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For the similarly named robot in the Robot Wars video games, see Maximillion.

MaxiMill was a Dutch competitor robot which appeared in the first series of Robot Wars Extreme, and Series 1 of Dutch Robot Wars. Two different versions of the robot appeared in each of these series, but neither managed to win a battle.

Team member Frank Van Oorschot later worked with Chris Coates of Team Blue to build Bluemax, a competitor in Dutch Robot Wars: Series 2.

Versions of MaxiMill[]

MaxiMill (Extreme 1)[]

Inside Maximill

The internals of MaxiMill

The first version of MaxiMill took a year to design, and cost £700 to build. It was based on a windmill, painted in an orange and blue colour scheme. MaxiMill had two weapons, the first of which was a large flywheel, representing the blades of the windmill, spinning at 500rpm and mounted on a two-bladed spinning bar. The flywheel was thin, but had four 1kg steel blocks attached. A 5000N crushing fork was featured at the rear, powered by an internal actuator, which was also capable of adjusting the ground clearance of MaxiMill's blade, being able to raise it up to 2 feet off the ground. MaxiMill was originally protected by 3mm Inox steel, but this made MaxiMill overweight. The steel was replaced by 1mm aluminium, bringing MaxiMill down to 100kg in weight, but thin armour proved to be a crippling weakness, as it fell apart after being immobilised by Manta. The message "For Sale" was written on the underside of MaxiMill.

MaxiMill (Dutch Series 1)[]

Bridget Maasland: "It’s a bit of a frumpy-looking Dutch windmill, isn’t it? Can this mill also do something not so frumpy?"
Frank van Oorschot: "Well once it starts spinning, you’ll want to take a step back!"
— The team describe their weaponry and windmill design before their first fight (translated from Dutch)
MaxiMill DS1

MaxiMill, unpainted, with Frank van Oorschot in Dutch Series 1

MaxiMill internals

The internals of the new MaxiMill

The second version of MaxiMill appeared in the Dutch Wars. This version of MaxiMill scrapped the windmill design in favour of a semi-circle design, made of stainless steel and polycarbonate. It featured a flywheel made of thicker metal and powered by a starter motor, but it was smaller in size and never worked in battle, and the crushing fork was removed. The robot now weighed 77kg, and like the previous version, it failed to win a battle, displaying minimal pace across the arena floor to cover for its broken weaponry.

"This is MaxiMill, it has a spinner powered by a starter motor, and if I open it up for a second… so as you can see, the most genius complex system you could imagine, of electricity. So we’re about to enter the arena and hopefully do some damage, that’s the idea!"
— Frank van Oorschot in Dutch Series 1 (translated from Dutch)

Etymology[]

The robot's name was a portmanteau of 'maximum' and 'windmill'.

Qualification[]

MaxiMill DS1 test

An interim MaxiMill demolishes breeze blocks during Dutch Series 1 rehearsals

In June 2001, MaxiMill attended rehearsals for Dutch Series 1 at Eindhoven, with an all-orange paint scheme and an invertible design very similar to the Extreme 1 incarnation. Outdoor tests were conducted to showcase its adjustable flywheel weapon, which proved capable of demolishing a stack of breeze blocks. Though MaxiMill would be chosen to compete in Dutch Series 1 - and footage of its tests included in Robot Wars: The Kick-Off - it would not appear in the main series in this form.

Robot History[]

Extreme Series 1[]

In Extreme Series 1, MaxiMill fought in the International Inferno battle against Manta from the USA, Flensburger Power from Germany, and Panic Attack from the UK.

Manta maximill

Manta sends MaxiMill flying

MaxiMill Counted Out

MaxiMill is counted out by Refbot

Maximill For Sale

Maximill's "For sale" sign, after it had been flipped

Manta slammed into MaxiMill early on, almost flipping over the Dutch machine, before stranding it near the side wall, near the flame pit. One of its four axes came off so the mill was imbalanced. MaxiMill was then shoved across the arena and into a vacant CPZ. As it tried to get away, both Shunt and Matilda attacked, blocking its escape. The pair of house robots systematically ripped up MaxiMill, before it was counted out by Refbot. Shunt placed it onto the arena floor flipper and the windmill flew, its weapon and other parts breaking off upon landing impact. Panic Attack went on to win the battle.

Dutch Series 1[]

Bridget Maasland: "It seems to me that you’re confident enough to take this one inside the arena."
Frank van Oorschot: "Surely, it is fully out of Lexan plexiglass, so you simply can’t bash your way through that."
— Team BAFL show confidence in their armour after Bridget Maasland hits it with a hammer in the pits (translated from Dutch)

After its debut in the UK series, the second version of MaxiMill competed in Heat E of the first Dutch series, facing Sniper in the first round.

"The windmill doesn’t seem to be working at all! But something in Sniper also seems to be not working properly, that being the flipper at the front. There’s not a lot happening, maybe I should start singing a song, but I won’t!"
Eric Corton (translated from Dutch)
Sniper vs MaxiMill

Both robots learn of their broken weapons

MaxiMill vs Sniper

MaxiMill opens the pit

At the start of the battle, it became apparent that neither MaxiMill nor its opponent had a working weapon, and the robots prodded each other for a bit, before Sniper drove over the pit square and stopped. Seizing the opportunity, MaxiMill immediately went for the pit release, but Sniper reversed and avoided the danger.

"MaxiMill changes the strategy and opens the pit, and well why, because of this! Look at that, Sniper is standing right at the edge of the pit!"
— Eric Corton (translated from Dutch)
SniperPushesMaxiMillIntoSgtBash

Sniper pushes MaxiMill into Sgt. Bash

Maximill vs Sniper

MaxiMill is pushed into the pit in the closing seconds

MaxiMill had less pushing power throughout the remainder of the fight, and found itself being pushed around by Sniper, with no real backup plan for its broken spinner. In the final few seconds of the fight, MaxiMill moved itself towards the pit, allowing Sniper to push it in for a win by KO just before 'cease' would be called.

"Oh, did you see that happening, MaxiMill drove backwards in the direction of the pit, is MaxiMill digging its own grave here by basically positioning itself right before the pit? And now it is a fight between the two motors to see which motor is the strongest, and it appears to be Sniper’s!"
— Eric Corton leads into the last-second pitting of MaxiMill (translated from Dutch)
NEAT Machine vs MaxiMill

MaxiMill is axed by NEAT Machine towards the end of the battle

In the losers' melee, MaxiMill went up against NEAT Machine and Shapeshifter, the latter of which didn't even move at all. MaxiMill again went for the pit release button, but was otherwise very passive. It spent the rest of the match wandering around aimlessly, and in the last ten seconds, NEAT Machine pierced it with its axe. MaxiMill survived to a decision by the Jury, but NEAT Machine had made more of an impact throughout the bout, and MaxiMill was eliminated.

Results[]

MAXIMILL - RESULTS
UK Series
Extreme Series 1
International Inferno
Representing the Netherlands
International Inferno vs. Flensburger Power (GER), Manta (USA), Panic Attack (UK) Lost
Dutch Series
Series 1
Dutch Championship
Heats, Round 1
Heat E, Round 1 vs. Sniper Lost
Heat E, Losers' Melee vs. NEAT Machine, Shapeshifter Lost

Wins/Losses[]

  • UK Wins: 0
  • UK Losses: 1
  • Dutch Wins: 0
  • Dutch Losses: 2

Series Record[]

Dutch Series MaxiMill Series Record
Series 1 Heat, Round 1
Series 2 Entered with Bluemax
Main Series MaxiMill Series Record
The First Wars Did not enter
The Second Wars Did not enter
The Third Wars Did not enter
The Fourth Wars Did not enter
The Fifth Wars Did not enter
The Sixth Wars Did not enter
The Seventh Wars Did not enter
Series 8 Did not enter
Series 9 Did not enter
Series 10 Did not enter
Robot Wars Extreme Appearances
Series 1 International Inferno
Series 2 Did not enter

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

Maximill ext1 stats

MaxiMill's statistics board in Extreme erroneously use its statistics from Dutch Series 1

  • The statistics listed for MaxiMill in Extreme were those of the Dutch Series 1 entry.
  • It is highly possible that the Extreme Series 1 version was invertible as the top castors were connected to the main wheels, plus the height of the disc was adjustable so it would still work if MaxiMill was put on its back. However, this has not been proven.
  • In Dutch Series 1, MaxiMill was unpainted in its official image and its introductory interview.
  • Four of MaxiMill's opponents competed in a World Championship with Manta being the only one to win a battle in a World Championship.

Navigation[]

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