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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Project LiftOff}}
[[File:Projectliftoff 3lb Sept22.png|thumb|Project Liftoff at NHRL September 2022]]
[[File:LiftoffTPU.jpg|thumb|Project Liftoff - February 2022 (rev 6.0) Pictured before Motorama Robot Conflict]]
[[File:May 2026 Liftoff.jpg|thumb|618x618px|Project Liftoff from the May 2026 Event. A noteable upgrade is the hybrid cleat/molded wheel, which improves traction as the cleats wear down later in the match.]]
'''Project Liftoff''' is a 3lb [[:Category:Meltybrain Spinners|MeltyBrain]] — a robot that moves via translational drift while its '''entire body''' spins at 2,000–4,000 RPM. Built and driven by [[Andrew Kazmer]] and [[Jim Kazmer]] it has competed at NHRL every year since the league's inception in 2019, and in 2021 became the '''first MeltyBrain to win an NHRL event'''. Project Liftoff has qualified for the NHRL Word Championship three times, in 2021, 2022, and 2025.
[[File:Project Liftoff - September 2021 (rev 5.0).jpg|thumb|Project Liftoff - September 2021 (rev 5.0), pictured before the September 2021 event. The bot went on to go undefeated, winning the 3lb division with 4 KOs and 3 judges decisions.]]
Project Liftoff is a 3lb MeltyBrain (a robot that moves using translational drift) as its entire body spins at 2000 to 4000 RPM.


As of May 2026, Project Liftoff is in its '''9th major design iteration.'''
Project LiftOff does <u>'''not'''</u> use an IR-beacon. It has dual IR-sensors in it that can be used to sense how far objects are in every direction; these can be used by the driver-controlled versions (Project LiftOff and Flip-N-Cut), and are required by the autonomous version (DeepMelt).
== Overview ==


Unlike many early MeltyBrains, Project Liftoff does not use an IR beacon. Instead, it carries '''dual opposed 3-axis accelerometers''' mounted at 45 degrees relative to the axis of rotation. This accelerometer configuration creates a deterministic system, and allows the bot to adapt to changes in the center of rotation mid fight.
Dual directional LEDs (on top/bottom and front/back) are used to indicate direction relative to the Bot (not the earth/cage). When the Bot is "tuned" these LEDs do not drift, but will change direction as the Bot ricochets around the cage. The driver must learn to drive the Bot relative to its "front" (the green LED) just like most other Bots.


Two pairs of directional LEDs (top/bottom and front/back) indicate orientation '''relative to the bot''' — not the arena. When properly tuned, these LEDs hold steady; they only shift as the bot ricochets off arena walls. The driver controls the bot relative to its "front" (the green LED), much like any conventional combat robot.
As of Nov/Dec 2022, Project Liftoff is in it's 7th design iteration.
[[File:Project Liftoff a March-2019.jpg|alt=|thumb|Project Liftoff - March 2019 (rev 1.0)]]
* Rev-1.0 : March 2019
** Processor: Arduino Nano
** Accelerometer: common MPU 6050 (+/- 16g 12 bits)
** Receiver Interface: standard RC-PWM into UART
** Motor Control: OneShot125 via PWM manipulation @ ~800Hz
** External Sensors: none
* Rev-1.1 May 2019
** switched from 8" Aluminum rings to 9" AR-500 ring with tooth (and hand cut HDPE)
*** this AR-500 tooth proved to be too pointed and became embedded in arena wall several times
[[File:Project LiftOff b May-2019.jpg|alt=|thumb|Project Liftoff - May 2019 (rev 1.1)]]
[[File:Project LiftOff c Aug-2019.jpg|alt=|thumb|Project Liftoff - August 2019 (rev 1.2)]]
[[File:Project LiftOff d2 Sir Pops Alot Aug-2019.jpg|alt=|thumb|Sir Pops A Lot (derivative) - August 2019 (rev 1.15)]]
* Rev-2.0 : 2020
** Processor: Teensy 4.0
** Accelerometer: none… used motor eRPM telemetry from ESCs via bidirectional dShot
** Receiver Interface: RC-SBUS into UART
** Motor Control: dShot600 via SPI manipulation @ 8000Hz
** External Sensors: active IR
** CNC'd HDPE body
** New 8" AR-500 ring and tooth (with a more blunt tip)
[[File:Project Liftoff July-2020.jpg|alt=|thumb|Project Liftoff - July 2020 (rev 2.0)]]
[[File:Project LiftOff f Flip n Cut July-2020.jpg|alt=|thumb|Flip N' Cut (derivative) - July 2020 (rev 2.05)]]
[[File:Project LiftOff g Sept-2020.jpg|alt=|thumb|Project Liftoff - September 2020 (rev 2.1)]]
* Rev-3 : 2021 Same electronics as Rev-2; improved algorithm, wheel orientation, and return to accelerometer (see March-2021 picture below).[[File:PXL 20210320 135444503.jpg|thumb|Project Liftoff - March 2021 (rev 3.0)]]
** Processor: Teensy 4.0
** Accelerometer: H3LIS331DL (+/- 400g 16 bits)
** Receiver Interface: RC-SBUS into UART
** Motor Control: dShot600 via SPI manipulation @ 8000Hz
** External Sensors: active IR
** changed to 4S (from 3S)
** Other Details:
*** Switched to a "Motor Pod" that is sandwhich'd by two clam shell HDPE halves.
*** Put wheels in-line with weapon tooth (what was Jim thinking).
*** misc. software improvements (algorithm simplified)
* Rev-4 : 2021 (May-2021 and July-2021) Same as Rev-3 except:
** Quest for a more durable motor...
*** May-2021: created a custom motor with internal thrust bearing with "no-name" motors (internal thrust bearing still failed by the third fight).
*** July-2021: Put a thrust bearing inside a PropDrive motor
**** Combing a PD-2826 stator with a PD-2830 motor-can gave the needed room. Could do the same thing with a PD-2830 stator and a PD-2836 motor-can (the PD-2836 is really a 2834, 4mm larger than the PD-2830).
**** This motor sacrificed power for durability. It was durable... however, it changed the failure point to the set screws and motor axle.
** Wheel Axis returning to 90 degrees from weapon
*** when wheels are inline with the weapon, the hockey-pucking is far worse.
** Making weight distribution fully symmetric...
*** a large counter-balance weight opposite (single tooth) weapon increases hockey-pucking... an impact causes the tooth to stop, but the other side of the Bot goes flying due to its own momentum.
*** change to fully symmetric two weapon teeth, allowing us to avoid a large counter balance weight.
** changed to full round HDPE body
*** prior HDPE cut-outs were to save weight
*** prior circular AR-500 weapon ring kept wall collisions "safer" and minimized pinning risk, and allowed us to hollow-out the HDPE.
*** re-design and re-cut of HDPE shell.
** weapon ring changes
*** make weapon ring narrower to decrease weight to offset increase in HDPE
*** remove bolt holes from weapon ring (to maximize its strength)
** [[File:MotoramaTPU.jpg|thumb|Project Liftoff - Side profile (rev 6.0)]]July-2021: first usage of titanium wheels. Thank you to Joe Fabbiani (Smeeeeh) and Calvin Iba (Lynx) for sharing the idea and showing the way - see Lynx May-2021 competition.
* Rev-5 : Sept-2021 Same as Rev-4 except:
** Major Motor redesign
*** Switched from PropDrive 2830 to PropDrive 2836.
**** more power.
*** Changed to a Hub Motor wheel attachment
**** 6mm dead axle
**** two 626 bearings (1000+ pounds of dynamic load)
**** custom machined aluminum inner (motor-can) and out (wheel) hubs
***** done on home CNC machine (0.2mm layer height)
**** titanium wheels (via send-cut-send)
**** no more set screw failures!
**** Thank you to Brian Boxell (Eruption) for giving us some direction, encouragement, and help on Hub Motors.
** Yet another AR-500 weapon ring re-design
*** Needed to find 80+ grams to offset the increased weight from the above Hub Motors.
*** Same 0.25" AR-500, but...
**** via send-cut-send.
**** Previous 326g (almost a full round circle) to 241g (almost rectangular)
**** Still no holes, very tapered/narrow in the middle.
** Both the above required a re-design of HDPE shell.
* [[File:Annotated Project LiftOff Internals.jpg|thumb|Annotated Image of Sept-2021 Project LiftOff internals. The accelerometer and RC receiver are on the underside of the PCB.]]Rev-5 Issues that we had hoped to address for Nov-2021 :
** In the "first attempt" of CNC'ing aluminum I made several mistakes that led to slight defects in the motor hubs (leading to non-alingment in the Hub Motors that were used... rubbing/friction/added heat/lost power).
*** Over-clamping & un-even clamping.
*** Slight alignment issues with double sided parts.
** We never (software) tuned Project LiftOff... we were making hardware fixes until midnight on Friday.
*** The controls were upside down and backwards all day on Saturday.
*** The IR object/wall detection was never used since it was so misaligned.
** Possibly make some ESC changes to improve drift performance.
** Continue to ponder how to avoid "hockey pucking".
** "Save the Arena Floor" upgrade...
*** We will modify the software to take advantage of the wheel telemetry information we have (via bidirectional dShot) to avoid "spinning our wheels".
*** This will not only stop us from ripping apart the arena floor (like a saw blade), but:
**** It will be much quieter.
**** It should enable us to spin up much faster (using static friction instead of dynamic friction).
* <br />Rev-6 : February-2022 Same as Rev-5 except:
** Major Shell Redesign
*** After failures during the December finals, we have decided to move away from UHMW or HDPE as shell materials. These materials were too prone to failure around the metal ring.
*** The outer shells are now printed out of TPU plastic.
*** Smaller batteries
** New AR500 weapon options
*** Long reach weapon, made of stacked 1/8" AR500.
**** via send-cut-send.
**** Allows us to play the reach game with other horizontals, and keeps big wheel bots away from our chassis.
**** Welded together, questionable structural integrity.
** New PCB iteration
*** Smaller
*** Lighter
*** Bluetooth to remote external devices
**** Functional, but requires an add-on board that is hard to fit in 3 pound bot.
**** Provides battery, temp, and speed telemetry in real time
*** Smarter layout, better components.
* <br />Rev7 changes (Sept/Nov/December 2022)
** Changed shell layout to allow...
*** rotated hub motors so wheels are outward (instead of inward).
**** This provides a better "gear ratio", giving more torque to spin up (but decreases the final speed).
*** New PCB layout to accommodate...
**** multiple accelerometers, fewer parts, different parts
*** Better machined Inner/Outer Hubs
*** Thinner Titanium wheels.
** Software improvements for better drifting
** (Finally) did revision 1 of autonomous software


__NOTOC__
===Robot Facts===
The first appearance was at the March 2019 NHRL event. The very first version used an 8" diameter aluminum pipe cut into two 1/2" thick slices with a notch cut out for the AR500 tooth (with two bolt holes).


{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" style="float:right; margin-left:1em; width: 35%;"
Since then, Liftoff has used several laser or waterjet-cut AR500 steel rings. These rings have been sandwiched or otherwise mounted to CNC'd UHMW/HDPE or 3D printed TPU bodies that contain the primary electronics and battery. This has proven to be a durable, and adaptable construction method.
|+ '''Robot Facts'''

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 60%"
|-
|-
|Driver||[[Andrew Kazmer]] (mostly) [[Jim Kazmer]] (sometimes)
! Driver || [[Andrew Kazmer]] (Primary), [[Jim Kazmer]] (Alternate)
|-
|-
! Team Captain || [[Jim Kazmer]]
|Weight Class||[[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]
|-
|-
! Weight Class || [[3lb Weight Class|3lb]]
|Body Material||TPU, HDPE, AR500
|-
|-
|Weapon||Meltybrain Spinner
! Type || MeltyBrain Spinner
|-
|-
! Body Material || TPU shell, AR500 weapon ring
|Weapon Drive||NA
|-
|-
! Weapon || Meltybrain with Modular Tooth Configurations
|Drive||2 x Propdrive 2836 1200kv, 1.55" Titanium "Cleat" Wheels
|-
|-
! Drive Motors || 2× PropDrive 2836 1200kv hub motors, 1.55" titanium "cleat" wheels
|Power||2x4S 450mah LiPo
|-
! Battery || 2× 4S 550mAh LiPo in parallel
|-
! Spin Rate || 2,000–4,000 RPM
|-
! First Event || March 2019 NHRL
|-
! Notable Achievements || First MeltyBrain to win an NHRL event (Sept 2021), 3-time World Championship Qualifier, 3rd Place finish at 2022 World Championship
|}
|}
== Design Philosophy ==
[[File:PL Minibot.jpg|thumb|Minibot - 1lb Titanium wedge, TPU body]]
{{Bot Stats|bot=Project_LiftOff|class=3lb}}


Project Liftoff has used several laser- or waterjet-cut '''AR500 steel rings''' as its weapon throughout its lifetime. These rings are sandwiched or otherwise mounted to 3D-printed TPU bodies that house the primary electronics and battery. This construction has proven both durable and remarkably adaptable — it has allowed the design to evolve significantly across nine revisions while preserving the core platform. In Revision 8, Project Liftoff gained the capability to use modular weapons, allowing mid-cutter, undercutter, and flying wedge configurations based on the desired weapon interaction with the opponent.[[File:Deterministic System.png|thumb|295x295px|Opposing orthogonal accelerometers create a deterministic system that can account for changes in the center of rotation and maintain an accurate RPM and heading despite changes to the bot's center of mass caused by battle damage.]]
== Select Fights ==
== Revision History ==
{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2oilmugmZw}}


=== Rev 1.0 — March 2019 ===
==Gallery==
[[File:Project Liftoff a March-2019.jpg|thumb|right|Project LiftOff — March 2019 (Rev 1.0)]]
<gallery widths=250px heights=250px>
First appearance, at the March 2019 NHRL event. The original weapon was an 8" diameter aluminum pipe cut into two ½" thick slices with a notch for an AR500 tooth (two bolt holes).
File:Project Liftoff March-2019.jpg|Project LiftOff in March 2019
* '''Processor:''' Arduino Nano
File:DSC01159.jpg|Project LiftOff in May 2019
* '''Accelerometer:''' MPU-6050 (±16g, 12-bit)
File:DSC01257.jpg|Project LiftOff in August 2019
* '''Receiver Interface:''' standard RC-PWM into UART
File:Project Liftoff.jpg|Project LiftOff in July 2020
* '''Motor Control:''' OneShot125 via PWM manipulation @ ~800Hz
File:Project LiftOff e July-2020.jpg|Project LiftOff in July 2020 (alt)

File:Project Liftoff Sept-2020.jpg|Project LiftOff in September 2020
=== Rev 1.1 — May 2019 ===
File:PXL 20210320 135444504.jpg|Project LiftOff in March 2021
File:Project Liftoff.png|Project LiftOff in April 2022
[[File:Project LiftOff b May-2019.jpg|thumb|right|Project LiftOff — May 2019 (Rev 1.1)]]
Switched from 8" aluminum rings to a 9" AR500 ring with a single tooth (and hand-cut HDPE body). The pointed AR500 tooth proved too aggressive — it became embedded in the arena wall on multiple occasions.
File:Projectliftoff-removebg.png|Project LiftOff in April 2022

File:Projectliftoff Nov 2022.png|Project LiftOff in November 2022
=== Rev 1.2 — August 2019 ===
File:Competitors 1.jpg|Andrew and Jim Kazmer, November 2022
[[File:Project LiftOff c Aug-2019.jpg|thumb|right|Project LiftOff — August 2019 (Rev 1.2)]]
Refinements to the body and weapon ring profile.

''Derivative: '''Sir Pops A Lot''' (Rev 1.15, August 2019) — pictured below.''
[[File:Project LiftOff d2 Sir Pops Alot Aug-2019.jpg|thumb|right|Sir Pops A Lot derivative — August 2019 (Rev 1.15)]]

=== Rev 2.0 — 2020 ===
[[File:Project Liftoff July-2020.jpg|thumb|right|Project LiftOff — July 2020 (Rev 2.0)]]
Major electronics overhaul. The MPU-6050 accelerometer was retired in favor of motor eRPM telemetry from the ESCs via bidirectional dShot.
* '''Processor:''' Teensy 4.0
* '''Accelerometer:''' none — used motor eRPM telemetry
* '''Receiver Interface:''' RC-SBUS into UART
* '''Motor Control:''' dShot600 via SPI manipulation @ 8000Hz
* '''Additional Sensors:''' active IR
* '''Body:''' CNC'd HDPE
* '''Weapon:''' new 8" AR500 ring with a more blunt tooth profile

''Derivative: '''Flip-N-Cut''' (Rev 2.05, July 2020).''
[[File:Project LiftOff f Flip n Cut July-2020.jpg|thumb|right|Flip-N-Cut derivative — July 2020 (Rev 2.05)]]

=== Rev 3 — 2021 ===
[[File:PXL 20210320 135444503.jpg|thumb|right|Project LiftOff — March 2021 (Rev 3.0)]]
Same electronics as Rev 2, with an improved algorithm, revised wheel orientation, and a return to a dedicated accelerometer.
* '''Processor:''' Teensy 4.0
* '''Accelerometer:''' H3LIS331DL (±400g, 16-bit)
* '''Receiver Interface:''' RC-SBUS into UART
* '''Motor Control:''' dShot600 via SPI manipulation @ 8000Hz
* '''Additional Sensors:''' active IR
* '''Battery:''' upgraded from 3S 1300 to 2x 4S 650 mAh in parallel.
* '''Construction:''' new "motor pod" sandwiched by two clamshell HDPE halves
* Wheels placed inline with the weapon tooth (later reverted)
* Algorithm simplification

=== Rev 4 — May / July 2021 - Motor Durability is Kryptonite ===
The hunt for a more durable motor.
* '''May 2021:''' custom motor with internal thrust bearing using "no-name" stators (the thrust bearing still failed by the third fight).
* '''July 2021:''' thrust bearing fitted inside a PropDrive motor by combining a PD-2826 stator with a PD-2830 motor can. (The same trick works with a PD-2830 stator and a PD-2836 can — the PD-2836 is really a 2834.) This sacrificed power for durability; the new failure points became the set screws and motor axle.
* Wheel axis returned to 90° from the weapon (inline wheels worsened "hockey-pucking").
* Weight distribution made fully symmetric: instead of a heavy counter-balance opposite a single tooth (which sent the chassis flying when the tooth stopped on impact), the design moved to '''two symmetric weapon teeth'''.
* Body changed to a full-round HDPE shell (re-designed and re-cut).
* Weapon ring made narrower to offset the heavier shell, with bolt holes removed to maximize strength.
* '''First titanium wheels.''' Thanks to Joe Fabbiani (SMEEEEEEEEEE) and Calvin Iba (Lynx) for sharing the idea.

=== Rev 5 — September 2021 - Hubmotors deliver the win ===
[[File:Project Liftoff - September 2021 (rev 5.0).jpg|thumb|right|Project LiftOff — September 2021 (Rev 5.0). The bot went on to '''win the 3lb division undefeated''', with 4 KOs and 3 judges' decisions.]]
[[File:Annotated Project LiftOff Internals.jpg|thumb|right|Annotated Sept-2021 internals. Accelerometer and RC receiver are on the underside of the PCB.]]
The breakout revision. Project LiftOff went '''undefeated''' at the September 2021 NHRL event, winning the 3lb division with 4 KOs and 3 judges' decisions — and becoming the first MeltyBrain to win an NHRL event.

* '''Motor:''' upgraded to PropDrive 2836 for more power.
* '''Hub Motor design:'''
** 6mm dead axle
** Two 626 bearings (1,000+ lb dynamic load)
** Custom-machined aluminum inner (motor can) and outer (wheel) hubs, done on a home CNC at 0.2mm layer height
** Titanium wheels via SendCutSend
** No more set-screw failures
** Thanks to Brian Boxell (Eruption) for hub-motor guidance.
* '''Weapon ring redesign:''' same 0.25" AR500, sourced via SendCutSend. Reduced from 326g (near-full circle) to 241g (near-rectangular). No bolt holes; tapered through the middle.
* HDPE shell redesigned to match.

==== Known Rev 5 issues (carried into Nov 2021) ====
* Aluminum CNC mistakes (over-clamping, double-sided alignment) caused slight defects in the motor hubs, leading to Hub Motor misalignment, friction, and lost power.
* The bot was never properly software-tuned at the November event — hardware fixes ran until midnight Friday, controls were upside-down and backwards all of Saturday, and IR object/wall detection was unusable due to misalignment.

=== Rev 6 — February 2022 - Jump from UHMW to TPU ===
[[File:LiftoffTPU.jpg|thumb|right|Project LiftOff — February 2022 (Rev 6.0), pictured before Motorama Robot Conflict]]
After failures during the December 2021 finals, UHMW and HDPE were retired as shell materials — both proved too prone to failure around the metal ring.
* '''Shell:''' 3D-printed in TPU
* '''New AR500 weapon options:''' a long-reach weapon made of stacked ⅛" AR500 (welded), via SendCutSend. Lets Project Liftoff play the reach game against other horizontals and keeps big-wheel bots away from the chassis. Structural integrity of the welds is questionable.
* '''New PCB iteration:''' smaller, lighter, smarter component layout. Bluetooth telemetry to remote external devices (battery, temperature, speed) — functional but requires an add-on board that's tight to fit in 3 lbs.

=== Rev 7 — Sept / Nov / December 2022 - The Breakthrough ===
[[File:Projectliftoff 3lb Sept22.png|thumb|right|Project LiftOff at NHRL September 2022 (Rev 7)]]Perhaps the golden era of Project Liftoff improvements and performance, Liftoff went on an absolute tear finishing 3rd in back to back November and World Championship events, with a combined record of 9 wins and 4 losses.
* Shell layout reworked so the hub motors could be rotated with the wheels facing '''outward''' instead of inward — a better effective gear ratio, trading top speed for spin-up torque.
* New PCB layout supporting multiple accelerometers, fewer parts, and improved component selection.
* Better-machined inner/outer hubs.
* Thinner titanium wheels.
* Software improvements for cleaner drifting.
* '''First revision of autonomous software.'''

=== Rev 8 — 2023, 2024, and 2025 - Incremental Improvements ===
Project Liftoff only competed once in 2023 and once in 2024. Iterative shell changes were made during this period, but the bot was mostly unchanged from 2022. In 2025 the competition frequency picked up again, and the combination of a newly modular weapon system and software improvements resulted in Andrew returning from a three year driving hiatus to deliver a World Championship qualifying performance in November 2025.
=== Rev 9 — 2026 - Software Refresh, Wheel Improvements ===
New hybrid cleat/silicone wheels are intended to improve traction later in the match, after the cleats start to wear down.
* '''Microcontroller:''' Teensy 4.0
* '''Accelerometers:''' 2x H3LIS331DL (±400g, 16-bit)
* '''Receiver Interface:''' RC-SBUS into UART
* '''Motor Control:''' Bidirectional dShot600 via SPI manipulation @ 8000Hz
* '''Motors / Drive:''' Propdrive 2836 1200kv Hubmotors
* '''Weapon / Ring:''' Swappable mid-cutter, undercutter, and flying wedge configurations
* '''Shell / Body:''' TPU

== Notable Fights ==

=== Career Highlights ===
* '''September 2021 — NHRL 3lb Champion (undefeated):''' 4 KOs, 3 judges' decisions. The first and only MeltyBrain to win an NHRL event.
* '''December 2022''' '''— 3rd Place at NHRL World Championship'''
* '''November 2025 — Fight of the Year vs Sir Slicey:''' Narrow judges decision loss in a brutal back and forth matchup.

=== Featured Match ===
{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp2djzK6veE}}

== Related Bots ==

The Project Liftoff platform has spawned several derivatives and heavier siblings:

* '''[[Flip N' Cut]]''' — Derivative robot based on the flying wedge concept. Likely retired due to Project Liftoff modularity.
* '''[[Sir Pops A Lot]]''' — 3lb derivative, precursor to Flip and Cut.
* '''[[DeepMelt]]''' — Autonomous variant of the Project Liftoff platform.
* '''[[Flip-N-Cut 12]]''' — Team Liftoff's 12-pound MeltyBrain robot based on the flying wedge concept.
* '''[[Project LiftOff-30]]''' — 30lb sibling, scaling the same MeltyBrain design philosophy up two weight class.

{{Bot Stats|bot=Project Liftoff|class=3lb}}

== Gallery ==

<gallery widths="220" heights="220" mode="packed-hover">
File:Project Liftoff vs Komodo.webp|Project Liftoff vs Komodo
File:JCR Battle1.webp|Project Liftoff vs Lynx
File:May 2026 Liftoff.jpg|Project Liftoff at May 2026 NHRL
File:20221217 NHRL 5533dg.jpg|Team Liftoff at December 2022 NHRL
File:Flipncut.jpg|FlipNCut
File:Deepmelt.jpg|Deepmelt
</gallery>
</gallery>

== Acknowledgments ==

The Project LiftOff team would like to thank:
* '''Joe Fabbiani''' (SMEEEEEEEEEEEE) and '''Calvin Iba''' ([[Lynx]]) — for sharing the titanium-wheel concept (Rev 4).
* '''Brian Boxell''' ([[Eruption]]) — for direction and encouragement on the hub-motor design (Rev 5).


[[Category:3lb Bots]]
[[Category:3lb Bots]]

Latest revision as of 19:55, 11 May 2026

Project Liftoff from the May 2026 Event. A noteable upgrade is the hybrid cleat/molded wheel, which improves traction as the cleats wear down later in the match.

Project Liftoff is a 3lb MeltyBrain — a robot that moves via translational drift while its entire body spins at 2,000–4,000 RPM. Built and driven by Andrew Kazmer and Jim Kazmer it has competed at NHRL every year since the league's inception in 2019, and in 2021 became the first MeltyBrain to win an NHRL event. Project Liftoff has qualified for the NHRL Word Championship three times, in 2021, 2022, and 2025.

As of May 2026, Project Liftoff is in its 9th major design iteration.

Overview

Unlike many early MeltyBrains, Project Liftoff does not use an IR beacon. Instead, it carries dual opposed 3-axis accelerometers mounted at 45 degrees relative to the axis of rotation. This accelerometer configuration creates a deterministic system, and allows the bot to adapt to changes in the center of rotation mid fight.

Two pairs of directional LEDs (top/bottom and front/back) indicate orientation relative to the bot — not the arena. When properly tuned, these LEDs hold steady; they only shift as the bot ricochets off arena walls. The driver controls the bot relative to its "front" (the green LED), much like any conventional combat robot.


Robot Facts
Driver Andrew Kazmer (Primary), Jim Kazmer (Alternate)
Team Captain Jim Kazmer
Weight Class 3lb
Type MeltyBrain Spinner
Body Material TPU shell, AR500 weapon ring
Weapon Meltybrain with Modular Tooth Configurations
Drive Motors 2× PropDrive 2836 1200kv hub motors, 1.55" titanium "cleat" wheels
Battery 2× 4S 550mAh LiPo in parallel
Spin Rate 2,000–4,000 RPM
First Event March 2019 NHRL
Notable Achievements First MeltyBrain to win an NHRL event (Sept 2021), 3-time World Championship Qualifier, 3rd Place finish at 2022 World Championship

Design Philosophy

Project Liftoff has used several laser- or waterjet-cut AR500 steel rings as its weapon throughout its lifetime. These rings are sandwiched or otherwise mounted to 3D-printed TPU bodies that house the primary electronics and battery. This construction has proven both durable and remarkably adaptable — it has allowed the design to evolve significantly across nine revisions while preserving the core platform. In Revision 8, Project Liftoff gained the capability to use modular weapons, allowing mid-cutter, undercutter, and flying wedge configurations based on the desired weapon interaction with the opponent.

Opposing orthogonal accelerometers create a deterministic system that can account for changes in the center of rotation and maintain an accurate RPM and heading despite changes to the bot's center of mass caused by battle damage.

Revision History

Rev 1.0 — March 2019

Project LiftOff — March 2019 (Rev 1.0)

First appearance, at the March 2019 NHRL event. The original weapon was an 8" diameter aluminum pipe cut into two ½" thick slices with a notch for an AR500 tooth (two bolt holes).

  • Processor: Arduino Nano
  • Accelerometer: MPU-6050 (±16g, 12-bit)
  • Receiver Interface: standard RC-PWM into UART
  • Motor Control: OneShot125 via PWM manipulation @ ~800Hz

Rev 1.1 — May 2019

Project LiftOff — May 2019 (Rev 1.1)

Switched from 8" aluminum rings to a 9" AR500 ring with a single tooth (and hand-cut HDPE body). The pointed AR500 tooth proved too aggressive — it became embedded in the arena wall on multiple occasions.

Rev 1.2 — August 2019

Project LiftOff — August 2019 (Rev 1.2)

Refinements to the body and weapon ring profile.

Derivative: Sir Pops A Lot (Rev 1.15, August 2019) — pictured below.

Sir Pops A Lot derivative — August 2019 (Rev 1.15)

Rev 2.0 — 2020

Project LiftOff — July 2020 (Rev 2.0)

Major electronics overhaul. The MPU-6050 accelerometer was retired in favor of motor eRPM telemetry from the ESCs via bidirectional dShot.

  • Processor: Teensy 4.0
  • Accelerometer: none — used motor eRPM telemetry
  • Receiver Interface: RC-SBUS into UART
  • Motor Control: dShot600 via SPI manipulation @ 8000Hz
  • Additional Sensors: active IR
  • Body: CNC'd HDPE
  • Weapon: new 8" AR500 ring with a more blunt tooth profile

Derivative: Flip-N-Cut (Rev 2.05, July 2020).

Flip-N-Cut derivative — July 2020 (Rev 2.05)

Rev 3 — 2021

Project LiftOff — March 2021 (Rev 3.0)

Same electronics as Rev 2, with an improved algorithm, revised wheel orientation, and a return to a dedicated accelerometer.

  • Processor: Teensy 4.0
  • Accelerometer: H3LIS331DL (±400g, 16-bit)
  • Receiver Interface: RC-SBUS into UART
  • Motor Control: dShot600 via SPI manipulation @ 8000Hz
  • Additional Sensors: active IR
  • Battery: upgraded from 3S 1300 to 2x 4S 650 mAh in parallel.
  • Construction: new "motor pod" sandwiched by two clamshell HDPE halves
  • Wheels placed inline with the weapon tooth (later reverted)
  • Algorithm simplification

Rev 4 — May / July 2021 - Motor Durability is Kryptonite

The hunt for a more durable motor.

  • May 2021: custom motor with internal thrust bearing using "no-name" stators (the thrust bearing still failed by the third fight).
  • July 2021: thrust bearing fitted inside a PropDrive motor by combining a PD-2826 stator with a PD-2830 motor can. (The same trick works with a PD-2830 stator and a PD-2836 can — the PD-2836 is really a 2834.) This sacrificed power for durability; the new failure points became the set screws and motor axle.
  • Wheel axis returned to 90° from the weapon (inline wheels worsened "hockey-pucking").
  • Weight distribution made fully symmetric: instead of a heavy counter-balance opposite a single tooth (which sent the chassis flying when the tooth stopped on impact), the design moved to two symmetric weapon teeth.
  • Body changed to a full-round HDPE shell (re-designed and re-cut).
  • Weapon ring made narrower to offset the heavier shell, with bolt holes removed to maximize strength.
  • First titanium wheels. Thanks to Joe Fabbiani (SMEEEEEEEEEE) and Calvin Iba (Lynx) for sharing the idea.

Rev 5 — September 2021 - Hubmotors deliver the win

Project LiftOff — September 2021 (Rev 5.0). The bot went on to win the 3lb division undefeated, with 4 KOs and 3 judges' decisions.
Annotated Sept-2021 internals. Accelerometer and RC receiver are on the underside of the PCB.

The breakout revision. Project LiftOff went undefeated at the September 2021 NHRL event, winning the 3lb division with 4 KOs and 3 judges' decisions — and becoming the first MeltyBrain to win an NHRL event.

  • Motor: upgraded to PropDrive 2836 for more power.
  • Hub Motor design:
    • 6mm dead axle
    • Two 626 bearings (1,000+ lb dynamic load)
    • Custom-machined aluminum inner (motor can) and outer (wheel) hubs, done on a home CNC at 0.2mm layer height
    • Titanium wheels via SendCutSend
    • No more set-screw failures
    • Thanks to Brian Boxell (Eruption) for hub-motor guidance.
  • Weapon ring redesign: same 0.25" AR500, sourced via SendCutSend. Reduced from 326g (near-full circle) to 241g (near-rectangular). No bolt holes; tapered through the middle.
  • HDPE shell redesigned to match.

Known Rev 5 issues (carried into Nov 2021)

  • Aluminum CNC mistakes (over-clamping, double-sided alignment) caused slight defects in the motor hubs, leading to Hub Motor misalignment, friction, and lost power.
  • The bot was never properly software-tuned at the November event — hardware fixes ran until midnight Friday, controls were upside-down and backwards all of Saturday, and IR object/wall detection was unusable due to misalignment.

Rev 6 — February 2022 - Jump from UHMW to TPU

Project LiftOff — February 2022 (Rev 6.0), pictured before Motorama Robot Conflict

After failures during the December 2021 finals, UHMW and HDPE were retired as shell materials — both proved too prone to failure around the metal ring.

  • Shell: 3D-printed in TPU
  • New AR500 weapon options: a long-reach weapon made of stacked ⅛" AR500 (welded), via SendCutSend. Lets Project Liftoff play the reach game against other horizontals and keeps big-wheel bots away from the chassis. Structural integrity of the welds is questionable.
  • New PCB iteration: smaller, lighter, smarter component layout. Bluetooth telemetry to remote external devices (battery, temperature, speed) — functional but requires an add-on board that's tight to fit in 3 lbs.

Rev 7 — Sept / Nov / December 2022 - The Breakthrough

Project LiftOff at NHRL September 2022 (Rev 7)

Perhaps the golden era of Project Liftoff improvements and performance, Liftoff went on an absolute tear finishing 3rd in back to back November and World Championship events, with a combined record of 9 wins and 4 losses.

  • Shell layout reworked so the hub motors could be rotated with the wheels facing outward instead of inward — a better effective gear ratio, trading top speed for spin-up torque.
  • New PCB layout supporting multiple accelerometers, fewer parts, and improved component selection.
  • Better-machined inner/outer hubs.
  • Thinner titanium wheels.
  • Software improvements for cleaner drifting.
  • First revision of autonomous software.

Rev 8 — 2023, 2024, and 2025 - Incremental Improvements

Project Liftoff only competed once in 2023 and once in 2024. Iterative shell changes were made during this period, but the bot was mostly unchanged from 2022. In 2025 the competition frequency picked up again, and the combination of a newly modular weapon system and software improvements resulted in Andrew returning from a three year driving hiatus to deliver a World Championship qualifying performance in November 2025.

Rev 9 — 2026 - Software Refresh, Wheel Improvements

New hybrid cleat/silicone wheels are intended to improve traction later in the match, after the cleats start to wear down.

  • Microcontroller: Teensy 4.0
  • Accelerometers: 2x H3LIS331DL (±400g, 16-bit)
  • Receiver Interface: RC-SBUS into UART
  • Motor Control: Bidirectional dShot600 via SPI manipulation @ 8000Hz
  • Motors / Drive: Propdrive 2836 1200kv Hubmotors
  • Weapon / Ring: Swappable mid-cutter, undercutter, and flying wedge configurations
  • Shell / Body: TPU

Notable Fights

Career Highlights

  • September 2021 — NHRL 3lb Champion (undefeated): 4 KOs, 3 judges' decisions. The first and only MeltyBrain to win an NHRL event.
  • December 2022 — 3rd Place at NHRL World Championship
  • November 2025 — Fight of the Year vs Sir Slicey: Narrow judges decision loss in a brutal back and forth matchup.

Featured Match

Load video
YouTube

Related Bots

The Project Liftoff platform has spawned several derivatives and heavier siblings:

  • Flip N' Cut — Derivative robot based on the flying wedge concept. Likely retired due to Project Liftoff modularity.
  • Sir Pops A Lot — 3lb derivative, precursor to Flip and Cut.
  • DeepMelt — Autonomous variant of the Project Liftoff platform.
  • Flip-N-Cut 12 — Team Liftoff's 12-pound MeltyBrain robot based on the flying wedge concept.
  • Project LiftOff-30 — 30lb sibling, scaling the same MeltyBrain design philosophy up two weight class.












Statistics

Info

  • Rank: #40 in 3lb.
  • Last 5 fights: WLWWL
  • Current streak: L1 (0 KOs/KO'd)
  • Longest winning streak: 7 (4 KOs)
  • Longest losing streak: 3 (3 KO'd)
  • Avg fight time (seconds): 134.1

Record

Year Events Fights W L % KOs KO'd
2018-19 3 10 6 4 0.600 4 4
2020 3 10 4 6 0.400 3 4
2021 6 20 12 8 0.600 8 3
2022 4 21 13 8 0.619 5 5
2023 1 4 3 1 0.750 1 0
2024 1 3 2 1 0.667 0 1
2025 3 13 7 6 0.538 3 4
2026 3 12 8 4 0.667 3 2
All-Time 24 93 55 38 0.591 27 23


Events

Date Fought as Reached Place Fights W L KOs KO'd
March 9, 2019 Losers 2 3 2 1 2 1
May 10, 2019 Losers 5 4th 6 4 2 2 2
August 10, 2019 Project Liftoff Losers 1 1 0 1 0 1
July 18, 2020 Losers 3 4 2 2 2 1
July 19, 2020 Project Liftoff Losers 4 4 2 2 1 1
September 19, 2020 Project Liftoff Losers 1 2 0 2 0 2
March 20, 2021 Project LiftOff Losers 3 3 1 2 0 0
May 15, 2021 Project Liftoff Losers 3 3 1 2 1 2
July 24, 2021 Project Liftoff Losers 6 2 1 1 1 0
September 18, 2021 Project Liftoff Final 1st 7 7 0 4 0
November 13, 2021 Project LiftOff Losers 1 1 0 1 0 1
December 18, 2021 Project LiftOff Losers 4 4 2 2 2 0
April 23, 2022 Project LiftOff Elimination 4 4 2 2 2 2
September 17, 2022 Project Liftoff Elimination Round 5 4 2 2 1 1
November 12, 2022 Project LiftOff Elimination Final 3rd 7 5 2 2 0
December 17, 2022 Project LiftOff Elimination Final 3rd 6 4 2 0 2
March 18, 2023 Project LiftOff Round 5 4 3 1 1 0
March 2, 2024 Project LiftOff Round of 32 3 2 1 0 1
May 3, 2025 Project LiftOff Prelim Rd. 3 3 1 2 0 1
November 1, 2025 Project LiftOff-3 Semifinals 8 6 2 3 1
December 6, 2025 Project LiftOff-3 Prelims Rd. 2 2 0 2 0 2
March 7, 2026 Project LiftOff-3 Round of 16 4 3 1 1 0
April 4, 2026 Project LiftOff-3 Round of 32 3 2 1 2 1
May 2, 2026 Project LiftOff-3 Round of 32 5 3 2 0 1


Opponents

Opponent Fights W L KOs KO'd Last Meeting
Eruption 3 2 1 1 1 December 17, 2022
Lynx 3 0 3 0 2 December 17, 2022
Judge's Dream 2 2 0 0 0 September 18, 2021
SawMurai 2 1 1 1 0 July 24, 2021
Chubby Unicorn 2 1 1 0 1 December 17, 2022
Polywog 2 1 1 0 1 December 17, 2022
Wasp 2 0 2 0 2 May 10, 2019
Sir Slicey 2 0 2 0 1 December 6, 2025
Caldera 2 0 2 0 0 December 18, 2021
Jack Rabbit 2 0 2 0 0 July 19, 2020
[[]] 1 1 0 1 0 April 4, 2026
Pretty In Pink 1 1 0 1 0 April 4, 2026
[[]] 1 1 0 1 0 March 7, 2026
Skyhook 1 1 0 1 0 November 1, 2025
Square 1 1 0 1 0 November 1, 2025
Comet 1 1 0 1 0 November 1, 2025
Black Havoc 1 1 0 1 0 March 18, 2023
HiveLighter 1 1 0 1 0 November 12, 2022
Professor Hex 1 1 0 1 0 November 12, 2022
Crisis (II) 1 1 0 1 0 September 17, 2022
Arr See Saw 1 1 0 1 0 April 23, 2022
Scab Armour 1 1 0 1 0 April 23, 2022
Voxel (3lb) 1 1 0 1 0 December 18, 2021
Starchild 1 1 0 1 0 December 18, 2021
Dark Princess 1 1 0 1 0 September 18, 2021
Be Careful What You Wish For 1 1 0 1 0 September 18, 2021
Booooring 1 1 0 1 0 September 18, 2021
Razor Storm 1 1 0 1 0 September 18, 2021
OffTrack 1 1 0 1 0 May 15, 2021
BB2X 1 1 0 1 0 July 19, 2020
Yes 1 1 0 1 0 July 18, 2020
Kill Joy 1 1 0 1 0 May 10, 2019
Bad Bot 1 1 0 1 0 May 10, 2019
Maw 1 1 0 1 0 March 9, 2019
Cookie Monster 1 1 0 1 0 March 9, 2019
Ironhide 1 1 0 0 0 May 2, 2026
[[]] 1 1 0 0 0 May 2, 2026
[[]] 1 1 0 0 0 May 2, 2026
Blink 1 1 0 0 0 March 7, 2026
Bee-Roll 1 1 0 0 0 March 7, 2026
Temporal Terror 1 1 0 0 0 November 1, 2025
Colossus 1 1 0 0 0 November 1, 2025
Actual Size 1 1 0 0 0 November 1, 2025
Zmeya 1 1 0 0 0 May 3, 2025
Black Beans 1 1 0 0 0 March 2, 2024
Ghastly 1 1 0 0 0 March 2, 2024
Kamino 1 1 0 0 0 March 18, 2023
Plot Twist 1 1 0 0 0 March 18, 2023
Komodo 1 1 0 0 0 December 17, 2022
Sepi01 1 1 0 0 0 December 17, 2022
War? Hard! 1 1 0 0 0 November 12, 2022
Red Hawk 1 1 0 0 0 November 12, 2022
Ablation 1 1 0 0 0 September 17, 2022
Murple 1 1 0 0 0 September 18, 2021
Black Adder 1 1 0 0 0 March 20, 2021
Oops!.. I did it again.. 1 1 0 0 0 July 19, 2020
Foiled Again 1 1 0 0 0 May 10, 2019
Nitro Hornet 1 1 0 0 0 May 10, 2019
Cicero 1 0 1 0 1 May 2, 2026
Zenith (II) 1 0 1 0 1 April 4, 2026
Jackalope 1 0 1 0 1 December 6, 2025
Prince 1 0 1 0 1 November 1, 2025
TAILSPIN 1 0 1 0 1 May 3, 2025
Onna-musha 1 0 1 0 1 March 2, 2024
Hurt Caboose 1 0 1 0 1 April 23, 2022
Spartan 1 0 1 0 1 November 13, 2021
Wumbo 1 0 1 0 1 May 15, 2021
Cybot 1 0 1 0 1 September 19, 2020
Shreddit Bro 1 0 1 0 1 September 19, 2020
Jack Move 1 0 1 0 1 July 19, 2020
Crisis (I) 1 0 1 0 1 July 18, 2020
Maelstrom 1 0 1 0 1 August 10, 2019
SMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE 1 0 1 0 1 March 9, 2019
Anubis 1 0 1 0 0 May 2, 2026
Chainsaw Kitty 1 0 1 0 0 March 7, 2026
Snowdrift 1 0 1 0 0 May 3, 2025
Voxel v;1 1 0 1 0 0 March 18, 2023
Stoneforge 1 0 1 0 0 November 12, 2022
Fully Defined 1 0 1 0 0 November 12, 2022
Hound 1 0 1 0 0 September 17, 2022
Silk 1 0 1 0 0 March 20, 2021

Click "Expand" to see this table.


Full Fight History

Date Opponent Round Result By Points Fight Length (s) Video
March 9, 2019 SMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Winners 1 Loss KO 191 https://youtu.be/kkKFOXhK-N8
March 9, 2019 Cookie Monster Losers 1 Win KO 87 https://youtu.be/NZ0MGYfzH1A
March 9, 2019 Maw Losers 2 Win KO 110 https://youtu.be/GYPio_R9Nbw
May 10, 2019 Wasp Winners 1 Loss KO 37 https://youtu.be/FXrn5Pc-kpM
May 10, 2019 Bad Bot Losers 1 Win KO 36 https://youtu.be/Nk_Ww_wjG0g
May 10, 2019 Kill Joy Losers 2 Win KO 35 https://youtu.be/slhqf76B28Y
May 10, 2019 Nitro Hornet Losers 3 Win Judges Decision 240 https://youtu.be/w6PuIMEVgPA
May 10, 2019 Foiled Again Losers 4 Win Judges Decision 240 https://youtu.be/KbC85bAwS1s
May 10, 2019 Wasp Losers 5 Loss KO 22 https://youtu.be/wcSgpkXklus
August 10, 2019 Tiny Huge Winners 1 Loss Forfeit 0.00
August 10, 2019 Maelstrom Losers 1 Loss KO -1.31 153 https://youtu.be/_ErE7kddM80?t=1738
July 18, 2020 Crisis (I) Winners 2 Loss KO -1.13 61 https://youtu.be/l3PcB1StgFc
July 18, 2020 SawMurai Losers 1 Win KO 1.00 150 https://youtu.be/K2yvU7pGh7w
July 18, 2020 Yes Winners 3 Win KO 55 https://youtu.be/sa132eFm5yQ
July 18, 2020 Jack Rabbit Losers 3 Loss Judges Decision 240 https://youtu.be/MEa9t6DcClc
July 19, 2020 BB2X Winners 2 Win KO 1.00 74 https://youtu.be/8wpOl1d6RNU
July 19, 2020 Jack Rabbit Winners 3 Loss Judges Decision -1.15 180 https://youtu.be/a5t4JmN0osI
July 19, 2020 Oops!.. I did it again.. Losers 3 Win Judges Decision 1.00 180 https://youtu.be/EPlzbLuOrVk
July 19, 2020 Jack Move Losers 4 Loss KO -1.00 92 https://youtu.be/dGqAdWRw-fc
September 19, 2020 Shreddit Bro Winners 1 Loss KO -1.00 50 https://youtu.be/43yxPZlrikE
September 19, 2020 Cybot Losers 1 Loss KO -1.13 71 https://youtu.be/hUkh1w0jhno
February 6, 2021 Drum Go Dum Winners 1 Loss Forfeit 0.00
February 6, 2021 Horvoc Losers 1 Loss Forfeit 0.00
March 20, 2021 Black Adder Winners 2 Win Judges Decision 1.00 180 https://youtu.be/MjKsedVz4zI
March 20, 2021 Silk Winners 3 Loss Judges Decision -1.00 180 https://youtu.be/y-SpTxTiP_8
March 20, 2021 Caldera Losers 3 Loss Judges Decision -1.08 180 https://youtu.be/-EwCzRLXJVo
May 15, 2021 OffTrack Winners 2 Win KO 1.00 87 https://youtu.be/R2w6HwN-8A4
May 15, 2021 Lynx Winners 3 Loss KO -1.00 43 https://youtu.be/5elaqlzA60k?t=16348
May 15, 2021 Wumbo Losers 3 Loss KO -1.14 137 https://youtu.be/5elaqlzA60k?t=24734
July 24, 2021 Unhinged Winners 1 Win Forfeit 0.00
July 24, 2021 Bumble Hooves Winners 2 Win Forfeit 0.00
July 24, 2021 Eruption Winners 3 Win KO 1.07 124 https://youtu.be/_X_fSdJPJvQ
July 24, 2021 SawMurai Winners 4 Loss Judges Decision -1.00 180 https://youtu.be/KxIHvfQ52mA
July 24, 2021 Bone Collector Losers 6 Loss Forfeit 0.00
September 18, 2021 Be Careful What You Wish For Winners 2 Win KO 1.00 124 https://youtu.be/McNXHRM9n4I?t=1600
September 18, 2021 Booooring Winners 3 Win KO 1.16 112 https://youtu.be/McNXHRM9n4I?t=13369
September 18, 2021 Razor Storm Winners 4 Win KO 1.00 35 https://youtu.be/McNXHRM9n4I?t=20200
September 18, 2021 Murple Winners 5 Win Judges Decision 1.20 180 https://youtu.be/McNXHRM9n4I?t=25276
September 18, 2021 Judge's Dream Winners 6 Win Judges Decision 1.21 180 https://youtu.be/McNXHRM9n4I?t=28269
September 18, 2021 Dark Princess Winners Semifinal Win KO 1.43 73 https://youtu.be/9yJIdpltHgg?t=831
September 18, 2021 Judge's Dream Final Win Judges Decision 1.46 180 https://youtu.be/9yJIdpltHgg?t=9587
November 13, 2021 Spartan Winners 2 Loss KO -1.30 162 https://youtu.be/ds70uaP__A4?t=7671
November 13, 2021 Pinevictus Losers 1 Loss Forfeit 0.00
December 18, 2021 Voxel (3lb) Winners 1 Win KO 1.19 84 https://youtu.be/3Vdh8qNF0ww?t=8046
December 18, 2021 Starchild Winners 2 Win KO 1.07 162 https://youtu.be/3Vdh8qNF0ww?t=11622
December 18, 2021 Lynx Winners 3 Loss Judges Decision -1.00 180 https://youtu.be/3Vdh8qNF0ww?t=17567
December 18, 2021 Caldera Losers 4 Loss Judges Decision -1.03 180 https://youtu.be/BkGCy7H9FPk?t=3959
April 23, 2022 Arr See Saw Undefeated 1 Win KO 1.00 148 https://youtu.be/wf528BQr0eA?t=5768
April 23, 2022 Scab Armour Undefeated 2 Win KO 1.00 147 https://youtu.be/wf528BQr0eA?t=12098
April 23, 2022 Chubby Unicorn Undefeated 3 Loss KO -1.06 78 https://youtu.be/wf528BQr0eA?t=18456
April 23, 2022 Hurt Caboose Elimination 4 Loss KO -1.00 179 https://youtu.be/wf528BQr0eA?t=28455
September 17, 2022 Crisis (II) Undefeated Round 2 Win KO 1.02 128 https://youtu.be/HXstJoqMM-c?t=8052
September 17, 2022 Ablation Undefeated Round 3 Win Judges Decision 1.00 180 https://youtu.be/HXstJoqMM-c?t=22172
September 17, 2022 Hound Undefeated Round 4 Loss Judges Decision -1.00 180 https://youtu.be/HXstJoqMM-c?t=30980
September 17, 2022 Eruption Elimination Round 5 Loss KO -1.00 119 https://youtu.be/HXstJoqMM-c?t=33629
November 12, 2022 HiveLighter Undefeated 2 Win KO 1.00 117 https://youtu.be/GrwhM8JogeE?t=13002
November 12, 2022 Professor Hex Undefeated 3 Win KO 1.00 22 https://youtu.be/GrwhM8JogeE?t=25715
November 12, 2022 War? Hard! Undefeated 4 Win Judges Decision 1.00 180 https://youtu.be/heNXK2dNk18?t=26595
November 12, 2022 Red Hawk Undefeated Quarterfinals Win Judges Decision 1.06 180 https://youtu.be/GrwhM8JogeE?t=35293
November 12, 2022 Fully Defined Undefeated Semifinals Loss Judges Decision -0.75 180 https://youtu.be/GrwhM8JogeE?t=38071
November 12, 2022 Chubby Unicorn Elimination Quarterfinals Win Forfeit 0.00
November 12, 2022 Polywog Elimination Semifinal Win Judges Decision 1.64 180 https://youtu.be/FJy8_vYTLnQ?t=6524
November 12, 2022 Stoneforge Elimination Final Loss Judges Decision -0.75 180 https://youtu.be/FJy8_vYTLnQ?t=8397
December 17, 2022 Komodo Undefeated 1 Win Judges Decision 1.09 180 https://youtu.be/b79xlq1G41M?t=3253
December 17, 2022 Sepi01 Undefeated 2 Win Judges Decision 1.06 180 https://youtu.be/b79xlq1G41M?t=8135
December 17, 2022 Chubby Unicorn Undefeated Quarterfinals Win Judges Decision 1.20 180 https://youtu.be/b79xlq1G41M?t=16058
December 17, 2022 Eruption Undefeated Semifinals Win Judges Decision 1.34 180 https://youtu.be/b79xlq1G41M?t=24553
December 17, 2022 Lynx Undefeated Final Loss KO -0.75 55 https://youtu.be/b79xlq1G41M?t=30039
December 17, 2022 Polywog Elimination Final Loss KO -0.75 173 https://youtu.be/b79xlq1G41M?t=39285
March 18, 2023 Plot Twist Boss Win Judges Decision
March 18, 2023 Black Havoc Round 2 Win KO 84 https://youtu.be/RyjtWMjVV2k?t=6133
March 18, 2023 Dutch Oven Round 3 Win Forfeit
March 18, 2023 Kamino Round 4 Win Judges Decision 180 https://youtu.be/RyjtWMjVV2k?t=18459
March 18, 2023 Voxel v;1 Round 5 Loss Judges Decision 180 https://www.youtube.com/live/xQTbCkwBmD4?feature=share&t=39404
March 2, 2024 Black Beans Qualifiers Rd. 1 Win Forfeit
March 2, 2024 Ghastly Qualifiers Rd. 2 Win Judges Decision 180 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=EX-d82621bd34644b5f&tournamentID=nhrl_mar24_3lb
March 2, 2024 Onna-musha Round of 32 Loss Tapout 22 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=W-34&tournamentID=nhrl_mar24_3lb
May 3, 2025 Zmeya Prelim Rd. 1 Win Judges Decision 1.00 180 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=EX-cf8613814ca9445b&tournamentID=nhrl_may25_3lb
May 3, 2025 Snowdrift Prelim Rd. 2 Loss Judges Decision -1.08 180 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=EX-e05e01b3c117482f&tournamentID=nhrl_may25_3lb
May 3, 2025 TAILSPIN Prelim Rd. 3 Loss Tapout -1.17 40 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=EX-a2d2bfb4c72e4152&tournamentID=nhrl_may25_3lb
November 1, 2025 Skyhook Prelims Rd. 1 Win Tapout 1.00 65 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=EX-2b1e695e19484517&tournamentID=nhrl_nov25_3lb
November 1, 2025 Prince Prelims Rd. 2 Loss Tapout -1.00 75 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=EX-c262ac90163f4374&tournamentID=nhrl_nov25_3lb
November 1, 2025 Square Prelims Rd. 3 Win KO 1.00 117 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=EX-86a5b32403df402f&tournamentID=nhrl_nov25_3lb
November 1, 2025 Temporal Terror Round of 48 Win Judges Decision 1.00 180 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=W-13&tournamentID=nhrl_nov25_3lb
November 1, 2025 Comet Round of 32 Win KO 1.32 68 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=W-38&tournamentID=nhrl_nov25_3lb
November 1, 2025 Colossus Round of 16 Win Judges Decision 1.14 180 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=W-51&tournamentID=nhrl_nov25_3lb
November 1, 2025 Actual Size Quarterfinals Win Judges Decision 1.02 180 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=W-57&tournamentID=nhrl_nov25_3lb
November 1, 2025 Sir Slicey Semifinals Loss Judges Decision -0.50 180 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=W-60&tournamentID=nhrl_nov25_3lb
December 6, 2025 Sir Slicey Prelims Rd. 1 Loss KO -1.00 136 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=EX-c39e9446c8f546f4&tournamentID=nhrl_dec25_3lb
December 6, 2025 Jackalope Prelims Rd. 2 Loss KO -1.00 125 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=EX-178afecd16c8470f&tournamentID=nhrl_dec25_3lb
March 7, 2026 [[]] Prelims Rd. 1 Win Tapout 1.00 77 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=EX-9a93e69007ad4284&tournamentID=nhrl_mar26_3lb_
March 7, 2026 Blink Prelims Rd. 2 Win Forfeit (Prelim) 1.00
March 7, 2026 Bee-Roll Round of 32 Win Judges Decision 1.00 180 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=W-41&tournamentID=nhrl_mar26_3lb_
March 7, 2026 Chainsaw Kitty Round of 16 Loss Judges Decision -1.00 180 https://brettzone.nhrl.io/brettZone/fightReview.php?gameID=W-52&tournamentID=nhrl_mar26_3lb_
April 4, 2026 [[]] Prelims Rd. 1 Win KO 159
April 4, 2026 Pretty In Pink Prelims Rd. 2 Win Tapout 115
April 4, 2026 Zenith (II) Round of 32 Loss Tapout 86
May 2, 2026 [[]] Prelims Rd. 1 Win Forfeit (Prelim)
May 2, 2026 Cicero Prelims Rd. 2 Loss KO 29
May 2, 2026 [[]] Prelims Rd. 3 Win Judges Decision 180
May 2, 2026 Ironhide Play-in Round Win Judges Decision 180
May 2, 2026 Anubis Round of 32 Loss Judges Decision 180

* Forfeits before the 2024 season are not counted in a bot's W-L record. Forfeits from 2024 and on are counted in a bot's W-L record.

For more information on how points are calculated for rankings, click here.

Click "Expand" to see this table.

Gallery

  • Project Liftoff vs Komodo

    Project Liftoff vs Komodo

  • Project Liftoff vs Lynx

    Project Liftoff vs Lynx

  • Project Liftoff at May 2026 NHRL

    Project Liftoff at May 2026 NHRL

  • Team Liftoff at December 2022 NHRL

    Team Liftoff at December 2022 NHRL

  • FlipNCut

    FlipNCut

  • Deepmelt

    Deepmelt

Acknowledgments

The Project LiftOff team would like to thank:

  • Joe Fabbiani (SMEEEEEEEEEEEE) and Calvin Iba (Lynx) — for sharing the titanium-wheel concept (Rev 4).
  • Brian Boxell (Eruption) — for direction and encouragement on the hub-motor design (Rev 5).
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