Cygnus X3, known on the show simply as Cygnus, was a featherweight robot that fought in the Featherweight Championship of Robot Wars: The Seventh Wars. It lost its first round battle after getting flipped over and left unable to self-right, before being thrown into the pit by the Floor Flipper.
The team had previously entered the Extreme 2 featherweight championship with AM CVn, as well as events in Extreme 1 and 2 with Cataclysmic Variabot.
Design[]
Cygnus X3 was a purple and silver, box-shaped robot armed with a front flipper. The robot had a high top speed, enabling it to ram opponents effectively, but its small size and high ground clearance made it susceptible to getting flipped. Additionally, Cygnus X3 was vulnerable to being side-stranded through its flat sides, and its flipper failed to work at all during its only battle, leaving it unable to self-right at all.
Etymology[]
Like the team's other robots, the name Cygnus X3 references team captain John Barker's links to astronomy and astrophysics as a university student. In this field of research, Cygnus X3 refers to a binary star system containing a neutron star or black hole[1].
- "The name, once again, was due to the team being made up of astronomers and astrophysicists. Cygnus X3 is again a binary star system but containing a neutron star (or black hole)"
- — John Barker[2]
The name Cygnus X3 was coincidentally very similar to the heavyweight robot Cygnus X-1 from the same series, but John Barker has confirmed that there was no relation between these robots[3].
Robot History[]
Series 7[]
Cygnus X3 fought in the Featherweight Championship, facing returning contestants G2 and Kitty, Alpha, Mini-Maul, Prince of Awe and Rip in its qualifying heat.
Cygnus X3 is toppled over by Rip
It began by darting across the arena, away from the action, zipping past again in the opposite direction behind Sir Killalot, staying out of trouble. Cygnus X3 then bumped off an angle grinder as it drove parallel to the arena side wall, and then proceeded to attack Prince of Awe. However, Rip then attacked Cygnus X3, lifting it onto its side in the process. Cygnus X3 was knocked back onto its wheels by Rip and Alpha soon after though, and it escaped past Mr. Psycho.
- "Who's that in trouble? Cygnus, but righted and OK."
- — Jonathan Pearce
The overturned Cygnus X3 is hammered by Mr. Psycho
G2 caught up to Cygnus X3 and attacked it from behind near an empty CPZ. Cygnus X3 was eventually flipped over onto its back, presumably by G2, and was unable to self-right. Mr. Psycho then smashed it with his hammer, buckling the much smaller machine. Sir Killalot picked the damaged Cygnus X3 up with his jaws and placed it on the Floor Flipper, along with the also-immobilised G2. Both robots were thrown together in the closing seconds of the battle, with G2 being thrown out of the arena and Cygnus X3 reaching the ceiling before landing and rebounding into the pit.
Cygnus X3 is thrown into the pit by the floor flipper
- "That's come down with snow on it!"
- — Jonathan Pearce after the Floor Flipper throws G2 and Cygnus X3 together
As a result, Cygnus X3 was eliminated from the Featherweight Championship, having become immobilised before the battle went to a judges' decision, with the decision ultimately going in favour of Rip and Prince of Awe.
Results[]
| CYGNUS X3 - RESULTS | ||
| Series 7 | ||
| Special Events Featherweight Championship, Round 1 | ||
| Round 1 | vs. Alpha, G2, Kitty, Mini-Maul, Prince of Awe, Rip | Eliminated |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 0
- Losses: 1
Series Record[]
| Main Series | Cygnus X3 Series Record |
|---|---|
| The First Wars | Did not enter |
| The Second Wars | Did not enter |
| The Third Wars | Did not enter |
| The Fourth Wars | Did not enter |
| The Fifth Wars | Failed to qualify with Cataclysmic Variabot |
| The Sixth Wars | Failed to qualify with CV |
| The Seventh Wars | Featherweight Championship, Round 1 |
| Series 8 | Did not enter |
| Series 9 | Did not enter |
| Series 10 | Did not enter |
| Robot Wars Extreme | Appearances |
| Series 1 | Entered with Cataclysmic Variabot |
| Series 2 | Entered with CV and AM CVn |
Trivia[]
- Both of Team Variabot's featherweights (AM CVn and Cygnus X3) were not given their full names on the televised show (spoken only as AM CV and Cygnus).
- Both Cygnus X3 and the heavyweight Cygnus X-1 fought in Series 7, and both were from Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, but the two teams were unconnected.
References[]
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXD650E0duo
- ↑ Private correspondence between Drop Zone mk2 and John Barker
- ↑ Private correspondence between Drop Zone mk2 and John Barker
[]
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||