Tiger Shark

Tiger Shark
Tiger Shark
Participation Information
UK Series	4-5 (failed to qualify)
Other Names	Sharky (Series 3-4)
Team Information
Team Members	Shaun Wilson Paul Kitchener Darren Kimber
Robot Statistics
Weight	90kg
Top Speed	15-20mph
Power	2 x Bosch 750W motors
Weapons	Pneumatic flipper
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

"Tiger Shark is built for speed and its ramming capability. From a standing start it can reach 20mph in one second. With the addition of a pneumatic flipper it should make for a fun time in the arena - if you can catch us that is!"

— The Tiger Shark website

Tiger Shark was a competitor robot that failed to qualify for Series 4 and 5 of Robot Wars. It had previously entered the Super Heavyweight Championship in Series 3 as Sharky, but the event was cancelled, and it was converted to a heavyweight for its subsequent attempts to qualify for the main series.

The team also entered Series 2 with a middleweight robot called Scorpion (not related to the later heavyweight entry), which lost its only battle after catching fire and did not appear on television. They later failed to qualify for Series 7 with Termigator.

Tiger Shark was named after a species of shark, the Galeocerdo cuvier, which is so-called because of its dark stripes along its body when young.

Versions of Tiger Shark

Sharky

Sharky as it was built for Series 3

The original Sharky that applied for the Series 3 Super Heavyweight Championship was a box-shaped robot painted grey and white to resemble a shark, with the robot's front depicting the shark's nostrils and opened mouth. Not much is currently known about its weapons, armour or drive systems, or what modifications it received when it was converted into a heavyweight for Series 4, other than its weight being reduced from 90kg to 79.4kg.

Tiger Shark

"Tiger Shark is comprised of a tubular steel construction chassis running on two 10 inch go kart wheels weighing in at 90kgs. Armour is a mixture or different thickness aluminium panels bolted to the sub-frame. Power is provided to the two 24v 750 watt motors via 4QD NCC70 Controllers, two 12V Yuasa batteries, and controlled by a 4QD Dual controller interface."

— The Tiger Shark website

Tiger Shark was a box wedge-shaped robot armed with a pneumatic CO₂ powered flipper running at 150psi. It was made out of a tubular steel chassis with bolted-on aluminium panels bolted on, and featured a pair of go-kart wheels and tyres as its main means of propulsion. Further playing on the robot's name, Team Shark designed Tiger Shark with eyes, a toothy face and a dorsal fin-like plate on the flipper to resemble a shark, while painting it orange and white with black stripes to resemble a tiger.

Qualification

Under its original name, and after conversion into a heavyweight, Sharky attempted to qualify for Series 4, facing Warhog in its qualifier. Despite lasting to the end of the battle and winning, Sharky failed to qualify. Meanwhile, Warhog received a discretionary place in Series 4 regardless.

"The qualifying fight went well but as both robots were still mobile at the end it came down to an audience decision. Sharky won, however, we did not get through due to the high number of competitors that entered."

— The Tiger Shark website on the Series 4 qualifiers

At the Series 5 qualifiers, Tiger Shark attended the Birmingham leg of the tour. It was drawn against Atomic 2. It was repeatedly flipped over by Atomic 2, self-righting after every attack, before becoming wedged on the arena wall and flipped out of the arena. Tiger Shark consequently failed to qualify for Series 5.

"We lurched towards each other and quite quickly we were flipped. We were amazed at the power of Atomic II's weapon as Tiger Shark weighs 90 kilos. Luckily, our until now un tested self righter did the job and turned us back onto our wheels. Knowing that we were outclassed by the power of this flipper, we did all we could to make a good show for the crowd. We ended up being flipped anther couple of times, from each occasion we were able to self right. Then came the beginning of the end, we were flipped and ended up wedged on the side wall of the arena with our drive wheels off of the ground, we knew what was coming next, we were flipped clean out of the arena! After our interview with Craig Charles at the end of the fight we went back to the pits and were hoping to be able to get Tiger Shark back to see the damage. We had to wait until the interval before we could retrieve it. Amazingly there was no major damage and we could have been ready for another fight fairly soon."

— The Tiger Shark website on the Series 5 qualifiers

Series Record

• A flyer with information about Tiger Shark
• Tiger Shark fighting Tornado at Robot Fayre in 2001
• Tiger Shark in the pits at a live event
• Sharky's certificate of participation at a live event
• Sharky at Wycombe 1999

1/5

Series	Tiger Shark Series Record
The First Wars	Did not enter
The Second Wars	Middleweight Championship with Scorpion
The Third Wars	Super Heavyweight Championship as Sharky (event cancelled)
The Fourth Wars	Failed to qualify as Sharky
The Fifth Wars	Failed to qualify as Tiger Shark
The Sixth Wars	Did not enter
The Seventh Wars	Failed to qualify with Termigator
Series 8	Did not enter
Series 9	Did not enter
Series 10	Did not enter

External Links

• Tiger Shark Website (archived)