The Original Executioner was a 15-pound combat robot designed and built by me and a team of peers under Placer Robotics, based in Roseville, California, with backing from the nonprofit Placer Advanced Robotics and Technology (PART). The robot was created for the 2024 BattleBots: Metal Mayhem competition at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, TX.

The robot featured a four-wheeled, indirect drive chassis, providing it with both stability and mobility in the arena. Its primary weapon was a front-mounted, asymmetrical eggbeater-style spinner—an over-4-pound bar that reached speeds of 11,000 RPM (249 mph tip speed). The weapon was designed for massive kinetic energy transfer and was powered by two brushless motors. Titanium corner pieces and integrated steel forks helped funnel opponents directly into the weapon's strike zone. Large metal “horns” on either side of the weapon allowed it to remain fully functional while inverted.

The Original Executioner began its competitive career with a challenging run at BattleBots Metal Mayhem. In the group stage, it went winless, facing mechanical issues including a detached baseplate. However, it rebounded in the single-elimination bracket, where it launched one opponent into the arena wall and later engaged in a back-and-forth match that ended with a knockout in the center of the arena.

Following Metal Mayhem, the Original Executioner competed at Sacramento Bot Battles. It secured a knockout win against Free Hugs before losing a judge's decision to Lunar Eclipse and later being eliminated by Queen of Hearts in the losers’ bracket.

Its development involved intensive CAD modeling in Fusion 360, hands-on fabrication, and iterative problem-solving. The build process emphasized team coordination, time management, and real-world application of mechanical design principles. The Original Executioner stood as a fully invertible, high-speed vertical spinner and served as a foundational project in the team's growth in competitive combat robotics.