Author Topic: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue! (Read 3301 times)

Ro-Bot-X · « **on:** January 23, 2011, 08:27:32 AM »

Expanding the idea on this thread, 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 plus a USB-serial cable to the winner!
Any other sponsors please contact me to add you here!

Joker94 · « **Reply #1 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.

Ro-Bot-X · « **Reply #2 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!

TrickyNekro · « **Reply #3 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...

blackbeard · « **Reply #4 on:** January 26, 2011, 04:28:52 PM »

as long as i'm not too poor i'm in

Kelpy · « **Reply #5 on:** January 27, 2011, 06:58:30 AM »

Well, I've had a few thoughts, but I'm still very much a newbie

Hawaii00000 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 27, 2011, 11:07:32 PM »

Sounds like a cool challenge. Think I'm in.

Metal Slug 2 · « **Reply #7 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!

Hawaii00000 · « **Reply #8 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.

Metal Slug 2 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 28, 2011, 07:52:07 PM »

Yes.

Hawaii00000 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 28, 2011, 07:59:16 PM »

Quote from: Metal Slug 2 on January 28, 2011, 07:52:07 PM

Yes.

You're a smart one.

Maybe I should be thinking harder.

Ro-Bot-X · « **Reply #11 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...

Kelpy · « **Reply #12 on:** January 29, 2011, 06:41:46 AM »

What about sound recognition?

Heeellpp.......

Ro-Bot-X · « **Reply #13 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!

Metal Slug 2 · « **Reply #14 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?

Soeren · « **Reply #15 on:** April 10, 2011, 11:00:26 AM »

Hi,

Quote from: Ro-Bot-X on April 09, 2011, 05:42:13 PM

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*.

Quote from: Ro-Bot-X on April 09, 2011, 05:42:13 PM

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).

Joker94 · « **Reply #16 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

myloxian · « **Reply #17 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.

Metal Slug 2 · « **Reply #18 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.

Joker94 · « **Reply #19 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

Metal Slug 2 · « **Reply #20 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!

Joker94 · « **Reply #21 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

Metal Slug 2 · « **Reply #22 on:** April 22, 2011, 05:01:27 AM »

Quote from: 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

Agreed.

If only there were more than 24 hours in a day...and/or we didn't have to sleep

Ro-Bot-X · « **Reply #23 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...

Joker94 · « **Reply #24 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

Ro-Bot-X · « **Reply #25 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!

Metal Slug 2 · « **Reply #26 on:** April 22, 2011, 03:58:31 PM »

Quote from: 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

Same here. Ive been awaiting this long weekend for more time to build robots =D

Quote from: 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!

Thanks! =)

Ro-Bot-X · « **Reply #27 on:** May 01, 2011, 12:59:58 PM »

Still no robots?

Metal Slug 2 · « **Reply #28 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.

Ro-Bot-X · « **Reply #29 on:** May 01, 2011, 01:37:20 PM »

Ok, post it when ready!

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Author Topic: SoR challenge: Search and Rescue! (Read 3301 times)

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