Test Toaster One

Test Toaster One
Participation Information
US 1994-1997 Events	1995-1996
Team Information
Team Members	Jeff Bowden
From	Washington
Associated Robots	Munch (Jeff Bowden, 1996)
Robot Statistics
Power	Batteries
Drive	2x electric motors
Weapons	Thwacking/pushing beam & blade
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

Test Toaster One was a lightweight robot built and entered by Jeff Bowden into the 1995 and 1996 US Robot Wars competitions. In 1995, it would emerge as that year's Lightweight Face-Off champion, defeating Kitty Puff Puff in the final. Both robots would later fight and qualify for the Lightweight Melee final together, with Test Toaster One losing out on overall honors.

In 1996, Test Toaster One continued its strong form to reach the Lightweight Face-Off Semi-Final. At that stage, however, it would be eliminated by newcomer Attiller (the Hun), which would ironically succeed it as that year's Face-Off champion. Test Toaster One made a recurring appearance in the Lightweight Melee tournament the same year, but could not progress beyond the opening round.

Design

Test Toaster One was a two-wheel drive robot with a decidedly simple and 'low budget' construction. A compact wooden chassis was supplanted by a white plastic bucket housing its batteries and electronics, with the robot's name written crudely on the sides in black. Nailed from inside one end of the horizontally-mounted bucket was a longer, narrow wooden beam, the front of which was supported by a small castor wheel.

In the original 1995 incarnation, the front of the beam featured a large, left-facing nail to hook or impale opponents as the whole robot spun around. For 1996, a metal ramming blade was substituted, featuring pointed tips on either side. Test Toaster One would use the blade to push or impale other robots, with the beam also proving useful in pinning them in place - a common winning strategy in earlier US events.

Robot History

1995 US Championship

Test Toaster One made its US Robot Wars debut in the 1995 competition. Initially fighting in the Lightweight Face-Off, it was drawn against S.P.S. #1 in the opening round.

Very quickly, both robots met near one of the descending mousetraps. Test Toaster One was stopped by the hazard's net, reversing and swinging its spike into the other mousetrap on the opposite side. This left it vulnerable to being driven underneath by S.P.S. #1, after which Test Toaster One unsuccessfully tried to swing its spike into J.D. Street's machine. A tentative pursuit followed, during which Test Toaster One pushed S.P.S. #1 against the wall between a mousetrap and an arena flipper. Sustained blows from the flipper paddle immobilized S.P.S. #1. Test Toaster One waited, then circulated and spun around the arena perimeter nearby. When it was confirmed that S.P.S. #1 was no longer functional, Test Toaster One was declared the winner.

The next round saw Test Toaster One fight Andy Roid, the returning Face-Off runner-up from the 1994 Lightweight class.

Immediately, it drove into its tricycle-based opponent, trying to hook one of its back wheels with its spike. In response, Andy Roid deployed its net, which landed on the floor next to and partially snagged Test Toaster One. Test Toaster One, unaffected by this entanglement device, kept spinning and driving around in the center. After driving towards and away from one of the flippers, it met Andy Roid again, this time hooking and dragging it within the outer perimeter.

Test Toaster One followed up by giving the retreating Andy Roid another shove, while the latter drove into the nearby Cambot. Seconds later, Andy Roid was immobilized by a direct hit from the Ball of Doom, which later struck the plastic bucket protecting Test Toaster One's internals. Unaffected by this, Test Toaster One proceeded to push and drag Andy Roid elsewhere within the center, while hitting the latter's wheels multiple times with the spike. This pattern was maintained until Andy Roid was counted out, and Test Toaster One declared victorious once again.

Advancing into the Final, Test Toaster One fought Will Wright and Kitty Puff Puff for the 1995 Lightweight Face-Off crown.

Test Toaster One thwacks Kitty Puff Puff with its beam

Similarly to its first battle, both robots avoided each other as they met near the center. Test Toaster One promptly reversed into the side of Kitty Puff Puff, which pushed it into a flipper paddle and snared its left axle shaft with its tape reel as Test Toaster One recovered. Unfazed, Test Toaster One followed its opponent across the arena, attempting to swing its beam into its side multiple times. More tape unravelled as this happened; a collision with a nearby mousetrap pitched Test Toaster One into a quarter-spin, where it struggled to drive away for a few seconds.

More tape was caught up in Test Toaster One's axles, wheels and front beam, though it still managed to swipe an oncoming Kitty Puff Puff before retreating backwards into the corner. In doing so, however, it was caught by an arena flipper, while Kitty Puff Puff was swatted by the mousetrap. Test Toaster One met its opponent again, resuming its sit-and-spin tactics. Two swipes allowed it to push Kitty Puff Puff backwards, breaking up an otherwise tentative spell between the mousetrap and inner flipper. In exchange for another blow with the beam, Test Toaster One was almost speared by the right wheel as Kitty Puff Puff drove its own spike into its rim. A still-tentative Test Toaster One landed several more blows to Kitty Puff Puff, while also being caught and almost turned over by the mousetrap.

As the battle progressed, Kitty Puff Puff began suffering noticeable mobility issues, only being able to spin and weave around in the corner. Test Toaster One capitalized by thwacking it a few more times, until both robots briefly lay stationary near the side wall. There, it boxed Kitty Puff Puff against the wall, repeatedly blocking its attempts to spin away and escape. With less than thirty seconds remaining, a final impact between Test Toaster One's beam and Kitty Puff Puff appeared to stop the latter entirely. Test Toaster One held Kitty Puff Puff one last time before time ran out, emerging as the winner of the match and the 1995 Lightweight Face-Off championship.

Test Toaster One would meet Kitty Puff Puff again in the first round of the Lightweight Melee event. Together, they fought Black Sheep and Sonic.

Starting next to Black Sheep, Test Toaster One was slow to avoid an early charge by Kitty Puff Puff. Pushing Kitty Puff Puff and Black Sheep aside in response, it would engage in a tentative duel with Sonic, prodding and trying to control it with its arm. A hit with the nail tip resulted in Test Toaster One being pushed and dragged across the center of the arena by Sonic. Test Toaster One was driven around in circles before both separated. Immediately after, it swung its nail into the front of a motionless Black Sheep, then drove into the mousetrap on the opposite side.

Test Toaster One encountered more problems, as it was pushed again by Sonic and Kitty Puff Puff. Kitty Puff Puff delivered it into the arena flippers, though Test Toaster One survived and would resume its duel with Sonic. Sonic and Kitty Puff Puff again teamed up to pin Test Toaster One off the arena floor, without success. Test Toaster One swung the flat edge of its nail into Sonic; during another three-way tussle, it unsuccessfully tried to pierce through Kitty Puff Puff's front-left corner with the nail. From that point, Test Toaster One kept battling its two active opponents. All three robots eventually got stuck to each other for several moments, as Black Sheep suddenly moved towards into the nearby wall.

Once Kitty Puff Puff crawled out of reach, Test Toaster One struggled to drive itself off the top of Sonic. Sonic dragged it into the wall, allowing both robots to finally be separated. Test Toaster One battled with Kitty Puff Puff once more, while momentarily getting its nail stuck into Cambot. The nail would also be used to snag, pull and hold Kitty Puff Puff in place as the match entered its final minute. An extended pin was followed by further drags and pushes by Test Toaster One, enabling it to control Kitty Puff Puff onto one of the arena flippers.

Following the conclusion of the Melee, all robots would stay on for an additional round, joined by S.P.S. #1.

Test Toaster One, starting from the outer perimeter, initially teamed up with S.P.S. #1 to attack Black Sheep. In doing so, it was pushed into the arena flippers and dragged around by both opponents, with Kitty Puff Puff also joining the tussle. After ambling across the arena, Test Toaster One next tried to hook Sonic, only to be boxed into the corner. It recovered by swiping Black Sheep with its nail and ramming Sonic in the center of the arena, albeit at a sluggish pace. Alongside Black Sheep, Test Toaster One would then be pushed into the wall by Kitty Puff Puff, though both robots would escape. Test Toaster One tried to swing its arm into Sonic and Cambot, only to be pressured further by Kitty Puff Puff and S.P.S. #1.

A further shove from Kitty Puff Puff almost turned Test Toaster One completely over, though Test Toaster One would survive this plus a ram from Black Sheep. More duels with S.P.S. #1 and Kitty Puff Puff followed, during which it landed a direct swipe on the front of an approaching Sonic. With all other opponents joining it in the opposite side of the arena, Test Toaster One smashed its nail against Black Sheep a few more times. At that point, it was collected and pushed against the side of one of the mousetraps by S.P.S. #1. Both robots were whacked, immobilized and trapped by the arena flipper nearby, eliminating them from the match at once. Under those circumstances, Test Toaster One would lose the 1995 Lightweight Melee championship to Kitty Puff Puff.

1996 US Championship

Returning to defend its Face-Off crown, Test Toaster One once again took part in lightweight events at the 1996 competition. In the Lightweight Face-Off itself, it initially faced Snickers in the opening round.

Test Toaster One started by driving past the hazards, but was hesitant to approach Snickers or utilize its thwacking arm at first. With Grayson and Anthony DuRaine's machine evidently suffering control problems, it would close in and attempt to swing its blade, but without hitting its opponent. Seconds later, Test Toaster One pushed Snickers backwards and pinned it against the wall, with Snickers becoming completely immobilized following several whacks from a nearby arena flipper. Test Toaster One would be declared the winner upon completing this pin.

In the second round, Test Toaster One faced Cyclo-Kluge.

Here, it weaved across to the right side of the arena, where Cyclo-Kluge initially kept its distance while getting its overhead spinner up to speed. Test Toaster One was eventually attacked from the side, but used this opportunity to swing around and hook its arm onto Cyclo-Kluge. Another swing allowed it to latch onto, drag and push Cyclo-Kluge around by its exposed framework. Both robots were locked together, eventually becoming trapped by the lower-right flipper. Test Toaster One's wheels spun as it tried to break loose, while also gradually pulling Cyclo-Kluge off the flipper and driving closer to the nearby mousetrap.

Another push allowed Test Toaster One to swing itself free, and in turn swat the side of Cyclo-Kluge once more. A tentative phase followed, with Test Toaster One again hooking underneath and stopping Cyclo-Kluge's disc. Both competitors engaged in another pushing match, ending in Test Toaster One shoving Cyclo-Kluge into the flipper and, in turn, briefly getting caught under the hazard. Test Toaster One again thwacked, hooked and pushed Cyclo-Kluge into the wall. Two more attempted hooks followed; the second would result in Test Toaster One being pushed into the right-most wall bumper.

Undeterred, Test Toaster One caught Cyclo-Kluge's frame yet again, the two lightweights maneuvering back into the lower-right flipper. There, it was unable to gain enough traction to pull itself free, with Cyclo-Kluge wedged on the flipper paddle itself. Neither could pull free following a 30-second count, even after Cyclo-Kluge's Daniel Russett was instructed to shuffle his machine back and forth. Smoke began pouring from Test Toaster One as the match immediately went to an audience vote. Despite this scare, Test Toaster One received the strongest applause, giving it a place in the Semi-Final.

At that stage, Test Toaster One faced Attiller (the Hun) for a chance to reach the overall Lightweight Face-Off Final.

During the battle, it caught its thwacking arm under one of the flipper paddles. Attiller (the Hun) rushed in to push Test Toaster One by the arm, lifting Test Toaster One up on one wheel in the process. The force of the ram caused both robots to lock together, with Test Toaster One's arm becoming lodged in the top armor of Jim Sellers' machine. Test Toaster One was dragged and pushed across the arena by Attiller (the Hun), until both teams accepted the organizers' offer to have them separated. Both robots kept shuffling in unison until they reached the center, though neither would be separated until they were transported back to the pits together. An audience vote was cast, with the crowd unanimously supporting Attiller (the Hun). Test Toaster One would thus relinquish its Lightweight Face-Off crown and be eliminated at that stage.

In the Lightweight Melee tournament, Test Toaster One would fight Snickers once again in its first-round bout. The duo would fight alongside Gator, The Enforcer and Wonderbug for a chance to qualify for the overall Final.

From the outset, Test Toaster One duelled with Snickers, in a repeat of their earlier Face-Off clash. It would hook and push Snickers against the upper-right corner, before proceeding to join a scrap involving Gator and The Enforcer. With Gator being frequently immobilized by the Ball of Doom, Test Toaster One concentrated its efforts on Al Kindle's machine. This would be to its disadvantage, however, as The Enforcer pushed and pinned it against the wall. Test Toaster One was eliminated from the Lightweight Melee tournament as a consequence, with The Enforcer becoming the only surviving robot from this battle to advance to the Final.

Results

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 6
• Losses: 3

Series Record

Events	Test Toaster One Event Record
1994	Did not enter
1995	Lightweight Champion (Face-Off) Lightweight Melee, Final
1996	Lightweight Face-Off, Semi-Final Lightweight Melee, Round 1
1997	Did not enter

Jeff Bowden also competed in 1996 heavyweight events as part of the Munch team.

Outside Robot Wars

Less than ten years after the original Test Toaster One retired from combat, a hobbyweight variation - Test Toaster 0.12 - competed at RoboGames 2006 on June 16 2006. It was consigned to the Loser's Bracket early on upon losing its debut battle to Great Babba G., but recovered with a victory over Hexy Macro to progress. Test Toaster 0.12 would be eliminated upon losing its very next battle to Dark Blade.

External Links

• Test Toaster One on the official US Robot Wars website (archived May 2 1997)