Robot competitions have existed almost as long as robots. Most competitions are designed to improve the skills and knowledge of the robot builders, while others are designed to spur new technological developments that will result in more intelligent and useful robots. Most local robot clubs and organizations hold contests to encourage members to learn about robotics by actually building robots with the goal of completing specific tasks. Competitions are also being used very successfully by many educational organizations to promote the science and math skills of students. More recently, corporate media events known by names such as Robot Wars and Battlebots have come on the scene. These events consist of two or more radio controlled vehicles which appear to fight and destroy each while actually being controlled by humans off-screen. These "robot" events have become the professional wrestling of the robot world and spurred endless debates on the use (and misuse) of the word "robot".
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