Robosaurus is a transforming dinosaur robot created by inventor Doug Malewicki in 1989 and originally owned and operated by his company, Monster Robots, Inc. Robosaurus is modeled after Transformers toys with the driver sitting in the head of the robot, and the ability to transform from a 48-foot semi trailer into a mechanical '' Tyrannosaurus rex''. It has hydraulically activated arms, grasping claws, and jaws, and a

flame thrower A flamethrower is a ranged weapon, ranged incendiary device designed to project a controllable jet (fluid), jet of fire. Greek fire, First deployed by the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century AD, flamethrowers saw use in modern times during Wo ...

in the head to give the effect of breathing fire out of its nostrils. It is used at

motorsport Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...

events (particularly monster truck events) and

air show An air show (or airshow, air fair, air tattoo) is a public event where aircraft are exhibited. They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground. The largest air show m ...

s to "eat" and burn vehicles such as automobiles and small airplanes. Robosaurus took two years and $2.2 million to build, stands at a height of 40 feet when transformed and fully extended and weighs 31 tons. It is powered by a 500-horsepower, turbo charged, Cummins diesel engine. Four hydraulic pumps are used to manipulate the claws, which can exert 24,000 pounds of force. It houses two 20-gallon propane tanks to produce the fire breath effect, and houses air cannons that can be used to fire confetti, fireworks or missiles. Similar machines based on the same concept include

Megasaurus Megasaurus and Transaurus are transforming robotic dinosaurs. Megasaurus is owned by Mike West and Transaurus is owned by Rick and Sheri Dorritie. They are modeled after a ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' and have hydraulically activated arms, grasping ...

and Transaurus, as well as less direct imitators, such as "Draco the Dragonator" and "Tranzilla". A parody of Robosaurus, called Truckasaurus, is also present in the TV series '' The Simpsons'' in the episode "

Bart the Daredevil "Bart the Daredevil" is the eighth episode of the second season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 6, 1990. In the episode, Bart decides he wants t ...

", and in the video game based on the franchise, '' Simpsons Hit 'n' Run''. Robosaurus was auctioned off at the Scottsdale

Barrett-Jackson Barrett-Jackson is an American collector car auction company headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was founded by Scottsdale business partners Tom Barrett and Russ Jackson. They initially launched a car show, Fiesta de los Autos Elegantes, in 1 ...

auction on January 19, 2008. Bidding saw the robotic dinosaur sell to gambling industry veteran Brooke Dunn for US$575,000. Dunn's company, Action Robo LLC, now owns and operates Robosaurus.

Appearances in media

Robosaurus starred in ''

Steel Justice Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resista ...

'', a made-for-TV movie on NBC in 1992. It centered on a cop with the magical ability to turn his deceased son's Robosaurus toy into a real fire-breathing robot to help him fight crime. No TV series resulted. Robosaurus featured in three episodes of the 2010 Travel Channel reality show, ''

America's Worst Driver ''America's Worst Driver'' is an American reality television program on Travel Channel, based on the television series ''Britain's Worst Driver'' and ''Canada's Worst Driver,'' part of the Worst Driver television franchise. Hosted by Alonzo Bodd ...

'', including the series finale. It also appeared in "Robosaurus", a 2011 fourth-season episode of the History Channel reality series '' Pawn Stars'', wherein its owner brought it to the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop and after demonstrating what it can do tried to sell it to the Harrisons at an offer of $1,000,000, which they refused. Robosaurus was also featured on "Larry's Vegas Hangover", an episode of '' Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy''. It was co-piloted by comedian and Larry the Cable Guy's old pal

Carrot Top Scott Thompson (born February 25, 1965), known professionally as Carrot Top, is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Early life Thompson was born in Rockledge, Florida, and grew up in Cocoa. He is the youngest son of a NASA engineer. He ...

. Robosaurus is also featured in the movie '' Waking Up in Reno'' where Robosaurus eats the vacationing couple's Chevy Suburban. An animated version of Robosaurus tears the roof off of the trailer belonging to Pete White and Billy Quizboy in "Maybe No Go", a season 6 episode of The Venture Bros. Robosaurus was also featured on "Child at Heart", an episode of '' Jay Leno's Garage''. Robosaurus was also featured on Penn & Teller: Fool Us Episode 505, "Psych!!" which aired Monday, July 23, 2018, when magician Seth Grabell was handcuffed and escaped from a police car as Robosaurus destroyed it. A parody of Robosaurus, named Truck-o-Saurus, appears in '' The Simpsons'' episode "

", in which it ends up damaging the family's car. Robosaurus appeared in the special live halloween episodes of Just Roll with itArchived a
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Wayback Machine

References

External links

{{Commons category
Michael A. Ryder
Robotic dinosaurs 1989 robots Entertainment robots Robots of the United States