Tha Thumperizer

The original 2001 incarnation of Tha Thumperizer built out of LEGO.

The second 2001 build of Tha Thumperizer.

A plan for a 2005 re-imagining of the design in combat form.

Tha Thumperizer

Builder:	Radio F Software
Weight class:	Heavyweight
Weapon:	2x vertical tri-tip extenders with spikes (nicknamed "Thumperizers").
Weapon power:	HP Z-Tek

Thumperizer XIV

Builder:	Radio F Software
Weight class:	Heavyweight
Weapon:	Dual sets of triple Behemoth hammers
Armor:	Steel
Tournament Record:	TBA
Awards:	TBA

Tha Thumperizer (also known as simply Thumperizer) is a Heavyweight robot created by Radio F Software in 2003. While the robot itself is rather unworthy of any merits, technical or appearance-wise, it's namesake started the AceUplink's catchphrase "THUMPERIZED"; when something was "THUMPERIZED" it was destroyed (in regards to posts, threads, etc); this lexicon was perpetuated during RFS' brief tenure on AceUplink's staff.

Thumperizer was featured in the V1.5 edition of the RFS AI Pack and was also included in SovereignII's AI upgrade. Years later, an antweight version of the robot was included in Stock's Mini AI Pack and was also the champion in an all-AI tournament held on YouTube by user "battlebotsboy". Conversely, Thumperizer made an appearance in Badnik96's Uber Stock HW tournament but lost every single battle it was in despite advancing forward one round with a bye.

An updated version of the robot titled "Thumperizer XIV" was constructed by RFS and was entered in the 9th DSL BattleBots tournament.

In 2010, Thumperizer was nominated for a place in the Robot Arena 2 Hall of Fame but did not receive an induction.

In Real Life

The original Thumperizer was constructed in 2001 by Twilight Foundry Robotics using Lego Mindstorms parts. The robot was entered in a local school-sanctioned "robolympics" where other Mindstorms teams constructed robots to accomplish certain tasks such as line-following and checker collecting. Tha Thumperizer was programmed to perform wheelies and to use its dual spinning masses to aid in gyroscopic turns and flips. The RCX brick was programmed to play a rough hip hop beat (using the beeps and buzzes available), which is where the robot lent its name from. Tha Thumperizer was entered as a "show bot" into the Open Class category and took first place.

It was later rebuilt for a second event that same year although the robot's new design was radically different from its predecessor. The remake, titled "Things That Go Thump In The Night", featured a large spinning arrangement of claws instead of two separate spinners. Tha Thumperizer "II" was built as a test bot for the "combat" category, a one-time tryout where it was pitted against Treadator, a clamping robot with tank tracks built by a former member of the Twilight Foundry Robotics team. The former show bot was meticulously disassembled in a matter of seconds after only doing minimal damage to its opponent.

After being dismantled for good Tha Thumperizer then went on to be reconstructed in Robot Arena 2 in 2003, and in 2004 plans were drawn up for an Antweight combat robot titled "Tha Thumperizer STRIKES BACK". Parts were allocated for the creation but the robot was never fully assembled.

Using the remains of the popular Twilight Foundry Robotics (Newfac Robotics at the time) Beetleweight "Kill Switch" building commenced for a 2006 model of Tha Thumperizer keeping its original name and design. The planned Beetleweight would have its front end propped up off the ground by a rod and protruding from the front nose of the robot would be two grinding wheels (as opposed to the original weighted bars the Lego version had), while the back end of the robot rested on the ground and was powered by two rear wheels. The memorable purple paint job and hip-hop inspired art from the Robot Arena 2 version of Tha Thumperizer was intended to be carried over onto the new creation. However, the events that Twilight Foundry Robotics creations were taken to closed, and the remake of Tha Thumperizer was never completed.