person team: a Robo-Jockey who wore a harness to control the robot's upper body, and a Robo-Tech who used joysticks for the legs and special features. The tournament format involved three-round fights, with a five-round championship match in the season one finale. The series highlighted the intersection of entertainment and robotics, showcasing diverse robot designs and armor materials. Though the show had only one season, it remains a unique experiment in combining human motion control with large-scale combat robotics, offering a glimpse into a possible future of robot sports.

Did You Know?

• The robots are 8 feet tall and weigh 1,000 pounds.
• Each robot is controlled by a Robo-Jockey (arms/torso via exosuit) and a Robo-Tech (feet/unique parts via joysticks).
• The robots and exosuits were created by robotics expert Mark Setrakian.
• In the season one finale championship fight, there were five two-minute rounds instead of the usual three.