Walking around the pits behind the Robot Wars arena, I’m realising an ambition held since childhood. As an eight-year-old, I had fastidiously researched what was required to build my own; from truck windscreen wiper motors, lawnmower parts and heavy-duty battery packs. But it soon became apparent that getting hold of the hardware required was going to be a challenge; anything more ambitious than slightly modifying a Scalextric car was out of reach without expert guidance.

Now I’m standing by inventors tinkering away at their workbenches, as the battle-hungry bots return to UK television for the first time in over a decade. In the time the programme has been off-air, advances in robotics have propelled the field forward. When the opportunity to see the new robots in action came along, I wanted to see how much has changed and whether it has become any easier for a young inventor to build their robot. So I headed to the giant warehouse on the outskirts of Glasgow where the new series was being filmed.

The pits are a hive of activity. In between fights, competitors might only have a few minutes to patch up their robots. They work quickly and efficiently to repair damage and customise their bots in preparation for facing their next opponent. Now, most robots in the competition are modular in some way, allowing changes of weapon or armour more suited to their next foe.

With limited time, fellow competitors offer advice and assistance. In the arena they might be mortal enemies, but here they work together.