Giving two people jackhammers, sharp spikes and chainsaw blades, then asking them to face off in a battle to the death seems unethical. However, giving two machines these weapons to pound, slice and massacre each other into oblivion is completely ethical, at least according to the rules of BatttleBots.

If you haven’t seen the actual show BattleBots on Comedy Central the show features groups of talented individuals who design, create and battle machines built from parts of existing pieces of machinery.

Similar to any other competitive sport, they have rules and divisions that separate the heavyweights from the lightweights, and keep the fight fair.

Sac State has a few students on campus who make up our very own Sacramento State BattleBots team, though they’re not yet in competition.

Most likely they’ve been seen on campus giving demonstrations near the library with their bots, educating others on what the group is about and trying to spark interest in the field of engineering. The CSUS Competitive Robotics is still a young organization trying to get off the ground with the support and donations of ASI, the students and faculty, and outside sources. They have joined up with other engineering clubs on campus to “design and construct a BattleBot capable of demolishing any competition that stands in our way.”

Thanks to our student government, they’ve been given money to develop their projects and advertise their organization. Companies such as the Wheelchair Center have donated equipment that is later transformed into bots such as Seismic.

Seismic is a heavyweight bot, which means it’s in the less-than-200 lbs. weight limit. It is a gasoline-fueled bot with a jackhammer weapon, and two remote-controlled wheelchair motors.

Seismic’s project leader Graham Ryland, a CSUS student, is also the driving force behind the group. Besides Ryland, the organization is composed of twenty or so individuals with a core membership of seven who are quite the diehards.

Seismic is currently their only bot, but the group is working on a microbot to be entered into Sozobots, a growing competition that has a maximum weight limit of one pound.

Ryland, and another member, Dustin Deeks, have already developed a prototype for a device on the bot called a flip sensor, which will allow the bot to reverse its motors so it can flip itself over if it ever finds itself upside down. They managed this from things found on Dustin’s floor, such as pen caps and rubber bands.

The robotics team defy the image that engineering and electronics are boring programs as they take their lessons out of the classroom and apply them to fun bots and activities.

“We’re all really good friends,” Deeks, an electrical/electronics engineering double major, said.

The group has to yet to go to the competitive level of BattleBots, which is held annually in San Francisco, but the team will be heading there in the future.

For now, they are content visiting youth groups, junior colleges and other institutes in order to expand others’ minds about engineering and hope to spark the interest that has sparked in them as well.