Spartacus

For the Series 2 lightweight competitor, see Spartacus (Lightweight).

Spartacus
Participation Information
UK Series	7
US Season	1
Other Names	Spartacus 2 (Series 7)
Team Information
Team	Sinclair Robotics
Team Members	Jim Rowland Jimmy Rowland (US Season 1) Jessie Rowland (US Season 1) Dom Neeley (UK Series 7)
From	Germantown, Ohio
Other Entries	Spike (US Season 1)
Robot Statistics
Weight	92kg
Dimensions	0.95m x 1.09m x 0.82m
Drive	2x 650W electric motors
Weapons	Hydraulic pincers
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

"A gladiator, but thrown to the lions here."

— Jonathan Pearce

Spartacus was an American series of robots. The original Spartacus entered the first season of Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors, competing in the US Championship despite being a middleweight, losing in the first round to Panzer Mk2, also being targeted heavily by Drillzilla.

The heavyweight Spartacus 2 returned to Robot Wars in Series 7 of the UK show, earning the right to represent the USA in The Third World Championship over Flippa, where it was felled by the Sri Lankan representative Supernova.

Versions of Spartacus

Spartacus

"We've definitely got a shot, but even if we don't win, we've had a great time doing this. Building this robot was a family project. And that makes it special."

— Jim Rowland on Spartacus' chances in the competition

The original Spartacus

Spartacus in the arena

Weighing 98lbs (44.4kg) and reaching 32" in height, the original Spartacus was a middleweight competitor, though much like Marauder in the second series, it competed in the Heavyweight Championship regardless as there was no middleweight competition to enter, making it half the weight of its opposition. Due to its weight disadvantage, Spartacus was much smaller than its opposition and its own successor.

"We found most of the stuff we used to make the robot in my workshop and my fathers barn."

— Jim Rowland, interviewed in the Dayton Daily News

A battered Spartacus at the end of its only fight

Part of the message on the baseplate of Spartacus

Spartacus was decorated with a thick gladiator helmet to act as top armour. It was armed with a front wedge with spikes on either side, and a gripping weapon powered by a 36V motor^Citation? , designed to hold robots and allow Spartacus to push opponents around the arena, although the weapon was largely not visible on the show or in present-day pictures. An unpowered rear swinging mace was also found at the back of Spartacus for an additional, largely novelty weapon. The robot was built over 3 months, using stainless steel and sheet metal, powered by two electric drive motors, although it proved extremely slow across the arena, and could not self-right.

A message was written on the robot's baseplate, though the full message was never seen clearly - it contains the words "glasses beyond".

Spartacus 2

Jayne Middlemiss: "What's the hat all about?"

Dom Neeley: "Well the hat was, uh, "little Spartacus" came last time and so we made a bigger, stronger helmet so this time it wouldn't get kicked around!"

— The team on upgrading to a heavyweight for their second attempt, prior to the fight against Flippa

Spartacus 2 in the Third World Championship

Spartacus 2 in the pits during Series 7

The second version of Spartacus was now a heavyweight robot. It was referred to as Spartacus 2 on its statistics board (styled as Spartacus II), but otherwise simply used the name 'Spartacus' on the show. It featured a new, larger helmet, which was much more reinforced, and the robot was more defensively solid in general as a result of its weight more-than doubling to 202lbs (92kg). Its new weapon was a pincer, with one half piercing out of the helmet, while the other half pushed out of the wedge, allowing the robot to bite from above and below. Each pincer operated with around one tonne of force, and the robot ran on a two-wheel drive system with the front tires at the front end of the machine. However, Spartacus 2 still could not self-right, and was fairly slow, albeit faster than its predecessor.

"It's a pincer, the idea is to get this underneath of them, get them against the wall, we chew through their armour, through their controls, whatever we can get a hold of! ...It's got about a tonne per point."

— Jim Rowland explains the robot's weapon

Etymology

"The name was supplied by Jimmy, who studied Roman gladiators at Valley View Middle School this year."

— Dayton Daily News in 2001

The name Spartacus was chosen by Jimmy Rowland, son of Jim Rowland, who had been studying ancient Rome at school in the year the robot was built.

The Team

"Rowland isn't exactly a rookie when it comes to the design and construction of robots. He was the instructor of four juniors and a sophomore in the Engineering Technology/Tech Prep program at Centerville High School who won a gold medal for their sumo-wrestling robot at the 2001 Society of Mechanical Engineers' Robots International competition in April in Pittsburgh."

— The Dayton Daily News on Jim Rowland's engineering credentials

Sinclair Robotics with Spartacus in US Season 1

Sinclair Robotics with Spartacus 2 in UK Series 7

Spartacus was built by Sinclair Robotics, an American team from Germantown in Ohio. The team captain and lead builder of the Spartacus machines was Jim Rowland, aged 38 at the time of Extreme Warriors Season 1, also driving the robot in battle. In Extreme Warriors, Jim Rowland was joined by his children Jimmy Rowland (aged 12) and Jessie Rowland (aged 11), while his wife Lisa was present off-screen. His only teammate in the British series was friend Dom Neeley. Jim Rowland taught Engineering Technology at Centerville High School, and had previously won a robotic sumo competition in Pittsburgh through this employment.

Sinclair Robotics also entered the Civil War with loanerbot, Spike later into the filming of US Season 1.

Qualification

"After we fell in love with the show, we built a robot. Then I got on the program's Web site and sent in an application for the London competition. Producers of the show asked me to send them a photo of the robot. I did. And they accepted it."

— Jim Rowland, interviewed by the Dayton Daily News

Spartacus was accepted for the first season of Extreme Warriors through online applications after being fully built beforehand. It is unknown if Spartacus made any effort to enter the second season of Extreme Warriors, or the circumstances of how it competed in UK Series 7.

Robot History

US Season 1

Rebecca Grant: "Is it gonna be thumbs up or thumbs down for Spartacus?"

Jim Rowland: "Thumbs up for Spartacus!"

— The brief pre-battle interview with Rebecca Grant

Spartacus faced General Chompsalot, Drillzilla, Cyclone, Run Away and Panzer Mk2 in the first-round battle of the US Championship.

Spartacus is targeted by a robot 3.5 times its own weight

Spartacus is barged onto its side by Drillzilla

At the beginning of the bout, Spartacus failed to get up to any meaningful speed, and it was immediately barged into the wall by Drillzilla. This was followed up by another ram into an angle grinder, and later a cross-arena slam into the CPZ of Matilda, where Spartacus was knocked onto its side and initially immobilized.

"And Spartacus hits the rail! Drillzilla straight into the Corner Patrol Zone with Spartacus!"

— Stefan Frank

Spartacus and General Chompsalot are both pushed by Drillzilla

Spartacus is thrown against the wall by Panzer Mk2, with Drillzilla and General Chompsalot close behind

Presumably, Spartacus was righted by Matilda or another competitor, as it was next seen to be mobile again and once more in the clutches of Drillzilla, which pushed Spartacus and also General Chompsalot at the same time, until Spartacus was left in an empty CPZ on the other end of the arena. Spartacus was not attacked by a House Robot since Sir Killalot focused on Run Away in the same corner, so it slowly trundled back into the center of the arena after taking another slam from Drillzilla. The armour and helmet of Spartacus was now heavily crumpled, and its rear mace had long fallen off. Panzer Mk2 bashed into it, and swung around for a longer drive, which also saw Drillzilla drive in for a combined push while carrying General Chompsalot along with it. Spartacus was almost thrown out of the arena by the lifter of Panzer Mk2 and the force of Drillzilla crashing into it, but landing on the awkward shape of General Chompsalot allowed it to stay upright.

"Spartacus up on the rail! Oh, Spartacus got lucky that time, stayed right in the arena! Look at that, right up on the rail, right into Chompsalot - I think General Chompsalot saved him, if anything!"

— Stefan Frank

Spartacus was not seen again for the remainder of the battle, and although it may still have been mobile at the end of the bout, the Judges awarded the win to Panzer Mk2 and Spartacus was eliminated.

UK Series 7

"Overpowered, over-weaponed, and over here!"

— Jonathan Pearce introduces Spartacus

Spartacus 2 had to fight fellow American robot Flippa in a qualifier battle, for a right to fight for the USA in The Third World Championship.

"If we can get a hold of him, that Nylon top won't look the same when we come back out! But if he flips us, let's say, it may self-right - it may not!"

— Jimmy Rowland, to Jayne Middlemiss

Spartacus grabs the struggling Flippa

Spartacus pits the immobile Flippa

In the battle, after entering the arena, Flippa did not move from its spot, only making a few slight twitches as Spartacus tried to grapple it with its claw weapon. Due to Flippa's lack of mobility, Spartacus 2 simply seized the Oregon machine, grabbing one of its side spikes shoved it around the arena, before eventually dragging it back into the Pit release button and dumping Flippa down into the Pit, putting Spartacus through to the Third World Championship.

Craig Charles: "You've seen some of the robots in the pits, I assume, from other countries - what countries scare you, and what countries make you think, I wouldn't mind fighting them?"

Jim Rowland: "Oh, we're looking forward to fighting, we seen one out there from South Africa, we think we can chew on it a bit!"

— An unfulfilled pledge to fight Crushtacean in the post-fight interview

Spartacus was drawn against the Belgian entry Hard and the Sri Lankan entry Supernova in the first round of the Third World Championship.

Spartacus gets a faint grip on Supernova, before Hard dislodges it

Spartacus takes damage from Supernova's disc

At first, Spartacus and Hard appeared to be ganging up on Supernova, though it was Spartacus leading the charge in making any attacks, sustaining head-on blows in the process from Supernova's spinner. Indeed, it was Hard's involvement that caused Spartacus to narrowly lose its grip on Supernova with its claws. Supernova hit both of them with its spinning disc, immobilising Hard and damaging Spartacus' body. Supernova hit Spartacus again multiple times over, which broke the drive of Spartacus on one side, also chipping the tooth of its lower claw weapon and bending them out of alignment. However, one later impact also appeared to knock Supernova out, due to Supernova shearing a tooth on its disc and becoming unbalanced over the Floor Flipper.

"Over and out, Spartacus, I would think? Supernova spinning away... is anyone going to survive this? Hard is getting counted down and out by the Refbot, Spartacus is moving on one wheel, Supernova is wedged onto the Floor Flipper!"

— Jonathan Pearce

The critical damage to Spartacus' wheel

Spartacus is counted out

Refbot counted out Hard, and then started to count Supernova out, which would have allowed Spartacus through to the next round. However, the Sri Lankan machine started moving again after turning off its spinner, only to turn the disc back on again after evading the count. A struggling Supernova hit the limping Spartacus again, which continued to pivot in place on half of its drive system. Refbot counted both machines out together, which was later declared to be a victory for Supernova. Near the end of the fight, Spartacus turned into the claw of Dead Metal, which caused its top armour to come off completely. 'Cease' was called as the now helmet-less Spartacus continued to pivot in place.

Spartacus is derobed

"Spartacus and Supernova think about it, so Spartacus is spinning, Supernova is sort of twitching. The Refbot is looking, and one of them's been counted out, and I've got a funny feeling it's Spartacus, actually ... well they were immobilised for longer, and they - what do we call that - they've sort of, derobed, in the middle of the arena! They've stripped off, as cease was called! How unnecessary! How vulgar!"

— Jonathan Pearce explains the Refbot's count, before being interrupted by Spartacus losing its top armour

Spartacus with its helmet missing

After the battle, Sinclair Robotics disputed their loss, believing that Spartacus was more mobile than Supernova, but Spartacus was nevertheless eliminated, costing it the opportunity to fight Crushtacean that the team had expressed interest in during their first interview with Craig Charles. They were nevertheless positive about their experience on the show, and praised the English crowd and builders.

The removed helmet of Spartacus

Craig Charles: "Well, you've got a bit of a look on your face. You don't look happy."

Jim Rowland: "I'm happy to be here, it's been great, but everyone's seen that the only robot moving at the end was Spartacus. They were dead."

Craig Charles: "So the judges said that you were immobile, but you think that you were still going?"

Jim Rowland: "I think we were moving pretty good there."

Craig Charles: "You lost your head!"

Jim Rowland: "We lost our head! We brought it here to lose it. Who wants the head?"

— Post-battle interview with Craig Charles

Results

Wins/Losses

• UK Wins: 1
• UK Losses: 1
• US Wins: 0
• US Losses: 1

Series Record

US Series

US Series	Spartacus Series Record
Season 1	Heat (Round 1) Civil War with Spike
Season 2	Did not enter
Nickelodeon	Did not enter

UK Series

Series	Spartacus 2 Series Record
The First Wars	Did not enter
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	The Third World Championship, Round 1
Series 8	Did not enter
Series 9	Did not enter
Series 10	Did not enter

Gallery

Spartacus 2 after its win against Flippa

Close-up of Spartacus 2's weapon

Spartacus 2 after its fight with Supernova

Outside Robot Wars

Following the filming of Series 7, Spartacus 2 was signed up to enter the FRA World Championship 2004 in Northampton, which was to be filmed for television in the Series 7 arena. For its intended first battle, The Kraken was drawn against The Wall, built by Team Death. Ultimately however, the event was cancelled very late on, and the team did not travel to the UK. As such, Spartacus was not seen in a competitive environment after its appearance on Robot Wars, though Jim Rowland continued to be associated with combat robotics through BattleBots IQ, particularly with lighter robots weighing between 1lb to 12lb.

"Guys I'm near Dayton Ohio and fiddling with 1 lb to 12 lb bots the last 20 years. I think it's time for a 250 lb overhaul for Spartacus"

— Jim Rowland in November 2022 on Reddit

In November 2022, roboteer Mark Elam reached out to Jim Rowland, where it was discovered that both Spartacus 2 and the original Spartacus were still intact at the family's barn, with both machines showing signs of rust, and the former showing some signs of repair to its side armour after its Robot Wars appearances. At the time, Jim Rowland stated some intentions of returning to heavyweight combat with a new 250lb (113kg) version.

The original Spartacus in 2022

Rear view of Spartacus in 2022

Side view of Spartacus in 2022

Spartacus 2 in 2022

The shell of Spartacus 2 in 2022

Rear view of Spartacus 2 in 2022

Further updates on Spartacus were shared in 2023, which revealed that a third version - Spartacus 3.0 - was being built with an updated design and crusher weapon. Sinclair Robotics stated their intention to appear with Spartacus 3.0 at future BattleBots events, including an entry into the proposed World Championship VIII. Build progress on the new machine was shared in April 2023, and the team would later showcase an alternative CAD of their robot under a different name of Snapper. However, no updates have been shared since mid-2023.

CAD of Spartacus 3.0

CAD of Spartacus 3.0 as Snapper

Build progress on Snapper in April 2023

Trivia

• When Spartacus (98lbs / 44kg) fought Drillzilla (352lbs / 160kg) in Season 1, this created the biggest total weight disparity between two competitors in the same Robot Wars battle.
  • By percentage difference, the record would go to Cunning Plan (11.1kg) which fought against five middleweights and heavyweights, the heaviest of which was Robot The Bruce (84.6kg) in Robot Wars: The First Wars.
• Spartacus 2 being built as a heavyweight robot after the original Spartacus was a middleweight mirrors the same process as Typhoon and Typhoon 2 - unlike the Team Typhoon machines however, the two Spartacus machines both competed in a Heavyweight Championship and never competed side-by-side.
• Spartacus was one of only six American robots to win a battle in the UK series, alongside Tentoumushi, frenZy, Manta, Drillzilla and Flippa, and it was also one of the four to win a UK series battle which did not air as part of Extreme Warriors, with Tentoumushi, frenZy and Flippa.
• Team member Dom Neeley was incorrectly referred to as "Dan Neeley" by Jonathan Pearce in the Third World Championship. This mistake was not originally made in its Qualifier battle.

See Also

• Spartacus (BattleBots)