Aggressive Machines · Edition #01
Battleboat
Buildathon
27 Nov – 13 Dec 2026 · Tallinn
Two weeks. One pool. Autonomous boats that shoot back.
Kickoff in
- Team size
- 3–5
- Entry
- Free
- Build period
- 2 weeks
- Arena
- Test pool
Intro video
Dropping soon. Filmed in the pool.
You and 2–4 others design, 3D print and assemble an autonomous boat with a BB launcher, then battle rival boats head to head on competition day.
- 01
Apply
Solo or as a team. Free. Takes three minutes.
- 02
Team up & get the kit
Form a crew of 3–5 at the opening ceremony. Collect your component kit.
- 03
Build in the lab
Design, print, wire and code across two weeks of lab evenings.
- 04
Battle in the pool
Timed obstacle course, then head-to-head PvP. Last boat shooting wins.
Two weeks. Five moments.
FRI 27 NOV
18:30 – 21:30
Opening ceremony
Intro, team forming, kit collection. Open to the public.
WED 2 DEC
17:00 – 22:00
Lab night one
Printing, building, mentor office hours.
WED 9 DEC
17:00 – 22:00
Lab night two
Keep building. Mentors on the floor.
FRI 11 DEC
14:00 – 18:00
Testing & workshop
Test course open in the pool.
SUN 13 DEC
11:00 – 18:00
Competition day & closing
Scrutineering, obstacle course, PvP battles, prizes. Open to the public.
Opening and closing are public. Bring friends. All times are Tallinn time (EET).
Add all dates to calendarWhat's on the line
Founder residency
The winning team earns a place in Unicorn Machine's in-person founder residency.
Workspace & lab access
Free workspace and lab access at Glazeworks. Duration to be announced.
Cash prizes
To be announced. More partner prizes coming soon.
Teams & kit
3–5 people per team. Every team builds from the same component kit, with 3D-printing instructions and a rules guidebook, so everyone starts level.
Safety first
BB launchers mean eye protection is mandatory in the Oven. Every boat passes scrutineering before it touches water.
Obstacle course
A timed, fully autonomous run through the course in the test pool. No remote control.
PvP battles
Head-to-head bouts. Boats hunt, aim and fire on their own. Hits decide it.
Full rulebook · Coming soon
Component kit
Motors, batteries, camera, BBs and more. Free.
3D printing
Printers and filament in the lab.
Lab access
Electronics benches and tools on lab evenings.
Mentors
Office hours with hardware and robotics engineers.
Food & drinks
Fuel for long build nights.
Network
Meet the hardware companies hiring in Estonia.
Glazeworks, Ülemiste City
The Lab
The Oven
The Office
Hosted by
frontiermachines.com ↗
Partners
Become a partner
Get in front of 50+ of the sharpest emerging hardware and software builders in the Baltics, and 200+ people in the room on competition day. Open to sponsors, media and distribution partners.
Who can join?+
Anyone 18+. We're aiming at university students and young professionals in hardware, software, CAD, electronics and robotics, but if you can build, you're in.
Do I need a team?+
No. Apply solo and we'll match you into a team of 3–5. Final teams form at the opening ceremony on 27 Nov.
Does it cost anything?+
No. Entry is free and every team gets a component kit.
What do I need to bring?+
It depends on the day. Opening: just yourself and your ideas. Lab nights: your laptop, charger and whatever you're working on; we have shared tools, printers and safety gear. Battle day: your finished boat with charged batteries, plus spare parts and tools for quick repairs. The rest of the build happens wherever your team works, with your own laptops and tools.
How does it run?+
It's part time, built around work and study. We kick off together on 27 Nov, then you have two weeks to build on evenings and weekends, wherever suits your team. Lab nights at Glazeworks are optional drop-in sessions. On 13 Dec everyone brings their boat for battle day.
Do I need to be in Tallinn?+
No. You can build your boat anywhere. Come to Tallinn for the opening and battle day, or just for battle day and the closing ceremony.
Can we print everything at the lab?+
Please don't plan on it. The lab's printers are shared by every team, so print most of your parts at home, at your university or at a local makerspace. Use the lab for fixes and the odd critical part.
Is travel covered?+
Not at the moment. There's no confirmed travel support yet. If that changes, we'll post it in Updates and email applicants.
Who owns what we build?+
Details are in the rulebook, which is coming soon. Our intent is that teams keep their designs and code.
Is it safe?+
Yes, with rules. Eye protection is required whenever launchers are live. Boats are scrutineered before competing, and launchers stay small-power BB only.
Apply to build
Free to enter · about three minutes · applying solo is fine, we'll find you a crew.
Join the WhatsApp group
Team finding, announcements and memes. All builders welcome.