BioHazard

"This is BioHazard it's got a lifting arm that can pretty much turn over anything"

- Carlo Bertocchini in the American Robot Wars 1996 VHS

BioHazard was rectangular shaped robot armed with three bar lifter that competed in the final two years of the Robot Wars US tournaments. BioHazard was pioneered as one of the first lifter robots in the history of Robot Combat at that point as well using other revolutionary techniques such skirts to prevent wedge attacks. BioHazard's 1996 performance was documented heavily in the VHS American Robot Wars 1996, where it began champion, with the robot gaining the majority of the focus in the VHS.

Design
"This is BioHazard, it has a couple of electric actuators here, that raise this arm up and try to flip over one of the robots. It's got four big batteries back here, about fifty pounds of battery and thirty pound of motors here, think it's about three horse power in total, on the drive and on the arm. And I got spring loaded anti intrusion devices to stop other robots, other wedges from getting underneath me. And my scoop here is also spring loaded so I can get underneath any other robot, it can pick up a piece of paper off the ground."

- Carlo Bertocchini, describing his robot in an interview during the American Robot Wars 1996 VHS

For 1996, BioHazard was a rectangular shaped silver robot with a red biohazard logo on the top of it. It had the name BIOHAZARD in yellow and red labelled on the back end. It had two forklift-like plates on its lifting arm and no anti-wedge skirts but it had spring loaded anti-intrusion device underneath its frame which prevent wedges from getting underneath. It has four wheeled drive.

1996 Championship
"I've been to two previous Robot Wars and I thought I'd give it a try."

- Carlo Bertocchini

In the first round, BioHazard met Robert Redford Jnr. The battle was over very quickly, as Robert Redford Jnr slowly span around, BioHazard came charging in and slammed into Robert Redford Jnr, lifting it before dropping it back down. Robert Redford Jnr lingered as BioHazard came in on another charge and lifted Robert Redford Jnr up and over for good. "Robert Redford Jnr's weaponry was no help here. The BioHazard lift arm made sure of that!"

- Paul Vallis

In the second round, BioHazard fought TerMinal frenZy. BioHazard quickly sped forward as TerMinal frenZy attempted to position itself for an attack. TerMinal frenZy smashed down with its hammer only for the blows to deal little to no damage, BioHazard defended itself by having its lifting arm in an upward position, blocking any attacks. BioHazard then proceeded to lower the lifting arm before getting underneath and lifting TerMinal frenZy up and over. "Unfortunately TerMinal frenZy's hammer just bounced off of BioHazard who made short work by flipping him over."

- Paul Vallis

TerMinal frenZy attempted to self right but as it did it was unable to fully flip itself over again, instead TerMinal frenZy began to smoke and thus was counted out, eliminating TerMinal frenZy from the competition.

In the third round, BioHazard fought Killbborg a battle that was highly anticipated. "This was a highly anticipated battle between two of the best engineered robots in the competition but BioHazard's arm proved too effective."

- Paul Vallis

The two robots began tentatively as BioHazard awaited for Killbborg to make the first move. Killbborg had driven itself into one of the mousetrap hazards allowing BioHazard to drive in and attack Killbborg. Killbborg backed away and rammed BioHazard against the arena wall, but BioHazard gets away and drives around Killbborg attempting to lift it but failing to do so. Both robots circled each other until BioHazard gets in on the side and chucks Killbborg over.

"The smart money was on BioHazard to win but Vlad wasn't going to make that easy for him."

- Paul Vallis, comments at the beginning of the match

BioHazard then met Vlad the Impaler for a place in the final against La Machine. Both robots started off slowly getting nowhere near each other before eventually Vlad rammed BioHazard and lifted it up in the air. BioHazard manages to become freed and spins around the arena bashing into Vlad the Impaler but failing to gain any purchase to lift in its multiple attempts. Vlad the Impaler then rammed one of the mousetraps allowing BioHazard to come in and attempt to lift Vlad into the air but it lands on top of BioHazard and gets stuck on BioHazard's lifting arm. The two remain stuck for a while before BioHazard backs away and free the two only for Vlad the Impaler to come and throw BioHazard over. After a tense few seconds, BioHazard self rights and comes back into the action. "Vlad the Impaler's frustrated act of revenge came to nothing as BioHazard righted itself to take the winners bow."

- Paul Vallis midway through the fight

Vlad the Impaler rammed BioHazard after it self right but to no effect as BioHazard thwarted each attack by attempting a lift on it. Eventually, the fight draws to a close and the audience was chosen to pick a winner. BioHazard had won by an audience vote.

In the 1996 Championship final, BioHazard fought La Machine. Both robot circled each other with La Machine attempting to get underneath BioHazard, however, BioHazard's hidden skirts prevented this. La Machine backs away and accidentally drives into a "mousetrap". La Machine attempts to attack BioHazard a second time but is immediately lifted from the front. La Machine however drops and drives away from BioHazard only to be reversed into. Soon it became a game of cat and mouse as both robots dart across the arena attempting to get underneath one another. BioHazard manages to get a lift on La Machine but La Machine darts away only to get caught by a broken piece of the arena. Here, La Machine became immobile as BioHazard attempts to lift La Machine to show off its victory against La Machine. "La Machine is a much simpler robot and I just got about it and saw him last year and thought what it would take to beat him and design for that."

- Carlo Bertocchini in a post match interview

After the Main Championship, BioHazard appeared in a Heavyweight melee, which was heavily featured in Heat D of the First Wars, against La Machine, The Master, DooMore and Vlad the Impaler. For a majority of the fight, BioHazard stayed away from most of the action until it is attacked by La Machine who attempted to feed it into the saw of The Master. However, at one point The Master's blade falls off and darts across the arena allowing the other competitors to fight more freely. BioHazard targeted The Master and DooMore for a while, knocking the weaponless The Master about before assisting La Machine in taking down Vlad the Impaler. As BioHazard turns away, La Machine drives into it and slammed it into the arena corner, toppling BioHazard. DooMore used its numatic spiketo cause damage to the underbelly of BioHazard as The Master and Vlad the Impaler drive on top of it while La Machine continues to pressure it. After all the other opponents are defeated, La Machine after spinning in victory smashed into BioHazard one final time toppling BioHazard onto its wheels again. "With the victory spin outta the way, La Machine gives BioHazard a health check just to show who's boss!"

- Paul Vallis

BioHazard also won the prize for "Best Engineered" for the year.

Outside Robot Wars
After 1996, anti-wedge skirts were added in 1997 for more protection against flipping. However, the skirts led to BioHazard's demise when it was flipped by Vlad the Impaler in the Las Vegas 1999 quarterfinals--because of the skirts, BioHazard was unable to right itself. In the 1997 Robot Wars, BioHazard had won the Heavyweight tournament and was victorious in the Rumble afterwards.

BioHazard competed in all seven BattleBots events, from 1999 to 2002, winning four titles in the process, also being runner-up once, and a quarter-finalist twice, as well as winning one heavyweight rumble. These accomplishments made it the most successful bot in BattleBots history. It was first designed entirely on a computer before a single part was even purchased; it is likely to be the heavyweight robot with the second shortest height at just 4 inches, or 10 cm, high. Carlo said that designing BioHazard's low-profile frame was one of his greatest engineering accomplishments.

In a ComBots 2005 event, when robots built for destruction were beginning to develop, BioHazard had its lifter end and side skirt ripped off by Megabyte. It then suffered extreme damage to the front of its chassis from Brutality, causing BioHazard to retire.

Bertocchini was also building a superheavyweight robot for the later BattleBots events, but it was never completed.

Recently, a LEGO version of BioHazard fought at 2019's BrickCon.