A FATHER and son team from Yate are set to appear on popular TV show Robot Wars this weekend, after spending several weeks building a machine.

Aerospace engineer Dave Smith and his sons Riley, 10, and Daniel, 8, will battle against other robot enthusiasts in a huge purpose-built arena with the help of Dave’s apprentice Sarah Malyan.

The team of four are hoping that their robot, High 5, will be tough enough to get them through to the next round.

Dave, 37, said: “It’s a childhood dream come true to go on Robot Wars, it’s what got me into engineering in the first place.

“I’ve been teaching the boys how to programme and Riley has written the software for our robot.”

He added: “I’m hoping that we can encourage other young people to develop a passion for engineering.”

Dave and his sons decided to name the robot High 5 because of his interlocking jaws and the fact that they give each other a high five each night before bed.

The robot took approximately eight weeks to build, with all four of the team members having an input into the final design.

Filming for the episode featuring the Yate team took place in December, and will be shown this Sunday at 7pm on BBC Two.

Narrated by comedian Dara O’Briain, Robot Wars pits amateur robot builders against each other in a gladiator style combat arena.

There are several ways that a robot can lose a match; these include becoming immobile for over 30 seconds, being flipped out of the arena and falling into a “pit of oblivion”.

If none of the above are satisfied, a team of judges decide which robot should go through to the next round based on aggression, damage and control.

Dave said: “I'm not allowed to say anything about what happens in the episode yet, but I can tell you that it was a very exciting experience.

“You’ll have to tune in to find out how we got on.”

The keen dad will be visiting his sons' school, Woodlands Primary, in the next month to give a talk about robotics and engineering.

He hopes that they will also be able to set up a Robotics Club at the school to teach the pupils about programming.

He said: "We need to inspire children, particularly girls, to become interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects."