REALI-T

"This looks like an alien UFO, complete with coloured flashing lights and a siren. It's powered by six 90-watt motors and has hardened steel spikes."

— Jonathan Pearce summarises REALI-T

REALI-T was a middleweight robot from Robot Wars: The First Wars. It reached the Heat Final in its only appearance, before being defeated by the heavyweight Bodyhammer despite pushing it onto a Grille at one point.

Design[]

REALI-T was a large silver circular-shaped robot covered with wire-frame and mesh armour and designed to resemble a UFO, complete with a toy alien pilot sitting inside the front 'cockpit'. It featured flashing lights and a siren which played whenever the robot was in action, and was armed with a pair of front hardened steel ramming spikes as its weapon. REALI-T also had a top speed of 9mph and was powered by six 90W motors, which gave it good speed and pushing power as well as damage potential with the front spikes. However, its wheels, motors and gearboxes were easily susceptible to damage, which resulted in REALI-T having to be converted from six-wheel drive to four-wheel drive partway through its campaign.

At 40.80kg, REALI-T was considered a middleweight, with the weight limit at the time being 45.4kg - despite this, REALI-T entered in the same competition as heavyyweight opposition.

Etymology[]

The name REALI-T was a pun on the word 'reality', and was also an acronym for "Reverse-Engineered Alien Technology" according to the team. On occasion, the alternative spellings Reali-t and Reali-T were also used by the team and show.

Robot History[]

Series 1[]

Competing in Heat E, REALI-T was the last competitor in that Heat to attempt The Gauntlet. During a pre-run interview, driver Richard Finch shared his confidence against the arena hazards and intention to traverse the centre route.

Philippa Forrester: "Now, you're all scientists, guys, but can science help you against the House Robots?"

Richard Finch: "Most definitely! Science and design will always overcome group power and ignorance."

Philippa Forrester: "So, prove it! Which route are you gonna take in The Gauntlet?"

Richard Finch: "Well, actually, in the first round, I think we'll take the middle route. We want to be gentle on the House Robots to start with."

Philippa Forrester: "In fact, you're going to avoid them altogether. You are aware of the pendulum, though, aren't you?"

Richard Finch: "We are indeed aware of the pendulum. But, again, it'll just bounce off us!"

— Early confidence from REALI-T's driver

REALI-T, as expected, surged off the turntable and began climbing the first see-saw ramp. Tentative progress saw it creep leftwards until it was in the middle of the ramp surface, then turn to make an equally steady run across to the other side. Dodging the drills, REALI-T began another tentative run over the solid ramp, as Jonathan Pearce commented on its speed and '25 degree maximum climb'. REALI-T weaved onto the platform and through the smoke, twitching further until it crossed over the top of the last downward ramp. Pausing momentarily, it made a final dash to the end zone once the swinging pendulum had cleared its path. With its front embedded in the wall rails, and Dead Metal closing in to seize it, REALI-T completed a run strong enough for it to finish first on the Gauntlet leaderboard.

Jeremy Clarkson: "Guys, guys, guys! If I could deduct points for smugness, I would! How did that feel?"

Richard Finch: "Fantastic! We were very worried and very concerned that it was gonna hold together, but very relieved now."

Jeremy Clarkson: "Well, well done! An impressive demonstration!"

— As REALI-T eliminates Wharthog

REALI-T progressed to the Labyrinth Trial, participating alongside the other remaining four Gauntlet qualifiers - Bodyhammer, Full Metal Anorak, Psychosprout and Torque of the Devil. It, along with Psychosprout, started from the centre in front of the entrance/exit bridge.

"And immediately... the roboteers face a sort of chicane. Too many robots, not enough entrance gates... to the maze!"

— Jonathan Pearce as REALI-T blocks Psychosprout on its way into the inner-left route

REALI-T is blocked by Matilda, as Full Metal Anorak tries to ram her out of the way

Upon 'Activate', REALI-T darted into the first inner-left route, blocking Psychosprout's path in the process. The resulting collision disrupted Psychosprout's momentum, preventing the spherical machine from progressing any further. REALI-T steadily weaved through the maze and into the centre zone guarded by Sergeant Bash, passing Bodyhammer in the process. Having entered the zone backwards, it drove forwards and tried to turn 180 degrees. This, however, nullified REALI-T's advantage over Bodyhammer, while causing it to veer into a railing between the inner and outer-left routes. Bodyhammer closed in to push REALI-T into both sides of the outer-left loop exit.

"I just wonder about this outer shell of REALI-T. It looks to me as if it's made out of cold spaghetti."

— Jonathan Pearce expresses reservations about REALI-T's armour as it reaches the centre zone

REALI-T initially tried to follow the Cold Fusion Team entry through, as both competitors struggled to navigate their way out. By the time Sergeant Bash returned to the centre zone, attacking Full Metal Anorak, Torque of the Devil and Bodyhammer, it found its way into the lower-left route, blocked by Matilda.

REALI-T began ramming Matilda in return in an attempt to get past, with assistance from Full Metal Anorak, which had just reached the end zone. Though Full Metal Anorak succeeded in luring Matilda away, REALI-T struggled to complete the course, twitching against and in between the railings with apparent mobility issues. By the time 'Cease' was called in the televised edit, it had navigated the final 180-degree turn and again wedged itself in the railings. Despite REALI-T finishing second on the course to Full Metal Anorak, the Results table showed it as finishing fourth, behind both Bodyhammer and Torque of the Devil.

Following Labyrinth, it was revealed that REALI-T's wheels and gearboxes had been damaged by Matilda in the closing stages of its run. One wheel had been completely 'snapped off', with a shaft for its 90-watt motor completely missing. As further explained in Robot Wars: The First Great War, the team ruled out the possibility of obtaining a spare shaft from their motor manufacturer, as it would have required them to travel to Reading during filming. Instead, they opted to convert REALI-T to four-wheel drive ahead of the Arena stage, at the expense of a third of its much-needed drive power.

Richard Finch: "She was in the passageway, waiting for me. But next time, in open combat, I'd have her... any day!"

Philippa Forrester: "I keep advising people not to combat directly with our House Robots."

REALI-T teammate: "[In background] We've got to give it a go!"

Philippa Forrester: "Does anyone listen to me? Nope! No one ever listens to a thing I say!"

— Richard Finch promises vengeance against Matilda (Robot Wars: The First Great War)

In its Semi-Final, REALI-T met Full Metal Anorak, the robot which attempted to help it out in Labyrinth.

"REALI-T team... concentrated. Wonder how long... that UFO framework will hold out, though?"

— Jonathan Pearce as REALI-T battles Full Metal Anorak

A tentative start saw both competitors ram each other head-on multiple times. Though Full Metal Anorak tried to get underneath it with its front blade, REALI-T kept pressuring it towards the lower perimeter, within reach of the swinging pendulum. It continued to follow an increasingly evasive Full Metal Anorak around, only to be blocked by Sergeant Bash as he left his CPZ to attack both competitors.

REALI-T pushes Full Metal Anorak against the side bars

Sergeant Bash's saw grazed REALI-T's armour, before REALI-T backed out and turned to lock horns again with a speeding Full Metal Anorak. This gave REALI-T a chance to push Full Metal Anorak past Shunt, then ram it against a still-wayward Sergeant Bash. Sergeant Bash pushed REALI-T clear, before both competitors exchanged further rams in the right-hand perimeter. REALI-T, felt by Jonathan Pearce to have been the more controlled, stylish and aggressive of the pair by that point, proceeded to push Full Metal Anorak front-first against the left side bars. Footage of REALI-T's subsequent rams also highlighted the dents and puncture marks it inflicted to Full Metal Anorak's front-right corner.

After another head-to-head collision, REALI-T momentarily veered into Shunt while following an escaping Full Metal Anorak. Dodging the House Robot, it reversed into the back of Full Metal Anorak, the collision pitching Full Metal Anorak towards the right-hand Grille. Full Metal Anorak immobilised itself upon speeding onto the Grille, handing REALI-T victory as it returned to the centre. Upon the team's return to The Pits, REALI-T appeared to have only sustained a 'toasted flag', likely burnt by Sergeant Bash's flamethrower. It was also revealed that REALI-T had momentarily been caught by the Arena Spikes during the battle, but again, without receiving any apparent damage.

Jeremy Clarkson: "For a very long time there, I thought it was going to be stalemate!"

Richard Finch: "It was. He was running away quite rapidly, but we managed to skewer him a few times and just wear him down. It was fantastic!"

Jeremy Clarkson: "Well, congratulations! You're through to the [REALI-T siren fades in] next round with the noisiest machine of the lot."

Jonathan Pearce: "[Commenting on REALI-T's siren] Well, that sounds almost like a demented mechanised cricket to me..."

— Post-battle interview

In the Heat Final, REALI-T faced Bodyhammer, effectively resuming both robots' brief scuffle in the Labyrinth stage.

REALI-T tries to stop Shunt from pushing Bodyhammer off the Grille

Starting the faster of the two competitors, it weaved precariously close to the left grille during its initial approach on Bodyhammer. A tentative driving match followed, where REALI-T momentarily succeeded in spiking Bodyhammer following its run-in with Dead Metal. Collisions with a spiked pyramid and an errant Matilda followed, the latter leaving REALI-T vulnerable as Bodyhammer began pushing it around from the side, into another pyramid in the lower-left CPZ. REALI-T tried to escape, only to be collected and momentarily pressed against the railings by a returning Matilda. When Matilda left to patrol her zone boundary, REALI-T eventually backed out. It soon turned into the spiked pendulum and a waiting Dead Metal, just as Bodyhammer beached itself on the left grille during its own dice with Sergeant Bash.

"And Bodyhammer's on the grille! Come on, the REALI-T boys! Get in there, get in there, that's what they're saying! Matilda's already there, Bodyhammer on the grille - oooh, the torch, though for the REALI-T team!"

— Jonathan Pearce, as REALI-T pushes Bodyhammer fully onto the grille

Capitalising on its opponent's mistake, REALI-T rammed Sergeant Bash and Matilda, before pushing Bodyhammer completely over the Grille. Another close encounter with Sergeant Bash followed while REALI-T's team were shown celebrating this attack. As REALI-T drove its spikes forward, one of its rear wheels caught and was ripped off by the edge of the Grille itself. Despite REALI-T seemingly having done enough to secure an impending victory, Shunt drove towards the Grille from his CPZ to assist Bodyhammer. REALI-T, desperate to intervene, hobbled across the arena centre to spear Shunt from the left-hand side. However, its attack could not prevent him from pushing the Cold Fusion Team entrant free.

REALI-T backed away as Matilda swung around nearby to confront Bodyhammer, reversing towards the left side bars with further control issues. It was next seen to be stuck on the bars themselves, directly opposite Shunt, and under attack from Sergeant Bash's flamethrower and front blade. Moments later, Bodyhammer pushed REALI-T fully over the bars, completely high-centring it. At that point in the televised edit, 'Cease' was called, and REALI-T was eliminated from The First Wars. Its team, gutted by the outcome, insisted that REALI-T was still mobile during a post-match interview. This revealed that REALI-T itself had entered the fight on five of its six wheels, including the wheel lost to the Grille boundary. In Robot Wars: The First Great War, it was also revealed that the circuitry for the on-board siren had been damaged, causing it to switch on and off erratically. Despite the team promising in the Heat E credits that they would 'be back', REALI-T's run marked their only appearance on Robot Wars.

Series Record[]

REALI-T - RESULTS
Series 1
The First Wars - UK Championship Heat Final
Heat E, Gauntlet	Completed (1st)	Qualified
Heat E, Trial (Labyrinth)	Second Furthest (2nd)	Qualified
Heat E, Semi-Final	vs. Full Metal Anorak	Won
Heat E, Final	vs. Bodyhammer	Lost

Wins/Losses[]

Wins: 1
Losses: 1

NOTE: REALI-T's successful Gauntlet and Trial runs are not included

Series Record[]

Series	REALI-T Series Record
The First Wars	Heat Final
The Second Wars	Did not enter
The Third Wars	Did not enter
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[]

REALI-T fought Full Metal Anorak in the Arena Semi-Final, but had the normal pattern of the Semi-Final line-ups been followed, (1st in the Labyrinth fought 3rd, 2nd fought 4th), REALI-T should have fought Bodyhammer in the Semi-Final.
REALI-T's armour also acted as a weapon, as it was covered in chicken wire.
In MUCH TV's Mandarin Chinese dub of Series 1, REALI-T's name was roughly translated as Foreign Visitors, likely as a result of its UFO-inspired design.
While working in The Pits the team members of REALI-T were seen sporting t-shirts reading "DERAnged scientist at work", a nod to the DERA (Defence Evaluation and Research Agency) facility that operated in Malvern, Worcestershire at the time of recording, where the team members worked. DERA was privatised in 2000 and was rebranded under the Qinetiq banner.
Richard Finch stated he attempted to enter a future series, but there is currently no known information on that subsequent built. Finch then stated he hoped to return to for Series 5.^[1]

References[]

↑ Richard Finch on Google Groups

External Links[]

REALI-T website (Archived)

Navigation[]

[1] Richard Finch on Google Groups

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