# Rex Garrod > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rex_Garrod > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rex_Garrod.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Garrod > Source revision: 1355326054 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|British inventor and roboteer (1943–2019)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox Speedway rider | image = | name= Rex Garrod | nationality = British (English) | birth_date = {{birth date|1943|10|09|df=y}} | birth_place = [Mickfield](/source/Mickfield), [Suffolk](/source/Suffolk), England | death_date = {{death date and age|2019|04|08|1943|10|09|df=y}} | death_place = | career1 = '''Great Britain''' | years2 = 1971 | career2 = [Ipswich](/source/Ipswich_Witches) | years3 = 1972-74 | career3 = [Scunthorpe](/source/Scunthorpe_Saints) }} '''Rex Garrod''' (10 September 1943{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-suffolk-48205106 |title =Rex Garrod: Funeral held for Brum and Robot Wars star|work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=8 May 2019 |accessdate=31 May 2019}} – 8 April 2019) was a British inventor and roboteer, and [speedway](/source/Motorcycle_speedway) rider. Garrod was notable for building the radio controlled car that starred in ''[Brum](/source/Brum_(TV_series))'', and co-presenting ''[The Secret Life of Machines](/source/The_Secret_Life_of_Machines)''. Garrod entered several successful robots into the early series of British TV series ''[Robot Wars](/source/Robot_Wars_(TV_series))''. He was a rider for the [Ipswich Witches](/source/Ipswich_Witches) (1971) and [Scunthorpe Saints](/source/Scunthorpe_Saints) (1972–74) speedway teams. ==Early and personal life== Garrod grew up in [Mickfield](/source/Mickfield), [Suffolk](/source/Suffolk). He was a [speedway](/source/Motorcycle_speedway) rider for the [Ipswich Witches](/source/Ipswich_Witches) (1971) and [Scunthorpe Saints](/source/Scunthorpe_Saints) (1972–74).{{cite news |last1=Russell |first1=Steve |title=Robot Wars legend Rex Garrod dies at 75 after long illness with Alzheimer’s |url=https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/former-ipswich-witches-speedway-rider-had-alzheimer-s-1-5989756 |accessdate=8 October 2020 |work=Ipswich Star |date=11 April 2019 |archive-date=11 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411164615/https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/former-ipswich-witches-speedway-rider-had-alzheimer-s-1-5989756 |url-status=dead }} He and former [motocross](/source/motocross) racer [Dave Bickers](/source/Dave_Bickers) then moved into special effects. Garrod married Sally in 1992, and they had two daughters.{{cite news |title=Suffolk inventor and creator of Brum Rex Garrod dies |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-47893592 |accessdate=8 October 2020 |publisher=BBC News |date=11 April 2019 |archive-date=8 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108000148/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-47893592 |url-status=live }} He had [Alzheimer's disease](/source/Alzheimer's_disease) for the last eight years of his life, and died on 8 April 2019, aged 75. ==Television work== [[File:Brum (4890999968).jpg|thumb|Garrod designed and built the eponymous car from [''Brum''](/source/Brum_(TV_series))]] ''[Brum](/source/Brum_(TV_series))'' was a British television series which ran intermittently between 1991 and 2002. It told the story of a small car called Brum, which in reality was a giant remote control car. Garrod is credited with both designing and building Brum. He also made devices on the children's programme ''[Teletubbies](/source/Teletubbies)''. Garrod co-presented [Channel 4](/source/Channel_4)'s ''[The Secret Life of Machines](/source/The_Secret_Life_of_Machines)'' with [Tim Hunkin](/source/Tim_Hunkin), another inventor from the same county. ==''Robot Wars''== Garrod was Team Leader of Team Cassius, a team of roboteers which entered several robots into Series 1, 2 and 3 of ''[Robot Wars](/source/Robot_Wars_(TV_series))''. In addition to the performances of his robots, he was known for his generosity in helping other teams fix their robots. In Series 1, Team Cassius entered "Recyclopse", which reached the Grand Final but lost to [Roadblock](/source/Roadblock_(robot)). In Series 2, Team Cassius entered 5th seeded "Cassius", a wedge-shaped robot armed with a front-pivoted flipper. Cassius was the first competitor in the show's history to "self right" (i.e. to turn itself over when it was upside down), and as such Garrod is often credited with inventing the so-called "[srimech](/source/srimech)". Cassius also reached the Grand Final, but lost to [Panic Attack](/source/Panic_Attack_(robot)).{{cite news |last1=Birch |first1=Aaron |title=Robot Wars: revisiting the original show |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/robot-wars-revisiting-the-original-show/ |accessdate=8 October 2020 |publisher=Den of Geek |date=22 July 2016}} In Series 3, Team Cassius entered 2nd seeded "Cassius 2", a similar robot to its predecessor "Cassius", which lost to Series 4 runner-up [Pussycat](/source/Pussycat_(robot)) in the 2nd round of the heats. His team then quit and never returned to the show, as their complaints about insufficient health and safety precautions were not listened to by the producers.{{cite news |last1=Galt |first1=Alistair |title=Rex Garrod – the man who inspired a generation (but without ever really being present) (Obituary) |url=https://www.arc-robotics.org.uk/2019/04/10/rex-garrod-the-man-who-inspired-a-generation-but-without-ever-really-being-present-obituary/ |accessdate=8 October 2020 |publisher=ARC Robotics |date=10 April 2019}} ==References == {{Reflist |refs= {{cite news | title = Sun shines brightly for Mendlesham Street Fayre | url = http://www.dissexpress.co.uk/news/latest-news/sun-shines-brightly-for-mendlesham-street-fayre-1-431713 | newspaper = [Diss Express](/source/Diss_Express) | location = [England](/source/England), [UK](/source/UK) | issn = 1462-4273 | oclc = 500147833 | date = 6 May 2008 | accessdate = 4 March 2012 | archive-date = 4 March 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051847/http://www.dissexpress.co.uk/news/latest-news/sun-shines-brightly-for-mendlesham-street-fayre-1-431713 | url-status = dead }} {{cite news | title = Inventive youngsters find winning formula | url = http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education-news/2009/01/08/inventive-youngsters-find-winning-formula-91466-22644855/ | newspaper = [WalesOnline](/source/WalesOnline) | location = [Cardiff](/source/Cardiff) | date = 8 January 2009 | accessdate = 4 March 2012 }} {{cite book | last = Fowler | first = P. J. | title = The past in contemporary society: then, now | year = 1992 | publisher = Psychology Press | isbn = 978-0-415-07130-7 | oclc = 27681858 | page = [https://archive.org/details/pastincontempora0000fowl/page/56 56] | url = https://archive.org/details/pastincontempora0000fowl/page/56 }} {{cite book | last = Brad | first = Stone | title = Gearheads: the turbulent rise of robotic sports | year = 2003 | publisher = Simon and Schuster | isbn = 978-0-7432-2951-7 | oclc = 51009163 | page = [https://archive.org/details/gearheadsturbule00ston/page/169 169] | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/gearheadsturbule00ston/page/169 }} }} == External links == * [http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=73388896101 We Love Rex Garrod on Facebook] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NAYjPlRzU8 Interview on YouTube] {{DEFAULTSORT:Garrod, Rex}} Category:1943 births Category:2019 deaths Category:British inventors Category:Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in England Category:Deaths from dementia in England Category:People from Mid Suffolk Category:British speedway riders Category:Ipswich Witches riders Category:Scunthorpe Scorpions riders --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rex Garrod](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Garrod) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Garrod?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.