BattleBots: Managing the Risks of Robot Combat

We all know that lithium-ion batteries can overheat, ignite, and sometimes even cause explosions when damaged—now imagine those batteries in robots built to smash each other apart. That's the reality for the safety team of the long-running television series BattleBots. Today on the podcast, we chat with the founder and the safety manager of BattleBots to discuss how the show's engineering team blends cutting-edge design standards, inspections, arena containment, and rapid-response safety systems to manage extreme risks—delivering maximum destruction while keeping fans, teams, and staff protected. The interview was recorded live at the 2026 NFPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas. Links:  Watch episodes and clips of BattleBots in action Read more about the forthcoming NFPA 800, Battery Safety Code