- "The robot was very slow to move, the weapons were useless, the control was very bad, in other words, the robot was a complete failure. But, we learned a great deal and had lots of fun."
- — Team Minus Zero on TMZ[2]
TMZ was the self-named first combat robot built by Team Minus Zero, appearing exclusively in the 1994 US Robot Wars competition. Uniquely designed to be configurable for all three available weight classes (lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight), it was eliminated in the first rounds of the Lightweight and Heavyweight Face-Off championships by Pain Mower and The Master respectively. TMZ was also the first robot designed with a form of self-righting mechanism - its top-mounted 'roll bar' - and interchangeable weaponry, but would never get to properly utilize these features.
Design[]
The lightweight aluminum chassis, wheels and unused pneumatic spike weapon for TMZ
By design, TMZ was a highly modular robot, built around a TIG-welded, 6061-T6 aluminum chassis - weighing only 7lbs - along with two plastic drive wheels and four castor wheels with spring suspension at the outer corners. Internally, it was driven by a set of Volkswagen DC wiper motors obtained from a scrapyard, rated at 12 volts each and incorporating worm gear reductions. The amount of motors in use could be adjusted depending on the weight class TMZ was entered into. For lightweight events, TMZ could rely on just two wiper motors, one powering each wheel. Conversely, up to four motors could be installed in its heavyweight specification, with two motors per drive wheel. The robot's internal systems were controlled by two microcomputers, one of which was integrated into its transmitter.[2][1]
TMZ's exterior comprised of a semi-cylindrical composite shell, made out of materials including blue foam, fiberglass, Kevlar and epoxy resin. An extra layer of Kevlar was incorporated on the outside to provide defense against drills and non-abrasive cutting discs, as well as providing the robot with its pale yellow color. On top of the shell was an additional 'roll bar' assembly, created out of damaged wheel rims from a mountain bike owned by Patrick Campbell. The semi-cylindrical frame was intended to prevent TMZ from getting stranded on its back if turned over by lifting weapons, in effect making it the first robot to be designed with any method of self-righting. Despite later 'roll bar' devices proving reasonably successful in televised Robot Wars series, the effectiveness of TMZ's own device would ultimately never be tested in combat.[1]
A partially-assembled TMZ with its sawblade, mounted statically after its powered shaft was deemed unsuitable by safety organizers
As weaponry, TMZ was intended to be armed with two interchangeable modules, likely making it one of the very first combat robots to take advantage of this design feature. One of these was a 7-inch sawblade, which was originally designed to be powered by a weedwacker motor and mounted on a 3/8-inch diameter shaft. Due to concerns surrounding the durability of the shaft, the saw as it was originally designed was barred during safety checks; the blade itself would end up being simply bolted horizontally to one end of TMZ's chassis. The second weapon - which went completely unused - was a 1/2-inch diameter pneumatic spike, which was to utilize two custom-machined cylinders and had a maximum travel of 'about 14 inches'. The CO2-powered system, designed for a rating of 700-1,000psi, suffered frequent issues with flow rates, and lacked sufficient thermal energy for the liquid CO2 to expand into a gas quickly enough. A major consequence was that the spike could only fire once and not retract; had TMZ used this weapon in battle, this flaw would have severely limited the chances it had to attack opponents with it.[3]
The Team[]
The embryonic Team Minus Zero was captained by Patrick Campbell, who first became involved in the 1994 event while completing a mechanical engineering Masters degree at Stanford University. Upon graduating, he and his team began work on TMZ's design, which was completed within 'a month and a half'. Prior to being informed about Robot Wars 1994, Campbell had taken a mechanical engineering class involving the completion of an autonomous robot, sparking his enthusiasm for robotic sports events.[4]
Robot History[]
1994 US Championship[]
TMZ first fought Pain Mower in the Lightweight Championship.
- "As a lightweight (0-40 lbs), we actually fought these guys. I forget their robot's name, but they were a bunch of high school kids from Fresno (if I remember right). It was during this fight that we learned that we had radio interference problems. Robot ???'s spinning blade got up to speed, but was useless against our armor. For the whole fight, we just sat there, moving occasionally. We lost this fight and the crowd hated us."
- — Team Minus Zero's summary of the battle[5]
Pain Mower slices into TMZ
Pain Mower remained in its starting position as TMZ slowly approached only to get hit by the overhead spinning bar. Seconds later as TMZ lingered slowly around the arena mousetrap, Pain Mower slammed in again, tearing the back panel. A third attack by Pain Mower before it backed away only for TMZ to slowly follow after it, but it was hit by the swinging Ball of Doom and was promptly knocked out.
TMZ later fought in the Heavyweight championship where it was first against The Master.
The Master charges into TMZ
TMZ is pressured by The Master
TMZ seemingly had drive issues from the get go as The Master charged in and smacked into it, shoving it further towards the arena wall and sawing into the armour of TMZ. After several seconds of being sawn into by The Master, TMZ slowly moved away and managed to reach the centre of the arena before The Master assaulted it further, slamming into it and bashing it about. TMZ was damaged heavily as it was pushed backed into the arena corner and sliced into again. Eventually, TMZ was deemed immobile and The Master awarded the win. It turns out, the saw blade failed to function as a result of the motors not being connected properly[5].
Results[]
| TMZ - RESULTS | ||
| 1994 US Championship | ||
| Lightweight Face-Off Round 1 | ||
| Round 1 | vs. Pain Mower | Lost |
| Heavyweight Face-Off Round 1 | ||
| Round 1 | vs. The Master | Lost |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 0
- Losses: 2
Series Record[]
1994-1997 US Competitions[]
| Events | TMZ Event Record |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Heavyweight Face-Off, Round 1 Lightweight Face-Off, Round 1 |
| 1995 | Entered with Cyberknight |
| 1996 | Entered with TerMinal frenZy |
| 1997 | Entered with frenZy |
UK Series[]
| Series | TMZ Series Record |
|---|---|
| The First Wars | Did not enter |
| The Second Wars | Did not enter |
| The Third Wars | Did not enter |
| The Fourth Wars | War of Independence with frenZy |
| 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 |
US Series[]
| US Series | frenZy Series Record |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | Did not enter |
| Season 2 | Entered with The Bat |
| Nickelodeon | Did not enter |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 'TMZ 1994 Robot Mechanical Specifications', Team Minus Zero website (archived)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 'TMZ 1994 Robot Features', Team Minus Zero website (archived)
- ↑ 'TMZ 1994 Robot Weapons Specifications', Team Minus Zero website (archived)
- ↑ Brad Stone (2003), Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, p.39
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 'First Annual Robot Wars', Team Minus Zero website (archived)
[]
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