Society of Robots - Robot Forum

General Misc => Misc => Topic started by: Ro-Bot-X on January 23, 2011, 08:27:32 AM

Title: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Ro-Bot-X on January 23, 2011, 08:27:32 AM
Expanding the idea on this thread (http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=12950.0), I am proposing this challenge for all SoR members:

Build a robot that can autonomously navigate a maze of sorts to find a small teddy bear and bring it to the start point. Show us the video of it in action and we will vote for the best/fastest/nicest robot!

Challenge ends on April 22nd 2011! (my b-day).

The maze will have a surface of 4x4' (1.22x1.22 m), can be improvised from anything, and it has to have hallways 12" wide (30 cm) for the robot to pass through. The Start square is marked by black electrical tape, 12x12" size. You can make your own layout, but keep in mind that a simple one will give you less "points".

The robot must be autonomous and smaller than 12x12" and can't be high enough to look over the walls. Wheeled or legged robots are welcomed. Even a quad copter can be used if it does not go over the walls and is autonomous.

The teddy bear should have a collar made with the soft side of the velcro tape, use the hard side on the robot to attach to the bear. Other means of grabbing (arm, gripper, etc.) will give you extra "points".

Video (posted here) and robot page (in the member tutorials or on your site) are mandatory. I will create a poll after the end date of the challenge and the voting will take one week.

Prize: I am donating a uBotino V2 kit (http://robotxdesigns.ca/2010/11/08/the-ubotino-v2-kit/) plus a USB-serial cable (http://robotxdesigns.ca/2011/01/17/usb-serial-cable-5v/) to the winner!
Any other sponsors please contact me to add you here!
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Joker94 on January 24, 2011, 09:32:36 PM
I think this challenge is a good ideas as it can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be.
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Ro-Bot-X on January 25, 2011, 07:11:37 AM
Sure it is! You can build your robot any way you want. Use a flame thrower if you dare! But bring the teddy bear back to the starting point to win! The idea is to demonstrate the search for an object (a person in real life) and rescue it. A $50 robot with a scanning sensor is all you need to participate!
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: TrickyNekro on January 26, 2011, 04:22:55 PM
Ok I'm in, provided you don't leave the maze building to me...

Post some maze layout.... Hard walls or lines.... etc etc etc...

Mister John... if you don't mind... that would be a good topic to pin, once things get serious...
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: blackbeard on January 26, 2011, 04:28:52 PM
as long as i'm not too poor i'm in
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Kelpy on January 27, 2011, 06:58:30 AM
Well, I've had a few thoughts, but I'm still very much a newbie :)
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Hawaii00000 on January 27, 2011, 11:07:32 PM
Sounds like a cool challenge. Think I'm in.
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Metal Slug 2 on January 28, 2011, 05:15:25 PM
Ahh Perfect project for my to work on in Comp. Eng. next semester (which starts next week)!  Count me in too =D. Thanks!
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Hawaii00000 on January 28, 2011, 07:31:53 PM
Anyone have and idea how they're going to have the robot identify the teddy?

Ultrasonic/IR won't see the difference between a teddy and a wall, and computer vision is not an option for most of us. Maybe we could have black tape around it.
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Metal Slug 2 on January 28, 2011, 07:52:07 PM
Yes. ;)
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Hawaii00000 on January 28, 2011, 07:59:16 PM
Yes. ;)
You're a smart one.  :P
Maybe I should be thinking harder.
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Ro-Bot-X on January 28, 2011, 10:04:25 PM
Quote
Anyone have and idea how they're going to have the robot identify the teddy?

I did not specify this in the rules, so you can do it any way you like, using just reflecting IR sensors, distance sensors, thermal, vision, x-rays, anything is possible. More than that, I left it up to you to build your maze layout, you can build a hard one or a simple one, but not a line maze (needs walls at least 12 inch apart). And you can play with the colors...
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Kelpy on January 29, 2011, 06:41:46 AM
What about sound recognition?

Heeellpp.......
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Ro-Bot-X on April 09, 2011, 05:42:13 PM
The deadline for this challenge is getting closer, anyone has an entry?

Kelpy, you mean find the Teddy by using sound recognition? How do you propose to do that? According to the original competition, the Teddy does not have any electronic device attached to it, just a piece of soft velcro, so the robot can use the hard velcro to attach to it and drag it to the exit. But you can use your ERP for this challenge!
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Metal Slug 2 on April 09, 2011, 05:49:56 PM
I don't think I will have time to do this competition anymore =(.
The programming team I am on qualified for the ECOO regional programming competition, so were studying for that day and night.
Cryptarithms anyone?  :P
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Soeren on April 10, 2011, 11:00:26 AM
Hi,

The deadline for this challenge is getting closer, anyone has an entry?
Perhaps you should have set up some dates along the way for presentation and whatever, to keep people to it - just some sub goals to confirm interest and keep you posted on progress. Perhaps a lesson learned for future contests.

Personally, I cannot imagine much of a maze in a 4 by 4 field structure, so while it's easy making it easy, it's really hard making it hard *doh*.


Kelpy, you mean find the Teddy by using sound recognition? How do you propose to do that?
I think he was just joking (I know I had a good laugh).
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Joker94 on April 11, 2011, 01:19:08 AM
Got my electronics worked out and my mechanical aspects worked out the only thing that i am not sure about is my programming ability.

But given I have holidays coming up hopefully it will not be an issue and I will have plenty of time to program.

Still unsure of my maze configuration as of yet ???
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: myloxian on April 11, 2011, 02:29:01 AM
i know i'm not making your deadline since i'm off on a tangent setting up all the tools to be a better builder, but i sure like the challenge. keep up the good work inspiring people to think.

this site has given me a new direction in my life.

i'm working hard to meet and beat the NEXT challenge as well as offer some new ones.

Thanks again Society of Robots.

Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Metal Slug 2 on April 16, 2011, 10:41:49 PM
Hi Everyone,

Just wondering, how many people are still planning to participate in this competition?
I will still try and get something working by the 22nd =P.
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Joker94 on April 22, 2011, 12:36:55 AM
Unfortunately I was not able to make the dead line. I got my robot chassis built but I was having to make numerous changes to improve my robots performance. and with new mechanical changes come more code that needs to be changed, I came quite close to getting it done.

I would post some pictures but yet again the robot is in pieces while make further improvements :P
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Metal Slug 2 on April 22, 2011, 04:34:49 AM
Nor will I be able to make the deadline either =(.  Well...maybe, if the deadline is 11:59 pm tonight.
Pulled an all-nighter trying to develop a working robot (as you can probably tell by the time of this post)...hmmm, we'll see...

Oh BTW, Happy Birthday Ro-Bot-X!  ;D ;D ;D :) :) ;) :D ;D
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Joker94 on April 22, 2011, 04:38:29 AM
I hope there is another contest set as I really enjoy building a robot to accomplish a specific task.

Next time I will have to better manage school and robotics ;) school being the key word :P
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Metal Slug 2 on April 22, 2011, 05:01:27 AM
I hope there is another contest set as I really enjoy building a robot to accomplish a specific task.

Next time I will have to better manage school and robotics ;) school being the key word :P

Agreed. :D
If only there were more than 24 hours in a day...and/or we didn't have to sleep   :P
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Ro-Bot-X on April 22, 2011, 05:38:21 AM
Thanks for the wishes guys and for your efforts to enter the challenge. I want to extend the deadline, let me know if one week is enough for you (to make it official), as this weekend is Easter, you probably don't want to spend it to work on the robots like I do...   ::)

Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Joker94 on April 22, 2011, 06:01:49 AM
An extension would be fantastic as it is currently school holidays here in Australia so that means more time to work on robotics. A week is a good extension time I think.

Now it will come down to my ability to code the robot to get it to do what I need it to do. I fore see a lot of CAD and programming in the coming days :P
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Ro-Bot-X on April 22, 2011, 07:18:33 AM
OK, the challenge official end date is April 30th, 2011, midnight (your local time)! Build your robots gentlemen!
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Metal Slug 2 on April 22, 2011, 03:58:31 PM
An extension would be fantastic as it is currently school holidays here in Australia so that means more time to work on robotics. A week is a good extension time I think.

Now it will come down to my ability to code the robot to get it to do what I need it to do. I fore see a lot of CAD and programming in the coming days :P
Same here.  Ive been awaiting this long weekend for more time to build robots =D

OK, the challenge official end date is April 30th, 2011, midnight (your local time)! Build your robots gentlemen!
Thanks! =)
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Ro-Bot-X on May 01, 2011, 12:59:58 PM
Still no robots?
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Metal Slug 2 on May 01, 2011, 01:12:09 PM
 :( Didn't really have time during the week to work on it, except for some of the programming which I did during my Earth and Space class instead of the usual stumble-upon-ing...

edit: oh, but the construction of the robot is about 95% complete at least.
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Ro-Bot-X on May 01, 2011, 01:37:20 PM
Ok, post it when ready!
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Joker94 on May 02, 2011, 03:39:19 AM
Will post it as soon as I can get around to do some work on it!

Just got asked to be one of the solar car drivers and builders for the up and coming world solar challenge, I have spent a lot of my time on working on the car :P

Hopefully will get around to the robot soon! If I cant get it posted soon for the competition I will make an effort to post it any way to show what I have done and the way that I have gone about doing what I have done.
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Metal Slug 2 on May 02, 2011, 07:31:48 AM
Just got asked to be one of the solar car drivers and builders for the up and coming world solar challenge, I have spent a lot of my time on working on the car :P

 :) That is incredible! If I may ask, how did you come across this opportunity?  This sounds really fun!
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Joker94 on May 02, 2011, 11:13:20 PM
Well I due to my interests in mechanical and electrical engineering an such, in 2009 i was signed up to do statistics and logistics but i was then moved to navigator and car maintenance due to the need for navigators.

There fore this year when I found out there was going to be another car race I asked how can I get involved an I will hopefully get to drive this year, along with the other mechanical and electrical work that is yet to be done.

By the way, it was through Energy education Australians combined secondary schools team. below is this year car in its original un restored state.

http://www.energy.edu.au/EEA_SolarCar-1.html# (http://www.energy.edu.au/EEA_SolarCar-1.html#)

So this is the reason for lack of robot progress in recent times :D
Title: Re: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue!
Post by: Metal Slug 2 on May 03, 2011, 06:10:34 AM
Wow, that is incredible! Thanks!
I'll have to look into opportunities like this to participate in as well =)