Markforged Elevates BattleBots Competition with Rapid, High‑Performance 3D‑Printed Solutions

BattleBots is a high‑stakes arena where 250‑lb, remote‑controlled robots fight to the death. Our team entered the 2018 and 2019 seasons with Valkyrie—a sleek, fighter‑jet‑styled bot featuring a 65‑lb undercutter blade—built, refined, and repaired entirely with Markforged printers. While the printers helped us produce parts, they were most valuable when they allowed us to turn damage into an upgrade during competition.

All filming for the show takes place over two weeks in April, giving us little notice about the lineup or the challenges ahead. The only element we could control was our own preparation: a reliable robot and the tools to repair or improve it between bouts. To meet that need, we transported four Markforged 3D printers to the BattleBots venue.

A critical issue surfaced early in the season: the rear‑end motors were face‑mounted to their gearboxes without adequate support, causing the baseplate to flex under impact. This flex would shift the motor and render it unusable, as happened during Episode 1 against Hypershock when Valkyrie was flipped upside‑down.

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During qualification, we fought every other day and won a one‑hit KO against Ragnarok. With the next opponent—a vertical spinner named Monsoon—looming, we focused on a durable fix for the motor support. The solution had to be: low‑profile, lightweight, shock‑absorbing, conformal, quick to produce, and long‑lasting.

• Low‑profile: It could not obstruct other components.
• Lightweight: It had to keep Valkyrie under the 250‑lb limit.
• Shock‑absorbing: It had to withstand BattleBots’ extreme impacts.
• Conformal: The support should spread forces over a large area.
• Quick turnaround: We needed a design that could be printed and installed within a day.
• Long‑term solution: It had to endure the rest of the competition.

Markforged delivered a custom, lightweight mount that we designed and printed in less than two hours. The part sits between the motor and the frame, reinforced with continuous Kevlar® to absorb shock. A countersunk hole in the frame aligns the mount, ensuring a precise fit. We installed the new support on both our main and spare frames before the Monsoon match, and the drivetrain performed flawlessly.

The fix not only stabilized Valkyrie during the Monsoon bout but also enhanced its long‑term reliability. Other teams faced similar motor‑support challenges and leveraged the on‑site Markforged printers for rapid, high‑quality upgrades. Across the field, these printers helped teams transform damage into performance gains, leading to more dynamic fights and a memorable BattleBots season.