In time for Geek Week’s Gaming Day on Thursday 8 August, Jason Bradbury (best known as host of The Gadget Show ) will launch a new YouTube channel, SupaRobotAttack .
The SupaRobotAttack channel originated from Jason’s obsession with Robot Fighting and is a robot-fighting channel featuring unique humanoid (walking) robots programmed with individual fighting styles. Karate, Boxing, Mexican Wrestling – even Break Dancing – each week a host of colourful characters go head to head with diverse fighting forms.
In a nod to video games, if the robots successfully perform certain combos they can win perks to aid them in a fight (for example Punch Punk can remove his gloves to reveal bespoke metal fists and Military robot Devil Dog can summon a tiny aerial drone!)
Jason said, “I was a huge Robot Wars fan and always wanted to be involved in whatever came next. I guess in a small way that’s what SupaRobotAttack is attempting to be: an evolution of what Robot Wars started."
In describing the technology behind the robot power, Jason said, " SupaRobotAttack could not have happened before. It's only recently that the robots have developed to a point where they can get into a proper brawl. And then there's the entertainment factor: each robot needs to have a unique fighting style and that's only possible due to recent advances in their speed and programming."
Jason grew up surrounded by first generation personal computers, electronics and games which fostered a passion for robotic technology. Feeding this obsession took him around the world from robotics labs in universities to the backstreet robot fights of Tokyo and South Korea. Jason has also written the Dot Robot children’s books, about a robot crime fighting force.
SupaRobotAttack has a scrappy start-up mentality behind the production. As Jason explains, "No venture capital. I've bought all the robots, paid for the shed-extension (yes, really), the cameras, edit computers and 2.5 full-time staff with my own money. Instead of a mid-life crisis Porsche, I got a harem of robots and a garden-shed full of geeks."
"I think YouTube at its best is surprising and risky and new – and that's exactly how I'd describe the SupaRobotAttack production process. From the way we work – in a shed where we program the robots, design and 3D/laser print our own components – to the way we film on domestic cameras and make our own soundtracks."
