WORCESTER

Battle Bots team brings home the 'big nut'

Steven H. Foskett Jr.
steven.foskett@telegram.com
Members of Bite Force, the championship-winning battle robot competitors that includes two WPI alumni, take the stage at the Rubin Campus Center Friday night at a viewing party for the Battlebots World Championship. [T&G Staff/Steven H. Foskett Jr.]

WORCESTER - Fans of Bite Force who packed the Rubin Campus Center Friday night for a Battle Bots World Championship Finals viewing party didn't leave disappointed.

The stout-looking robot, designed by a team that includes WPI alums Paul Ventimiglia and Jeremiah Jinno, quickly dispatched Minotaur to take home the "big nut," which is just that - a large, heavy-looking nut that is Mr. Ventimiglia's fourth. The winning team, and members of three other teams featuring WPI alums that competed in the robot combat tournament, joined the viewing party Friday night.

The finale, which aired Friday night on the Discovery Channel, was filmed earlier this year, which mean strict - and legally binding - rules about not spilling the beans about the team's victory. Laurie Leshin, president of WPI, asked Mr. Ventimiglia after the victory how he was able to keep the secret.

"Fortunately, we've had this happen before," Mr. Ventimiglia, a 2012 WPI graduate, said jokingly, adding that it can lead to awkward situations when socializing with both members of the team and other friends and family.

Mr. Jinno said he felt the focus on project-based learning at WPI and the time management and group dynamics it requires translates well to the real world.

Mr. Ventimiglia said WPI, which is a co-sponsor of the Bite Force team, served him well, and said it was one of the only colleges he applied to that offered robust access to workshops and tools to undergraduates. Being able to work on a project from Day 1 was important, he said.

The crowd reacted loudly as soon as the final match between Bite Force and Minotaur got started. It didn't look great for Bite Force for a few moments, but then the robot regained its footing and got Minotaur stuck in one of the arena hazards, forcing its team to concede.

Ms. Leshin said WPI was a pioneer in robotics education, and said it was great to see fans come out Friday night. She said the science and engineering that goes into building the Battlebots is well-aligned with the school's focus. She noted that recently completed athletic facilities included "robot pits."

"We really think of robotics as a sport here," she said.