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"The project is to develop the basics from Panda Monium and produce a tougher robot for future events."
— Robot Wars 101 website[1]

More Panda Monium was a heavyweight robot which attempted to enter Robot Wars: The Third Wars. The second robot in this weight class from Team Panda, it was not selected for the main competition despite completing its audition, and did not appear in the series after the Tag Team competition it was also intended to enter was cancelled.

Design[]

MPMrear

More Panda Monium from the rear

More Panda Monium Spike

More Panda Monium's spike and scoop in their fired positions

More Panda Monium was a two-wheel drive, box-shaped robot armed with two pneumatically-powered weapons: a lifting scoop and a spike mounted immediately on top of the scoop. The scoop was made from 2.5mm steel and was initially actuated by a pair of pneumatic pistons, giving it a lifting capacity of approximately 65-70kg. Following durability issues encountered between auditions and filming of Series 3, More Panda Monium's scoop was later modified to feature three pistons, increasing its lifting capacity to over 100kg.[2] The robot's spike was intended to pierce through opponents' armour, and could be positioned at various angles in order to reach robots of varying sizes.

"As you can see the reach of the spike is significant. It was designed with even the smallest robots in mind."
— Robot Wars 101 website[3]

More Panda Monium was made out of steel with polycarbonate top panels, and sported a yellow, black and white colour scheme. The robot cost almost £1,200 to build.

Qualification[]

More Panda Monium attended the auditions for Series 3, where it encountered minor control issues during the obstacle course.

"It was the usual, weigh-in, photos, technical check, driving test affair. We sailed through all but the driving test. Due to the speed controller balance not being quite right, it was ok but not great. We did get some good feedback from Mat (Irvine) and others about the completed MPM."
— Robot Wars 101 website[4]

Following feedback from the Robot Wars production crew, the robot was subsequently modified ahead of filming, although More Panda Monium would not be selected to compete in the main competition. Despite this, Team Panda expressed interest in taking part in the planned Tag Team competition which was intended to be filmed after the latter had concluded. Pete Collier offered More Panda Monium as a potential partner to other roboteers, and ultimately announced The Steel Avenger as their partner for the event.[5]

However, the competition was cancelled due to a behind-the-scenes accident in The Pits, where another spike-wielding robot injured a member of the production crew.[6] The incident caused numerous delays leading to the cancellation of other side events, and compelled Rex Garrod, a vocal critic of health and safety standards in earlier series of Robot Wars, to retire from the show altogether. More Panda Monium, meanwhile, went into storage when Team Panda received news of the cancellation.

"We got two calls today to tell us both the Tag and grudges are cancelled. Panda is all tidied away for the winter and it's very much back to the drawing board (and the ants of course!) Series 4 anyone? Charity events perhaps?"
— Peter Collier[7]

After not being selected to compete in Series 3, More Panda Monium was eventually retired and replaced with Team Panda's third heavyweight - Big Pants - for their attempted entry into Series 4.

Series Record[]

MPMtest

More Panda Monium in testing

Main Series More Panda Monium Series Record
The First Wars Did not enter
The Second Wars Entered with Panda Monium
The Third Wars Not selected
The Fourth Wars Failed to qualify with Big Pants
The Fifth Wars Failed to qualify with Big Pants
The Sixth Wars Entered with Hot Pants
The Seventh Wars Entered with Thunderpants
Series 8 Did not enter
Series 9 Did not enter
Series 10 Did not enter
Robot Wars Extreme Appearances
Series 1 Entered with Pants
Series 2 Entered with Pants

Outside Robot Wars[]

Following the Series 3 auditions, More Panda Monium attended the High Wycombe fete, where it fought Series 2 champion Panic Attack in one battle.[8] During the fete, it sustained damage to its scoop and rear motor mountings, prompting Team Panda to make repairs and modifications to its design before filming of Series 3 began.

"MPM had a fight at a charity event after it failed to get in tv and got soundly trashed. It would have made great tv but made us realise it was weak."
— Pete Collier, on More Panda Monium's post-Series 3 appearance[9]

More Panda Monium competed at an additional, unspecified charity event after its curtailed attempts to enter the series. It was found that despite Team Panda's efforts to improve the machine, the custom-made pneumatics were 'massively underrated', and the robot itself got 'soundly trashed' in its only known fight at the event. More Panda Monium would be retired not long afterwards, after which it was superseded by the improved Big Pants.[9]

References[]

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