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- Robotica host Dan Danknick
Mini Rip
Episode 1
Veteran Team Litewav had some trouble at the first Robotica competition. Chris Hannold and his team are back to take another run with a completely different design. The wheelbase is very short, which will help with debris crawling but will also make control very touchy.
Hammerhead
Episode 1
Israel Mathewson built combat 'bots before Hammerhead, but nobody ever built a 'bot quite like this! Inspired by the maneuverability of the log trucks in Oregon, Hammerhead pivots and swivels at it's center point to steer and step over obstacles with all-wheel drive.
Scrap 8.2
Episode 1
Devin Ostrom had a warehouse full of scrap parts to pick thru for robot parts. He pieced together an aggressive six-wheel design with a front lifting step and a unique rear 'pivot hammer' that extends when the 'bot spins. It looks like the 'bot can do it all if the homebrew electronics hold together.
Pshhht!
Episode 1
Pink Bots Rule! Tanya Bingham is the only female driver to compete at Robotica. Husband Douan campaigned 'Zero' in Robotica season 2 and Tanya wanted to get in on the action. The 'bot is a classic wedge design with a small vertical flywheel weapon in the nose. The short wheelbase makes the 'bot tricky to drive.
Jawbreaker's Revenge
Episode 2
Hydraulic titanium jaws with 3000 pounds of force are enough to intimidate anyone! Returning finalists from Robotica season 1, Team Jawbreaker have moved up the bar for Season 3. Can they control the wild beast? Will revenge be theirs?
Team Jawbreaker (archived)
Buzz Bomb
Episode 2
John Hoffman's little robot is the smallest and lightest robot in the competition. It's packed with power and John has reflexes like a cat -- can he outrun or outmaneuver his opponents?
Pangolin
Episode 2
A Pangolin ia a funny-looking mammal with hairy scales. Mike Adkins' Pangolin is not funny-looking at all! Six-wheel drive and an intricate interlocking chassis should make it maneuverable and hard to stop. Six-wheel 'bots have a very good record at Robotica.
Nemo's Nemesis
Episode 2
The widest 'bot in the competition! Andy Chen pushed Nemo's Nemesis all the way out to the maximum allowable 48" mark. Twin pneumatic front 'kickers' will try to knock a clear path for the wide beast. Will it fit thru the Labyrinth?
Re-InTriVerter
Episode 3
The Robotica Seasons 2 and 3 were filmed back-to-back, and Season 3 was one 'bot short of a full tournament -- so Ted Shimoda's entertaining 'InTriVerter' from Season 2 was re-named 'Re-InTriVerter' and had another go!
Panzer Mk 3
Episode 3
Todd Mendenhall's Panzer Mk 1 terrified the field at Robotica Season 1. Expect no mercy from them this season. The new pneumatic lifting plow and variable reduction transmission may spell doom for their opponents.
Zeus
Episode 3
Dominic Cardi's entry has more armor plates than a turtle at the crusades! Zeus was built to take a beating, but can it navigate Gauntlet and Labyrinth to get to the combat platform?
Terror
Episode 3
Heavy armor! Mark Talcott's boxy 'bot looks ready for the Fight to the Finish with well protected wheels and a pneumatic spike. Can he make it that far, or will a more nimble 'bot set him aside?
Dark Track
Episode 4
Go tank, go! Powered by six EV Warrior motors with a lot of chains and sprockets, Russ Barrow's Dark Track has quickness to match the mobility provided by its treads. Front ramming spikes and a rear lifting wedge make it well armed, but it sounds like two coffee grinders making love.
Rambot
Episode 4
Somebody was paying attention! Tom Sweeney's Rambot bears great resembalance to season 1 winner, 'Run Amok'. Tom's 'bot is tank steered, all-wheel drive, and has a pneumatic ram that emerges from the Lexan front wedge to ram an opponent over onto their back.
Particle Accelerator
Episode 4
Tom Hodo built a large six-wheeled box shaped robot out of particle board -- a material not known for its great strength. Featuring variable ground clearance and mounting a 12" circular saw for combat, the design looks OK on paper but is it reliable?
Viper Revision 2
Episode 4
The original version of Viper was a season 1 finalist that demonstrated more pushing power than anyone could match. The new 'revision' has more speed and even more power than the original -- but aluminum and Lexan have replaced steel. Is it robust enough to meet the challenge?
Juggerbot 3.0
Episode 5
Juggerbot was the fastest ram-bot at the first Robotica where they made it all the way to the final 'Fight to the Finish' before their luck turned sour. Juggerbot 3.0 is even a greater threat than the original. Power, speed, control, and a high-pressure pneumatic flipper all add up to a very serious contender.
Denominator
Episode 5
Chuck Bagby tried something different with his design: a box-shaped robot with very narrow wrap-around tracks. Very little ground clearance, and the narrow treads leave a lot of underbelly to high-center. If he can use the pneumatic swinging blade to bump the bot off of obstacles it may help.
Logoseye
Episode 5
Chris Gattman is lead singer for the NorthWest band LogosEye. He used to rock with Team Juggerbot, but wanted to call the shots on his own team, so Logoseye was born. The bot has great heritage, but did any of Juggerbot's magic rub of on Chris?
Da Claw
Episode 5
Undoubtedly the most expensive 'bot at Robotica. David Hill's odd-bot has no wheels but relies on 'shufflebot' propulsion. The articulated arm and grasping claw could grab and lift another 'bot to its doom -- if it works.
Ultra Violence
Episode 6
Jeff Cesnik and his team fell a few inches short of making the 'Fight to the Finish' in the finals of the first Robotica. Jeff is back with a more powerful rotating blade weapon that could rain 'bot pieces down from the rafters. Watch your yarbles, malchick. I hope their opponent is made out of something durable...
Fury
Episode 6
Brian Ondov and John Blackburn of Team Attrition built the 210 pound Fury. The unusual design allows the 24 inch, 3000 RPM vertically-rotating pipe/chisel weapon to function inverted. Shown here without the Lexan and steel armor.
The Tick
Episode 6
David Gilson builds fun robots. He built the wildest 'bot at Robot Wars Extreme Warriors and he built a distinctive 'bot for Robotica. The Tick may very well be indestructible, but if it isn't David will just smile and build something else cool.
Tiger Wood
Episode 6
Take a close look at the photo. Yes, Errol Miller made this robot chassis and armor entirely out of red oak. Why? If you look up the structural properties of oak, you'll find that it is extremely strong for it's weight. I sure hope he doesn't fight a robot with a powerful rotating blade...
The Dredge
Alternate
Steven Phelps built a really big 'bot: four feet long by four feet wide with huge golf cart tires and thick wooden bumpers at either end. Steven claims "It was the largest and strongest of all competitors." Power came from two series-wound winch motors with custom built controllers. It weighed in well over the weight limit and was not able to compete.
The Labyrinth Rats
House Robots
"Most of the technical details concerning the Robotica Rats are classified but I can tell you there is an experienced Hollywood SFX team in control of them. Pay close attention to their behavior - not only do they impede and attack the competitors at times but they can also give them a hand in the Labyrinth!"
Contents copyright Mark Joerger, 2003, 2022