Make. Create. Inspire.
It was around Easter, and I was in Baltimore for a long weekend away, and I got a message from my friend Paul...
"Hey Ashley, I see you bought a ticket for the upcoming Make-R-Battle in Hartford...How would you feel about being the emcee?"
I remember thinking, an emcee, like a host...can I do this? Of course I can...
I was welcomed by the staff and members of MakerSpace CT for the first of three competitions in April. The first event brought in 15 robots, with a range of brand new robots, to kit bots, and even brand new adorable creations.
This was the first event MakerSpace has run since about 2021...pre Covid. With the help of some amazing sponsors, including BattleBot's own Jonathan Schultz from Team HUGE, this event brought in a decent amount of spectators and effectively re-started a future in the one pound class.
April is the first time we really saw Team Feral Designs come to the forefront. Angel Vidal's creation - HammerHead...driven by Amanda, went 6-0 and took home first place! This was Amanda's rookie event after picking up the sticks for the first time in a rumble at Motorama. Little did I know, this was just going to be the beginning for me.
Catch the replay: https://www.youtube.com/live/HzxBKmklTCw?si=-GhF8dCRUwmECoa6
I was welcomed back to Make-R-Battle in July, this time - we had a full roster of 25 robots (even one on the waitlist who unfortnately wasn't able to compete). It was an awesome opportunity to come back and be able to call the incredible matches that happened in July. We were blessed by the beautiful creation that is Drinky Bird by Jonathan Schultz - which quickly has become one of my new favorite robots to watch.
Angel saw so much success again during July, going undefeated with Aspen, continuing the winning streak of Team Feral Designs across two competitions. It was an incredible feeling being able to welcome in so many of our friends from NHRL and watch them expand their knowledge into new weight classes with some incredible designs. The amount of family teams is just so encouraging, and I was excited to see how our season in Hartford finished out.
Catch the replay: https://www.youtube.com/live/bqrSG7uxYPo?si=Cx7BDSZRLF-G1Wg8
When it came time for October, I knew I had to find a way to finish the year on a high note and thank all the competitors who showed up for multiple competitions all year. We had another full event of 25 robots, and were lucky enough to welcome in some of my closest friends and crew members from NHRL. This event was the perfect cherry on top to the entire season, and was a day for me that I will never forget.
There are so many things I do to try and get involved in this community - in any way that I can - and being asked to host 3 events in a row is truly something special. I called over 100 matches across three months, plus a dozen or more demos, grudges, rumbles and just for fun activities. I met 36 new robots, a handful of brand new builders, and really got to make some more in depth special connections. This being a smaller event, makes everything that more intimate - being able to spend quality time with the builders to learn more about them is really something that cannot be beat.
As my way to say thanks, I came up with eight different superlative categories and let the fans and builders vote for a few weeks leading up to the event.
These categories included: Team Spirit/Best Theming
Rookie of the Year
Best Animal Theme
Non-Combat Moment
Best Match - July
Fan Favorite Robot
Most Anticipated Robot - October
Future of Robotics
It was a really cool feeling, to just find a quick way to say, hey - thanks for being you and showing up. All three events this year in Hartford were special for their own reasons, and I am lucky enough to be one of the the people they picked to help push this sport and community into the future.
Catch the replay: https://www.youtube.com/live/Y4-59mF0Ce4?si=AbgDT9kHwcYjMYtk
I am not sure what the future holds for Make-R-Battle, but I am excited for the potential opportunity. NHRL was kind enough to add MakerSpace CT as an option for donation to those who qualified for the World Championships. Meaning, if the competitor that qualifed so chooses, they can give $1000 directly to MakerSpace CT to help push their programs and events like this. We will all have to wait to stay tuned for their plans for 2024, and hopefully we see more robot battles in Hartford!
