SMIDSY on Robot Wars 1999
Taken from Mik Reed's post to the IxiRobotWarriors after the bout
Well, the blunt news, we're back after a round one defeat but suprisingly we are very positive about the whole thing and raring to go back next year and prove what a version 1 release will do as opposed to a Beta model.
What we had was a solid dangerous and competent robot, with a flakey second rate and suspect Radio Control system. We are more than happy that given a degree of actual control of SMIDSY we'd have won our bout after a good solid scrap. As it was we suffered from crippling interference from the second the chainsaws were activated and were unable to do anything much at all. I doubt the cameras will show us dangling Robin out of the cherry pickers by his ankles to try and get control over SMIDSY, but they ought to (well we were almost doing it!)
Even with the fact we couldn't actually control SMIDSY everyone reckoned the bout was one of the best filmed that day as our opponents kept on attacking as best they could (they were also suffering from interference but to a lesser extent.) And it looked like we were attacking back (we kept rising up over the top of them) They had their top armour ripped loose and almost knocked themselves out from the damage we caused as they hit us. We were then set upon by Sir Killalot, Dead Metal (with a fearsome Stihl saw and jaws to hold the victim in place) and Shunt. This went on for a couple of minutes with the Stihl saw cutting through to the Cyclons in the right hand side pod. Even with 50% battery power we were still jittering happily (and would have been moving if we'd had control) and were finally pushed into the pit, ending up top down so hopefully the mirrored stainless bottom armour showed in the flip.
We designed SMIDSY to take damage well and we managed it. After the bout we spent 10 minutes repairing the power wire and we would have been fully mobile again. A half hour's panel beating on the side pods would have seen us fully ready to fight.
We spent the best part of two days in the pits feverishly working on SMIDSY's jaws, which had given us loads of trouble and were always touch and go for getting into filming at all, to have lost is regrettable, but we don't feel dejected. We put up a good show, the Rattus Rattus team were a great bunch of lads to work alongside and we should get a decent bit of TV time all things considered. I think we interviewed well, so our subtle "car drivers knock bikers off a lot" message might even make it to the screen!
We'll be back.