Chaos in the Workshop
BattleLab Robotica 2025 was chaos in its purest form. For months our workshop was alive at all hours, a mix of solder smoke, 3D printer hums, and the occasional shouting match about motor drivers. We began the season with four robots under construction, each one ambitious in its own way. But the closer we got to the event the more the field narrowed. Sleepless nights of debugging took their toll and in the end only two machines made it into the arena: Shobolinsky EVO MAX and Noctyss. Both carried aluminum chassis reminiscent of our very first sumo robots, but each represented a different path forward for the Shobolinsky philosophy.
EVO MAX
EVO MAX was designed to be a statement. It followed the low, aggressive wedge geometry that dominates the sumo scene, but instead of sticking to brushed DC motors and proven drivers, we outfitted it with BLDC power and custom electronics that pushed far beyond the usual current limits. On paper the result should have been unstoppable. In practice, the weak link showed itself: the motor drivers. When the match began, EVO MAX never moved. The drivers failed before the wheels could even spin.
“Pushing current beyond the limit of consumer hardware is a gamble you only lose once.”
It was painful to watch a robot with so much potential never get its chance to fight. But it was also a lesson written in smoke. Next year EVO MAX will return with custom designed BLDC controllers, hardened for the brutal demands of robot sumo, and then it will finally be able to show what it is capable of.
Noctyss
Noctyss was different. Built by Kristof as his personal project, it carried the scars and lineage of the original Shobolinsky robots. The chassis was familiar, but inside were custom sensors no other team had. Like EVO MAX, Noctyss joined the BLDC experiment, trading brushed motors for raw bursts of current that peaked at 120 amps. It fought with torque and intelligence, staying one step ahead thanks to its unique sensing system.
But raw power had a cost. One by one the motor drivers degraded under the current load. First it slowed, then it stuttered, and finally it froze. Still, even on failing hardware, Noctyss fought its way into 4th place. For the third year in a row Shobolinsky stood just outside the podium, proving resilience even when the machines were breaking beneath us.
“Project Noctyss never dies.”
Why It Mattered
BLR 2025 was never just about results in the arena. It was about risk. We chose to push into BLDC territory where no one else dared. We built our own sensors instead of buying standard packages. The results were messy, sometimes catastrophic, but always ours. EVO MAX may not have moved, Noctyss may have burned itself out, but both proved that Shobolinsky is not afraid to experiment in the open, with the whole field watching.
Lessons for the Future
We leave this cycle without a trophy, but with clarity. We now know that BLDC power requires custom drivers if it is to be truly reliable. We know that our sensing systems give us a genuine edge when paired with hardware that can keep up. And above all, we know that Noctyss will return. It will be rebuilt, refined, and reborn until it finally takes the top spot it has circled for three years.
The Return
Next year we will not bring two fragile experiments but battle-hardened successors. EVO MAX will rise again with drivers built to match its appetite. Noctyss will return, tougher than ever, carrying the lessons of every burnout. And behind them, new designs will grow, expanding the Shobolinsky family of sumo robots.
“The rats are not leaving the arena. They are coming back stronger, louder, and hungrier than ever.”