Brains. Brawn. Unforgettable names like Wreck-n-Wheel, Wedgy and Iron Butterfly. Squeeze ’em all together and you have one heck of a robot smack down!

Lake Superior College’s 15th annual Robot Wars competition will slam into LSC’s Duluth Downtown Center, 120 N. Second Avenue West, on Thursday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where student-built and engineered robots will grapple in a one-on-one tournament-style format. Some robots will use moving blades. Some will use heavy drop-down hammers. Some will rely on speed.

All of them will be fighting to be the last robot standing. Robots designed and manufactured by LSC Integrated Manufacturing students will battle to the end in a double elimination tournament. Regional high schools, including Mesabi East, Cromwell/Wright and Marshall will also battle with a total of approximately 14 robots competing for survival.

“The goal is for students to not only create a tough robot, but a well-built and well-engineered robot,” said Integrated Manufacturing instructor Rich Kresky. “Battle robot design in the last couple of years has evolved into much stronger robots. We’re seeing more speed and attack power from the bots.”