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"Four-wheeled with a crushing jaw weapon mounted on the front, capable of crushing an 18-inch concrete block, massive ground clearance of... 5 centimetres, that could prove its downfall."
Jonathan Pearce introducing Monad

Monad was a competitor robot that fought in Series 5 of Robot Wars. It was the first of three entries from Team Monad, preceding 4x4 and Topbot, which lost its only battle against Tiberius 2 in the first round.

Design[]

Monad

Rear view of Monad

Monad was a boxy prism-shaped robot with four-wheel drive and a set of small horizontal crushing pincers as its weapon. The pincers were claimed to be capable of crushing an 18-inch concrete block, and the robot demonstrated decent speed and pushing power in its only battle. However, Monad had no self-righting mechanism, a ground clearance of 5cm (one of the largest among Series 5 competitors) and noticeable stability issues which resulted in it tipping on its front or back ends whenever it quickly changed direction. Additionally, its armour was fairly weak, which allowed it to be easily damaged by Tiberius 2.

Etymology[]

Though the direct inspiration behind the name Monad is unclear, one meaning of the word Monad can be a philosophical term for "that which is one". The team's t-shirts read "Uimhir haon" on the back, which is Gaelic for 'number one', potentially adding to this connection.

The Team[]

MonadTeam

The team controlling Monad

4x4 was entered by Team Monad, consisting of team captain Bernard "Benny" Karstel, and his consistent Robot Wars teammate Andrew Karstel, with Sean Mayler also appearing only on Monad's team. The team were based in Clondalkin in Dublin, the same region Team Nemesis lived in. This made Monad and Diotoir the only competitors in the Fifth Wars to be based outside of the United Kingdom. Team Monad would later compete in Series 6 with 4x4, and Series 7 with Topbot.

Unfortunately, team captain Benny Karstel later died in 2006[1].

Robot History[]

Series 5[]

Monad participated in Heat J of the Fifth Wars, and was placed up against Series 4 veteran Tiberius 2 in its first round battle.

TiberiusMonad

Tiberius 2 pierces Monad

Tiberius 2 vs Monad

Monad is pushed towards the pit

It initially rammed at Tiberius 2, but rode up its side, before pushing Tiberius 2 into Sgt. Bash. Both robots escaped, but Monad tipped back on its rear wheels and was caught side-on by Tiberius 2, allowing Tiberius 2 to crush through its side armour and push it into the wall. Monad escaped after Tiberius 2 let go, trying to use its pincers to grab hold of Tiberius 2, but to no effect as they dangled loose from Monad's front end. Tiberius 2 chased Monad and tried to grab it again as it attempted to press the pit release button, but failed to attack, allowing Monad to activate the pit on its second try. The two robots drove precariously close to the pit before Monad suddenly broke down and was pitted by Tiberius 2, eliminating it from the Fifth Wars.

"Monad, crushed by the mighty jaws of Tiberius the Second!"
Craig Charles comments on the demise of Monad

Results[]

MONAD - RESULTS
Series 5
The Fifth Wars - UK Championship
Heat, Round 1
Heat J, Eliminator vs. Tiberius 2 Lost

Wins/Losses[]

  • Wins: 0
  • Losses: 1

Series Record[]

Series Monad 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 Heat, Round 1
The Sixth Wars Entered with 4x4
The Seventh Wars Entered with Topbot
Series 8 Did not enter
Series 9 Did not enter
Series 10 Did not enter

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Monad is one of two robots from Ireland to compete in Series 5, the other being Diotoir.
  • The team's shirts read "Uimhir haon," Gaelic for "number one."
  • Many of Monad's parts were used to create its successor, 4x4.

References[]

  1. Private correspondence with Peter Redmond

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