When William Joel and I were planning how we could follow up on our first episode of Gadget Earth, we realized that in order to continue our quest to observe and record the behavior of gadgets in the wild and in captivity, we would first have to go back and start at the very beginning. So we set out to explore the world of the youngest gadgets: Botlings.

It turns out that Botlings must overcome the same kinds of challenges faced by many other small creatures. As they take their first tentative steps (or roll on their wheels or tracks; or fire up their rotors for the very first time), Botlings must quickly learn all of the skills necessary for their survival. Whether they are taught by their parents, or simply through the rough and tumble play with their siblings, Boltlings must learn fast if they hope to have any chance of reaching full gadgethood.

For episode two of Gadget Earth, Will managed to track down a couple of very young Battlebots in their natural habitat. Even at this young age they can be vicious, and he bravely filmed them (for perhaps the very first time in the wild) as they playfully rammed and hammered each other, learning moves that they will employ to such deadly effect in later life. Will also witnessed a litter of young quadrupeds being taught to hunt by their parents, and even visited some orphaned Botlings being nursed by volunteers in a gadget sanctuary.

So relax and enjoy Botlings, the second episode of Gadget Earth. And Sir David, if you’re still watching, don’t @ me.