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"Robot Wars 1996. We came, we lost, we were bored. The robot shapes (wedge vs. wedge vs. wedge) and designs this year weren't too exciting...and our part in the event was a comedy of errors, to say the least. Edgar, our robot, may have gone down in flames (literally) but he did get his ugly bug mug on TV, so we hear..."
— Robot Snores website on Edgar the Hate Bug[3]

Edgar the Hate Bug was a featherweight robot which competed in the 1996 US Robot Wars competition. It enjoyed very limited success, losing its only Face-Off match to Spike on an audience vote, and being eliminated from a Melee after getting pinned by Bite Me.[4]

Very brief footage of Edgar the Hate Bug was featured in the American Robot Wars 1996 VHS release. Alongside a battle clip from its Featherweight Melee - showing an attempt to attack Ziggy - behind-the-scenes footage of the robot being worked on was included in a montage of the pits area.

Design[]

"Why Edgar? Well, I figured, let's make our robot something really CUTE so that you notice an amusing contrast with the whirring chainsaw stickin' out of its maw. So what's CUTE? Bunny rabbits, fluffy kitties, babies (when their diapers don't need changin' and they aren't dribblin' vile substances down their rosy little cheeks), plaster lawn gnomes, Volkwagen bugs...AHA! I'm a big fan of Herbie the Love Bug. Voila -- "Edgar The Hate Bug"."
— J. "Sparky" Sparks on Edgar the Hate Bug's inspiration[5]
Edgar insides

The insides of Edgar the Hate Bug

Edgar the Hate Bug was a four-wheel drive robot inspired by Herbie, the semi-anthropomorphic Volkswagen Beetle appearing in multiple Disney films and TV series. Driven by four Black & Decker cordless screwdrivers - and utilizing eight NiCad batteries - it was armed with a front 15-inch chainsaw, mounted horizontally and powered by an internal combustion engine.[2]

Various materials were used to build Edgar the Hate Bug, including a secondhand PVC breadboard, aluminum foil and a wire frame/fiberglass shell modelled on the aforementioned Volkswagen Beetle. Metal plates were attached to the shell as added protection, with four providing wheel covers.[2] As a deliberate design choice, team webmaster J. "Sparky" Sparks had the robot painted black with a 'menacing tigershark smile' motif inspired by World War II fighter planes.[5] A sticker labelled 'UNCLE!' was placed on the robot's underside, intended to be visible when flipped over, but otherwise not seen in regular combat.[3]

Etymology[]

As mentioned above, the robot's name is a reference to "Herbie the Love Bug", of which J. "Sparky" Sparks was a fan of.[5]

Robot History[]

1996 US Championship[]

Edgar the Hate Bug first competed in the 1996 Featherweight Face-Off championship, where it was drawn against Spike in the opening round. This battle was one of the 'Dual Matches' to take place in this weight category, occurring at the same time as the first-round fight between Rampage and Yo Mama!.[6][7]

Straight away, the drive system of Edgar the Hate Bug proved underpowered, leaving it unable to avoid an early ram from Spike. However, when Andrew Lindsey's machine was unable to push back, it responded by repeatedly attacking with the chainsaw. Damage to Spike's sponsorship decals was inflicted, before both competitors exchanged pushing and weapon attacks for 'a few minutes'.[6][7]

Eventually, Edgar the Hate Bug was attacked from behind by Spike, which proceeded to lift and push it chainsaw-first into the plywood wall. A 'cloud of sawdust' kicked up as the weapon dug into the wall section, as Spike kept pushing Edgar the Hate Bug to the side, along the wall and into the corner, while the latter began smoking. Both competitors took hits from a nearby flipper paddle, which whacked Edgar the Hate Bug enough times to break its chainsaw chain. The now-weaponless Edgar the Hate Bug was pushed around in circles by Spike, before the duo became separated by the flipper.[6][7]

Not long after, the pushing match resumed. Edgar the Hate Bug was again shoved into the wall and remaining hazards by Spike, tanking encounters with a mousetrap and the Ball of Doom in the process. Both robots lasted the full five minutes, with the Judges beginning their deliberation on how to call the fight. As they did so, Edgar the Hate Bug was rounded up and pinned by Spike's lifting arm after the battle had already ended, though Spike was not penalized for this late attack. Spike went on to win the subsequent audience vote, eliminating Edgar the Hate Bug from the Featherweight Face-Off.[6][7]

"Ed was trounced in the first match, but we think he put on a good show -- despite the fact that we mysteriously lost all control over him. We might as well have entered him in the "Autonomous" category. At one point, he rammed his spinning sawblade into the wall and got stuck there, creating a pretty spray of sawdust."
— Robot Snores website on Edgar the Hate Bug's Face-Off battle[3]

Following repairs, Edgar the Hate Bug returned for the Featherweight Melee competition held towards the end of the event. In its preliminary round, it was drawn against Bite Me, Draggon Waggin', Gigan, Mad Dog, Nezumi, P.A.T. and Ziggy.[8][9]

Edgar the Hate Bug vs Ziggy

Edgar the Hate Bug tries to attack Ziggy

Starting from the right-hand side of the arena alongside P.A.T., it began by heading towards the center alongside the Team UCSB entry. Edgar the Hate Bug tussled with the faster and more compact Ziggy; in a recap clip featured in American Robot Wars 1996, it was seen attempting to cut the latter with its chainsaw as it sped along. The sluggish speed of Edgar the Hate Bug, however, left it vulnerable to pressure from Bite Me, which began pushing and pinning it from the side between the lower-right flipper and lower mousetrap. After several seconds, Bite Me pushed Edgar the Hate Bug into the top-left wall. Edgar the Hate Bug was held in place with its chainsaw directly against the wall, after which Bite Me shifted its focus towards Mad Dog. Mad Dog nudged Edgar the Hate Bug a few times while it remained stationary; the Team Spike website states that Bite Me had directly eliminated Edgar the Hate Bug through its pins.[8][9]

A few minutes further into the Melee, Edgar the Hate Bug was seen twitching back and forth within its corner, but played no further part. Ironically, Bite Me would also get pinned later on by P.A.T., which in turn lost battery power during a 'multi-robot pin' on Mad Dog and an already-eliminated Gigan. All robots were officially declared to have been immobilized, with none being chosen to progress to the Featherweight Melee Final.[8][9][10]

Results[]

EDGAR THE HATE BUG - RESULTS
1996 US Championship
Featherweight Face-Off
Round 1
Round 1 vs. Spike Lost
Featherweight Melee
Round 1
Melee vs. Bite Me, Draggon Waggin', Gigan, Mad Dog, Nezumi, P.A.T., Ziggy All robots immobilized

Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 0
  • Losses: 2

Series Record[]

Events Edgar the Hate Bug Event Record
1994 Did not enter
1995 Did not enter
1996 Featherweight Face-Off, Round 1
Featherweight Melee, Round 1
1997 Did not enter

References[]

External Links[]

Navigation[]

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