An example of a previous year’s robot, complete with drill bit, floor-gripping wheels,
and an adorable blue puppy at the helm.

Rev your engines and sharpen those blades, kiddos: It’s time for robot mayhem. A group of sixth-through-eighth graders from the Voyagers after-school program have been pouring their heart and soul (and creative, analytical, and possibly diabolical minds) into creating battle robots, and it’s time to pit them against each other. The annual Machines Behaving Badly tournament will take place Saturday, Nov. 10, from noon-4pm at Chippewa Falls Middle School.

Two dozen three-pound robots have been decked out with all sorts of contraptions to help them fight and defend themselves, including drills, flippers, and armor. Each machine is unique, being constructed out of metal, wood, duct tape, stuffed animals, and whatever else the architects could pull together. Seriously. Whatever else. Last year one robot used a colander as armor, and it worked surprisingly well. The cobbled-together machines all have a rough edge, but a tinge of personality behind each one, with each team working meticulously on them in preparation.

The event’s custom-built arena includes a number of its own sharp parts.

There are only three rules in the competition, which open up the world of imagination for the builders and architects of these deft machines: No Flame Throwers; No Hand Grenades; No Live Animals. After those rules (and a loose, honor system about following Wisconsin state laws), the teams get to think outside the box and come up with the strongest robot they can think of. They can cause some pretty unique –  and amazing –  robots to enter the competition (and hopefully leave alive).

Now, if you’re not a member of the Voyagers but still want in on the action, don’t fret. Youngsters can come to watch and cheer on the epic clash of titans, and may even get asked to help operate the hazards placed in the battlegrounds or drive a robot themselves! And, let’s be honest: What’s more fun than driving, especially when you get to –  and are encouraged –  to smash your way through things.

So if you’re looking for a little Mad Max in your life, or just want to inspire creativity, engineering skills and a general confidence that you can build something from scratch, strap on your battle boots and enter the fray.

Machines Behaving Badly •  Nov. 16, noon-4pm •  Chippewa Falls Middle School, 750 Tropicana Blvd., Chippewa Falls •  FREE