Events from 2018
Bugglebots Series 1 - Bristol - 8/9/2018 - 9/9/2018
​
Before the event
​
Claws 2 was handed to Felicity on her 13th Birthday, mostly finished. We already knew a beetlweight filmed event was in the planning and had applied before she received it. The Bristol Bot Builders 3 event was great, it meant we we’re able to meet the producers and people involved before hand as well as test Felicity with her new robot as she had never fought 1v1 or against spinners outside of Feathers and the massive live show arena. Straight away she was reluctant to talk in front of the cameras, and only agreed to go if dad would do the talking. Which he was more than happy with seeing as this was a dream come true for him. Not quite Robot Wars on the telly, but the closest that was humanly possible given the show was cancelled by the BBC again!
​
With the FRA Featherweight Champs two weeks before filming of Bugglebots and a few days holiday booked between, Claws 2 was rushed getting a re-fit days before we travelled to Bristol. We had very little spares, but took every Beetle related component, including our other small Beetles we show off at school events. We toyed about traveling down the Saturday morning, but with needing to be there for 8am, meant we would need to get up and leave by half 5. That just wasn’t going to happen, so after we dropped the youngest two kids with grandparents (they weren’t coming with us as they would get very bored with nothing to do for two long days) and traveled down to a hotel just outside Bristol ready for a not so early morning.
Saturday 8th September
​
We arrived at the University and ferried up what we needed. We had already met a lot of the competitors and crew, so it just felt like a normal event, until we were called for our intro shots and robot close ups. I dragged Felicity with me seeing as she was the one driving and the audience would be more interested in a 13year old girl competing than a 30 something grey haired bloke. We where shown into a side room and it looked like it was straight from a TV set. Cameras and lights everywhere. Joe the director greeted us and swiftly took Claws 2 out of my hands and as it had its turntable close up. They went over what they wanted, a ‘hero’ shot first. I turned to Felicity and she was still hanging my the door refusing to move. My mind went blank, as I’m sure most peoples did when placed on the spot like that. Hence the folded arms trying to look intimidating. Next, they wanted an intro for the team and the robot. That was easier to think of, but those light where just so bright. I tried my absolute hardest not to stutter as occasionally I do have an issue, especially when I’m nervous. Last was a team photo, Felicity was still hiding by the door, pretending not to be there but we managed to get her over for the picture.
​
Done, we returned to our pit room breathing a massive sigh of relief and waited. Being in Heat 4 we had a bit of time to kill be our first fight. A live stream in the pits was half working but we just chatted and mixed with the other roboteers. Then we we’re called for our pre-fight interview, Sarah again asked if Felicity was talking, nope! I can’t remember at what point we discovered we had Liem, but I was worried, despite many efforts to get Claws 2 to self-right, there just wasn’t the spare weight. We were able to get it to at least drive inverted, but this makes the Claws useless. Owen, the builder and driver of Liem had really proved himself at the Featherweight champs two weeks before with his Robot Barrog. During the interview he let it slip the spring powered flipper wasn’t working, think there was an obvious relived look on my face when watching it back. When it was my turn, I tried to direct as much attention to Felicity as possible, she was the one driving and despite dad had built Claws 2 it was her robot and who doesn’t like to see a 13year old girl smashing boys toys and making them cry. I also wanted to highlight that she had built Claws 1 but with watching it back, I did drag on a bit. Sorry.
At some point I realised that getting the link into the robot was issue, I raced back to the pit and grabbed a screwdriver before being ushered into the arena room and taking a seat in the audience. Luckily, they did interviews and fights in blocks so I had time to get the top panel off and adjust it so the link would fit. A slight panic, but we we’re able to watch Charlie of The Berg wind up and get beaten up by Tim Rackers. Once it was our turn we walked up to the arena and loaded in Claws 2, Felicity didn’t look nervous, just that blank expression she had the whole time we where there. I took my place behind the drivers and panicked. Driving myself is nerve racking enough, but when your baby girl is driving you just want to protect them. Your worried about them loosing and having to deal with consolidating them afterwards. The fight didn’t seem to last as long as it did when watching it back on the telly, but towards the end we could see Liem had lost drive on one side and Claws 2 was getting the upper hand, as the timer ran out.
​
This was the first Judges Decision I had ever been involved in and while mildly confident Claws 2 would get it, you never know. Bob asked Felicity why not go for the pit? She just looked at me for an answer, I didn’t know either and directed the question back to her again. Decision time, we got it, with a massive sigh of relief again. We exited the arena room and found Lorna, Felicity’s mum waiting outside. I hadn’t even noticed she wasn’t in there. Explained how it went as we walked back to our pit table and opened the robot up. The internals we’re hot, the motors being 12v we run them on 15v and that was a very long and pushy battle. Winning the first fight meant we had another long wait for the Heat Semi-final as the loser melees had to be played before we discovered our next opponent. Away from the camera’s I was than able to ask Felicity why she didn’t want to open the pit, she didn’t want to open it and accidentally drive down herself. Which made sense as she was winning the battle of attrition it was turning into.
​
​
​
Apex BW, great. Despite having a wedge on the robot, its only 2mm mild steel. Other roboteers had joked about how it wouldn’t stand up to spinners in the BBB event before and I just hadn’t upgraded it since. As I was wondering around, Lorna came to me and said Chris Danby was struggling and getting rather annoyed. I went over and asked if I would help, I don’t like helping other teams in case I mess up repairing their robot and they lose or something because of me “helping”. The weapon pulley was melting parts or something, no idea what he was on about. But with talking the problem to me, Chris came up with some solutions and I helped get parts to sort the problem. It looked to be working as we we’re called in for our pre-fight interviews.
​
Not as nervous this time and went over had felicity had told me regarding the Liem fight and how I had stupidly helped got Apex working to destroy our robot. I went over a game plan with Felicity to box rush and keep Apex’s bar from getting up to speed. Thankfully she did that and the weapon stopped working. After that it was a simple pushing match as Apex’s drive motors where tiny compared to Claws’s. With Apex happily in the pit, we we’re over the moon returning to the pits especially with no damage. That was that for day 1, we tidied up our table and drove to our hotel. We met up with a lot of the other roboteers and crew at a restaurant and had a good natter with them and rumours regarding a possible series 2 already. As we got to our room, It dawned on myself and Lorna that we had reached the Heat Final. We didn’t tell felicity as not to add extra pressure on her, but just to get this far I was proud and no matter what happened from now wasn’t going to spoil it.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Sunday 9th September
​
With less rush getting to the venue in the morning we rocked up with breakfast and hot drinks. We already knew our next opponent in the form of SCD and went over tactics. Both Felicity and I faced melty brain spinners at the Featherweight champs and despite losing to them, knew how to tackle them. Craig Jones and I had become good friends over the last few years, both starting our robot careers at the same time and going to many the of the same events.
​
During the pre-fight interview, I was trying not to seem confident and despite not taking my own advice. I was happy Claws 2 would defeat SCD and the glory of the Grand final was already in my eyes. Claws 2 started the fight well, box rushing and stopping SCD getting up to speed. But a good smash sent SCD over the pit and Claws 2 right next to the pit release button. Despite Felicity saying she didn’t panic Claws 2 struggled to line up and hit the button and after watching it back and writing this SCD was off the pit when Claws 2 first hit it and the pit failed to drop. With all the attention and shouting of pit and SCD slowly moving from the danger, no body noticed Claws 2 stuck under the button. Once the pit finally did drop and SCD was safe, Tim had already began counting Felicity out. I reached over wagged the sticks and it was well and truly stuck.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Claws 2 had lost and my heart dropped over losing in such a way. Felt devastated for Felicity as I’m sure everyone in the room did after progressing this far and driving as well as she did in her previous fight. I turned to Craig to congratulate him and he was confused as the rest of us and worried that he still may loose as when Felicity him the pit button SCD was over the trap door. Neither of us knew what was going on with the judges until Bob announced it, saying Felicity had backed up and slammed into the button a second time immobilising herself. Something she wouldn’t have done, if the pit had dropped when it should have. Enter a heap of confusion and controversy, that lucky didn’t make it to the final episode.
​
I was convinced that Claws 2 was out as you play to the whistle and hence counted out, rightly so. Craig was conceived SCD should loose due to being over the pit when the button was first pressed. So both teams we’re happy with a re-start, but rules state the robots resume in the same positions as when the arena failed. This would have left SCD over the pit and Claws 2 next to the pit button, a rather unfair re-start. So we where all happy with going again in the starting positions. When Tim was explaining to the drivers and viewers what was finally decided and it would proceed. I felt I was going to be sick and later found out Lorna had to leave the arena room due to having a panic attack and had to be calmed down by the staff.
​
The rest of the fight is as it was seen, a massive slam threw Claws 2 into the side wall bending an internal bulkhead that pulled the outer armour onto the wheel stopping it from moving. Felicity was able to dictate how SCD hit her wedge hence a rather tense but forgettable last 60seconds. I was in no doubt SCD would win the Judges Decision, Claws 2 had the only damage and wasn’t showing full control. But in this sport, its weird. As much as I was upset Felicity lost, but I was happy that a good friend had made it to the grand final. Getting back to the pits, we had little time to repair the damage and get ready for the 5-way Rumble Bee.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
With 3 Robot Wars veterans, spinners an over head saw and a truly great and experienced Snappy I wasn’t expecting much. Even as we loaded the robots into the arena and the infamous fire alarm going off, we still weren’t sure if it was going to be a 3 minute fight or last man standing. Either way, I had little advice to felicity. But she seemed to be looking forward to this, she loves the chaos of melees and lots of robots in the arena. Despite a small coming together with Saw looser and dancing around Drizzle when he lost a wheel she kept to out the way and that push on Orgedrive was a massive turning point. Her and Sam Price have a friendly rivalry going on. She saw the opportunity and she took it. Orgedrive makes a habit of out pushing and controlling everyone and Claws 2 just pushed it aside as if it was nothing. With the others crabbing or immobilised, it looked like he had done it. With the clock quickly counting down, she took on Snappy and instantly regretted it. How Claws didn’t fall off into the pit while being piggybacked, you tell us? And in the dying seconds, Snappy got under Claws 2 wedge again and in a do or die moment got her in the pit.
​
With three seconds on the clock, we we’re gutted. Later found out if she had survived, we would have got a judge’s decision too. We had no problem with going out, as most people say, just surviving the first round is the target. Claws 2 finished 7th. Perfect. I tried to get us in any white board fights going, but we’re already filled up. We slowly packed up and chatted. Felicity got bored and with the spare parts we had brought, began building a massive vertical disc. We managed to get it driving around the pits and even tried to spin the plastic disc in the arena during a break. As they called for the side trophy presentations, we had a sneaky feeling felicity may get ‘best newcomer’ but Craig with SCD was fairly new too and there was plenty of other teams which had started competing after us. Thankfully, she got it and Lorna and I had to push her up to get her trophy. It was the cherry on an already awesome weekend. We finished packing up and left as the semi-finals began, Felicity had school the next day so needed to get back sharpish. This also made watching the final on TV all the better as we managed to avoid spoilers ourselves in the following months.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
We are eternally grateful to the cast and crew of Bugglebots for having us. It was a great experience and one we look forward to returning the following year. Gutted we had to keep quiet so long about our first trophy and hopefully Claws 2 has made a name for itself along with Felicity. Watching it back, she wished she had spoken and wants to be more vocal next time. While no one has recognised me in the street yet, it is great seeing the fans at events and hearing stories of Sweepstakes and that they had our robot. Seeing fan art online makes you feel wonderful as we all want to be noticed and leave a mark on this world. It was an epic weekend and will be remembered forever.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Some pictures curtesy of Bugglebots and Team Panoramic.
​
KOB UK Featherweight World Championships, Insomnia 63. 24/08/18- 27/08/18
It does seem a few have vanished into the ether so I will get round to writing these but its been a very full and busy year and lots of brilliant events.
Bristol Bot Builders 3, 15/07/2018
With recently built Claws2 the idea was to take it with us to the Robots Live shows as they hold the Beetle Belt competitions. But a few weeks before they had to be cancelled due to insurance purposes. So we found this Bristol event instead and went. It was strange to be going to a university campus for robot fighting but the lower weight classes they are a much more relaxing and social setting from the busy, loud and mad pace of the live shows.
​
We found a table in what looked like a café area. IT computers in one half with sofas and chairs in the other with a massive beetle arena in the middle. We unpacked and spread out, because we always to for some reason. Said our hellos to everyone and Claws2 passed its tech check no problems. The competition board went up and our first fight was Rev2.2 (Felix Townsend), a nasty undercutter. I offered my advice to Felicity who was now looking VERY nervous. Despite driving FW Luna-Tic almost for as many fights as me, they where all Live show melee’s. A massive arena with 20+ robots, driving around at the same time. You have a chance to catch your breath for a second, but 1v1 you can’t.
Pictures taken by Harry Tee of TEAM Panoramic
“Whatever happens, everything is fixable” I told her. And soon enough it was time. I loaded Claws2 into the arena and armed it as she stood ready almost shaking with the transmitter with nerves. As the door closed behind Rev2.2 the countdown begun. As activate was called she did what I said and charged straight at her opposition. A wedge is perfect for horizonal spinners and as they connected with a massive bang, both Rev2.2’s wheels flew off. Fight over, massive sigh of relief all round and I don’t think it quite sunk in straight away what she had just done. Got Claws2 back to the pit table with no damage, three starches on the wedge that’s was it. Rev2.2 on the other hand was lucky to get back in for their next fight.
​
As Claws2 had won we moved straight to the heat Semi finals to face K2. They too where having problems after their fight and where unsure whether we would make it. But they did and this time Felicity was up for it, it started well but soon you could tell Claws2 wasn’t moving a freely as it was before and kept getting stuck on the arena floor. A good hit from K2 flew Claws2 straight into the pit. We got it back to the pits to discover both wheels were spinning freely from the motor shafts. Sam Price next to us, asked “Banebots wheels hubs? Yeah, there rubbish!!” I tightened the grub screws and applied a bit of Loctite and we waited for the whiteboard fights.
We spoke to some other roboteers and organised a ‘grabby bot’ fight so when it was time Claws2 entered with Nom Nom!2, Zero Gravitas and somehow K2 (a spinner, but wasn’t spinning). As we loaded Claws2 into the arena Shane Lane (the arena marshal) noticed a bent panel dragging on the floor, so we quickly bent that up and drove in happy. But again, straight away one wheel gave up. However, a nice trick is the go back and forward and you slowly inch forward. Not fast, but enough to stop you getting counted out. K2 bossed the fight with Claws2 getting into the mix as and when. But by the end of the three minutes only K2 and Claws2 remained. Lost on the Judges decision but to keep going with one wheel and being aggressive the whole fight is brilliant from Felicity.
​
We tightened the wheel hub screws again ready for the final Gladiator brawl, any robot still working goes in. Think about 14 robots went in with one winner to leave. Once again, one wheel gave up straight away and Claws2 was pushed and bashed all over the place. Somehow we ended up on top of the Competition champion Limpet and neither of us could move. Claws2’s wheels where off the ground and Limpet didn’t have enough power to move the weight off two bots and in the end brunt out three of their four motors. So at least we can say we killed a champion beetle just by sitting on them!!!!! We had to quickly pack up and leave as it was a 2 and a half hour drive back home and school the next day.
​
This event was all about trying out Claws2, learning what needs to be improved. Letting Felicity get some practice and discovering what Beetle events are about. So, it ticked all the boxes and we travelled home happy with our days work. Made some new friends and came away with ideas for future builds. Claws2 will now be broken down and rebuilt, improvements made where needed ready for Bugglebots.
Picture taken from the BBB live feed.
Extreme Robots Manchester, 21/22 April 2018
​
Before the event
​
We stupidly decided to take a total of three robots to the first event of the year. Both Luna-Tic’s had a few upgrades, but I built a second Feather, for the younger two members of the team to stop them getting too bored. Crota is built very quickly and cheaply and not made for full on combat lest of all spinners in any shape or form. So to be told ALL Feathers will be in one massive rumble, complete with spinners wasn’t the news we wanted two weeks before hand. But never one to back down from a fight, we were ready as we could be with only a few quick jobs to finish on the heavy when we arrived.
​
Saturday
​
It felt good to be heading back to the arena and fighting robots again after such a long break. But after attaching the roof box to the car and looking at the back suspension made me realise how much stuff you need to take to these things. We slowly made our way to the event, hearing a creaking with every bump in the road. We arrived and unpacked, picking a table in the pits with plenty of room to spread out. Feather Luna-Tic and newly built Crota we’re good to go and flew passed their tech checks. Heavy LT need a few things to finish off and putting together as its too big to fit in the boot all ready made. But again, flew past the tech checks with a massive sigh of relief.
​
Heavy LT first fight was against ThunderChild after the Interval as was the Feather melee, so we relaxed, watched a few fights and caught up with some of the other teams. Time for the feathers to go in, and to everyone’s surprise a total of 28 robots went into the arena. This was just stupid from our side of the arena as there was nowhere to stand with a view with all the drivers crowding what small space there was. Lorna and I didn’t see anything and had to rely on Felicity now driving FW LT and Verity with Crota. Both came out in one piece, so we were all happy. Cue My fight with the HW.
​
I’ve now been driving robots for 12months, but the nerves still kick in. This robot has been a bane of the last few months, getting the drive chain more reliable. In testing its looking good, but nothing can compare to the arena. It started well, ThunderChild kept missing with their flipper and soon lost its power. But with limiting the drive on one Ragebridge it showed. Every time I ploughed into them I just stopped dead. Couldn’t move them at all and had to keep moving as slowing down reduced its turning capabilities as the tyres just grip too much. It was fairly even before the floor flipper got involved turning LT upside down a something just killed it. Shane Lane behind me said, he saw a spark. So ThunderChild finished us off into the pit.
​
Got back to the pit and began fault finding. Everything was just dead, drive and weapon with no obvious reasons why. After a few trials and error and fearing the ESC had blown, I bypassed the fuse and link and it was alive again. So got the fuse out to see a nice black and grilled 150amp fuse. “Yep, that’s dead!” With no spare (because a Ragebridge ESC is limited to 90amps max) we used one of the 100amp fuse from the FW LT. Badly soldered it in and tried again. This time the EC8 link just sparked, smoked and melted to a black mess. There had to be a short somewhere, which meant replacing the entire length from the battery to the ESC. But with no EC8 link it was curtains already. As it was getting close to the second FW fight of the day, I left it alone with my heart broken again.
This time Oliver drove Crota, but again with no place to view we just hoped and prayed both came out in one piece again at the end. FW LT, came out fine again. No idea what Felicity is doing, but all see had to do all weekend with it was tighten a few screws and bolts. Crota on the other hand, had an argument with Binky, (from Craskers and Smash) and lost. The entire right flappy wedge was missing and it had cut into the bolt, chassis and top armour. We also we’re missing a wheel too, but not down to damage, think it just fell off, as it happened repeatedly after every fight.
​
Ollie though I was cross with him as it was broken and refused to drive Crota again, as Verity and I began to fix the damage. I gave the almost 90degree bolt back to Ian Botright (Driving Binky) and hammered the steel straight again as Verity attached the wheel back on. We left that night with work still do to but happy we could get it all ready and working again.
Sunday
​
That morning I had a brain wave, with no EC8 link I decided to move the XT90 weapon link to the drive and find a random XT60 to become the new weapon link. Before the show started at 12 we had both feathers back to full strength and the Heavy was alive and working again. We put our name down for white board fight (friendly) against two non-spinners, to find out as we loading ready into the arena it was S.M.I.D.S.Y and 2point0, both spinners. But with my new super tough wedge it was time to see if it could take the beating.
​
LT worked again, still the same power problems as with before and after a few bashes S.M.I.D.S.Y died which left me and 2point0 to fight it out. Their disc was no match for the wedge and I got under them quite easily, even at one point got a good lift on them, but as it was in the far corner I couldn’t see and they fell off landing on their feet. They got flipped by the floor flipper and a nice bit of manoeuvring by LT pushed them into the pit. Finally, after many, many hours slaving away it had done what it was suppose to do. The adenine just took over and I just hugged everybody. Getting LT out the arena, it got stuck and ripped a chain off. But nothing was going to spoil it now, quickly got Heavy LT back to the pits and had to help arm up the two feathers as they we’re on straight after.
I must have been the happiest person there and after the feather fight, we fixed the chain and was ready to go again. Both feathers survived again, except Crota’s wheel falling off again, but Verity was more than happy and capable fixing herself.
​
Next show, LT’s name was straight down again. I just wanted to get back in their again. So next was Fanrir (Chimera’s new Heavyweight) and Audacious, again started well but Fanrir chain fell off again. And about 30seconds later so did Luna-Tic’s. Audacoius looked as if its batteries was dying too, so the match was cut short with no idea who had won, if anybody.!!!? The feathers went straight in after again, and Crota had another argument with Binky. Luna-Tic came out fine again. Will this robot ever, just give up?
​
So a much happier second day, we’re looking into more chain fixing as we now know why it keeps jumping off. So fingers crossed a bit more playing will resolve it and make it more reliable. FW Luna-Tic doesn’t really need anything doing…. And Crota needs a bit of TLC but to be honest for a robot not designed to fight spinners, held up rather well. A two month break before our next event and we’re hoping to have a rolling chassis of FW Luna-Tic mk2 for a bit of testing.
