- "They wanted their robot to look like a robot, not like others here. Sir Killalot's taken offense! Two pneumatic spikes, a wheelchair motor, two windscreen wipers. The lot - under two-hundred quid!"
- — Jonathan Pearce
Fat Boy Tin was a competitor robot that appeared exclusively in Series 4 of Robot Wars. It was easily defeated in its only battle after being flipped over by Vercingetorix, and did not appear for any other series thereafter.
The team later entered Shell Shock into Series 7, which also lost in the first round. Shell Shock also failed to qualify for Series 6, and is often believed to be inspired by a live snail that was found in Fat Boy Tin after its Series 4 battle (see Robot History).
Design[]
Fat Boy Tin in the arena
Fat Boy Tin was an exceptionally tall silver robot designed to resemble a humanoid with a smiley face on its 'head' and two pneumatic 'punching' spikes mounted on moveable arms and powered by compressed air. The arms were intended to rotate a full three hundred and sixty degrees and enable Fat Boy Tin to self-right, but this feature was removed as it made the robot overweight. This, combined with its high centre of gravity, ensured its easy defeat against both Vercingetorix and Plunderbird 4 in Series 4. The robot cost less than £200 in total to build.
Etymology[]
Fat Boy Tin's name is likely a pun on Fatboy Slim, the stage name of English DJ Norman Cook.
Qualification[]
In its Series 4 qualifier, Fat Boy Tin was drawn against Knuckles. Fat Boy Tin had a slow start to the battle, with Knuckles opponent using its rotating blades to pierce a few holes in the bodywork. However, both of Knuckles' speed controllers burnt out shortly afterwards, allowing Fat Boy Tin to win the qualifier and secure a place in Series 4. Knuckles, on the other hand, failed to qualify.
Robot History[]
Series 4[]
- "Plunderbird 4 with the slicer-dicer, Vercingetorix with the axe and lifter, Fat Boy Tin with the...err...smile... the spikes as well, to be fair."
- — Jonathan Pearce during Fat Boy Tin's eliminator
Fat Boy Tin is pushed by Plunderbird 4 and Vercingetorix
Plunderbird 4 tries to pierce Fat Boy Tin
In its first round battle, Fat Boy Tin faced the twenty-sixth seed Plunderbird 4 and fellow series veteran Vercingetorix. It started by pushing Vercingetorix around the arena, who shoved Fat Boy Tin back and tried to lift it before it pushed Plunderbird 4.
Fat Boy Tin is toppled
Vercingetorix axes the bottom of Fat Boy Tin
Vercingetorix and Plunderbird 4 pushed Fat Boy Tin near Sir Killalot's CPZ, where a combined attack from Plunderbird 4 and Sir Killalot put Fat Boy Tin off balance. The three competitors locked together as Plunderbird 4 grabbed hold of Fat Boy Tin with its claw, before Vercingetorix toppled it over, with Fat Boy Tin briefly leaning against Sir Killalot at one point.
- "Timber! Ooh, bounced onto Sir Killalot's face, and eventually, over she goes."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Fat Boy Tin and Vercingetorix are flipped together by the arena floor flipper
Shunt creates a 'ripped-off nose' effect on Fat Boy Tin's face
Fat Boy Tin was attacked by Sir Killalot and the other House Robots, and flung by the Floor Flipper along with Vercingetorix, who was axing its underside seconds before. Shunt axed the face of Fat Boy Tin, creating a 'ripped-off nose' effect, as Vercingetorix self-righted and 'cease' was called. With this, Fat Boy Tin was eliminated from the Fourth Wars.
- "Ooh, right through the smiley, he's not smiling now!"
- — Jonathan Pearce as Shunt axes Fat Boy Tin
The snail discovered inside Fat Boy Tin after the battle
During the subsequent post-battle interview, a live snail was found inside Fat Boy Tin's chassis, seemingly unharmed by the robot's ordeal. John Lewis explained that Fat Boy Tin was built in his garden, as he could not get it to fit in his shed or garage, and suggested that the snail got into the robot while it was stored under a sheet in the garden. Julia Reed remarked that the snail was the first to have fought in Robot Wars.
- "Oh no. The final snail in the Fat Boy Tin coffin. They're out."
- — Jonathan Pearce after Fat Boy Tin's post-battle interview
Results[]
| FAT BOY TIN - RESULTS | ||
| Series 4 | ||
| The Fourth Wars - UK Championship Heat, Round 1 | ||
| Heat L, Eliminator | vs. Plunderbird 4 (26), Vercingetorix | Eliminated |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 0
- Losses: 1
Series Record[]
The team with Fat Boy Tin
| Series | Fat Boy Tin Series Record |
|---|---|
| The First Wars | Did not enter |
| The Second Wars | Did not enter |
| The Third Wars | Did not enter |
| The Fourth Wars | Heat, Round 1 |
| The Fifth Wars | Did not enter |
| The Sixth Wars | Failed to qualify with Shell Shock |
| The Seventh Wars | Entered with Shell Shock |
| Series 8 | Did not enter |
| Series 9 | Did not enter |
| Series 10 | Did not enter |
Trivia[]
- Excluding Onslaught, which withdrew at the last minute, Fat Boy Tin was the only robot from Bedfordshire to compete in the main competition of Series 4.
- Fat Boy Tin was one of the first robots to fight Knuckles, the robot who failed to qualify the most times in Robot Wars history.