Posted in: SERVO Blog (02/19 at 08:10 PM)
From the Editor of the Combat Zone
From my first involvement in this sport, just at the end of the BattleBots™ run on Comedy Central, through the gradual decline of “big bot” events into a persistent few, the explosive growth of “small bot” events, and now, into “The Second Age of Television,” it’s been quite a ride.
I must admit, frankly, that most issues of the Combat Zone aren’t heavily pre-planned. This is your forum, builders, and whatever is a hot topic or readily available or happening as we go to press, is what winds up in here. This month, purely due to karma, or The Force, or The Gods of Robot Combat, or maybe just dumb editor’s luck, I received three articles about the history of our sport on three different continents. Mark Elam summarizes the US journey in an archeological manner; Steven Martin discusses the rise, fall, and revival of the Australian version; and James Baker thrills at the sudden re-appearance of the wildly successful UK television show.
I encourage all builders to share their experience through this journal, graciously hosted by the fine folks at SERVO. Contact me through them, or the Facebook Robotics Community or Robot Combat groups with your ideas.
Thanks, and build safe, fight hard, win big
– Kevin M. Berry