Team-Joker Combat History Page


A radio-controlled combative robot we made to amuse ourselves, and spectators, for the Robot Wars competition.

Team Joker - Combat History etc.

On this page ... Combats Mistakes Future Projects Help Us Contact Us Postscript


Team Joker - Combat History

Joker's Debut

This was at Nottingham in December 2002 during the filming of Technogames 2003. We were the substitute robot to be called in should an entry break down. We were resplendant with a large aluminium bucket designed for the football event.

We had been available since 9am but had not been called up. We were given five minutes to prepare for action late evening but this came to nothing. It did however allow us to demonstrate our skills at changing crystals, checking voltages and bolting down the inspection hatch. We were like a well-oiled machine - almost like a formula 1 pit stop crew.

At 10.00 that night we were contemplating the drive home when we were again called upon to perform, this time in the Sumo arena. Moments later we were ushered onto the set and our Joker placed in the arena. John gave Joker a friendly pat. We were up against the Tornado team, the grand final winners of the latest Robot Wars. We had no time to remove our aluminium bucket. It could get horribly mangled.

Our tyres were cold but John had earler applied adhesive to the tyre surfaces to improve grip. James Silvester was to be our driver. He had not driven the machine before, apart from during the auditions, and even then he was only working on 12 volts. This time he had 36 volts to throw at the motors. Over 4 kilowatts (5hp) available by flexing his left thumb. His instructions were to go full ahead and get the tyres warmed up quickly.

Our debut in the arena resulted in an interesting match. Joker was easily able to push our opponent into the side barrier. Unfortunately our blade was designed for football, the event for which we had been prepared. We did not have our wedge with us. we were unable to get under our opponent and lift it off the ground. Quite the opposite! We did a wheelie and we were upended and pushed ignominiously out of the ring. We lasted just 18 seconds!

Our consolation was that we were defeated by the eventual winners.

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Team Joker - Mistakes

Avoid our mistakes



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Team Joker - Future Projects

Suggested projects



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Team Joker - Help Us

We have a general purpose 'robot' - except that it is not actually a robot. Its just a human controlled machine. Any intelligence it has is supplied by the human operator. We really would like the machine to be autonomous. We are prepared to modify it with a controller which could be interfaced with a computer and fit a powerful Pentium type computer into it.

If any programmer would like to collaberate with us if writing a program for Joker, we would like to hear from you.

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Team Joker - Contact us

John Silvester - Team Leader







Neil Manuel - Webmaster






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Team Joker - Postscript

We may be fortunate enough to be offered appearance money or royalties for our project.
We have decided to donate any profit to the charity providing sporting facitities for disabled people, in memory of Arthur, a keen diver and skier.



Next Chapter : Joker - The Team

Top of Page Please note all information on this site is as correct as best endeavours can make it (Errors and Omissions excepted).
Website originally created October 2002, last edited on Saturday 16th February 2013.
We would like to wish our friends, associates and visitors a wonderful Spring and Summer ;o)