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"Gyrobot - From the word Gyrate which is to spin/revolve and to rotate in circles, and erm - robot!"
— Steve Wood, explaining the origins of Gyrobot's name

Gyrobot was a heavyweight robot which competed in Series 7 of Robot Wars. It reached the second round in its only appearance, losing to The Grim Reaper on a Judges' decision.

Design[]

"Very quick at twenty miles an hour. The weapon consists of the thirty-five kilo outer ring spinning at 750rpm, but lack of experience could count."
— Jonathan Pearce
Gyrobot series 6

Gyrobot with alternative top/base panel design, at the time of Series 6

Gyrobot was an invertible rim spinner, driven by four wheels mounted in pairs on either side. Its main weapon was an outer steel ring weighing 35kg and spinning up to 750rpm, generating 40 kilojoules of energy.[1] Gyrobot could double its weapon's output by spinning itself on the spot, allowing the ring to run at up to 1,500rpm. The robot was powered by two 16Ah Hawker 12V batteries, had a high top speed of 20mph[2] and cost £2,000 to build.

Gyrobot S7

Gyrobot in the arena for its Series 7 melee

Gyrobot R2

Gyrobot in the arena for Round 2, with Killerkat fur

The Series 7 incarnation incorporated a 25mm Lexan polycarbonate top panel as part of its armour, which along with spiked wheels lead to weight savings of 8kg by the time of its appearance on the show. Gyrobot's original steel top - painted gold along with the chassis and baseplate - was kept as a spare.[3] After taking damage from Fluffy in its qualifier for the series, a 4mm band of steel was added to the outer rim, making it 7mm thick. This modification brought Gyrobot very close to the weight limit; indeed, its weight was officially quoted as '100kg' in its only appearance.

The Team[]

SteveWoodGyrobot

Steve Wood with the Series 6 version of Gyrobot

In the televised broadcast of Series 7, Gyrobot appeared to be entered by a one-man team, with the team captain Steve Wood being the only member of the team seen on-screen. This approach was jokingly mocked by Craig Charles, but praised by Jayne Middlemiss. As a result, Steve Wood was the driver of Gyrobot, and is a mechanical design consultant by trade.

Steve Wood

Steve Wood is supported by Jayne Middlemiss

Despite not being present on-screen, Team Gyrobot did indeed feature a second team member throughout the Seventh Wars, Neil Solomon, who was also credited on Gyrobot's statistics board. Solomon consciously avoided the opportunity to appear on television, and chose not to be present for the team's interviews and televised battles, but nevertheless assisted with the maintenance of Gyrobot. Unfortunately, Neil Solomon died in 2016[4], only months before Steve Wood decided to apply for Series 9 with Gyrobot.

"Neil Solomon was actually there for the filming but didn't want to be on TV, so chose not to be available. He was there still lurking in the background offering a helping hand and offering moral support."
— Steve Wood comments on Neil Solomon in the Seventh Wars, dated 2013[5]

For its attempted entry into Series 9, Steve Wood recruited three new members of Team Gyrobot in 2016, including 3D print designer Damian Axford, although these team members would ultimately not get the chance to compete on Robot Wars.

Qualification[]

Gyrobot first entered the design and build phase in December 2000, with an initial view to entering Series 5. Early CAD drawings suggest that interchangeable weapons (including a cluster of four smaller cutting discs) and conventional two or four-wheel drive systems were considered at various points during its development. The speed of the outer ring was also considerably slower at 250rpm (500rpm when the robot was spinning), a third of the maximum achievable with the Series 7 incarnation.[6]

According to a Wiltshire Gazette and Herald article, this incarnation of Gyrobot was intended to compete at the Cardiff qualifiers forming part of the Robot Wars Live Event tour. This also stated that it was to feature an outer Latex coating as a 'shock absorber' and had cost £1,500 up to this point.[7] However, Gyrobot was still being worked on by the time the Cardiff leg was underway, with the team intending to compete in later qualifiers on August 22nd.[8] Despite being in a virtually complete state by the time the whole live tour had concluded, it was forced to withdraw from the remaining qualifiers due to unforeseen electrical issues.

"Unfortunately we couldn't make the auditions for series 5 this year due to unforseen last minute electrical problems. As you can see from the pictures on the left we were not that far away, maybe another couple of weeks and it would have been a different story. At least we should have lots of practice in by next year."
— Team Gyrobot website[3]
Gyrobot Series 6 qualifier

Gyrobot in its Series 6 qualifier

For Series 6, Gyrobot's weapon was upgraded to spin at 400rpm on its own, courtesy of a new gearbox and more resilient friction drive wheels. Interchangeable blades were also made for the outer rim to suit different opponents, and the robot began to adopt its familiar silver, gold and red paint scheme. In its qualifier for the series, Gyrobot fought Scrap Dragon, Shell Shock and The Stag. At the start of the battle, the other three competitors charged together, but Gyrobot initially held back, driving around The Stag and Shell Shock as its spinning body got up to speed. Gyrobot hit the front lifter of Scrap Dragon, which reversed, rammed into the side of The Stag, which was gripping onto Shell Shock. Scrap Dragon then backed into Gyrobot, which moved away. Shell Shock broke down, and The Stag pushed it down the arena. Gyrobot charged at the back of The Stag, slamming into it with its body spinning. The Stag turned around, and drove around Gyrobot as Gyrobot drove at it, then drove up the arena to attack Scrap Dragon. Gyrobot landed a couple of weak blows on the immobile Shell Shock, then drove away as Scrap Dragon drove towards it, followed by The Stag. The Stag reversed into Shell Shock with its rear spike, and Gyrobot slammed into the side of The Stag. The Stag drove away, and Gyrobot pushed Shell Shock against the side wall. It then backed into Scrap Dragon, giving it a little push, before driving up the arena. The Stag reversed into Scrap Dragon, and Gyrobot held back, allowing its spinner to get back up to speed. As The Stag drove away from Scrap Dragon for another charge, Gyrobot drove at the side of Scrap Dragon, but swerved away from Scrap Dragon as The Stag backed into it with its rear spike, driving into the arena centre. As The Stag drove away, Gyrobot drove at Scrap Dragon, but Scrap Dragon drove away. Scrap Dragon drove at the front of The Stag, and as The Stag pushed Scrap Dragon, Gyrobot charged into the side of Scrap Dragon, but the spinning body stopped on impact. Scrap Dragon broke down, and The Stag reversed across the arena, then turned around to use its rear spike. It reversed at Gyrobot, but Gyrobot deflected it away with its spinning body. Gyrobot hit The Stag again, but the spinning body was going too slowly to do any damage. The Stag drove around Gyrobot, and Gyrobot tried to damage the immobile Scrap Dragon, until The Stag drove back at it. Gyrobot drove to the top of the arena, then drove to the arena centre as The Stag drove at it. The Stag drove after Gyrobot, getting its front wedge underneath, and grabbed hold of it. The Stag pushed Gyrobot around, before pinning it in the corner. The Stag kept Gyrobot pinned for a short time, before letting it go, and Gyrobot drove into the arena centre. The Stag drove after it, and Gyrobot tried getting its spinner up to speed, but The Stag drove into it before it was up to speed, stopping the spinner. Gyrobot drove up to the top of the arena, and when The Stag followed, it drove over to the flame pit. Gyrobot tried getting its spinner up to speed, but drove onto the flame pit, becoming stuck. The Stag drove into Gyrobot, stopping the spinner, and Gyrobot could not get off the flame pit, so it was deemed immobile, leaving The Stag as the winner of the battle[9]. Following this, Gyrobot underwent multiple upgrades to become the 'Mk II' incarnation that successfully applied for the following series.[10]

Series 7 Qualifier

Gyrobot pushes Terror Turtle in its Series 7 qualifier

In its Series 7 qualifier, Gyrobot fought an unknown invertible box-shaped robot, Terror Turtle, and Fluffy. Gyrobot charged at Fluffy as it drove by the side of the arena, but Fluffy turned around and hit Gyrobot with its spinning bar, cutting into the side. Gyrobot turned away, driving around Fluffy, and when Fluffy turned around, Gyrobot drove into the spinning bar, managing to stop it. Gyrobot drove away, staying away from its opponents by the bottom of the arena to get its spinner up to speed, spinning on the spot to do even more damage. However, as it span, it turned into the arena wall, smashing it, which stopped the spinner. Gyrobot drove away from the bottom arena wall, driving to the side of the arena, then near the centre of the arena, and got its spinner back up to speed, spinning on the spot to maximise the impact. Fluffy charged at Gyrobot with its bar spinning, but on impact it was deflected away. Fluffy turned around and drove into Gyrobot again, but was deflected away again. Fluffy drove away, and Gyrobot got its spinner up to full speed, so stopped spinning on the spot, and drove towards Terror Turtle. However, Gyrobot stopped short of attacking Terror Turtle, and started spinning on the spot. Fluffy drove towards it, this time being more cautious - instead of crashing into Gyrobot's spining body, Fluffy slowed as it approached, driving around Gyrobot, then hit it with the spinning bar. Fluffy turned away to attack Terror Turtle, after which it broke down and Gyrobot span on the spot. Once its spinner was up to full speed again, Gyrobot stopped spinning on the spot, and drove at the from of the unknown silver box, hitting its front cutting discs. Gyrobot's spinner stopped on impact, and the silver box robot pushed back against Gyrobot, pushing it against Fluffy, so Gyrobot drove away from its opponents, getting its spinner back up to speed. Once it was, it drove back at the silver box, slamming into it and Fluffy with its body spinning. Gyrobot drove away as the silver box robot turned around, and span on the spot whilst trying to get its spinner back up to speed. Terror Turtle drove into Gyrobot, and Gyrobot hit it with the spinning body, then drove around Terror Turtle as it tried to attack. Gyrobot hit the front of Terror Turtle, then drove around it, then drove to the side of the arena. Terror Turtle backed into it, so Gyrobot drove away up the arena, then drove to the arena centre. Gyrobot span on the spot and got its spinner back up to speed, and Terror Turtle drove towards it. Terror Turtle held back from attacking the spinning Gyrobot, and Gyrobot hit the back, before driving around to the other side of Terror Turtle and trying to push it. It couldn't move Terror Turtle much, so it drove to the side of the arena. Terror Turtle reversed at it, and Gyrobot pushed past it. Gyrobot then drove at the back of Terror Turtle, and pushed it up the arena, pinning it against the top arena wall. Gyrobot then drove down the arena and drove and the side of the silver box robot, but its spinner was not working, so after trying to push, Gyrobot drove away up the arena. It started spinning on the spot and got its spinner up to speed, but the silver box robot drove into it, causing the spinner to stop, so Gyrobot drove to the top of the arena. Gyrobot bumped into the top arena wall, then drove between the silver robot and Terror Turtle. It turned around, then drove halfway down the arena, to the side wall, before driving into the arena centre to get its spinner back up to speed, whilst also spinning on the spot. The silver robot drove into it, and Gyrobot backed towards the corner, then drove around Terror Turtle. It rammed into the silver robot, but Terror Turtle drove against it. Gyrobot tried to get away, but Terror Turtle kept besides it, pushing against it to prevent it getting the spinner up to speed. Gyrobot eventually got away, and Terror Turtle pushed against the silver robot. Gyrobot started its spinner, then drove into Terror Turtle's side, but the spinner stopped on impact. It reversed away, bumping into the silver robot, which tried to push Gyrobot, but couldn't, so turned to attack Terror Turtle as Gyrobot backed to the bottom of the arena. As Terror Turtle fought the silver robot, Gyrobot rammed into Terror Turtle's side, then drove away, as its spinner was no longer working. Terror Turtle drove after it, so Gyrobot rammed into it, then drove away across the arena as Terror Turtle turned around. Gyrobot then drove to the bottom of the arena, bumping into the silver robot, which was spinning on the spot. The silver robot and Terror Turtle managed to briefly trap Gyrobot by the bottom arena wall, but Terror Turtle then pushed the silver robot, allowing Gyrobot to get away. Gyrobot stayed away from its opponents for the last few seconds, driving around the arena in a large circle until the horn sounded. The judges declared Gyrobot as the winner of the battle, so it automatically qualified for the Seventh Wars, though Fluffy and Terror Turtle were also given discretionary places[11].

Gyrobot S9

Gyrobot at the time of Series 9

Gyrobot teeth

Gyrobot's new teeth

After choosing not to apply for Series 8 due to time constraints, Gyrobot was upgraded to enter Series 9. Its weapon now weighed a hefty 42.5kg, which would have made it the heaviest spinning weapon in Robot Wars, and the robot's teeth were upgraded to use Inconel hard edge welding. The team even 3D printed safety guards for these teeth, designed two interchangeable top panels, and applied under a team of four people. However, Gyrobot ultimately was not chosen to appear in the series. Steve Wood then elected not to enter Series 10 in response to this.

"I decided not to enter the 10th Wars due to being rejected for the 9th wars. I spent a lot of money and time upgrading Gyrobot in an attempt to make an old robot competitive in the new wars (Lipo, upgrade, new style weapon teeth, new speed controllers etc) only to be told that Robot Wars was "looking for innovation and the use of new tech". I guess they wanted to give some of the new builders a chance. I may try again in the future, who knows."
— Steve Wood[12]

Robot History[]

Series 7[]

"Will this be employed later in the series, or be picking up a Robot Wars giro?"
Jonathan Pearce as Gyrobot enters the arena

Gyrobot competed in Heat B, where it was due to face Jackson Wallop, the successor to Attila the Drum, Killerkat, the successor to Black Widow, and the third seed Terrorhurtz in its first round battle. However, Terrorhurtz was disqualified before the battle began due to arriving at the studio in an unfinished state, leaving the three remaining robots to fight on without it.

Jackson Wallop vs Gyrobot vs Killerkat

Gyrobot and Jackson Wallop team up on Killerkat

Gyrobot vs Killerkat

Gyrobot pushes Killerkat onto the flame pit

Gyrobot began tentatively, getting its spinning rim up to speed before slamming into the sides of Killerkat and Jackson Wallop. It and Jackson Wallop continued to hit Killerkat until the latter became immobilised, although Gyrobot’s rim appeared to have stopped working fully by the time Jackson Wallop knocked Killerkat onto its side. Gyrobot then pushed Killerkat onto the Flame Pit as it was counted out by Refbot, setting fire to its leopard fur, before circling round the arena until ‘cease’ was called.

In the second round, Gyrobot fought Series 3 returnee The Grim Reaper in a full five-minute bout.

Gyrobot vs The Grimreaper

Gyrobot gets under The Grim Reaper

Grim reaper vs gyrobot

Gyrobot is flipped by The Grim Reaper

In this battle, Gyrobot had a bit of Killerkat's fur on it. When the battle started, Gyrobot immediately backed away from The Grim Reaper as the latter charged in to flip it, momentarily causing it to spin on its rim, before struggling to drive away from an angle grinder. Gyrobot was then pushed into Sir Killalot and flipped over by The Grim Reaper, before getting pushed out of the CPZ by Sir Killalot and being slammed into an angle grinder by its opponent. It bumped into and drove away from The Grim Reaper to try and get its weapon up to speed, driving over the Flame Pit and into Cassius Chrome in the process, before driving into the wall twice and getting flipped and pushed into Sir Killalot by The Grim Reaper once again. Gyrobot retaliated by pushing The Grim Reaper back when it missed its next flip, causing The Grim Reaper to get wedged on top of its rim, only to be flipped onto Sir Killalot’s lance and driving away to get its spinning rim up to speed again.

"For me, it’s all The Grim Reaper, and the Gyrobot, defensively, erm, now what do you call that tactic? I think it’s called… running away!"
— Jonathan Pearce, unimpressed with Gyrobot’s lack of aggression as it gets its weapon up to speed
The Grimreaper vs Gyrobot

Gyrobot stays in the arena

Grimreaper Damage 2

Damage caused to The Grim Reaper by Gyrobot

This compelled The Grim Reaper to strike Gyrobot with its rear panel, before flipping and chasing it around the arena once again, with Gyrobot driving into the wall and Cassius Chrome while doing so. Gyrobot was flipped a few more times by The Grim Reaper – at one point getting pinned between Sir Killalot and the wall - before ramming The Grim Reaper a few times as ‘cease’ was called. Despite Gyrobot landing a blow on The Grim Reaper’s side that damaged one of its panels, the judges’ decision went against it, as The Grim Reaper proved more aggressive throughout. This eliminated Gyrobot from the Seventh Wars.

Results[]

GYROBOT - RESULTS
Series 7
The Seventh Wars - UK Championship
Heat, Round 2
Heat B, Round 1 vs. Jackson Wallop, Killerkat, Terrorhurtz (3) Qualified
NOTE: Terrorhurtz was disqualified before the first-round melee took place.
Heat B, Round 2 vs. The Grim Reaper Lost

Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 1
  • Losses: 1

Series Record[]

Series Gyrobot 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 Withdrew from qualifiers
The Sixth Wars Failed to qualify
The Seventh Wars Heat, Round 2
Series 8 Did not enter
Series 9 Not selected
Series 10 Did not enter

Gallery[]

Outside Robot Wars[]

Gyrobottoday

Gyrobot in 2004

Gyrobot 2019

Gyrobot at the Extreme Robots event at Guildford in June 2019

In 2002, Gyrobot would compete in the 2002 Roaming Robots event at Gaydon, competing in at least one match as it faced both S3 and Kan-Opener in a melee. It lost this match after being pitted by Kan-Opener, who would eventually go on to win the battle.

After the Seventh Wars, Gyrobot was upgraded to spin and accelerate faster, also gaining studded wheels and an improved battery life, with the intention of entering another series of Robot Wars. However, the show entered its 12-year hiatus before it could compete with the upgrades. Gyrobot remained operational over this period, but could not compete at live events due to the restrictions affecting spinning weapons prior to 2017. The Fighting Robots Association website, however, suggests that it regularly fought at Roaming Robots and Robot Crusade events in the period following the show's entry into hiatus.[2]

Although Gyrobot was upgraded again in 2016 with the intention of entering Series 9, it has still yet to reappear in combat. Its most recent appearance came at the June 2019 Extreme Robots Guildford event, albeit as a static display alongside Wheely Big Cheese and Gabriel 2.

In 2017, Team Gyrobot built an antweight called Vibrant, which was an invertible 'brushbot' using no wheels, and was armed with twin horizontal bar spinners. The robot relies entirely on the vibration of the spinners for forward movement and steering, and is capable of using torque steering for faster turning through adjustments to the speed of each weapon motor.[13]

Trivia[]

KillerKatWrongResult

The incorrect results board

  • After Gyrobot's first round battle, the battle board incorrectly listed it as one of the robots that were eliminated, instead of Killerkat.
  • There is a robot listed in the Honourable Mentions of the Combat Robot Hall of Fame, by the name of Gyrobot. However, it is not this machine, nor is it related, as it is an antweight class machine.
  • Gyrobot was the only robot in Series 7 from Wiltshire, originating from Swindon. In fact, it was the only robot from Wiltshire to compete after Series 3. It was also one of five robots on Robot Wars to be from Wiltshire.
  • Gyrobot was the only newcomer in Heat B of Series 7. It was also the only robot in that heat not to lose in the first round of a UK Championship.
  • With a volume of less than .08m3, Gyrobot was the smallest robot weighing 100kg ever to compete in Robot Wars. In comparison, Onslaught in Series 5 was roughly .14m3 and weighed 99kg.
    • If Gyrobot had qualified for Series 9, its 40kg rim would have been the heaviest weapon in the series.
  • Gyrobot has occasionally been on display at the Museum of Computing in Swindon. It currently resides in Steve Wood's garage.
  • Cassius Chrome was present in both of Gyrobot's battles.

References[]

Gyrobot S7

Official Series 7 photo

External Links[]

Navigation[]

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