Flipper (1996)

For other uses of the term "Flipper", see Flipper (disambiguation).

Flipper
Participation Information
US 1994-1997 Events	1996
Team Information
Team Members	Jesse Escobedo
From	California
Robot Statistics
Weapons	Pneumatic lifter
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

Flipper was a lightweight robot which competed in the 1996 US Robot Wars competition. Though enjoying limited success in the main Face-Off tournament - losing its first battle to Cyclo-Kluge - it would redeem itself by reaching the final of the Lightweight Melee event, where it was beaten by Speed Bump. Highlights of Flipper's Melee appearances were featured in the American Robot Wars 1996 VHS.

Design

Captained by Jesse Escobedo, Flipper was an invertible, two-wheel drive robot with large pneumatic tires and a basic wedge-shaped design. Its main weapon was a pneumatic rear-hinged lifting panel integrated into the upper wedge shape, which was unusual in being powered by airbush propellant. The propellant only provided Flipper with a low pressure, contributing to the weapon itself not being very powerful in combat. Two power window motors from a car provided drive for Flipper's exposed, rear-mounted wheels. Flipper was armored in both metal and wood in some areas.

Robot History

1996 US Championship

At the 1996 US competition, Flipper participated in both the Face-Off and Melee tournaments for the Lightweight category. In the Face-Off, it was initially drawn against Cyclo-Kluge in the first round.

There, it tentatively approached Cyclo-Kluge from the right-hand side as the latter got its overhead spinner up to speed. Flipper exposed its back panel to Cyclo-Kluge, but drove away at the last second to avoid taking damage. However, Jesse Escobedo's machine was pushed from the side by the Ball of Doom on its way into the bottom-left corner. Both robots rammed each other directly opposite the upper mousetrap, which swatted down on Cyclo-Kluge. Flipper also wedged itself under the mousetrap, but chased and was buffeted into a spin by Cyclo-Kluge. It was pushed back by Cyclo-Kluge, but survived and dodged the next lunge from Daniel Russett's challenger. Flipper raised its lifting plate while spinning in the center, taking another side swipe from Cyclo-Kluge's spinner.

The two robots kept ramming and nudging each other. Flipper, while wedging underneath Cyclo-Kluge with its wedge shape, could not prise it upwards with the lifter despite a few attempts to do so. Some time passed, before Flipper pushed Cyclo-Kluge into a flipper paddle using its back end. Cyclo-Kluge initially escaped, but drove back into and got itself caught behind the flipper. As this happened, Flipper also drove on the opposite side of the paddle, which swatted it wedge-first towards the wall. Flipper became lodged under a gap between the wall and arena floor, pinning it in place as the paddle kept hitting it. It could escape within the required 30 seconds, and was eliminated from the Face-Off tournament as a direct result.

Flipper fought again in the Lightweight Melee event, where it fought Attiller (the Hun), Cyclo-Kluge, Happy Fun Bot, Speed Bump (carrying the doll used by Lorena) and SPS3 in its preliminary rumble. Highlights of this battle would be shown in American Robot Wars 1996.

Flipper attempts to flip "Lorena" but is shunted

"Lorena" shoves Flipper into a Mousetrap

Flipper made an especially tenative start, initially pressuring Speed Bump while Atiller (the Hun) got itself pinned underneath Cyclo-Kluge's disc. It teamed up with Speed Bump to attack both of their now-immobile opponents, briefly wedging underneath Cyclo-Kluge before prising itself free with its lifter. Next, Flipper unsuccessfully attempted to attack SPS3, which had got its nets entangled in Happy Fun Bot's chainsaw. It was then pushed from the side by Speed Bump, before driving underneath Happy Fun Bot. Speed Bump nudged both SPS3 and Flipper, with SPS3 and Happy Fun Bot becoming eliminated following this moment.

Flipper spent the remaining moments engaging in a pushing match with the still fully active Speed Bump. There, it found itself frequently being outpushed by Paul Bell's machine, which steered it into the walls and mousetraps despite frequently falling foul of the latter hazards. Flipper tried to employ its lifter a few more times, but could not find the reach to make any attempted lifts. In the closing moments, Flipper was pushed and pinned against the wall directly opposite the lower mousetrap, though it survived the full five minutes. Michael Meehan immediately declared Flipper and Speed Bump as joint winners of the Melee, allowing them to qualify for the final round.

The Lightweight Melee Final saw Flipper and Speed Bump facing the only other winning robot from the preliminary Melees - Al Kindle's The Enforcer. Short clips from this were also featured in American Robot Wars 1996, interspersed with footage from Flipper's initial Melee bout.

Flipper (background) attempts a pincer attack on "Lorena"

As shown in officially-released footage, Flipper and The Enforcer both attempted a pincer attack on Speed Bump, though neither would be able to properly disrupt the doll-wielding machine. Shortly after Speed Bump maneuvered towards the lower mousetrap, which tried to flatten the "Lorena" doll entirely, Flipper was also seen chasing and attempting to lift a retreating Enforcer.

According to the Team Spike website, however, Flipper was suggested to have become immobilized at some point, while Speed Bump and The Enforcer kept fighting to the end of the full five minutes. Thus, it would lose out on overall victory in the Lightweight Melee tournament, which was given to Speed Bump on an audience vote.

Results

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 1
• Losses: 2

Series Record

Events	Flipper (1996) Event Record
1994	Did not enter
1995	Did not enter
1996	Lightweight Face-Off, Round 1 Lightweight Melee, Final
1997	Did not enter

External Links

• Flipper on the official US Robot Wars website (archived May 2 1997)