This story was originally published in Vol. 34, Issue 4 (December 2023)
On a serene Friday, Nov. 17 in the VECS Building of WSU Vancouver, the atmosphere remained tranquil except for one room that buzzed with excitement. Down the hall, the Struggle Bots Tournament, the brainchild of WSU Vancouver’s Struggling Engineers club, turned a simple idea into a spectacle of creativity and mechanical prowess. Club President Sage Ford and Vice President Kyle Nguyen, both junior mechanical engineering majors, were the architects and planners behind this event. Ford and Nguyen coordinated together to come up with a fun and casual event that all the club members could easily participate in. Ford shared the origins of this unique competition.
“The idea was sparked by our friend Alex… We had a limited budget and wanted something fun and engaging,” said Ford.
The size and complexity of the bots and their mechanisms were such that participants could work on them at home. The club initially considered a pinewood derby car race but shifted to robot battles due to budget constraints, as a ramp for the derby would be too expensive according to club members. Students were given about a month to prepare and build their robots. Prior to this, the rules of the tournament were discussed with club members so everyone was on the same page. No prizes or special gifts were announced, as the group wanted to keep it fun and casual.
Nguyen explained that unlike typical high-budget robotics competitions, the idea behind the Struggle Bots Tournament was rooted in simplicity and creativity. With a month to prepare, participants were given a basic robot car kit by the club, though they had the option to purchase their own.
“The primary rule was a weight limit of three to five pounds,” Nguyen said. “Participants had to build off the basic kit, avoiding any dangerous elements like weapons or flammable materials.”
In order to advance through the tournament, participants won by either dislodging a small Lego figure mounted on the opponent’s bot, or by completely disabling the bot. The tournament attracted a diverse range of participants, from club members to friends of the club like Zachary Imel, a former WSU student now attending Clark College. Imel’s robot, a remote control (RC) car modified to look like a pyramid, was armed with a spinning pole of sticks (intended to resemble sun rays) with a motor and an axle, embodied the creative and inventive spirit of the event.
“It’s not as technical as others, but it gets the job done,” Imel said.
Raquel Saito, a finalist and a Junior mechanical engineering student, impressed everyone with a robot built in 30 minutes using recycled materials. The robot resembled a tank compared to the other vehicles, and Saito’s use of materials allowed them to utilize a size advantage against their opponents. Their bot, despite its quick assembly, showcased remarkable ingenuity and resourcefulness.
“[I used] recycled materials of Dr. Pepper cans, some pencils I found, duct tape, and egg cartons,” said Saito.
Henry Prouty, another junior in mechanical engineering, emerged as the winner of the tournament. His robot, equipped with a snowplow and a spinning bat, demonstrated effective strategy and mechanical skill. The unique frame of the car along with his modifications were able to beat every opponent either through quick, decisive victory or through disabling their car over time. Prouty emphasized the importance of vehicle modifications in his success.
“I think the snowplow was the highlight of the whole thing,” Prouty said.
As the event concluded, Ford surprised everyone by announcing that there were prizes in the form of pens, and participants could come and claim them. Both Ford and Nguyen hoped that the main takeaway and feelings from the event were that it was fun and creative. According to Ford, the club’s origins did not begin with the intention to hold robot fights.
“The whole point of our club is that I wanted to rent VDEN 210 to watch movies, and when this year started I thought we should actually do ‘real’ club stuff,” said Ford. “So it’s really just socializing with other majors.”
Nguyen shared similar sentiments to Ford, highlighting the problem most students in engineering departments encounter. While many universities and campuses have similar clubs or mechanisms to alleviate these issues, WSU Vancouver did not until recently according to Nguyen.
“Yeah honestly, when I walk around this building everyone has their own little group,” said Nguyen. “And not a lot of engineers or any CS majors talk to other people. They can have their own little group and that’s all they do. It would be fun if people got to know each other, connect, network, and maybe be friends.”
Overall, the participants were in good spirits and everyone found the event a refreshing break from the academic rigor and an opportunity to apply their skills in a fun, practical setting. The Struggle Bots Tournament, with its focus on low-cost, high-creativity solutions, stands as a testament to the ingenuity of students at WSU Vancouver. On Nov. 30, Ford announced in the Struggling Engineers Discord server that the club intends to organize a Struggle Bots event for the upcoming spring semester as well. The club also aims to facilitate weekly workshops during the development phase, encouraging collaboration throughout the building process.
Shawyan is a junior studying computer science at WSU Vancouver.