Matt Nolan

Robotics Engineer & Maker

I'm fascinated with the intersection between mechanical, electrical, and software, and I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experiences with the community. Explore my projects, insights, and engineering journey.

Robotics and engineering illustration

Featured Projects

Explore a selection of my robotics and engineering projects. View the full list on the Projects page.

Mini Boi - 1lb Plastic Combat Robot
Active

Mini Boi - 1lb Plastic Combat Robot

A miniaturized version of my 3lb robot spinny boiii, redesigned for the plastic antweight class. Sports a beefy drum and brushless drive

Started: April 2025
Creature - 12lb Combat Robot
Active

Creature - 12lb Combat Robot

A high-performance hobbyweight combat robot with a strong lifter, heavy armor, and a powerful 4-wheel drivetrain

Started: July 2023
spinny boiii - 3lb Combat Robot
Active

spinny boiii - 3lb Combat Robot

A competitive beetleweight combat robot with an egg-beater drum weapon and a powerful magnet-assisted drive system

Started: February 2020
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Completed

Planned: July 31, 2026
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Completed

Planned: July 31, 2026
No Image
Completed

Planned: July 31, 2026

Recent Posts

The latest from the blog — event recaps, tutorials, and engineering deep dives.

Balloon in an Accelerating Car

Balloon in an Accelerating Car

Proving a classic physics brainteaser to myself

November 9, 2025
Basics of Tangent Drive

Basics of Tangent Drive

Tangent drive is becoming more popular for small combat robot drivetrains, and it has some interesting properties.

July 21, 2025 (Updated February 24, 2026)
Creature @ RCL National Championship 2025 (Event Recap)

Creature @ RCL National Championship 2025 (Event Recap)

Event summary and fight breakdowns for Creature at the Robot Combat League National Championship in May 2025

May 10, 2025