Hickory Bot Battles 2026

Event Description

The Catawba Science Center and US Conec are proud to announce the 9th annual Hickory Bot Battles combat robot competition will be returning September 11-12, 2026.

Event information:

Location: Catawba Science Center, Hickory NC

Schedule: (detailed schedule below)

·        Friday, September 11^th: Plastic Ant, Fairy

o   9:00am - 10:30am safety inspections

o   11:00am fighting begins

·        Saturday, September 12^th: Ant, Beetle, Bot Hockey

o   7:00am - 8:30am safety inspections

o   9:00am fighting begins

Event Details:

• Duration: two-minute fights, twenty minute guaranteed between fights. One deferment allowed per robot
• Judging: 3 judge panel using Sparc damage (4), engagement (5) metric. Each judge picks a winner.
• Cage: 8’ x 8’ with fiberglass floor
• Floor material: available from Lowe's
• Modified double elimination (single final fight)
• Bring your own power strip.  Each team will have one table (5’ minimum), two chairs, and a nearby power outlet. Your equipment and storage will need to stay within the table volume.
• Professional live stream provided by RygidAV
• Please note this one year we’re in the West Annex where the builder tables are in smaller classrooms down the hall from the arena as our main room is occupied with animatronic dinosaurs. We aim to have a live-stream in each builder room.

Fees: Includes 2 pit passes per robot

• Combat Robots: $25, due July 1st
• 15lb Bot Hockey: $5 per bot. Register as a team of 3 bots or as individuals
• $20 for each additional pit pass as approved by event organizer
• Note this is inside the science center, so admission will be required for those not explicitly registered on a team as a builder

Robot Rules:

• 900 MHz, 2.4GHz, or spectrum radios required. Anything else needs prior approval
• No flame weapons, no gas-powered robots. SPARC v1.6 rules apply (Sept 2025)
• All Lipo batteries must be in a closed LiPo bag while charging
• A visible weapon lock is required for all weapons.
• A switch and power light are required. A jumper is acceptable in place of a switch if it can be easily and quickly connected
• Only one robot per driver per weight class please.
• Controlled motion is defined as the ability to move from one corner of the arena to the opposite corner in less than one minute.
• Bot hockey is not fully enclosed. Bot Hockey v1.0 rules apply: 
• Event registration implies your consent for photos, videos, etc. during the event to be used by Catawba Science Center, Hickory Bot Battles, Rygid AV, and Carolina Combat Robotics for social media, advertising, live-stream, etc.
• Release Form, email to chuckbutler.01@gmail.com along with Paypal payment to same email address
• Release form and payment for accepted bots are due July 1^st, 2026. At that time, those who have not submitted may be dropped to the wait list, so others can be added. Payment and paperwork are not required while you are on the waitlist. 

Plastic Ant rule clarifications:

• Sparc v1.6 plastic ant rules
• Must be 3D printed plastic
• PET, PETG, ABS, PLA, PLA+, HIPS are the only materials that can be used for the chassis and weapons. Composites are not allowed.
• No other types of plastics or materials are allowed
• Foam, Lego, or other Sparc v1.6 wheels are allowed. TPU & cast wheels are acceptable. TPU may not be used for any components other than wheels. Details here.
• If it can be touched, it must be plastic. It is acceptable to epoxy, tape, or screw 3D printed components together and heads of the screws to be visible if they're only used for minimal support (i.e., attaching the top onto the sides of the robot, gluing 3D printed parts together at the seam if they'd be bigger than your print bed, etc.)
• Motors, electronics, axles, fasteners and adhesives can be any reasonable material but cannot be used in such a way to enhance the structural integrity, armor the robot, or enhance any weapon.
• Robot may be disqualified at the Event Organizer’s discretion if it is deemed to violate the spirit of the class. Contact the event organizer ahead of time if you are not sure your robot meets the above definition. 

Beginner Plastic Ant rumble:

·        One fight (approximately 4pm on Saturday) for anyone who has not competed before, wants to try it out, and has a plastic ant. This fight is aimed towards those who are just joining the sport, built a robot through Catawba Science Center’s tech club program, kids or spouses of competitors who want to try it out in a low-pressure fight, and similar. Sign-up by being at the arena by 3pm Saturday and notifying the seated officials next to the cage at the scoring area.

Communication:

• NC/Triangle Area Discord – In-depth discussions and updates will be posted there
• Follow @hickorybotbattles on Instagram for audience updates and live-stream links. Feel free to tag in relevant posts and share content
• Email dschoellner@gmail.com and chuckbutler.01@gmail.com with questions
• An email will be sent to registered builders the week of the event with final rules, information about parking, etc.

Awards:

• Trophies presented Saturday night, when final fight ends.
• Trophies for 1^st through 3^rd place for fairy, plastic ant, ant, and beetle
• First place trophies only bot hockey, with three first place trophies
• US Conec Engineering Innovation award for best novel bot design

Supporters:

Our Corporate Cup highlights business throughout the Piedmont Area.  Other major support provided by the following donors:

·        Catawba Science Center – local science museum, and event host. Consider visiting the aquarium while you’re there. Consider supporting this wonderful host by adopting a stingray or seahorse – doesn’t everyone need a seahorse plushy?

·        US Conec - fiber optic connector manufacturer, headline HBB sponsor, competitor in the corporate cup. Great place to work, hiring CAD designers and engineers at https://www.usconec.com/careers

·        Rygid AV - supplying professional audio-visual equipment, announcer equipment, and staffing for the HBB live-stream. Wonderful company, please thank them for their underwriting and support.

·        Microsoft - generous partner of the Catawba Science Center, and headline supporter of Bot Hockey at Hickory Bot Battles

·        Palm Beach Bots  - If you need parts or kits, Palm Beach Bots is a fantastic and reliable source for you!

·        R.H. Bolick  - Expert machine shop with emphasis on quality and fast turnaround, with CNC, water jet cutting, welding and more.

Detailed Schedule: (subject to change as needed)

Friday, September 11^th: Plastic Ant, Fairy

• 9:00am - 10:25am Plastic Ant and Fairy check-in and safety inspections
• 10:30am Builder’s meeting and safety briefing
• 11:00am Fighting begins
• Lunch provided – eat as you have time, no pause in competition
• 4:00pm Corporate Cup round 1 fight
• 5:00pm Corporate Cup round 2 fight
• Approximately 6:00pm Plastic Ant and Fairy competition complete

Saturday, September 12^th: Ant, Beetle, Bot Hockey

• 7:00am - 8:25am Ant and Beetle check-in and safety inspections
• 8:30am Builder’s meeting and safety briefing
• 9:00am Fighting begins
• Lunch provided – eat as you have time, no pause in competition
• 4:00pm Beginner Plastic Ant rumble
• Approximately 7:00pm event concludes with awards ceremony
• Bot Hockey Fights will run approximately at 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm

Please consider staying to help take down the cage and arena

If your robot has not passed safety and weight check 5 minutes before the builders meeting, you will need to use your postponement at that point.

Science Center/event admission for friends and relatives (i.e., not registered builders):

• Non-members: $9.50 & Members $6.50 for Saturday, $3 cheaper on Friday since it's a partial day. Admission to the Science Center is not included; non-members who purchase tickets can add CSC admission for 1/2 price the day of their event. Tickets must be purchased for each day separately. 

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