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Growler was one of two House Robots that were introduced in Series 6 of Robot Wars. He appeared in Series 6-7 of the original series as well as the second series of Robot Wars Extreme, and made his series debut alongside Mr. Psycho. He and Mr. Psycho were constructed because of the improving standards of competitors.

Growler was designed by Robin Englebright to resemble a mechanical dog, featuring a set of crushing/clamping jaws shaped like his ‘head’ and a top speed of 17mph, the latter of which gave him the capacity to cause damage to competitors simply by ramming into them. Throughout his appearances, Growler was often referred to as Mr. Psycho’s ‘pet’.

Growler’s design was based around a mechanical dog, with four-wheel drive, a steel body and chassis, and a set of front jaws which formed his ‘head’ and had over four tons of pressure. The jaws were powered by hydraulic rams sourced from industrial excavators, and could be used to grab hold of competitors as he pushed, spun and dragged them around the arena. As they opened and closed, the jaws also emitted a growling noise, adding to his dog-inspired theme.

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