Blip

* World Championship VII
* Discovery Season 6

## Overview

**Blip** is a heavyweight robot which competed in Discovery Season 6 of the *Battlebots* reboot. It was built by Seems Reasonable Robotics, who also made Tantrum.

Captained by Aren Hill, Blip is a four-wheel drive, wedge-shaped robot armed with a powerful rear-hinged flipper. Unlike other flippers such as SubZero and Bronco, Blip is unique in the fact that its weapon is not powered by pneumatics. Its complex weapon mechanism operates through a internal 16lb flywheel spinning at around 9,000rpm, which stores energy that it will later use to flip with. The mechanism utilizes solenoids to engage a clutch, and then twists a Dyneema cord housed within the chassis. This cord is attached to a spinning component which in turn yanks the weapon frame and allows it to flip, all in around four-tenths of a second. This weapon proved to be highly powerful in testing, as shown in a Facebook post where it launched the first iteration of Tantrum's chassis high into the air.

The robot itself is primary blue in color with black and white stripes on its body and weapon, designed by team member Katie Widen. Much like Tantrum, it features a pair of eyes to give the robot character, and long forks to help the primary weapon get underneath opponents. The underside is made from titanium, which was bent with help from Team Whyachi. It also makes use of magnets to keep the robot grounded as often as possible. In an interview with Pete Abrahamson, Aren Hill stated that Blip's concept was around a year and a half in the making prior to the 2021 season.

Blip impressed in its rookie season, winning with consecutive knockouts against Rusty and Overhaul, before defeating Donald Hutson and Lock-Jaw by judges' decision to become the first debuting robot of the 2021 season to reach a 3-0 record. Aren Hill drove it to victory over Valkyrie and JackPot, but lost out to Hydra in the Top 8. Despite this setback, he supported Tantrum as the robot he formerly captained made it all the way to the title decider, knocking out Witch Doctor to earn the team's first Giant Nut.

Both Blip and Tantrum were present at *Robot Ruckus* in November 2021 as static displays. In a brief interview, Aren Hill explained that Blip shares several components with Tantrum, including drive trains and armor materials. He also states the unique flipper mechanism allows for greater power from the primary weapon than if it was to be powered by more traditional means, while remaining compact. Aren Hill states Blip is roughly half Hydra's size, and a third of the size of Inertia Labs' Bronco. Alongside a handful of other robots from the season, including Tantrum, Blip made an appearance as a static display at a live premiere of the tournament conclusion in San Jose, California.

## Robot History

### BattleBots World Championship VI

   Blip's *BattleBots* debut came against the previous season's Rookie of the Year, Rusty. Despite its redesign, Dave Eaton entered the 2020 season bot into this battle, fitted with its sledgehammer weapon. The fight began with Blip darting towards Rusty as it slide underneath its side. Blip pushed Rusty a few inches before launching it across the BattleBox, causing it to land on its back. Rusty righted itself and trundled back to Blip, who nudged it towards the side of the Upper Deck. Blip slid under Rusty again and threw it into the railing, before trying to flip Dave Eaton's bot onto the new BattleBox hazard but instead throwing it behind Blip onto its side again. Blip repositioned and tossed Rusty against their team's pulverizer, activating it as Rusty landed and peeling the metal armor away from the top, which Blip flipped into the air as Rusty was no longer mobile. Rusty fired its sledgehammer several more times as it was counted out, and Blip earned its first *BattleBots* victory at the first time of trying.

Fresh off its debut win, Blip faced the returning Charles Guan and Overhaul. Surprisingly, it was Overhaul who landed the first meaningful attack of the match, quickly flipping Blip, who self-righted almost instantly. The two ended up in the corner where Overhaul lost a tire and was flipped again by Blip. Overhaul, now upside-down, could not catch a break as Aren Hill's bot kept attacking Overhaul, flinging it aside the Upper Deck on one occassion. After being coerced into the corner again, Overhaul was shoved against the wall, stuck on its side and without both rear tires now. It was counted out, and Blip took the win by KO to move to 2-0.

In its third and final Fight Night battle, Blip faced veteran Donald Hutson and Lock-Jaw. It looked to not only finish with an undefeated 3-0 record, but become the first newcomer of the 2021 season to earn a guaranteed spot in the Round of 32. For this fight, Blip featured multiple hinged wedges at the front dubbed "piano keys" during the show. From the start, both robots charged out of their squares but Lock-Jaw got caught up on the BattleBox floor. Although it caused sparks to fly, Lock-Jaw only grazed the armor of Blip before its ground clearance was breached and Aren Hill's bot tossed it upwards. As Lock-Jaw's weapon continued to spin, the gyroscopic effects in play unbalanced it and soon after, fire began to emit from the veteran. In response, it fled to the middle of the arena and powered down the primary weapon. Blip gave chase and was eventually able to get underneath Lock-Jaw again, but not enough to get a flip in. Lock-Jaw was backed into the screws of the Upper Deck momentarily before being thrown directly onto the newest arena hazard. Donald Hutson managed to drive Lock-Jaw away, but met Blip at the short corner. Aren Hill was able to maneuvre his bot under Lock-Jaw again and send it twisting in the air before landing on its forks. Now upside-down, Blip launched last season's Bounty winner several more times before Lock-Jaw was able to win the ground game, finding itself in a tug-of-war with the rookie bot. With assistance from Screw Job, the two bots were able to work together to power Blip into the corner and high-center it in the closing moments. However, this proved too little, too late in the eyes of the judges, who voted in favor of Blip, sending it to 3-0.

Comfortably in the Top 32 with its 3-0 record, No.7 seed Blip now took on the No.26 seed Valkyrie. Fortunately for Blip, the primary weapon of Valkyrie died just ten seconds into the match, and it was reduced to a pushbot for the remainder of this fight. Having tanked the initial attack from its opponent, Blip initially misfired before getting under tossing Valkyrie over and then onto the Upper Deck. Valkyrie drove off and righted itself against Blip, but Aren Hill's bot gave chase. Blip threw Valkyrie multiple times while it was caught in the short corner and several more times against the pulverizer in that corner. As the fight wore on, Blip continued to slide its flipping arm underneath Valkyrie's defunct disc and toss it around the BattleBox. Valkyrie's drive was still working though, so Blip showed no signs of letting off. Later in the fight, Blip threw Valkyrie towards the arena wall and was close to achieving an out of the arena flip, but Valkyrie escaped, though its drive was now slowing down. Blip's eighteenth and final flip beached Leanne Cushing's bot against the wall where it was unable to get down. Valkyrie was counted out and Blip advanced to the Top 16.

Next up for Aren Hill's flywheel flipper was the hometown team, Las Vegas representatives JackPot. Straight out of the gate, Blip started to circle JackPot, looking for an angle with their flipper. Jackpot got stuck on the floor and Blip began to get a foothold in the match. Blip again circled the Vegas bot and eventually slid underneath, flipping it over onto their die-mond discs. Blip maneuvred JackPot to the pulverizer and fired it against their underside. As Blip retreated, it became clear that one of JackPot's forks was stuck upwards and the robot did not have enough torque in its weapon to right itself. JackPot was counted out and Blip moved on.

Looking to continue its impressive undefeated debut campaign in the quarter-finals, Blip's next opponent was fellow flipper Hydra. As the fight began, both robots approached the center of the BattleBox as their ground games were tested. Blip found itself maneuvred into Hydra's starting square and Jake Ewert's bot was able to breach the front of its opponent, throwing it against the wall. Blip landed upside-down but as it tried to flip back, Hydra tossed it again and it landed in the short corner. Blip tried several times to throw itself back onto its wheels, but despite twisting through the air each time, kept landing on its lid. Hydra watched on before trying to flip, but misfired and only scratched the surface of Blip. Aren Hill's bot was able to escape the onslaught from Hydra as it threw itself onto the Upper Deck. However, its right side became caught on the housing for the screws of the arena hazard. Blip was able to partially free itself, but in doing so, found itself with its right wheel high-centred. Its piano key wedgelets were also now stuck on the housing of the screws and its left rear wheel was buckled from an earlier Hydra attack, meaning Blip was unable to escape the Upper Deck and was counted out. As such, Blip was eliminated from the competition at the quarter-final stage.

### re:MARS all:STARS BattleBots Challenge (2022)

Blip was one of eight robots selected to compete in the second re:MARS all:STARS Challenge in June 2022. In the first round of the bracket, it faced Whiplash, who had reattached their signature disc, sported a new front end and trialed a new brushless setup. Blip was able to throw Whiplash around the BattleBox as they struggled to drive as well as in previous main season battles. Whiplash ultimately finished the fight upside down on the Upper Deck, with their lifter gearbox broken and frame cracked. The Vazquez family were counted out and Blip advanced in the bracket.

Next up for Blip was HyperShock, driven for this event by Alex Bales. With a new driving style, HyperShock showed uncharacteristic patience and tried to bait Blip throughout the fight. Blip launched HyperShock, who landed atop the Upper Deck. One side of their drive was no longer working and HyperShock struggled to escape the hazard before being counted out, but it then became clear that Blip was no longer moving. One of their battery wires had come loose and Blip was counted out instead. HyperShock won by knockout and Blip was eliminated.

### BattleBots World Championship VII

Although everyone's Fight Night schedule has been published, no information about World Championship VII's fights will be revealed until two months after the final episode has been aired and a champion has been crowned.

## Results

* Wins: 7
* Losses: 2