From: J Corbally (icorb@indigo.ie)
Date: Sun Jan 13 2002 - 09:07:35 MST
>Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 20:14:42 -0800
>From: Spike Jones <spike66@attglobal.net>
>Subject: Re: ROBOT: "Robot Wars" Continues To Burgeon
>"J. R. Molloy" wrote:
> > http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,630756,00.html
> > Robot Wars, the smash-hit BBC2 programme, is now one of the biggest global
> > moneyspinners in television. Its success when it launched in 1998
> astounded
> > many - no-one could have predicted the appeal of twisted metal,
> chainsaws and
> > jets of flame.
>But JR, twisted metal, chainsaws and jets of flame are inherently appealing.
>Wicked cool. It has all the elements of good entertainment: engineering,
>physical struggle, humor, destruction, etc. I am astounded we got all the
>way to 1998 before someone figured out how to make money with
>these things. {8-] spike
As Spike said, it's one of those "now why didn't we think of that sooner"
things.
It is excellent entertainment, even though they've gone a little toward the
"WWF" format this season. It has all aspects of the engineering
discipline, from the stringently designed machine with all parts carefully
selected, to the "garden shed" variety, thrown together with whatever is to
hand. As an example, one of the well know machines is called 101, as it
cost £1.01p to make. Other machines cost hundreds if not thousands of UKp,
one costing £30K, I believe. Funny thing is, these cheap machines can
easily hold their own against the more expensive competitors. And complex
machinery is often no better than the simple and straighforward.
Several of the teams are from schools and colleges, and it is good exposure
to pratical engineering problems for the students (and teachers).
James....
"If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and
crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures
to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's not for the timid."
-Q, Star Trek:TNG episode 'Q Who'
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