Basenji

Basenji
Participation Information
US Season	2, Nickelodeon
Team Information
Team	Team Basenji
Team Members	John Carioti Maureen Barnes (Season 2) Andrew Carioti (Nickelodeon) Larry Noliven (Nickelodeon)
From	Baldwinsville, New York
Other Entries	Rigby (Nickelodeon) Squirmin Vermin (Nickelodeon)
Robot Statistics
Weight	184lbs
Dimensions	10" x 44" x 30"
Top Speed	15mph
Power	2 x 36V Wheelchair Motors
Weapons	6" Hole Saw
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

Basenji was a competitor from New York which competed in Season 2 of Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors and Nickelodeon Robot Wars. It reached the second round of both the Season 2 US Championship and the Nickelodeon Annihilator before being eliminated. Team Basenji (previously known as Team Chipper Monkey) also competed in Nickelodeon Robot Wars with the loanerbots Rigby and Squirmin Vermin.

Design

Basenji was a dark gray and white, invertible box-shaped robot with four 10-inch outside wheels, a titanium and 6061 T6 aluminum construction and a front wedge with an illustration of the head of the Egyptian god Anubis. Its drive system included two NPC 64038 motors (though listed on television as wheelchair motors) and three custom NiMH battery packs running at 36 volts, giving Basenji a top speed of 15mph. Basenji's weapon consisted of a rear-mounted 6-inch hole saw rotating at 3,000rpm, though this was exchanged for the Nickelodeon series with two non-active ones placed on either side of its rear panel.

Although Basenji displayed good pushing power and agility throughout its televised appearances, its hole saws and wheels were vulnerable to being damaged or dislodged, the latter proving to be the robot's undoing during Extreme Warriors.

Etymology

Basenji was named after the breed of African hunting dog; in the team's first round intro John Carioti noted the dogs were the breed favored by Egyptian Pharaohs.

Robot History

US Season 2

Basenji competed in Heat E of the US Championship, fighting fellow newcomer Night Stalker and veteran Rosie the Riveter 2 in the first round.

Basenji cancels the momentum of Night Stalker

It immediately drove towards Night Stalker, reversing into it and losing its hole saw as it and Rosie the Riveter 2 slammed Night Stalker into the Disc of Doom button. Basenji rammed into Night Stalker again, before Rosie the Riveter 2 pushed Night Stalker into an empty CPZ where Sir Killalot picked it up and lifted it as Basenji got underneath it again. Night Stalker was dragged back into the middle of the arena by Sir Killalot, before Basenji and Rosie the Riveter pushed it into the wall and Sir Killalot again. Night Stalker's batteries had become dislodged following these attacks, and dangled out of the robot's chassis as Sir Killalot picked it up again and carried it towards the Flame Pit once it was counted out. Night Stalker was eliminated after being dumped out of the arena by Sir Killalot, allowing Basenji to progress along with Rosie the Riveter 2.

John Carioti: "We're really not afraid of the Darkness at all."

Carol Grow: "What's your strategy?"

John Carioti: "Well the strategy is to lift him up with the wedge and kinda push him around and avoid those nasty cutting things on the front."

— Confidence from John Carioti before the fight with Darkness

Basenji wedges under Darkness

Basenji loses its wheels

In the second round, Basenji was drawn against another fellow newcomer Darkness. Both robots began by charging into each other, with Basenji momentarily getting underneath Darkness and ramming it. Darkness responded by ramming Basenji twice, losing one of its own saws in the process, but causing Basenji's axles to bend with each successive attack. Basenji attempted to push Darkness around again, but as it did so, both of its left-hand wheels fell off their axles simultaneously, immobilizing it instantly.

"The dog gets legless, as Darkness takes full advantage - look at that! Just the axles are spinning..."

— Stefan Frank as Basenji loses half of its wheels

Basenji is attacked by Dead Metal

Basenji was counted out by Refbot, before Dead Metal grabbed hold of it, pushed it around the arena, and cut into its back armor several times with his saw. 'Cease' was called, and Basenji was eliminated from the US Championship.

"...as for Basenji, it was the endji."

— Mick Foley

Nickelodeon

Driven by John Carioti's son, Andrew, Basenji competed in the Annihilator, alongside Hannibal, Bunny Attack, The Piecemaker and Techno Trousers. For this event, two hole saws were placed statically on either side of the weapon, though Stefan Frank still introduced this weapon as if it had remained in its single configuration.

Basenji slams The Piecemaker into the Disc of Doom trigger

It performed strongly in the first round, immediately lunging at Bunny Attack and ramming it several times, at one point almost pushing it into a CPZ. As Bunny Attack and The Piecemaker attacked each other, Basenji slammed into Techno Trousers, before scooping The Piecemaker up with its wedge and pushing it into the Disc of Doom button. Basenji rode on top of Hannibal's side, before pushing Techno Trousers around the arena, which became immobilized and was counted out by Refbot. Techno Trousers was picked up by Sir Killalot and spun around before being placed on the Floor Flipper and thrown onto Bunny Attack, with Basenji surviving to the next round.

Basenji (right) drives itself into the pit

In the second round, Basenji started more tentatively, staying out of the early action and pressing the pit release button as Bunny Attack pushed and hammered The Piecemaker around. It briefly nudged Bunny Attack before attacking Hannibal, spinning and constantly nudging Hannibal until it suddenly drove towards the pit and swerved itself in. This eliminated Basenji from the Nickelodeon Annihilator.

Results

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 2
• Losses: 2

Series Record

US Series	Basenji Series Record
Season 1	Did not enter
Season 2	Heat, Round 2
Nickelodeon	Annihilator, Round 2 Entered with Rigby and Squirmin Vermin

Outside Robot Wars

Basenji as Chipper Monkey

Basenji was an upgraded heavyweight version of the team's middleweight Chipper Monkey, which they entered into Comedy Central BattleBots Season 4.0 and from which the team got its original name. In Season 4.0, Chipper Monkey lost in the first round to ZiggZagg on a judges' decision, after which it was converted to the heavyweight Basenji within a three-week timeframe.

Basenji after Extreme Warriors, with a rear lifter

Following its appearances in Season 2 and the Nickelodeon series, Basenji was further rebuilt for a potential third season of Extreme Warriors. The most noticeable modification was the replacement of the hole saws with a rear-facing lifting arm, while photos from its appearances at live events suggest that the robot also gained thicker and more durable axles to avoid a repeat of its loss against Darkness. Ultimately, Extreme Warriors would not continue beyond Season 2, and this incarnation of Basenji would not appear in any future international events held during the original Robot Wars run.

The updated Basenji would continue to attend live events on the North American circuit for some time, notably attending the Grand Opening Tournament of the Robot Club & Grille in November 2002. There, it achieved its biggest success by finishing second overall in the heavyweight class, picking up two victories including one where half of its wheels were ripped off by the spinner of Tornado Mer.

Trivia

• Basenji was referred to in an official souvenir programme as Anubis. Given the Anubis insignia on the robot's front wedge, this may have been its originally intended name, although the reason for the change is currently unknown.
• Shunt was the only House Robot to never be in the arena in Basenji's battles.

External Links

• Team Basenji website (archived 2003)
• Team Basenji's YouTube channel