Check out our new behind-the-scenes video series where we interview BattleBots teams about their design and build process.

“Robot fightin’ time!” What do you think of when you hear that phrase? For us, it’s BattleBots. If you’re unfamiliar with the show, the name says it all. Teams from around the world bring their custom-built robots to fight in an arena in front of a live studio audience and fans tuning in from over 150 countries.

During each round of fights, the robots inflict an absurd amount of damage on their opponents. Many become broken and mangled, which is (let’s be honest) why we love BattleBots so much. We love watching robots destroy each other (that’s the best part), but we also recognize the importance of getting them fixed up and ready to go for their next round.  

For the latest season of BattleBots, The Autodesk Fusion 360 team had the pleasure of partnering with Haas Automation to set up what we affectionately called “The Haaspital.” It was essentially a field hospital where robots could come get a facelift after each fight. Upon receiving a damaged robot, Autodesk machinists machined replacement parts on-demand using Fusion 360 and Haas Automation mills.

The advanced 3D modeling and CAM capabilities in Fusion 360 paired with the power of Haas Automation machines created the ultimate environment for the robots to get a quick fix before hitting the ring once again. In total, we ran 150 jobs and helped almost all of the teams get up and running again with new or improved parts. We coined the experience “Robot Fixin’ Time.”

Behind the scenes at BattleBots 2021 World Championships

You may have seen us on screen throughout the season six premiere, but we know you’re probably looking for more footage. Well, you’re in the right place. During our time backstage at the show, we also interviewed teams about their robot build process and turned it into a ten-part video series. Check out the first three episodes below, and stay tuned — the rest of the episodes will launch weekly on the Autodesk Fusion 360 YouTube channel.

***SPOILER ALERT*** These videos may contain footage from BattleBots fights that are unaired as of this upload. Watch at your own risk!

If you missed this season, you’re in luck – the season just wrapped up and is already available to stream on Discovery+ here.

Want to make your next design as strong as the robots on BattleBots? Downloading Fusion 360 is a great start. Explore how easy it is to machine parts with the help of integrated CAD/CAM software: