Building bots and community, Brian Schoellner puts campus robotics in the spotlight
By Megan Khor, Student Communications Assistant for Student Affairs
Photos by Kat Lawrence
Brian Schoellner, a junior mechanical engineering major, has turned a childhood passion into a leadership role as president and co-founder of the Charlotte Combat Robot Club.
Now, the organization is preparing to host Robot Rumble, one of UNC Charlotte’s most unique student-run events and the largest battle bot tournament in the state. Robot Rumble is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, April 18, in Belk Gym, welcoming both students and non-students to participate. It is a free annual battle bots event where spectators can come and watch a full day of competition.
Beginning to Battle
Schoellner’s journey with battle bots – a series of fighting competitions where creators operate armed remote-controlled robots to destroy or disable their opponents in an arena – began in 2016 when he attended his first robot fight at a museum in Gastonia with his family. Soon after, he convinced his dad to help him build a robot of his own.
Back then, few local competitions existed. Schoellner responded by helping to organize tournaments with his dad, contributing to North Carolina’s growing combat robotics scene.
Schoellner lost his first fight in Hickory in 2017. He lost eight more fights after that one, but kept improving his designs and learning through trial and error.
“It’s a lot of learning to fail. You build it, it gets blown up and then you make version two.”
– Brian Schoellner
“Hellachopter” was the first battle bot Schoellner made with his dad. Made of aluminum and titanium, the bot has since been retired. Courtesy of Brian Schoellner
Beyond his experiences at other tournaments over the years, Schoell learned design strategies for successful battle bots from YouTube tutorials and online communities.
As his strategy and design improved, he started winning in competitions. The first time Schoellner won first place was at a tournament two years ago.
“My favorite part used to be physically assembling it, getting something driving and winning,” Schoellner said. “Since then, I care a little less about winning and more about making my robots cool.”
gearing up
When Schoellner arrived at UNC Charlotte in 2024, he quickly started the Charlotte Combat Robot Club and later began hosting Robot Rumble with two other friends. Wanting a space to build, compete and connect with others who shared the same interest, he set out to create a community where students could learn and experiment with robotics together.
CCRC’s first Robot Rumble featured 40 robots and drew a crowd of about 400 people. Last year, the competition expanded to 60 robots and had more than 2,000 attendees, making it the most attended robot fighting event in the state.
“Last year was awesome. We used all the bleachers in Belk Gym and ran out,” Schoellner said.
This year, the club is anticipating an even bigger turnout. With support from the Honeywell Innovation Grant, Robot Rumble will run two arenas simultaneously, allowing for more matches and a larger audience capacity. In total, the event is expected to host 72 robots and over 140 fights throughout the day.
Schoellner said he created the Robot Rumble to make combat robotics more accessible and well-known on campus.
“I wanted something on campus so people could wander in and be like, ‘Oh, this is cool,’” Schoellner said. “It’s definitely very easy to get people excited about [a battle bot fight] that’s five minutes away from you.”
Spectators will be able to watch fights across several weight classes. This includes the three-pound beetle weight class, the one-pound ant weight class and the one-pound all 3D-printed class, which is designed to be more accessible for beginners.
Thanks to the Honeywell grant and their continued sponsors, the club is also able to build its own cage for the first time.
“Now we can test all our robots,” Schoellner said. “Previously, we had to test all of our robots in a one-foot-square wooden box. The new one is all bulletproof glass, so this is way better.”
The additional space also allows the club to introduce a new all-collegiate league, where teams from not only Charlotte, but NC State, Duke University and Campbell University will compete against each other. A handful of nationally ranked competitors are also expected to attend, including the No. 17-ranked three-pound robot in the world and the top-ranked competitor in the state.
Schoellner himself plans to compete in the event with his one-pound, fully 3D-printed robot, with a design he has continued to refine with his dad for the last several years. The bot is named Really Angry Smoke Detector and hits other robots by spinning at about 8,000 revolutions per minute. Schoellner’s goal is to place within the top three.
While some competitors follow common design strategies to win, competitions like Robot Rumble still leave room for creativity. Robots must meet weight and safety requirements, but beyond that, builders have significant freedom in design and strategy.
“Anything goes as long as it’s safe in the arena and below the weight limit,” Schoellner said.
Other robots from the CCRC will also be competing, including more experimental builds. One student-designed bot, inspired by the character Pochita from the anime Chainsaw Man, features a miniature chainsaw weapon.
Two other robots competing from the University’s team are a plastic one-pound weight class robot and a one-pound metal weight class robot named Stormbringer, which is made of carbon fiber.
Schoellner said he’s most excited to see both new and experienced builders come together in one space this year, and that the creativity on display at these events is always one of his favorite highlights.
“In every robot fight you show up to, there’s always one robot where you can’t help but think, what on Earth is going on here? I’ve never seen anything like that in my life,” he said.
Beyond the Rumble
Along with events like Robot Rumble, CCRC offers optional workshops during its weekly meetings, typically held in the Super Fab Lab in Kennedy Building. The club is beginner-friendly, free and covers the cost of all materials. Members typically work in small groups, building their own robots and refining them overtime as experienced builders guide new members to help them get started.
“People can just show up, and we’ll get them started,” Schoellner said. “Most groups can get something functional within two to three weeks.”
For Schoellner, serving as president has been rewarding, allowing him to share his passion for battle bots while helping others develop their skills.
“Coming to combat robots definitely looks good on your resume,” Schoellner said. “The events are cool. Even if you’re just there to spectate, it is fun.”
More information on the club can be found on their Discord and more on Robot Rumble can be found on Niner Engage.
