The Kraken

The Kraken
The Kraken
Participation Information
UK Series	7
Team Information
Team	Team Victor
Team Members	Guy Pickett Lloyd Davis
Other Entries	Victor (Series 2-3)
Robot Statistics
Weight	100kg
Dimensions	0.50m x 1.20m x 0.80m
Power	1 HP electric motor
Weapons	2 x crushing jaws
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

"This is one of the most scary robots I've seen today"

— Jayne Middlemiss

The Kraken was the second robot constructed by Team Victor, and completely different from its predecessor. It was a very long box wedge shaped robot with two vertical crushing arms: a pneumatic arm held its opponent in place for the hydraulic arm to pierce into the armour. However, its own armour was light, despite its destructive weaponry. It was driven by a single drive motor which steers through a differential and brake system. The Kraken fared no better than either version of Victor, losing in Round 2 of Series 7 to Thermidor 2.

The team claimed that The Kraken had been built over two years, and was intended to enter The Sixth Wars, but it wasn't completed in time for then.

The robot's name came from the legendary sea monster, believed to live off the coast of Norway.

Robot History

Series 7

The Kraken spent most of its first battle against Cobra, Pinser and Kronic the Wedgehog chasing the other robots, but it eventually got to grips with Cobra and crushed its armour, failing to puncture the tough outer shell. However, Cobra had seemed to be immobile before The Kraken's attack. Pinser then gripped Cobra and pulled it away, but in doing so drove over the flame pit, which set fire to the internals of Pinser, immobilising it. The two eliminated robots, Pinser and Cobra, who were still locked together, were thrown by the arena flipper before being placed under the Drop Zone, where a TV was dropped on the two, putting The Kraken through with Kronic the Wedgehog.

Thermidor 2 flips The Kraken

Thermidor 2 and The Kraken. Note that The Kraken's beak is buckled sideways

In the next round it faced 14th seeds Thermidor 2. Thermidor 2 immediately turned The Kraken over and then flipped it against the arena side wall, bending The Kraken's pneumatic pincer. The Kraken was able to self-right, but Thermidor 2 tossed it over many more times, coming very close to flipping it out of the arena on a couple of occasions. Thermidor 2 then activated the pit and pushed The Kraken towards it. Thermidor 2 then tried to flip The Kraken in, but The Kraken flew the wrong way and escaped. However, The Kraken couldn't do anything to fight back and Thermidor 2 continued to throw it around the arena, eventually succeeding in pushing it down the pit.

"Kraken takes a right good smacken'!"

— Craig Charles on the battle

Results

The Kraken after Robot Wars. This version was last seen fighting in 2004.

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 1
• Losses: 1

Series Record

• Series 1: Did not enter
• Series 2: Entered with Victor
• Series 3: Entered with Victor 2
• Series 4-6: Did not enter
• Series 7: Heat, Round 2
• 2016 Series: Did not enter

Outside Robot Wars

Following the end of Robot Wars, The Kraken was rebuilt and renamed as The Kraken 2. This new version had titanium armour and a pneumatic flipper in place of the pneumatic jaw which the team used previously. It was signed up to enter the Fighting Robots World Championships 2004 which were going to take place at RAF Newton but this event was cancelled. The Kraken 2 was last seen fighting at the Roaming Robots event held at Northampton in 2004 where it lost a 3-way melee against Bulldog Breed & PulverizeR.