Alumnus Spotlight: Brinkley Warren (ABJ ’05, MA ’12)

Brinkley Warren (ABJ ’05, MA ’12) is a fan of the Georgia Bulldogs and giant robots. Warren, a Double Dawg and Fulbright Scholar, received a scholarship from UGA to attend Singularity University in Silicon Valley in 2011. Today, Warren is one of three co-founders of MegaBots, Inc. a high-tech robotics company creating a new global sports league of giant, human-piloted robots.

Based out of Oakland, California, MegaBots, Inc. hopes to launch a global sports entertainment franchise of giant battling robots in stadiums and arenas. The ultimate goal is to create a new sport with millions of fans in stadiums around the world cheering on their favorite pilots and robots in epic robot battles.

The three MegaBots Co-Founders, from L-R, Brinkley Warren (ABJ ’05, MA ’12), Gui Cavalcanti, Matt Oehrlein standing in front of the MegaBot Mk. II at San Diego ComicCon 2015

The world will get its first taste of what these robot battles might look like when Team MegaBots faces Japan’s Suidobashi Heavy Industries in the world’s first gian robot duel. The company made history when it issued the challenge to Japan in June 2015. Japan, no stranger to giant human-piloted robots, accepted the challenge with one condition. The robots must engage in hand-to-hand combot.

In order to meet this requirement, MegaBots, Inc. must implement major upgrades to its robot, the Mk. II, before the fight in 2016. Originally designed for  long-range paintball combat, the Mk. II needs major upgrades to armor, power, speed and weapons systems to make it capable of hand-to-hand fighting.

MegaBots has assembled a team to help improve its robot and help America win the giant robot duel. Team members include Howe & Howe Technologies, NASA, IHMC Robotics and BattleBots co-founders Greg Munson and Trey Roski.

Learn more about MegaBots and how you can support its campaign on its website.