Zach Lytle, captain of BattleBots® fan-favorite Skorpios, stopped by Bishop-Wisecarver® facilities with his robot in tow, and a question that had been bugging him for years:
Why wasn’t the weapon ever spinning up the way it should?
Despite his best efforts and countless hours of fine-tuning, the powerful spinning saw (Skorpios’ signature weapon) just wasn’t performing at full power in the arena. And for a combat robot, that kind of issue can mean the difference between winning and getting torn apart. So, we rolled up our sleeves and took a look.
Our engineers love a good challenge. Zach gave us the full tour of Skorpios’ weapon system, from the belt drive to the motor setup to the fine points of his previous troubleshooting. We examined the drive assembly closely, talking through his past fixes and what he’d already ruled out. It didn’t take long for something to jump out. The drive system was using a V-belt paired with a V-pulley, but the tension was loose enough to cause slippage. The result? Burned rubber and power loss. The belt couldn’t effectively transmit all the torque coming from the motor, explaining why the weapon consistently underperformed.
We recommended switching to a toothed timing belt and toothed pulley setup to ensure consistent engagement and better power transfer. It was a straightforward tweak, but sometimes, it’s those small details that unlock the full potential of a system. Zach and the team improved the tensioning mechanism and upgraded the motor. With tighter, more consistent tension and a stronger power source, the V-belt system was finally able to get the weapon up to full speed. And sure enough, once Zach and his team made the changes, the difference was immediate. The weapon spun up with full force, fast, aggressive, and finally able to do what it was built to do.
With the new setup in place, Skorpios didn’t just look stronger: it hit harder. Zach went on to win BattleBots faceoffs, finally seeing the weapon deliver at the level he always knew it could and winning the matchups that had slipped away in the past. With the upgraded motor, reworked tensioner, and the insights gained from our engineering collaboration, Skorpios underwent a transformation. The weapon system that once underperformed was now a fully unleashed powerhouse, reliable, aggressive, and fast. The saw spun up with full torque, stayed engaged through punishing impacts, and became a legitimate threat in every match.
This is what we love most about what we do at Bishop-Wisecarver®. Whether it’s a BattleBot or a complete motion system for industrial automation, we’re here to help figure out the sticking points and offer real, practical solutions. We don’t just build motion components, we partner with innovators like Zach to help them get the most out of their designs.
And yes… getting hands-on with a combat robot was a pretty awesome bonus!
Want to see the behind-the-scenes moment? Catch the visit and hear Zach talk about the experience in this video.
