It's robot wars

8:26am Tuesday 24th June 2008

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A ROBOT Wars-style competition saw young engineering enthusiasts pitting their creations against each other.

Nineteen teams from across Essex and beyond, including eleven schools and colleges, came along to battle it out in England's first regional Rampaging Chariots event.

About 300 people turned up, many of them family and friends of participants, as well as teachers, who cheered on their teams.

Each team had to design and build their own robot using parts from a provided kit, including an engine and four wheels, plus their own innovations and decorations.

They received help from engineers at defence company Selex Galileo, which organised and hosted the competition at its offices in Sigma House, Christopher Martin Road, Basildon.

There were four competitions; two-a-side football, sumo, an assault course and the best-designed machine.

Selex communications manager Alvaro Beteta said: "This was the first year we had hosted it here, so we didn't know what to expect.

"I was impressed by the enthusiasm which all the teams showed and the turnout was great."

The competition was the brainchild of Selex employee Peter Bennett, the champion of the final series of hit BBC show Robot Wars.

The TV programme, where contestants built robots to battle each other, inspired Mr Bennett to create the Rampaging Chariots competition, which has been running for three years in Edinburgh.

This is the first year it has come south of the border, with regional events in Luton as well as Basildon.

The final, involving the top teams from the regional competitions, takes place later this year, at a venue and date to be announced.