RoboDoc

RoboDoc
Participation Information
UK Series	2
Other Names	Robo Doc (stats board)
Team Information
Team	Team 101
Team Members	Mike Franklin Jason Smith Paul Johnson
From	Rushden, Northamptonshire
Robot Statistics
Weight	79.9kg
Dimensions	1.60m x 0.78m x 0.54m
Clearance	50mm
Top Speed	15mph
Power	2x 24Ah Yuasa gel batteries (12V)
Drive	2x Bosch 750W motors (24V)
Weapons	Lifting arm and cutting blade
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

"RoboDoc has to be one of the most impressive looking machines seen so far in Robot Wars... The main consideration was that RoboDoc should be something "big and mean", not just another "box on wheels". So it was logical that wheels should be abandoned in favour of tracks."

— The Robot Wars Technical Manual

RoboDoc was Team 101's original machine, which was entered in Series 2 of Robot Wars. It was sponsored by R Griggs and Co (manufacturer of Dr Martens boots) and cost £1000 to build. It reached the Arena Semi-Final stage in its heat, before being defeated by King Buxton, triggering the famous rivalry between King Buxton and Team 101's machines.

Following RoboDoc's loss, Mike Franklin could not secure sponsorship for Series 3, and replaced RoboDoc with the famously inexpensive 101.

Design

"Looks like a World War One tank! The tracks have embedded spikes, helping it to climb 600mm-high obstacles. The lifting arm can hoist 70 kilos, the front-mounted knife can cleave and chop! It cost £1000 and took four months to build!"

— Jonathan Pearce introduces RoboDoc

RoboDoc without its weapon or shell

RoboDoc in the pits

RoboDoc was built like a World War I tank, a large box-wedge shape with 75mm stainless steel tracks running around the entire body. These tracks were salvaged from a scrapyard and originally made up an old bottle washing machine. They featured spikes and plastic pads to increase traction on the floor. The tracks allowed the robot to run inverted, as well as climb obstacles up to 50cm in height.

""There's a local scrapyard I've been visiting since I was twelve. For as long as I can remember, it had these" he says, showing a boxful of links. "They're from a conveyor from an old bottle-washing machine. I had the idea of making a tank from them ages ago, but I never got round to it. Then Robot Wars came along. That gave me just the excuse I needed."

— Mike Franklin explains the story behind the tracks to Ultimate Real Robots magazine

The insides of RoboDoc, at the Series 2 auditions

RoboDoc's power came from two 12V, 25Ah Yuasa sealed lead acid gel batteries and two 24V Bosch 750W motors running through two-stage chain reduction, and controlled by 4QD NCC70 speed controllers. This gave RoboDoc pulling power of 360kg. It also featured 1hp in pushing power as a result of its strong drive motors, which made RoboDoc the most powerful robot in its Heat. The top speed was listed as 15mph on the statistics board, though the team's website lists it as 10mph.

The armour was made from aluminium and the batteries were two 25 amp hour Yuasa gel batteries from Maplin. A two-stage chain drive geared down the motors.

"I would have liked to use gearboxes but the cost of manufacture was going to excessive."

— RoboDoc website

The original design of RoboDoc

RoboDoc's weapon was originally intended to be armed with a disc cutter or a chainsaw. The team found both at a local scrapyard, and the disc cutter was rejected as being too heavy. The chainsaw fitted the robot, but was later removed to keep RoboDoc in the weight limit. The chainsaw was replaced with a spike mounted on a lifting arm, which was able to lift 70kg, but was used primarily for stabbing at a height off the floor. A wide ramming blade was also found behind the lifter, with a sharp edge to cut into other robots.

"Robo Doc team captain Mike Franklin felt that the main problem his team encountered during the design process was weight. For this reason, they decided to for an aluminium construction. Also, in the original design, the main weapon was a chainsaw capable of pivoting through 180 degrees (a little like Dead Metal's circular saw arm) However, weight considerations again made this unfeasible, so instead the team opted for a lightweight (3-kilogram) lifting arm, which is capable of lifting 70-kilograms"

— The Robot Wars Technical Manual on the construction of RoboDoc

Etymology

RoboDoc is named in reference to its main sponsor, Dr. Martens, with Mike Franklin working for its parent company, R Griggs & Co.

On its statistics board, the robot's name was stylised as Robo Doc, but was written as RoboDoc on the team's websites for both RoboDoc and its successor 101, and also on-screen in Robot Wars Revealed.

Qualification

RoboDoc at the Series 2 Rehearsal

Mike Franklin controlling RoboDoc at the Series 2 auditions

RoboDoc was one of the few robots that was fully complete at the time of the Series 2 rehearsals. In the driving test, RoboDoc attempted to drive over the see-saw, but drove up it incorrectly and fell off the side, so it had to to try again. With some more careful positioning, Robot Doc tried to drive over the see-saw, stopping a couple of times to correct its position, and managed to drive over the see-saw. RoboDoc then pushed the ball aside, and went for the barrels, knocking most of them over, though whilst trying to push the last one over, it drove into a fence.. RoboDoc was chosen to compete.

The Team

Main article: Team 101

"We are all engineers who work in the engineering support departments at R Griggs & Co. We normally make mould tools and machine spares as well as special purpose machines like RoboDoc."

— RoboDoc website on the team

The team with RoboDoc

RoboDoc was entered by a team that would later be known as Team 101. Team captain Mike Franklin was the driver and builder of the robot and he was joined by Jason Smith and Paul Johnson. Although they did not appear on the show with the team, Martin Dolan and Darren Perkins were also part of the team and helped build the robot. RoboDoc was sponsored by the Dr. Martens brand, as Mike Franklin and all of the robot's team members worked for its parent company R Griggs & Co. in the engineering support department.

Mike Franklin ran the engineering components division, where all the team members worked. However, after losing in Series 2, R Griggs and Co. lost interest in sponsoring another robot, so Mike Franklin decided to build the robot on his own, using parts from Robo.Doc to build 101.

Robot History

Series 2

"It's all made out of aluminium, it's very strong, very light, and we hope we get through to the final!"

— Mike Franklin in RoboDoc's introduction

RoboDoc competed in Heat I of Series 2, where it was second to run the Gauntlet. However, before the Gauntlet, RoboDoc was suffering from interference problems, which were only mentioned in Robot Wars Revealed.

"We've had a lot of radio interference problems, and we thought it was software related, but we virtually tried everything, and we've just ended up putting it back as it was. The only alteration was the aerial; we took the whip aerial off and put a longer aerial through a piece of plastic pipe, which everybody thinks will make a difference. I guess we'll soon find out!"

— Mike Franklin on the interference problems, and the repairs to solve them, in Robot Wars Revealed

RoboDoc gets around Matilda in the Gauntlet

As RoboDoc left the starting zone, it started turning towards the right hand route, but stopped and corrected its positioning, aiming for the centre route. As RoboDoc tried to drive over the ramp, Matilda drove up the course, and managed to intercept RoboDoc, blocking it and pinning it against a spike on the fence. Matilda got her tusks under RoboDoc and lifted it up, but then reversed, allowing RoboDoc to slip off the tusks, and it went straight for the ramp. RoboDoc drove through the barrels, but Sir Killalot was blocking the exit to the ramp, so RoboDoc drove off the side of the ramp. However, Sergeant Bash was also blocking the way, and RobDoc drove into him. RoboDoc reversed, then tried to get through between the House Robots, but Sir Killalot blocked it with his lance. Matilda got behind RoboDoc, lifting it up its rear with her lifting tusks, and Sir Killalot pushed RoboDoc against Matilda. RoboDoc reversed against the fence, but could not drive down the course as Sir Killalot and Sergeant Bash were blocking the end.

"You can hear the engines roaring. I wonder if they can get up and over Bash using those spike-embedded tracks."

— Jonathan Pearce muses as RoboDoc grapples with the House Robots

RobDoc is trapped by the House Robots

Sir Killalot picks up RoboDoc

Matilda got behind RoboDoc, trapping it as Sergeant Bash blasted RoboDoc with his flame thrower. Sir Killalot got his claw in the side of RoboDoc as Sergeant Bash torched it and lifted it up, but in doing so, he was hit by the flames and his internals caught fire. Sir Killalot kept holding RoboDoc up, pushing it against the fence, then turning it towards the ramp, before dropping it onto Matilda as time ran out.

Craig Charles: "How heavy is that thing?"

Mike Franklin: "About 80 kilos."

Craig Charles: "'Cause you seemed to get picked up quite easily by Sir Killalot though, didn't you?"

Mike Franklin: "He's a lot more powerful, a lot of weight there in Sir Killalot. Very powerful beast"

Craig Charles: "Think you've done enough to get through to the next round?"

Mike Franklin: "We hope so, yeah, we hope so."

— Post-Gauntlet interview with Craig Charles

Despite the House Robots blocking it, RoboDoc had managed a distance of 10.9m, beating King Buxton's distance, seeing it comfortably through to the Trial, with it ultimately finishing second on the leaderboard.

However, RoboDoc was suffering from some software issues, which Mike Franklin put down to interference.

"We've got software problems with the controller, and it keeps packing in basically. We think it's interference problems in the actual arena. We're hoping to get it fixed, in a few minutes, with a bit of luck!"

— Mike Franklin explains the controller issues, in a clip only shown in Robot Wars Revealed

In the Trial, RoboDoc faced Matilda in the Joust.

"We're just getting ready for the next event, we're gonna put some bigger sprockets on there, give us more torque for the Joust!"

— Jason Smith explain to Philippa Forrester the repairs he and Paul Johnson were doing to RoboDoc

Matilda gives off sparks as she flips RoboDoc over

Matilda pins RoboDoc against the wall

RoboDoc charged down the course, straight at Matilda. The two met in the centre, and Matilda got her tusks under RoboDoc and swiftly flipped it over. RoboDoc tried to push Matilda back, but Matilda quickly gained the pushing advantage, and pushed RoboDoc back. However, as she did, she pushed RoboDoc against the side of the Joust course, pinning it there, preventing Matilda from pushing it off or pushing it further down the course. Matilda kept RoboDoc pinned there until time ran out, despite RoboDoc struggling against her, leaving RoboDoc with a distance of 6.10m.

"The clock ticks down, they've done enough. They've survived!"

— Jonathan Pearce as the Trial ends for RoboDoc

With Rottweiler being pushed back to the entry gate, RoboDoc qualified for the Arena in 3rd place.

Before the Arena stage, the team had problems getting the lifting arm to work. They fitted a new motor, but it still didn't work, so Mike Franklin used his computer to download a new program to the chip that controlled the arm to try and get it to work. This was only shown in Robot Wars Revealed.

There, it faced fellow newcomer King Buxton.

"We're about equals we reckon!"

— Mike Franklin after being told RoboDoc was due to fight King Buxton, in a clip only shown in Robot Wars Revealed

King Buxton rams RoboDoc from the side

King Buxton pushes RoboDoc into the PPZ

The two competitors drove towards each other, but King Buxton drove around to RoboDoc's side. King Buxton got its lifting forks in RoboDoc's side, who tried to push it into the PPZ. RoboDoc struggled against it, but King Buxton managed to force it into the PPZ, leaving it to Matilda. RoboDoc reversed away from Matilda, but before it could escape the PPZ, Dead Metal drove at it, getting his arms around it, using his saw on the top, and pushing RoboDoc to the top of the arena. RoboDoc pushed against Dead Metal, but could not get out of the House Robot's grip. Shunt got behind RoboDoc and axed it, then used his scoop to lift RoboDoc, which helped RoboDoc get free of Dead Metal's grip, and it reversed away.

"They've done well to get out of there."

— Jonathan Pearce as RoboDoc reverses out of the CPZ

RoboDoc is forced towards the Pit

RoboDoc reversed towards the arena centre, then drove back up the arena at King Buxton, but King Buxton pushed it against Shunt, who axed it, and King Buxton got underneath RoboDoc, ramming it into the PPZ. Sir Killalot came over, pinning RoboDoc against Shunt. Shunt axed RoboDoc, and King Buxton rammed into the back of RoboDoc, getting underneath it with its lifting forks, and as it reversed, it pulled RoboDoc out of the PPZ. The two competitors turned and drove head-on at each other. Neither could get a pushing advantage, so King Buxton reversed. RoboDoc tried to drive around King Buxton, but King Buxton drove into RoboDoc's side, pushing it against Dead Metal. RoboDoc managed to turn around, and King Buxton reversed for another charge. King Buxton rammed into RoboDoc's side, and RoboDoc turned, then King Buxton reversed. RoboDoc reversed down the arena, nearly backing into the pit. Matilda came out of the PPZ and blocked RoboDoc from attacking King Buxton.

"Oh my goodness me! RoboDoc nearly went into the pit of oblivion, and Matilda's gonna push him back there!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Rob Doc nearly goes into the pit

King Buxton and Matilda push RoboDoc onto the flame pit

King Buxton rammed into Matilda's rear and pushed her and RoboDoc together, but as RoboDoc was pushed to the edge of the pit, it pushed back, forcing Matilda back. Matilda turned away, and RoboDoc drove up against her side. As it did so, King Buxton charged down the arena at it, and together with Matilda, pushed RoboDoc onto the flame pit. RoboDoc reversed off the flame pit, backing to the bottom of the arena, but time ran out and the battle went to the Judges.

"I have to say that it was made to look like we won with ease but this wasn't the case. Our battle with RoboDoc was fantastic. A full 5 minutes of fighting. The judges took over 10 minutes to make the decision. Ok we won it but it really was 50/50. If we had lost we would have been happy as it was such a good battle."

— Phil Brett on King Buxton's fight with RoboDoc

The judges awarded the victory to King Buxton, which progressed to the Heat Final as a result, while RoboDoc was eliminated from the competition.

Craig Charles: "RoboDoc, how do you feel?"

Mike Franklin: "We did our best. It was a great fight, it was great fun!"

Craig Charles: "It was a fantastic fight! And your robot was designed so well, even when it flipped, it got a bit more effective because the spike was lower! But the Judges went for them, unlucky!"

— Post-battle interview

RoboDoc was also nominated for the Best Design award, but lost to Razer.

Results

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 0
• Losses: 1

NOTE: RoboDoc's successful Gauntlet and Trial runs are not included

Series Record

Main Series	RoboDoc Series Record
The First Wars	Did not enter
The Second Wars	Heat, Arena Semi-Final
The Third Wars	Entered with 101
The Fourth Wars	Entered with 101
The Fifth Wars	Entered with 101
The Sixth Wars	Entered with Anarchy
The Seventh Wars	Withdrew
Series 8	Did not enter
Series 9	Did not enter
Series 10	Did not enter
Robot Wars Extreme	Appearances
Series 1	Entered with 101
Series 2	Did not enter

Gallery

RoboDoc on its side during construction

The chainsaw that was intended to be used on RoboDoc

The RoboDoc team place RoboDoc in a skip, in a clip shown in Robot Wars Revealed

Outside Robot Wars

RoboDoc with the Series 3 version of King Buxton in September 2018

In September 2018, a fully intact RoboDoc made its first public appearance in nearly twenty years, appearing as a static display at the Robonerd event hosted by Simon Harrison. RoboDoc was posed next to its rival King Buxton for photography.

Trivia

• The original design for RoboDoc also featured a high power pneumatic gun, with a retained spike, but this was never implemented
• RoboDoc's motors and controllers were supplied to them by 4QD, and the batteries were from Maplins.
• RoboDoc's statistics board lists the robot's weight as 79.9kg and the speed as 15mph, but the team's website list the weight as 75-77kg and the speed as 10mph.
• RoboDoc had "This Way Up" written on the base.
• RoboDoc was the only robot from Team 101 not to reach at least a Heat Final.
• In a clip from the team's video diary, shown on Robot Wars Revealed, the RoboDoc team were shown putting RoboDoc into a skip, 1 week after their appearance. They also declared revenge on King Buxton.

"You wait 'til next year Buxton, 'cause we're gonna have you!"

— Mike Franklin in the team's video diary

Honours

Nominations

• Best Design Award - Robot Wars: The Second Wars

External Links

• RoboDoc website (archived)