Formula

Formula in This is Fighting Robots

**Formula** was a robot from London in the United Kingdom, which competed in the 2018 series *This is Fighting Robots*. Team Precision are also known as Team RAPID, representatives of the London-based corporation RPD International.

Formula entered the competition during Episode 7 as a 'challenger', defeating 008 by knockout despite suffering heavy damage. It then became the first robot to defeat *King of Bots* Season 1 champion Spectre, winning with a knockout flip. Formula was eliminated from the competition after losing a rumble against Blue and Greedy Snake.

Andy Hibberd would later compete in *King of Bots* Season 2 with The Hounds.

## Design

Formula was a dark blue and orange robot designed to look like a futuristic racing car. Details representing this theme included an interactive lighting package, a visible "cockpit" and "windshield" integrated into the robot's wedge shape, and a spoiler at the rear, with the team's surnames also printed onto the robot.

Formula was armed with a full-pressure pneumatic flipper, generate a force of 7,500kg (7,000kg according to Mech+ subtitles). Two exposed wedges are present at either side of the machine, to prevent the main flipper lip being damaged. The robot featured a high top speed of 40km/h (24mph), along with integrated self-righting capabilities using its flipper.

### Etymology

Formula's name derives from the term usually given to single-seater motor racing disciplines, particularly the flagship Formula One category.

## Robot History

### This is Fighting Robots (Season 1.5)

Debuting in Episode 7 as a 'challenger', Formula gathered interest from three team managers - Zhang Yishan, Zheng Shuang and Sa Beining - who wanted to let it fight one of their robots. Andy Hibberd personally selected Beining to challenge, as he felt that Formula would help strengthen the latter's limited roster. Shuang praised Hibberd for taking the 'safest path' to potentially entering the competition, while Brian Nave considered Formula 'perfect match' for the other Yellow team machines - Shrederator Tiger Claw, along with fellow UK entries 008 and Ninja.

"*So being on Sa Beining's team, I believe the three robots that are remaining are very strong, and we can beat the majority of robots in the competition. We are very confident between us.*"
— Andy Hibberd

Formula was soon drawn against 008 - a potential victory would enable it to take the place of Gary Cairns' machine.

The two robots met each other in the middle of the arena, and sparks flew as 008's flywheel bounced off of Formula's flipper. Going on another attack, Formula then got underneath 008, but failed to flip it and had its decorative spoiler ripped away as 008 drove over it. Chasing after it some more, Formula finally managed to get its flipper into play as it threw 008 into the air, and 008 landed with a crash.

As the battle continued, 008 seemed to be slowing down with fire visibly bellowing from its insides. Approaching each other tentatively, Formula once again collided with 008's still working flywheel, sending shards of the machine flying across the arena. By now, the damage sustained to Formula was becoming apparent, it as only seemed capable of driving backwards and forwards, but 008 was clearly in not much better condition. As 008 limped forwards towards the heavily damaged Formula, it seemed to wedge itself onto its own flywheel, smoke now also rising from 008. The countdown started, and since Formula was at-least showing some movement, 008 was the one declared KO'ed, despite Formula losing mobility shortly afterwards. Formula was subsequently declared the winner of the match, and got to enter the competition as part of the yellow team.

In the head-to-head round, Sa Beining issued the challenge for Formula to fight next, and both Great White and Spectre accepted the challenge. Andy Hibberd stated that he would much rather fight Spectre, and his wish was fulfilled, as both robots fought.

The two robots drew towards and smacked into one another initially, with Formula momentarily getting underneath Spectre, but not far enough to use its flipper. Several scenes just like this initial one followed, with Formula chasing and momentarily getting underneath its opponent using its superior wedge, but without making any meaningful attacks with its weapon.

This stalemate ended a few seconds later though, as Formula finally got underneath Spectre properly, and flung it into the air, with the force of the flip knocking Formula over as well. As both robots self-righted, they made another charge towards one another, neither getting underneath the other this time. After spending a few more seconds driving around its opponent, Spectre made a charge that sent it straight up Formula's wedge, the latter responding by throwing the *King of Bots* defending champion through the air, causing it to land upside down onto the floor saws.

With the floor saws clearly impeding Spectres ability to self-right, Formula took the opportunity to drive around and position itself so that when Spectre did finally succeed, it would do so onto Formula, allowing Formula to once again toss Spectre back over.

Landing upside down again, Formula put more pressure onto Spectre by pushing it towards the Grinders and flinging it into them, causing it to bounce off, successfully keeping Spectre inverted. Formula wasted no time by pushing Spectre around some more, and eventually got in a powerful flip that lifted Spectre over 1.2 meters into the air, although this flip caused Spectre to finally land on its wheels again though. As Spectre tried yet again to get a grip on Formula, the flipper answered by throwing Spectre onto its back yet another time.

Formula then proceeded to push Spectre into the corner in an attempt to send it out of the arena, but was unsuccessful after choosing the wrong angle, and the silver machine landed back on its wheels and started giving chase to Formula. Formula's elastics which allow its flipper to close had become damaged, as the robot seemed unable to close it properly. This permitted Spectre to finally get underneath Formula, but was unable to get its crusher into play as Formula managed to escape, finally getting its flipper to close properly as well after some time had elapsed.

Making a final charge, Spectre bounced off of Formula, momentarily exposing its back which allowed Formula to flip it one final time. Throughout the battle, where Spectre's self-righting mechanism became damaged through repeated flips and contact with the arena saws, Spectre ultimately proved unable to self-right, and Formula's team celebrated as Spectre was subsequently counted out, not only giving Formula the victory, but also eliminating the *King of Bots* Season 1 Champion from the competition.

In the next round, Formula fought Blue and Greedy Snake in a melee.

Formula was targeted by Blue, but the American machine missed with its swing, and flipped itself over. Blue self-righted, while Formula was edged backwards by Greedy Snake. Formula avoided more attacks from Blue, eventually sustaining a glancing blow. Greedy Snake charged Formula and briefly tilted it onto its back, but failed to grab it on two attempts. Eventually, Greedy Snake drove under Formula, clamped down on it and lifted the British machine, but Blue intercepted with a hammer blow and separated the two machines, then directly struck Greedy Snake.

Formula pushed Blue back, as it was too small to be hit by Blue's hammer, and rammed it into the arena wall and under the arena hammer, while sustaining only a light hit from Blue's hammer. Formula made a similar push afterwards, but fired its flipper at the wrong time, hitting thin air. Later into the battle, Formula wedged under Blue, which was attacking Greedy Snake. The three robots locked together in the center of the arena, with Formula controlling the pushing, while Blue repeatedly hit Greedy Snake. Formula managed to push both robots towards the wall, but could not use its flipper due to a gas leak, and eventually lost mobility altogether. Nevertheless, Formula survived until a Judges' decision, as it only lost mobility in the final ten seconds. Nevertheless, the victory was awarded to Blue, although Formula still earned one point for its team, due to it reaching the Judges' decision.

"*We had a gas leak. I think it might've been the shut-off valve.*"
— Andy Hibberd

At the end of the round, Sa Beining was required to cull his Yellow team from three robots to one, and after choosing to keep Shrederator Tiger Claw active, Formula was eliminated from the competition just prior to the Top 8 stage.

## Results

### Wins/Losses

* Wins: 2
* Losses: 1

## Series Record

* Initial concept design for Formula, previously known as "Thrust"
* CAD of Formula's final design
1/2

## Outside King of Bots

Team driver Andy Hibberd entered UK robotics in the antweight circuit. He built an antweight flipper named **Anticide**, which found great success, becoming a six-time antweight world series champion. During the 53rd Antweight World Series, Anticide finished third. Hibberd also built **Kwijebo**, a shufflebot armed with a vertical drum, previously a vertical spinning disc, **Nom Nom Nom**, which is armed with a vertical spinner, and **Ickle**, a fleaweight version of Kwijebo.

This prior experience allowed Hibberd to scale up the design of Anticide into a heavyweight flipper, **RAPID**. Andy Hibberd and Letitia Steer collaborated with team captain Josh Valman to enter Series 9 of *Robot Wars* with RAPID, emphatically winning their first-round melee over Nuts 2 and Jellyfish, but the robot was damaged beyond repair by Aftershock in the second round, leading to an early withdrawal. RAPID was much more successful in Series 10, throwing Track-tion out of the arena twice in two consecutive battles, before also throwing Terrorhurtz out of the arena to reach the Grand Final. There, RAPID lost its opening melee to Eruption, and caught fire in battle with Carbide, to finish in fifth place.

## Trivia

* Head of RPD International, Josh Valman, also intended to join the televised team, but was unable to attend filming on the required dates.
* Before being named Formula, the robot was originally named **Thrust**.

## External Links

* RAPID Robotwars 2017 Facebook page
* Team RAPID Twitter