Topbot

Topbot
Participation Information
UK Series	7
Team Information
Team	Team Monad
Team Members	Benny Karstel Andrew Karstel
From	Clondalkin, Dublin, Ireland
Other Entries	Monad (Series 5) 4x4 (Series 6)
Robot Statistics
Weight	99kg
Dimensions	0.27m x 1.15m x 0.93m
Drive	3x 750W electric motors
Weapons	Spinning disc
Statistics correct as of its most recent show/competition appearance, or if not applicable, qualification attempt.

"Has a sixty-four centre-metre, thirty kilo spinning disc made from steel and aluminium with two hardened teeth in front of an aluminium chassis. Front-heavy though."

— Jonathan Pearce describes Topbot

Topbot was a robot that competed in Series 7 of Robot Wars. It was the third robot from the Dublin-based Team Monad after Monad and 4x4. Topbot lost in the first round of its heat after the disc broke off and also lost its Third World Championship qualifier battle where it represented the Republic of Ireland.

Design

Topbot in the arena inverted

Topbot was a yellow and red robot with eight sets of wheels, four present on either side of its body, allowing it to run inverted. Its weapon was a horizontal spinning disc that was 64cm wide and weighed thirty kilograms, made from steel and aluminium with two hardened teeth. The body had four wheels on top and bottom, making it an invertible robot, and it had a low ground clearance. It was one of the many robots over the weight limit, so there were many small holes drilled in the top and sides of its bodywork to fit the constraints. Though the disc made the robot quite top-heavy, it boasted a good amount of power as it smashed the arena wall in its World Championship qualifier battle.

Although Topbot could run inverted and use its disc in either orientation, Topbot's default configuration sees its disc at floor level, evidenced by the robot's name being written on the front of Topbot, which only reads correctly if the robot is not inverted. This essentially made Topbot one of the pioneers of the 'undercutter' spinner, used by Topbot and future undercutters such as PP3D to target the exposed wheels underneath most robots.

The Team

Team Monad with Topbot

Topbot was entered by Team Monad, a two-man team consisting of father and son Bernard "Benny" Karstel and Andrew Karstel. Benny was the team captain while Andrew drove Topbot in battle and both of them shared speaking roles. Between their battles, the team wore different shirts, wearing black shirts with Topbot's name on in the World Championship qualifier and plain red shirts in the heats.

The team were the only one to come from either part of Ireland that competed in The Seventh Wars.

Robot History

Series 7

Topbot received a reasonable draw in Round 1 of Heat N, against three fellow veterans Raging Knightmare, R.O.C.S. and The Executioner.

Topbot attacks R.O.C.S. with its disc

Topbot loses its disc

In the opening seconds, it spun around in circles to ward off attacks whilst the disc gained speed. It then charged into the fray, hacking at the rear of R.O.C.S., but a sudden impact with The Executioner's vertical spinning weapon caused Topbot's spinning disc to detach and fly across the arena floor.

"Topbot there into the fray immediately with that low spinning disc IT'S COME OFF! The disc is off Topbot! Well, they have no weaponry! Thirty kilos of spinning disc...ripped off from the intial thrust!"

— Jonathan Pearce as Topbot loses its disc early into the battle

Mr. Psycho loses his head after trying to hammer Topbot

Topbot dangerously skirts along the lip of the Pit

Topbot drove around the arena erratically, almost falling in the Pit with a wheel hanging over the edge. Topbot then drove into Mr. Psycho's CPZ and was cornered. The House Robot hit Topbot with his hammer, and rather comically, his head fell off. Topbot appeared to break down towards the end of the fight and was pushed by Raging Knightmare onto the Flame Pit as the time expired at the end of the five-minute battle. The match went to a Judges' decision, who voted in favour of R.O.C.S. and Raging Knightmare, eliminating Topbot and giving Team Monad their third consecutive first round loss.

Topbot returned for The Third World Championship, fighting against the South African representative Crushtacean in its qualifier battle. The battle was broadcast as part of Heat G, before Topbot's appearance in the heats, but had been filmed afterwards.

Crustacean pins Topbot against the top arena wall

Topbot takes a lump out of the arena wall

This time, Topbot entered the arena with its disc face up. Topbot spun around in circles as it tried to spin its disc up, but Crushtacean covered the distance between the pair and shoved Topbot into a CPZ, pinning it against the arena wall. Topbot escaped and weaved around the arena quickly, attacking the side of Crushtacean before veering off and slamming into the wall, cracking pieces off of it due to its disc now being up to speed.

"Topbot, the control there, where on Earth are they going? Look at this, bang! Against the arena side wall and rocking away. Some power on that spinning disc though I must admit."

— Jonathan Pearce after Topbot smashes the arena wall

Topbot is pitted by Crushtacean

The impact against the wall knocked Topbot back and Crushtacean seized the opportunity to grab it with its claws. Topbot raced around the arena, but was unable to break free from Crushtacean and the crab-like robot now had firm control. After some back-and-forth pushing, Crushtacean guided Topbot into the Pit release button to open up the Pit, Topbot's disc ripping the button off the wall in the process. Crushtacean proceeded to dump Topbot down into the Pit, meaning the Irish team had failed to qualify for The Third World Championship.

"Topbot, more like Flopbot!"

— Craig Charles on Topbot's loss

Results

Wins/Losses

• Wins: 0
• Losses: 2

Series Record

Series	Topbot Series Record
The First Wars	Did not enter
The Second Wars	Did not enter
The Third Wars	Did not enter
The Fourth Wars	Did not enter
The Fifth Wars	Entered with Monad
The Sixth Wars	Entered with 4x4
The Seventh Wars	Heat, Round 1
Series 8	Did not enter
Series 9	Did not enter
Series 10	Did not enter

Gallery

Official Series 7 photo

Topbot in the pits without its top armour

Topbot shortly after Series 7

Outside Robot Wars

Live events

Team Monad

Topbot doing a demonstration at RoboRiots in 2004

After Series 7, Topbot briefly had a stint in live events. It appeared at a RoboRiots event in 2004 where it did a demonstration involving destroying many different appliances and other pieces along with Bigger Brother and Panic Attack. The subsequent ban on spinning weapons across live events limited Topbot from competing so Team Monad usually fought with 4x4 instead.

Sadly, Benny Karstel passed away in 2006. Andrew Karstel operated the team's robots for a short while afterwards before selling them to RoboRiots, which included Topbot.

Mechatrons and retirement

Front view of the updated Topbot in 2008

Topbot in the arena with Beast at Mechatrons in 2008

Topbot briefly came out of retirement in 2008, now completely redesigned. It sported four externally mounted tyres and its disc was mounted centrally at an angle, instead of running as an undercutter, as well was now being grey as opposed to yellow and red.

It competed at Mechatrons and fought robots such as Bigger Brother, Beast and Pressure. Topbot was retired shortly thereafter and remains intact.

Trivia

• Topbot was the first competitor in Robot Wars designed primarily to be an undercutter spinner.
• Both of Topbot's appearances were in the same episode as Terror Turtle.
  • Both of those episodes had a World Championship qualifier as the special event with both robots losing and the robots that beat them fought each other in their heat in The Third World Championship.
  • Both of those episodes were the only two heats of Series 7 where a seeded robot lost in the heat final.
• Topbot's strengths listed on its statistics board were different between its two appearances. In its World Championship qualifier, they were listed as 'Very Skilled Driver' and in its heat, they were listed as 'Runs Both Ways Up'.