Chico State Hosts Robotics Combat Tournament

Robotronica event features bots from campuses across California

Apr. 1, 2026 at 6:35pm

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The American Institute of Mechatronics Engineers (AIME) at Chico State University hosted a combat robotics tournament called Robotronica last Saturday. The event featured bots from various campuses and individuals competing in weight class brackets of 3 lbs and 1.5-2 lbs. Participants expressed optimism about their bots' performance, but some experienced technical issues that led to eliminations during the tournament.

Why it matters

Robotics competitions like Robotronica provide a platform for engineering students and hobbyists to showcase their skills, test their designs, and foster a community around the growing field of mechatronics. These events also generate interest and excitement around STEM education and innovation.

The details

The Robotronica tournament featured two arenas for the different weight classes. Participants came from schools like UC Berkeley and Technology High School, as well as unaffiliated individuals like Paul Paquin. The fights were live-streamed with commentary, and when a bot was destroyed, members of the Chico State AIME club would use shovels to remove it from the arena. Some participants, like Tylor Lynch, experienced technical issues with their bots that prevented them from proceeding in the tournament despite only having one elimination.

  • The Robotronica event was held last Saturday (April 5, 2026).
  • The tournament featured a bracket-style format, with two eliminations per bot.

The players

American Institute of Mechatronics Engineers (AIME)

A student organization at Chico State University that hosted the Robotronica combat robotics tournament.

Alan Jang

A participant from the UC Berkeley team who expressed optimism about his bot's performance.

Paul Paquin

An unaffiliated participant from Eldorado Hills who has been building robotics for five years, focusing on 3 lbs bots.

Tylor Lynch

A senior on the Chico State AIME team whose 3 lbs bot experienced technical issues, preventing him from proceeding in the tournament.

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What they’re saying

“I'm very optimistic. I'm optimistic that I will win at least one fight today.”

— Alan Jang, UC Berkeley team member

“They're [the opponent] kind of an opposite archetype of this guy [Paquin's bot], but I think I might have a good chance.”

— Paul Paquin, Unaffiliated participant from Eldorado Hills

“The motor, which I thought was totally fine. It turns out it is absolutely not fine. The can pulled off of the stater, it's completely locked up. Doesn't even spin anymore.”

— Tylor Lynch, Chico State AIME team senior

What’s next

The Chico State AIME club plans to host Robotronica again next year, with the goal of expanding the event and attracting more participants from across California.

The takeaway

Robotics competitions like Robotronica provide valuable opportunities for engineering students and hobbyists to showcase their skills, test their designs, and foster a community around the growing field of mechatronics. These events help generate interest and excitement around STEM education and innovation.