- "Could this be a Hammerhead shark?"
- — Jonathan Pearce
Hammerhead was a competitor robot from Series 3 of Robot Wars, which lost its only ever battle in the first round against future success Pussycat.
Design[]
The interchangeable axe/hammer of Hammerhead
Hammerhead was a rounded rear-wheel driven box-shaped robot, designed to look like a racing car. It was made of 3mm alloy with steel bracing, with a scoop on the front and a small hard hat (the driver's helmet) on top which housed an interchangeable axe or hammer weapon powered by a car starter motor. Hammerhead's weapon was fairly powerful for its time, notably penetrating the arena floor in battle, although the robot itself was far less reliable and became immobile with little explanation.
Hammerhead had an above-average build cost for 1999 standards, costing approximately £1400 to complete.
The Team[]
Hammerhead was built by a team from Barnstaple in North Devon, one of two Devon-based teams in Series 3 alongside the Shrapnel team. Hammerhead's team captain was Paul Brend, and he was joined by his family member Mike Brend.
Robot History[]
Series 3[]
Hammerhead competed in Heat M of the Third Wars, where it was drawn up against future Grand Finalist Pussycat in the first round.
Hammerhead gets its axe stuck in the arena floor as Pussycat continues to attack
Pussycat pits Hammerhead
Both robots started tentatively with Pussycat attempting to use its saw. Hammerhead was moving very slowly and missed a few times with its axe/hammer, which it then got stuck in the wooden arena floor and struggled to forcibly retract. Fortunately, Hammerhead was able to free itself off-camera and the two bots started engaging in a pushing battle. After the two bots separated, Hammerhead appeared to be suffering from low drive power, as it struggled to move forward and back. This allowed Pussycat to capitalize, pushing Hammerhead into the Pit despite resistance from the hammerbot. Hammerhead was eliminated from the competition as a result.
Results[]
| HAMMERHEAD - RESULTS | ||
| Series 3 | ||
| The Third Wars - UK Championships Heat, Round 1 | ||
| Heat M, Round 1 | vs. Pussycat | Lost |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 0
- Losses: 1
Series Record[]
| Series | Hammerhead Series Record |
|---|---|
| The First Wars | Did not enter |
| The Second Wars | Did not enter |
| The Third Wars | Heat, Round 1 |
| The Fourth Wars | Did not enter |
| The Fifth Wars | Did not enter |
| The Sixth Wars | Did not enter |
| The Seventh Wars | Did not enter |
| Series 8 | Did not enter |
| Series 9 | Did not enter |
| Series 10 | Did not enter |
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Orac's Revenge, another Series 3 competitor, originally failed to qualify for Series 3 under the name Hammerhead, but managed to qualify after changing its name.
- Hammerhead was the first robot to lose against future runner-up Pussycat, a robot that would eventually amass 34 wins in total.