HOW TO BUILD A BOT ARMY:INSIDE THE ROBOT COMBAT LEAGUEBehind the scenes with the creators of Syfy’s "Robot Combat League" and its eight-foot, rock-em, sock-em warriors.
Science fiction-turned-pop culture cable channel Syfy wants to create a lasting sports franchise. So, naturally, it’s turning to robots. The channel’s newest show, Robot Combat League, premieres on February 26 and features eight-foot-tall humanoid battle robots controlled by teams of athletes and engineers. The athletes wear full-body suits which control the robots, while the engineers handle the robots’ technical aspects. Hosted by Chris Jericho, Robot Combat League is the latest in a long line of television programs that replace human athletes with robotic proxies. But will Syfy’s attempt be the one that lasts?
When Co.Create spoke with Jericho, the pro wrestling legend was excited about the show’s possibilities. In between talking points designed to steer the public to watch, he talked about robot fighting as a viable sport. “Each episode takes a good six hours to film. The program includes a lot of setup, there are three rounds, and at the end of each round the robots have to be fixed within 30 minutes,” Jericho says. “This technology really exists, it’s like The Terminator. I would have run away when one of the robots started walking at me if it hadn’t stopped. When the robots fight, they get broken hydraulics, carburetors, and other problems. If a robot loses its arm and it can’t be reattached, the fight is over because it takes five to six hours to repair.”
CHRIS JERICHO, ALONGSIDE BRIMSTONE AND A.X.E
