Shogun

Shogun
Participation Information
UK Series	1
Team Information
Team Members	Robin Woodhead Brian Carrington Peter Fairbrother
From	Nottingham
Robot Statistics
Weight	82.7kg
Dimensions	0.92m x 0.60m x 0.33m
Clearance	1cm
Top Speed	7mph
Power	2 x 12V Sinclair C5 motors
Weapons	Front Forklift, Cutting Blade & Bladed Axe
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

"Built around a complex chassis featuring two 12V Sinclair C5 motors and a two-stage gearbox. Shogun can achieve a top speed of 7 miles per hour, and weapons include a motorised forklift and the honour of the samurai!"

— Jonathan Pearce introduces Shogun

Shogun was a competitor from the first series of Robot Wars. It was designed by Rolls Royce employees Robin Woodhead, Brian Carrington and Peter Fairbrother. After surviving both the Gauntlet and Trial, Shogun was beaten in the Arena Semi-Final by Killertron. It was over 3kg over the heavyweight limit at the time.

Design

"As you would expect from Rolls Royce, Shogun was beautifully machined with CNC bits everywhere."

— Oliver Steeples

Official photo of Shogun

Shogun enters the arena before the Gauntlet

Shogun was a rounded box-shaped robot with two large wheels and an array of different weapons. Weapons included two long ramming spikes on either side (said by the team to be retractable using pneumatics), a pair of small, individually-operated forklift devices on the front, and a small bladed axe at the rear which was otherwise not mentioned in the show. All of the weapons were powered by an on-board compressor. In its introduction, Jonathan Pearce also jokingly claimed that Shogun was also armed with the "honour of the samurai". Power was provided through a two-stage gearbox and two 12V Sinclair C5 motors driving each wheel. Shogun's top speed was listed on television as 7mph, but according to the Nottinham Evening Post, its top speed was much higher, 15mph.

"The speed controllers were the undoing of Shogun as they had an unusual arrangement of 4, each with forward and brake so 2 were used for forward/brake/reverse. This was a bit sloppy and I couldn't see why they did it when they could have brought cheaper ones that would have done the job easily."

— Oliver Steeples

The spikes under Shogun's lifting forks

Shogun in its Arena stage fight

The side spikes were designed to incorporate interchangeable heads of varying sizes and thicknesses, making Shogun one of the first UK competitors to use interchangeable weaponry. The forks could be used for lifting, but also had smaller downward facing spikes on the bottom, for anchoring the robot to the ground. Shogun also featured a set of plastic lips that could be protruded from the rear of the robot to "blow a kiss", as seen after its loss in the Sumo. The team members were all work colleagues at Rolls-Royce, so Shogun was constructed by some donated parts of a Rolls-Royce.

"The corners were made from glass fiber and the body panels made from wood due to the weight limit, which everyone else broke so they tried to replace the wood with titanium ordered from their workplace, but it didn't arrive in time (I wish I cold just order titanium like that)."

— Oliver Steeples

Etymology

Shogun was named after the historical Japanese military leaders.

The Team

The Shogun team during their introduction

Shogun was built by a team of engineers at Rolls-Royce, captained by by Robin Woodhead.

"Robin told how he first became interested in the subject when he visited the Model Engineering Exhibition in London. "The independent television production company Mentorn had a stand there with robots and a book which visitors were invited to fill in if they were interested taking part in a future series involving robots" In June last year, an envelope arrived at his home containing more details of the show the company planned and inviting him to become involved. He teamed up with Peter and Bryan, his workmates at Rolls-Royce in Derby, and built the remote controlled Shogun in just over ten weeks."

— Nottingham Evening Post on the origins of Shogun

On television, Shogun was credited as coming from Nottingham, but although Robin Woodhead was from Redhill in Nottingham, Bryan Carrington was from Sutton-in-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire and Peter Fairbrother was from Alfreton in Derbyshire, and the team all worked together in Derby.

Despite being the team captain and founder of the team, Robin Woodhead did not control the robot or speak in the team's introduction or interviews. Peter Fairbrother drove the robot, with Brian Carrington operating the weapons.

Robot History

Series 1

Shogun competed in Heat A of Series 1, and it was the third robot to run the Gauntlet.

"So, the warriors from Nottingham with Shogun, with very little to do."

— Jonathan Pearce at the start of Shogun's Gauntlet run, referencing Barry's poor run of just 2.93 metres

Shogun, having fallen off the ramp in the Gauntlet

Shogun started quickly, driving straight off the turntable as "activate" was called and driving onto the see-saw. Shogun drove up the see-saw, correcting its position by driving into the middle, having driven near the edge after leaving the turntable, and as the see-saw tipped over, Shogun drove off without an issue. It then drove onto the second ramp, but as it drove up the ramp, it turned a little, driving too close to the side and fell over, leaving it stuck, hanging off the side of the ramp.

"Officer, breathalyse that driver!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Shogun falls off the ramp

Matilda drove over to Shogun and hit it with her tusks, damaging part of the side armour, before cease was called.

Jeremy Clarkson: "I did warn you that humiliation was an option, but I bet you couldn't have foreseen it would end like that!"

Peter Fairbrother: "No! If you don't try, you don't win!"

Jeremy Clarkson: "So what happened?"

Peter Fairbrother: "The response to the right turn wasn't fast enough and it slipped off the edge."

Jeremy Clarkson: "And unfortunately the House Robot failed to right it for you."

Peter Fairbrother: "I don't think it was trying to right it, I think it was trying to damage it!"

Jeremy Clarkson: "I think you're probably right! Still, all it not lost, that's not a bad distance!"

— Post-Gauntlet interview with Jeremy Clarkson

Shogun had achieved a distance of 10.71 metres, more than enough to put them through, though they ultimately finished 5th.

Shogun was through to The Trial stage, which in this Heat was Sumo.

"Shogun, the first to face to ferocity of Shunt in the Sumo ring!"

— Jonathan Pearce at the start of Shogun's Sumo Trial

Shunt pushes Shogun off the ring

Shogun paused for a moment, then drove straight at Shunt, turning and trying to get under one side of the snowplough, but Shunt pushed against Shogun, which tried to turn away, but this allowed Shunt to get at its side and began pushing it. Shogun tried to turn away, but Shunt turned with it and continued pushing.

"Shogun you have to stay in the Sumo ring for a minute or as long as possible against Shunt, and let me tell you, Shunt can push a four-wheel drive off-roader!"

— Jonathan Pearce in the early stages of the Sumo Trial

Shunt pushed Shogun closer and closer to the edge, whilst Shogun tried holding its ground by digging its forklift and rear blade into the floor, but to no avail. As Shogun got near the edge, it sped forwards, but could not get around Shunt, who blocked it and caused it to drive over the edge, then pushed it off. After falling off, Shogun demonstrated its set of lips.

Shogun demonstrates its rear lips

Jeremy Clarkson: "22 seconds, I am reliably informed. so how does that feel?"

Peter Fairbrother: "Not good enough!"

Jeremy Clarkson: "And what was going to happen if you won it?"

Peter Fairbrother: "Well, we had hoped to blow Shunt a kiss as he went over the edge!"

— Post-Trial interview

Shogun had lasted 21.51 seconds, but its place in the competition looked in doubt after the next three competitors performed much better than it; Killertron survived the full minute, and Roadblock and Nemesis both managed to defeat Shunt. Shogun went through after the final competitor Grunt drove off the edge, as it was actually a stock robot, and stock robots were not allowed to go through to the Arena stage. Shogun was through, having finished second to last in the Gauntlet and Trial.

The Shogun team explain their speed controller issues

In the Arena stage, Shogun was drawn against Killertron. Before the battle, in a deleted scene included in Robot Wars: The First Great War, the Killertron team mockingly presented the Shogun team with bin bags for the robot's parts after the fight, to which the Shogun team asked them to go easy on Shogun, as they were having problems with the robot, with only one wheel working.

Richard Broad: "Hi team, we'd like to present you with this bin bag, as we're against you, for your bits! I'm sure you'll get most of them in there!"

Bryan Carrington: "[Laughs] I've got news for you! Look, at the moment we've only got one wheel working, so go easy lads! Just take it steady, you know!"

— A deleted scene, included in the Robot Wars: The First Great War video

Shogun rams Killertron

Killertron smashes Shogun into submission

At the start, Killertron drove towards Shogun, and Shogun veered away, driving towards the Grille on the right edge of the arena. It stopped for a moment, and tried to turn at its opponent, but then turned the wrong way, driving closer to the Grille. Shogun managed to stop itself before it went onto the Grille and turn away from it, turning to face Killertron. Shogun rammed into Killertron, then reversed to dodge its axe. Killertron spun around, hitting Shogun with the axe twice. Shogun turned away, then reversed around the pyramid, being hit by Killertron as it spun. However, as Shogun turned in reverse, it reversed onto the Grille, leaving it stuck.

"This is not good driving at the moment, they don't seem to be able to avoid Killertron, who seems to be having something of a fit! Oh, Shogun is stuck! On the Grille! And Killertron comes in, for the kill! Bash! And again!"

— Jonathan Pearce

Shogun trapped on the grill as Killertron continues to axe it

Killertron drove in, pushing its opponent completely onto the Grille, and slammed it with the axe, causing a panel on Shogun's top to come loose. Shogun was therefore eliminated. Robin Woodhead later revealed that they had used mismatched speed controllers, inadvertently robbing Shogun of its right-hand steering.

Philippa Forrester: "Congratulations and commiserations, 'cause it was a great show!"

Peter Fairbrother: "That's what it's all about isn't it, having a good time."

Philippa Forrester: "Have you enjoyed it?"

Peter Fairbrother: "Yep"

Philippa Forrester: "How come you ended up on the Grille?"

Bryan Carrington: "We had problems with the speed controller, we burnt one of them, we put another one in - it didn't match. Consequently, we didn't have the right-hand turning capacity that we thought we had. They were just not matched!"

— The post-battle interview. (Only part of it was included in the televised episode, the rest was included in the Robot Wars: The First Great War video)

Results

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 0
• Losses: 1

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

Series Record

Series	Shogun Series Record
The First Wars	Heat, Arena Semi-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

Design diagram for Shogun, highlighting the placement of the onboard air reservoir (The Making of Robot Wars)

One of Shogun's spike rams is tested (The Making of Robot Wars)

Shogun's team prepare to fit its partially-finished shell (The Making of Robot Wars)

Shogun in The Pits

Shogun being worked on in The Pits

Trivia

• Shogun's artwork was provided by graphic artist Jayne Brewster-Beard.
• Shogun was the smallest heavyweight in Series 1.
• Shogun was the only robot Shunt defeated by himself in the Sumo during Series 1.
• Due to his relatively short height and bald head, Jonathan Pearce jokingly compared Robin Woodhead to the character Yoda from the Star Wars films.

"Was that one in the middle in Star Wars? I'm sure I've seen him somewhere before. ... There's Yoda from Star Wars! I knew he was in that team!"

— Jonathan Pearce during the Gauntlet, then during the battle with Killertron

• Technically, the Shogun team started the first Gentleman's Agreement, as before its battle with Killertron, they asked the Killertron team not to cause too much damage to their robot.
• The Shogun team were the only team in Heat A of Series 1 not to return, barring Grunt, which could not return as it was a stock robot.
• Footage of Shogun's construction, taken from the team's video diary, was shown as part of The Making of Robot Wars, along with clips of other teams' video diaries.
• Alex Hall of Team Immersion would later build a featherweight called Shogun. In the first episode of MechMania it fought Mayhem Axecellerated, a robot inspired by Killertron, ironically mirroring how the real Killertron fought Shogun in the first episode of Robot Wars.