Red-Green was a featherweight robot built and entered by Jim Sellers into the 1997 US Robot Wars competition. Notable for its dual lifting and grabbing jaws, it used this unorthodox weapon to win four consecutive battles and reach the final of the Featherweight Face-Off. There, Red-Green was involved in a closely-fought duel with defending class champion Wedge of Doom, but lost on an audience vote and settled for the runner-up position.[3][4][5] Red-Green also reached the final round of the concurrent Featherweight Melee tournament, but was again defeated by Wedge of Doom on an audience vote.[6][7][8]
Jim Sellers had previously entered the 1996 competition with Attiller (the Hun), winning the Lightweight Face-Off outright.
Design[]
Red-Green was an invertible, two-wheel drive robot made out of aluminum. Integrated into its symmetrical wedge shape was a pair of large jaws, designed to function both as a lifter and a vertical grabber. Both jaws were able to open and close together through a screw mechanism, powered by a snowmobile starter motor, and would operate with equal efficiency as a result of Red-Green's symmetrical design. As reflected in the robot's name, each jaw was distinguished by sides and top 'fireball' decals in red (upper) or green (lower). A pair of googly eyes would be attached to the top of the 'red' jaw ahead of the competition. For propulsion, Red-Green utilized 'two large motors' and 'timing belt reductions', each driving the externally-mounted lawnmower wheels.[2]
Red-Green's appearance and double-sided weapon concept would later be emulated by UK Series heavyweight St. Agro, though the latter differed both in scale and in using a pneumatic-powered 'double flipper'. In St Agro's Series 7 Heat, it was inferred by captain Terry Carlin that Trelawneys Robot Army were not aware of Red-Green's existence while developing and competing with their machine.
Robot History[]
1997 US Championship[]
Red-Green's 1997 campaign began in the Featherweight Face-Off. In the opening round, it faced fellow class debutant Destructomatic, built by Phil Putman. Alongside Wedge of Doom vs Bob Smith, this would form the very first set of battles to take place across the entire 1997 competition.
Red-Green pressures Destructomatic against the side wall
Following a tentative start by both machines, Red-Green was first to attempt an attack, trying to wedge underneath Destructomatic's spherical shell. Another tentative spell ended with it shoving the latter into the left-most wall, but unable to lift it with its front jaws. Destructomatic escaped, prompting Red-Green to stay out of trouble during the next few moments. Red-Green charged, but largely missed its next attack on Destructomatic. Instead, it briefly got itself wedged underneath the upper-left flipper.[9][10]
The two robots darted back out to the wall. There, Red-Green began pushing Destructomatic against and alongside the wall once more, while dodging Wedge of Doom's attacks on Bob Smith. More tentative driving and shoving followed, with Red-Green still unable to attack an otherwise struggling Destructomatic. After being momentarily collected from the side by Wedge of Doom, it would momentarily reverse and pin Destructomatic against the upper-left flipper.[9][10]
As Destructomatic struggled to escape, Red-Green turned around and opened its upper jaw, but without any meaningful effect. Speeding into the center, it engaged in another tentative tussle while briefly trapping Wedge of Doom and Bob Smith in its corner. It and Destructomatic took blows from Bob Smith's swinging tail; Red Green would back into the latter as Wedge of Doom closed in on the pair. When Destructomatic again struggled to bring its flails up to a damaging speed, Red-Green shoved it a few times close to the center.[9][10]
Red-Green flips Destructomatic
Red-Green opened its jaws twice more while shoving Destructomatic into the wall. It would be hindered, however, by a swipe from the nearby flipper paddle on its opponent. The paddle caused Red-Green to mistime its charge and wedge itself for several seconds. After opening its jaws, Red-Green shot backwards, with Destructomatic now struggling to drive away from the perimeter. Red-Green rammed Phil Putman's machine as the battle entered its final thirty seconds, then flicked, clamped and dragged it out into the arena center. Moments later, it drove under and flipped Destructomatic completely over, securing a knockout with less than ten seconds to spare.[9][10]
In the second round, Red-Green was drawn to face Bot Will Eat Itself, a new machine from Jason Bardis and the UC Santa Barbara team.
Starting the faster of the two machines, it met Bot Will Eat Itself in the right-hand side of the arena. Both were initially unable to line up an attack, until Red-Green reversed into and started pushing Bot Will Eat Itself from the left-hand side. A subsequent exchange near an arena flipper resulted in Red-Green taking a strike from the spinning flails attached to Bot Will Eat Itself's arm. Red-Green, unaffected by this, tried to lift Bot Will Eat Itself, without success, before again aggressively reversing into it.[11][12]
Red-Green retreats from the immobile Bot Will Eat Itself
Both robots next met near the center. With a forward drive and spin, Red-Green briefly lifted the shell of Bot Will Eat Itself off its mounting point. Following a few tentative nudges, it again started attacking its opponent aggressively. An attempted chase into the lower-right corner was disrupted by an arena flipper, though Red-Green still drove under and lifted Bot Will Eat Itself against the wall. During the same attack, it grabbed hold of one of Bot Will Eat Itself's drive assembles, before pulling it outwards. The partially-deshelled Bot Will Eat Itself was now immobilized.[11][12]
While waiting for its opponent's count-out, Red-Green turned itself over against the nearby arena flipper, entertaining the audience as it proceeded to crash into the wall. After nudging Bot Will Eat Itself for the last time, it was effectively confirmed as the winner when Michael Meehan announced the former's immobility.[11][12]
Through to the Quarter-Finals, Red-Green next fought Sabotage - an overhead spinner built by Matt Sabatino.
As the opening bell rang, it dodged its opponent's first drive, then almost turned Sabotage over upon scooping it up. An even pushing match between both competitors followed. Though Red-Green found its ground clearance being breached by Sabotage, it was able to escape once Sabotage wedged itself into the lower wall. From that moment, it again got underneath, pushed and tried to turn Sabotage over. In doing so, it freed Matt Sabatino's machine as it backed up.[13][14]
Red-Green spun and opened its dual-acting jaws, dodging attempts by Sabotage to attack with its overhead spinning blade. It could not, however, find opportunities to turn Sabotage over as the two robots continued to exchange rams. During a tactical phase, Red-Green also got itself stuck under the same wall section. It was rammed by Sabotage while Michael Meehan asked it and Jim Sellers for signs of movement. After an uneventful few moments, Red-Green finally managed to pull free, just as Sabotage drove itself into the wall for the second time.[13][14]
In a bid to free its opponent, Red-Green pushed, lifted and clamped down on Sabotage, before backing away as the match entered its final minute. With its jaws still open, it initially clamped Sabotage again, but Sabotage was still wedged in place. Two more rams and a lift finally allowed Sabotage to move along the arena perimeter. In return for this, Red-Green was briefly shoved against the flipper, setting up another series of light pushes between the two competitors. A final head-to-head collision and push from Red-Green followed as time ran out. Red-Green was subsequently declared the winner on a Judges' decision, putting it through to the Semi-Finals.[13][14]
There, Red-Green faced a rival invertible lifter, in the form of Andrew Lindsey's Spike II.
Both robots spent the opening moments driving into and around each other. Red-Green, after being rammed near the center of the arena, collected Spike II at high speed. Taking advantage of a driving error on its opponent's part, it clamped down on Spike II's left tire, while being pushed around in circles for a few moments. Once both robots separated, Red-Green survived more ramming attacks, pushing Spike II back across the upper-right perimeter in retaliation. Another exchange saw Red-Green opening its jaws again, but unable to clamp Spike II as the latter briefly tried to lift it from behind. [15][16]
Following a few close calls with the lower spike trap, Red-Green lured Spike II towards the surrounding wall, then proceeded to scoop underneath Cambot for a brief moment. Another tentative exchange saw it driving into the upper-left flipper, then reversing up and getting hoisted by Spike II's lifting arm. Red-Green responded quickly, popping Spike II up into the air with a side-on push. It opened its jaws just as Spike II began swinging its arm, catching and biting down on the arm. While Red-Green was lifted up onto its left wheel, it succeeded in pulling Andrew Lindsey's machine over as the two featherweights spun around in circles.[15][16]
Once Spike II performed a self-righting 'wheelie', Red-Green gave chase once again as the battle entered its final minute. However, upon crossing over a patch of fluid - among those spilt by heavyweights Z and The Scorpion[17] - it veered into and got itself wedged under the wall near the lower spike trap. The Judges quickly paused the fight to allow Red-Green to be unstuck, after which the two competitors resumed their duel. Red-Green missed an attempted ram on Spike II and caught the right side wall, enabling the latter to pin it in place. A pushing match across the upper-right perimeter ensued, after which Red-Green drove underneath Cambot.[15][16]
Moments later, Red-Green backed onto Spike II's lifter, getting itself lifted onto its right wheel as a consequence. Both competitors proceeded to dodge and shove each other until the final ten seconds, when Red-Green opened its jaws once again. On this occasion, it was unable to grasp Spike II with them before the end bell rang. Both robots lasted to a Judges' decision; in their ruling, Red-Green was deemed the winner of a fast-paced and closely-fought fight.[15][16]
For the 1997 Featherweight Face-Off title, Red-Green faced defending class champion Wedge of Doom in the overall final. Its weapon and invertible design prompted the latter's builder, Tony Buchignani, to employ a ramming-focused strategy from the outset.
- "Like many of the other featherweight robots, Red-Green could run upside down and I knew that in order to win I would have to either ram it so hard that it broke, or throw it out of the arena. Red-Green also had a lifter that could potentially get under my robot and flip it over. So, when the match started, I carefully positioned the Wedge of Doom in order to ram Red-Green very hard."
- — Tony Buchignani[3]
Wedge of Doom throws Red-Green upwards from a ramming attack
As anticipated by Buchignani, a slow start by both competitors lead to them ramming each other in the center of the arena. The impact allowed Red-Green to send Wedge of Doom spinning, while also denting its front plate and inhibiting its maneuvrability for the rest of the battle. Red-Green opened its jaws, but could not find a suitable angle to attack, or prevent Wedge of Doom from nudging it a few times. More light shoves were exchanged by the two robots. A drive up Wedge of Doom's scoop briefly lifted Red-Green onto one side.[3][4][5]
Red-Green continued to struggle, repeatedly being pushed and chased while straying into the lower-left flipper and Cambot. One shove from Wedge of Doom turned it completely over; another resulted in Red-Green being slammed into the flipper as it opened its jaws again. Red-Green backed into the spiked wall bumper nearby, then bumped into the lower wall. Wedge of Doom drove under and pinned it against the 'curb', before proceeding to ram it several more times. Red-Green briefly got its 'green' jaw under Wedge of Doom, but could not lift Tony Buchignani's machine in time, instead bashing into the wall again.[3][4][5]
A back-and-forth exchange followed; Wedge of Doom steered Red-Green into the spiked wall, before Red-Green pushed it back and again drove into the flipper. A similar pattern would be sustained as Red-Green was continuously rammed and pinned, again while unable to use its jaws to any effect. Wedge of Doom scooped up and pushed the inverted Red-Green towards the upper spike trap, though Red-Green quickly escaped. Red-Green was then pushed around in circles during the closing moments; a last-second attempt to grab Wedge of Doom from the right-rear corner proved unsuccessful.[3][4][5]
With both robots lasting the distance, the Final initially went to a Judges' decision. Deeming the battle 'too close to call', the Judges at first declared a draw, before two audience votes were subsequently cast. While both robots received equal crowd support in the first vote, Red-Green received less in the second, losing the battle and finishing as the 1997 Face-Off runner-up.[3][4][5]
Red-Green also fought in the Featherweight Melee tournament, held immediately following the Face-Off Finals. In its preliminary round, it faced Sabotage for the second time, alongside Dough Boy, Fuzzy, 1995 Super-Lightweight champion KMM, and 1996 Face-Off runner-up Red 2.
In the opening moments, Red-Green kept away from the action, aside from a moment where it drove into and pushed Sabotage aside. It next pressured Red 2, itself hampered by shredding drive belts, which drove under its lower jaw in response. Opening its jaws, Red-Green momentarily grabbed hold of Red 2, only to be rammed by Sabotage, itself having been rammed by Dough Boy.[18][19]
While Red 2 briefly pushed Dough Boy by its blade, Red-Green reversed into the clutches of KMM, but escaped. A few duels with Lisa Winter's machine followed, though the latter would primarily concentrate on attacking Red 2. Red-Green survived further rams from both Sabotage and Red 2, after which a wayward Dough Boy drove into its opened jaws. However, it could not clamp down in time, and resorted to attacking both Sabotage and KMM during their tussle. This, in turn, briefly allowed Red 2 to push it upwards.[18][19]
A pincer movement by Red-Green and Sabotage caused KMM to be violently wedged on top of the former. After this, Red-Green turned into, lifted and clamped Red 2, dragging it back towards the inner-left perimeter and holding it in place for several seconds. During the final minute, it pulled away from John Knoll's machine, then drove into the side of KMM alongside Dough Boy. Red-Green and Dough Boy continued ramming each other until time ran out; the pair, alongside KMM and Sabotage, would be chosen to qualify for the Semi-Finals.[18][19]
Red-Green and Sabotage were originally due to face Spike II, Spiny Norman, Thwonkis Mobilis and TKO at that stage. Due to technical issues, both Sabotage and TKO withdrew, leaving the remaining four robots to fight on without them.[20]
Early on, Red-Green rammed Spiny Norman and Thwonkis Mobilis as the quartet converged. It then turned the former over, while pushing the US Robot Wars veteran backwards into the lower wall. Upon dragging it away from the spike trap, Red-Green let go of Spiny Norman, the exchange re-righting Spiny Norman before the pair were pushed at high speed by Spike II. The trio were rammed by Thwonkis Mobilis while this occurred, with all robots finding themselves near the lower-left corner. Red-Green continued tussling with Spike II and Spiny Norman for some time, with Spike II unsuccessfully trying to lift it as with their Face-Off duel.[20][21]
Red-Green clamped down on Spiny Norman's front-right corner, including the exposed wheel. After this, it joined Spiny Norman in attacking and re-righting Thwonkis Mobilis, after Chris Ervine's machine was rammed and turned over by Spike II. Another duel between Red-Green and Spiny Norman followed, resulting in Red-Green being rammed and temporarily immobilized. Red-Green, jaws partially open, was pushed back by both Spike II and Spiny Norman, but attempted to lift Will Wright's machine in response. Unable to turn Spiny Norman over, it proceeded to grapple with Thwonkis Mobilis, while the former was eventually flipped and eliminated from contention by Spike II. Simultaneous rams on the duo by Spike II were ultimately enough to split Thwonkis Mobilis' chassis apart.[20][21]
Red-Green, still gripping Thwonkis Mobilis, was eventually separated following a mid-match pause. Upon the match restarting, it opened and closed its jaws before creeping into the side of Spike II. At that point, Red-Green had begun to suffer more mobility issues, leaving it vulnerable to pushes, rams and a hook attack from Spike II's lifter. The latter resulted in Spike II lifting Red-Green by the jaws. More rams were followed by a second lift, which also lead to Red-Green being speared between the right wheel and jaws. Red-Green was paraded around in a circle by Spike II until the end bell rang. Despite the issues it faced, it and Spike II were declared the last two robots standing.[20][21]
The duo thus qualified for the Featherweight Melee Final. For the 1997 title, they faced Bob Smith, No Love and Wedge of Doom - the second occasion in which the latter would face Red-Green in a championship decider.
Immediately, Red-Green collided with Spike II near the center, while No Love was eliminated early on by Wedge of Doom's ramming attacks. It was then pushed into the lower-right flipper and lower spike trap wall by Wedge of Doom, where it also became stranded. Red-Green took multiple whacks from Bob Smith's tail while in this predicament, ultimately finding itself stuck jaw-first under the wall. Approximately two minutes after the Melee started, a pause was declared to allow Red-Green to be freed.[6][7][8]
Opening its jaws, Red-Green began ramming Wedge of Doom alongside Spike II as the match resumed. In response, Wedge of Doom shoved it back into the lower-right corner, while also flipping Spike II over for the third time. Driving back into the center, Red-Green next lifted No Love up onto one side, before catching it in its lower jaw. In turn, it would end up being lifted once more by Spike II, then flipped over by a ram from Wedge of Doom. Red-Green next drove under the spinning Bob Smith, but could not find an opportunity to lift or grab it with the jaws. It was shoved one more time by Wedge of Doom, into the upper-left corner, until time ran out.[6][7][8]
Following the initial Judges' decision, an audience vote was cast to determine the overall winner. The loudest applause was given to Wedge of Doom, resulting in Red-Green losing the battle and the 1997 Featherweight Melee championship.[6][7][8]
Results[]
| RED-GREEN - RESULTS | ||
| 1997 US Championship | ||
| Featherweight Face-Off Runner-up | ||
| Round 1 | vs. Destructomatic | Won |
| Round 2 | vs. Bot Will Eat Itself | Won |
| Quarter-Final | vs. Sabotage | Won |
| Semi-Final | vs. Spike II | Won |
| Final | vs. Wedge of Doom | Lost |
| Featherweight Melee Final | ||
| Melee, Round 1 | vs. Dough Boy, Fuzzy, KMM, Red 2, Sabotage | Qualified |
| Melee, Semi-Final | vs. Spike II, Spiny Norman, Thwonkis Mobilis | Qualified |
| Melee, Final | vs. Bob Smith, No Love, Spike II, Wedge of Doom | Lost |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 6
- Losses: 2
Series Record[]
| Events | Red-Green Event Record |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Entered with The X-1 |
| 1995 | Entered with The X-1 |
| 1996 | Entered with Attiller (the Hun) Entered with The X-2 |
| 1997 | Featherweight Runner-up (Face-Off) Featherweight Melee, Final |
The above record reflects that of builder Jim Sellers.
Honours[]
References[]
- ↑ 'Contestants: Featherweight Class', 4th Annual Robot Wars (1997) souvenir programme, p.2
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 'RED-GREEN', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 'Pictures of the 1997 Featherweight Face off.', Wedge of Doom/Nolex website (archived)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 'Robot Wars 1997 Featherweight finals: The Wedge of Doom versus Red-Green', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded May 9 2021
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 'MATCH: THE WEDGE OF DOOM VS RED-GREEN', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 'The 1997 Featherweight Melee', Wedge of Doom/Nolex website (archived)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 'Robot Wars 1997 Final Featherweight Melee', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded 11 May 2021
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 'FEATHERWEIGHT MELEE ROUND 6', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 'Robot Wars 1997 Featherweight Dual Match 1', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded April 14 2021
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 'MATCH: RED-GREEN VS DESTRUCTOMATIC', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 'Robot Wars 1997 Featherweight match: Bot Will Eat Itself versus Red Green', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded April 19 2021
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 'MATCH: RED-GREEN VS BOT WILL EAT ITSELF', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 'Robot Wars 1997 Featherweight match: Sabotage versus Red Green', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded May 5 2021
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 'MATCH: RED-GREEN VS SABOTAGE', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 'Robot Wars 1997 Featherweight match: Spike 2 versus Red-Green', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded May 8 2021
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 'MATCH: RED-GREEN VS SPIKE II', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 'The Event', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 'Robot Wars 1997 Featherweight Melee 3', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded May 11 2021
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 'FEATHERWEIGHT MELEE ROUND 3', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 'FEATHERWEIGHT MELEE ROUND 4', Team Spike website (archived)
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 'Robot Wars 1997 Featherweight Melee 4', Andrew Lindsey (YouTube), uploaded May 11 2021
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