Robosaurus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robosaurus during a show at Halloween Horror Nights

Robosaurus is a transforming robotic dinosaur created by inventor Doug Malewicki in 1989 and is currently owned and operated by Monster Robots, Inc. Robosaurus is modeled after a Tyrannosaurus rex and has hydraulically activated arms, grasping claws, and jaws, as well as a flame thrower set up in the head to give the effect of breathing fire out of its nostrils. It also was modeled after Transformers toys, with the driver sitting in the head of the robot and the ability to transform into its own trailer for transportation. It is used at motorsport events (particularly monster truck events) and air shows to "eat" and burn vehicles such as automobiles and small airplanes. It stands at a total height of 40 feet (12 m) when transformed and fully extended.

Similar machines based on the same concept include Megasaurus and Transaurus, as well as less direct imitators, such as "Draco the Dragonator" and "Tranzilla".

Robosaurus was auctioned off at the Scottsdale Barrett Jackson auction on January 19, 2008. Barrett Jackson stated that over $5 million (USD) worth of material was used to make Robosaurus. ^[1] Bidding saw the robotic dinosaur sell for $575,000 USD.^[2]

[edit] Cultural references

Robosaurus can be considered somewhat of a pop culture icon, and has made many cameos and spawned various imitators.

On December 6, 1990, an episode of The Simpsons titled "Bart the Daredevil" aired where the monster truck is referred to as "Truckasaurus". The episode is about where Homer and Bart see a commercial for a motorbike rally featuring Truckasaurus even though it falls on the same night as Lisa's concert. However, when they get there, Homer accidentally drives into a garage that leads to the field and the car is wrecked by the robot behemoth.
In 1992, Robosaurus starred in an NBC made for TV movie named Steel Justice, which was originally made as a TV show pilot.^[3]
It also had a role in a sketch on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Stephen Colbert plays a clip of Robosaurus smashing a car when he wants to "feel better about America".
Robosaurus-like machines also make cameos in video games, most notably Monster Truck Madness and Monster 4x4: Masters of Metal and in 2004, Mattel released a Hot Wheels Monster Jam play set called "Crashzilla", where the object was to destroy a robot very much inspired by Robosaurus.
The 2002 movie Waking Up in Reno had Robosaurus "eat" a truck belonging to Billy Bob Thornton's character, Lonnie Earl Dodd.
Appeared in an ABC show, Our Town, on August 18, 2005, crunching down a man's favorite truck and tractor (except the truck was really a fake truck "look-alike").
Jon Stewart referenced the Robosaurus in the March 22, 2007 episode of The Daily Show as part of a segment on the ongoing dismissal of U.S. attorneys controversy.
Robosaurus appeared in a Toyota Tacoma commercial in fall 2006. In exaggeratingly demonstrating the trucks durability, it shows Robosaurus attempting to destroy the truck and failing.^[4]
On July 2, 2007, Robosaurus made a guest appearance at the movie premiere of Transformers in Austin, Texas.