The Creature

The Creature
The Creature
Participation Information
UK Series	4
Team Information
Team	Team Monster
Team Members	Mark Harmsworth Davis Harmsworth Elanor Harmsworth
Other Entries	Twn Trwn (Series 3)
Robot Statistics
Weight	76.6kg
Dimensions	0.60m x 1.20m x 0.80m
Clearance	4cm
Top Speed	10mph
Power	2 x 24V wheelchair motors
Weapons	Lifting tusks
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

"The Creature from the pit ... well from Rhyl, and really gruesome. Really."

— Jonathan Pearce

The Creature (from the Black Lagoon) was a competitor in Series 4 of Robot Wars. Much like its predecessor Twn Trwn, The Creature was notable for its elaborate exterior decorations. Whilst it progressed to Round 2, it was easily defeated by Gemini and became the third robot to be thrown out of the arena. The team contained three generations - Davis Harmsworth, his son Mark and Mark's daughter Elanor.

The robot was named and designed after the eponymous monster from the horror film Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Design

The Creature with half of the artwork removed

With its elaborate artwork removed, the robot was a dome-shaped robot with two go-kart wheels on either side. Its primary weapon was an aluminium forklift tusks, somewhat similar to those used by Matilda, powered by an electronic ram. Internally, The Creature was powered by two 24V electric wheelchair motors.

The Creature represented Rhyl High School in North Wales, and The Creature took three and a half months to build, with ten people were involved in the process. The exterior artwork was made from polystyrene, clay, and fibreglass. The elaborate design took less than three hours to sculpt. The robot cost £300 to make.

Robot History

Series 4

Julia Reed: "How grotesque is that?! This is The Creature, and it's giving me nightmares! What about you?"

Elanor Harmsworth: "It didn't give me nightmares, because I hide from it!"

Julia Reed: "Smart lady!"

— Pre-battle interview

Inverterbrat becomes pinned off the ground by its own flipper, which malfunctioned when trying to flip The Creature.

Inverterbrat and Berserk 2, both Heat Finalists in the previous war, were The Creature's opponents in Round 1 of its heat. Inverterbrat launched the first attack and flipped The Creature up, but a second attempt caused Inverterbrat to land on its own lifter and pinned its wheels off the ground. The Creature was able to avoid further pressure from Inverterbrat, but Berserk 2's lifter made further unsuccessful attempts to topple it. With Inverterbrat no longer mobile, The Creature made it through to Round 2.

The Creature is flipped out of the arena

This fight was against 8th seeds Gemini, and the clusterbot split up and flipped The Creature. This then caused its paper mache shell to fall off, but the robot bounced back onto its wheels.

"The Creature goes naked! Sheds its skin!"

— Jonathan Pearce, as The Creatures skin falls off when flipped

Both halves of Gemini flipped The Creature against the arena wall, and each both put its flipper beneath The Creature's wheel, flipping simultaneously and throwing The Creature out of the arena.

"Little Elanor from St Bridgets school, loves her Harry Potter books, would love a fantastic, magical ending to this, but I don't think it's going to happen! David Harnsworth, her grandad loves singing opera, well it's never all over until the fat lady sings, and the fat Creature is singing now!"

— Jonathan Pearce, as The Creature goes out

At the end of the series, The Creature was nominated for the Best Design Award, but lost out to Gemini, the robot that defeated it in combat.

Results

• Team Monster in the pits with The Creature, with its shell off
• The feature from Robot Wars Magazine on the building of The Creature

1/2

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 1
• Losses: 1

Series Record

Series	The Creature Series Record
The First Wars	Did not enter
The Second Wars	Did not enter
The Third Wars	Entered with Twn Trwn
The Fourth Wars	Heat, Round 2
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

Trivia

• The building of The Creature was shown in a two-page spread in Issue 14 of the original Robot Wars Magazine.
• The original concept for The Creature was a dragon with a fantasy warrior on top, but due to time and money constraints, the team decided against this idea.
• The Creature is one of three robots to lose both a battle and an award to the same robot in the same series. The other two are Bigger Brother losing Best Design to Razer in The Fifth Wars, and The Big Cheese losing Best Engineered to Chaos 2 in The Third Wars.

Honours

Nominations

• Best Design Award - Robot Wars: The Fourth Wars