Orb of Doom was a featherweight robot which competed exclusively in the 1995 US Robot Wars competition. Featuring a unique spherical design, it lost in the first round of the Super Lightweight Face-Off after becoming immobilized against the flying robot S.P.S. #2.[3]
Following Orb of Doom's brief run, builder Roger Gilbertson became a Judge for the 1996 event.[2]
Design[]
Though similar in concept to future UK competitor Psychosprout, Orb of Doom featured a significantly different exterior design and internal mechanism for rolling across the arena. The spherical body comprised of a 'foam core pattern' made up of hexagonal and pentagonal-shaped panels, shrouded by carbon fiber and Kevlar cloth with 'polyester resin'. An electric drill formed the basis for a custom 'offset weight mechanism', providing rolling motion in tandem with 'a heavy-duty R/C servo'. The servo would be responsible for adjusting weight distribution, allowing Orb of Doom to turn in each direction. Roger Gilbertson, however, would later find that this internal setup was 'completely underpowered'.[2]
Robot History[]
1995 US Championship[]
In the first round of the 1995 Super Lightweight Face-Off, Orb of Doom faced the flying robot S.P.S. #2, setting up a match between two of the most unique robots in the competition.
- "I'd finished it just the night before the competition so the learning curve was brutal, with no time to work out the remaining problems. Going up against the floater was a good idea by whomever determined the matches (mastermind Marc Thorpe perhaps?)."
- — Roger Gilbertson[2]
During a very tentative start by both robots, Orb of Doom rolled forwards and into the nearby flipper hazards, before getting swatted by a mousetrap. Taking a hit from the swinging Ball of Doom, it kept rolling past the lurking S.P.S. #2, ambling and twitching in the far side of the arena. Neither robot made contact with each other for much of the match, even as Orb of Doom rolled back towards the center to confront S.P.S. #2. At that point, Orb of Doom suddenly stopped moving entirely, allowing S.P.S. #2 to brush it with its net amidst several failed attempts to trap it. Orb of Doom was counted out before it could be snared inside the net; regardless, it was eliminated from the Super Lightweight Face-Off by knockout.[3]
Results[]
| ORB OF DOOM - RESULTS | ||
| 1995 US Championship | ||
| Super Lightweight Face-Off Round 1 | ||
| Round 1 | vs. S.P.S. #2 | Lost |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 0
- Losses: 1
Series Record[]
| Events | Orb of Doom Event Record |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Did not enter |
| 1995 | Super Lightweight Face-Off, Round 1 |
| 1996 | Did not enter |
| 1997 | Did not enter |
Outside Robot Wars[]
Following its 1995 run, Roger Gilbertson originally planned to introduce several upgrades to Orb of Doom's design, including weapons. However, these would not materialize, and the multiple shells produced for the robot were later scrapped.[2]
In 2001, Gilbertson was involved in the production of the Comedy Central BattleBots series, working as a pit coordinator for Season 3.0.[2]
References[]
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