Remote-Controlled Robots Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em At Tokyo Rumble

The combatants didn’t grunt, they beeped. Oil greased their joints. Muscle and sinew were replaced by motors and steel.

In the opening rounds of the two-day Robot Wrestling Festival in Kawasaki, more than 100 rumbling robots clanked into the ring Saturday to fight it out for top honors.

One entry went into battle topped with a green-and-yellow wig. Another shot out scorpion-like pincers that sent opponents crashing to the canvas. Coaches shouted as robot operators frantically directed their machines by remote-control.

“You need to prepare powerful arms for the robot,” said robot-manager Yusuke Kimura. “You also have to be very good at control. Then you can make it.”

There were no weight categories in the competition held just south of Tokyo, but the organizers did require the robots to be less than 90 inches front to back and 63-1/2 inches wide. Otherwise, the inventors were granted freedom of design, as long as their robots had something resembling arms and legs.

By the end of Saturday’s qualifying round, it was clear that sleek design mattered less than brute force.

One machine that looked like a metallic jellyfish was easily knocked over by a nasty uppercut from a street-fighting bundle of erector-set parts and wires.

The spectators that filled the arena were more likely to break down in laughter at mechanical glitches than root for favorites. Many robots appeared to cower in their corners. When both machines sputtered, the one that made it furthest into the ring won.

Winners will be announced today.

Japanese TV regularly features robot contests ranging from basketball free throws to household cleaning. A robot soccer tournament featuring a team developed by Carnegie Mellon University is being held this week in the city of Nagoya.