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White City robot builders: BattleBot �Gray Matter� will live to fight again Mail Tribune / Drew Fleming From left, Israel, Noah and Randy Mathewson of White City gather around the nearly 400-pound beast called Gray Matter II. It�s the fighting "robot" progeny of Gray Matter I that the trio will enter into competition for Comedy Central�s popular "BattleBots" show in May. The original Gray Matter can be seen meeting an unfortunate end on a marathon broadcast of the cable television show starting at 2 p.m. today. "This one," says Noah Mathewson of Gray Matter II, "they won�t have a chance against." By Jonel Aleccia WHITE CITY � BattleBot fans, fear not: "Gray Matter" will be back, stronger and smarter than ever. That�s the word from the Mathewson men of White City, who have designed, built and battled with a fighting robot in one of the fastest-growing cult sports around. "We haven�t broken down and they haven�t destroyed us," vows Noah Mathewson, a 25-year-old mechanic who, along with his father and brother, forged Gray Matter, right down to its 14-inch protruding spike. Unfortunately, the robot lost last November�s fight, as a televised marathon of BattleBot bouts will reveal starting at 2 p.m. today on the Comedy Central channel. For the uninitiated, or those without cable television, "BattleBots" is a wildly popular television show in which dedicated gearheads spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars building motorized robots, only to spend 3 minutes utterly destroying them in timed fights that feature spikes, saws, claws and hammers. It started in the late 1990s, when founders Trey Roski and Greg Munson went public with their passion for fighting robots. After an obscure debut on ZDTV, Comedy Central put the show on the air last summer. It�s now one of the network�s most popular features. Simply put, the goal of "BattleBots" is to triumph over all comers, winning a weight division or an overall "rumble," concluding with a possible prize of $6,000 and a trophy in the shape of a golden machine nut. The Mathewsons � including Noah, 25, Israel, a 27-year-old computer technician, and Randy, their 48-year-old father � decided to join the fray two years ago, after seeing a pay-per-view showing of a BattleBot competition. "We�re all pretty mechanical and competitive and we thought it would be a fun thing to do as a family," says Israel Mathewson. So the men watched several episodes of the show that features robots with names such as "Doom of Babylon" and "Atomic Wedgie" to scope out the potential competition. From the start, they planned to play with the big boys, to build a robot to compete in the super-heavyweight BattleBot division, which features machines tipping the scales at 316 to 488 pounds. For comparison, the divisions also include the lightweight class, with vehicles from 25 to 87 pounds. Gray Matter, which takes its name from a reference in a Stephen King novel, turned out to be 325 pounds of wheels and steel powered with two 3-horsepower engines and finished with that long spike. The men estimate they�ve spent a couple hundred hours and $3,000 on its construction. The robot�s secret weapon? Versatility, the Mathewsons say. "It can drive upside down or right side up," notes Noah. On its first foray last year at a Las Vegas bout, Gray Matter did the job against a robot called "Drillo-Dillo." "It has a big rock drill bit, but we overpowered it," says Israel Mathewson, who typically operates the robot�s remote controls. "I put the spike through its wheel and pulled it off." Gray Matter didn�t fare so well in subsequent bouts, losing to a particularly gruesome nemesis, "Minion." "He�s got a saw on the back and I blew up his saw," says Israel Mathewson, who takes comfort in the fact that they lost on a decision, not a knockout. "We got beat up pretty bad," concedes Noah Mathewson, gesturing toward the torn tires and warped rims on Gray Matter I. But the future dawns bright for the Mathewsons, who have been hard at work on the next incarnation of their robot. It will feature new gear boxes donated by NoRam and new controls courtesy of Curtis Instruments � two corporate sponsors who�ve recently stepped in. The next BattleBot fight will be Memorial Day weekend, May 24 to 28 in San Francisco, and the Mathewsons are feeling downright confident about their chances. The Mathewsons don�t know when that fight will be broadcast. "This one," says Noah Mathewson, patting the steel cage of Gray Matter II, "they won�t have a chance against." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.