GARDEN CITY, Idaho (Sept 8, 2009) — Sumo wrestlers, gladiators, and dragsters will duke it out in Boise next month — some of them to the death. Rest assured no laws will be broken as the combatants are robots — not people — vying in the first annual Boise Bot Competition Sept. 12 at the Visual Arts Collective in Garden City.

Themed “Outthink, Outmaneuver, Destroy,” the inaugural event is the brainchild of David Gapen, operations partner and chief tech geek at The Reuseum, an engineering and industrial surplus supply store in Garden City. Held both outside (all ages) and inside (ages 21+) the VAC, the Boise Bot Comp begins at 2 p.m. and costs $5 for spectators or $30 for a custom robot kit and entry. A workbench, tools, and parts will be available for last-minute entrants, and volunteers will be on hand to help them complete and/or repair their robots.

Several bands are also on the bill, including the national touring act New Radiant Storm King featuring Peyton Pinkerton of the Pernice Brothers, Silver Jews, and Chappaquiddick Skyline. BBC organizers will present the winning bot designers with awards at 8 p.m., and local experimental/electronica band Floomdorm will kick off the event’s musical entertainment, which begins at 8:30 p.m. and runs until late.

According to Gapen, the Boise Bot Comp is designed to highlight and challenge the talent and ingenuity of creative hobbyists, students, and geeks by providing them with an annual tournament in which robots they design and build can compete for prizes and prestige. Participants can enter “bots” in three different classifications and compete in three different styles of competition.

“The competitions are based on ways to overcome obstacles,” Gapen elaborates. “Outthink is a timed maze, Outmaneuver includes gyro soccer and solar dragster racing, and Destroy features sumo battles and gladiator-style junkard melee. You can enter your bot in any or all of the competitions. You can build multiple bots, or you can enter one and attempt to win the Ironbot Trifecta. Or you can just come on down and rally as a spectator for your favorite bot and place nonsensical bets on its success or failure.”

The three classifications of “bots” are:

Bugs — The easiest and smallest robots to build, bugbots can possess power supplies of up to 9 volts and must weigh less than 3 lbs. Entries can be autonomous or remote controlled. Gapen hand etched circuit boards and assembled kits for anyone who wants to build a bug prior to or at the event.

Kitties — Power supplies and total weight for kittybots cannot exceed 15 volts DC and 15 lbs., respectively. These medium-sized entries can be autonomous or remote controlled, but builders should keep in mind all sumo-wrestling entries must fall into the latter category.

Beasts — These large bruisers can weigh up to 100 lbs. and boast power supplies of up to 120 volts DC. Beastbots can only be entered in battles and must be remote controlled for safety reasons. Gapen says beasts with unique capabilities may be entered for display and demonstration purposes only.

The three styles of competition are:

Outthink — Entrants steer their robots through a maze with the fastest declaring victory. It is open to bugs and kitties.

Outmaneuver — Participating bots will square off in one-on-one solar dragster races and gyro soccer matches where entrants attempt to kick a ball in their opponent’s goal. It is open to bugs and kitties.

Destroy — Combatants can vie in sumo battles and gladiator-style junkyard death-match melee. Each sumo-wrestling bout has three 60-second rounds and is open to bugs and kitties. Melee bouts are reserved for the biggest of bots and teams may only enter one beastbot. Gapen stresses gladiator melee is exhibition only and will be operated in a safe and fun space.

Kits for bugbots and parts for bigger robots are available at The Reuseum. Gapen says Solar Robotics and Instructables are great online resources for more information about a movement called BEAM robotics and how to use recycled parts to build robots. He suggests teams interested in building beastbots should email him at info(at)reuseum.com for safety ground rules and inclusion on the list for the demonstration-only junkyard melee.

According to Gapen, several partner organizations have been critical in staging the Boise Bot Competition, including Obtainium Technology Recyclers, Visual Arts Collective, 94.9 The River, TechBoise, The Discovery Center of Idaho, the Treasure Valley YMCA Engineering and Robotics Program, and COMMposition.biz.

Perhaps best described as a Shangri-La for techies like mechanical, electrical, and network engineers and hobbyists, artists, and collectors, The Reuseum sells electronic components and tools and an array of old-school, obscure, and oddball technology. The store also has weird gear on display and regularly conducts electronics workshops. Visit The Reuseum for hours, directions, and a complete schedule of upcoming events.

The Visual Arts Collective is a mixed-use contemporary fine-arts gallery in Garden City, Idaho, committed to presenting exhibitions and events for artists working in visual and performance art, film, music, and theater. The organization and its venue is dedicated to providing Boise and the greater Treasure Valley with opportunities to explore various disciplines, engage in interactive art, participate in special events, and encourage artists and the community to continue discovering artistic expression. Visit Visual Arts Collective for hours, directions, and a complete schedule of upcoming events.