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RoboRugby*09

McLovin wins!

After may weeks of hard work, the teams of first-year Engineering and Computer Science students finally got to see their robots compete on 20 April.  21 robots competed in 41 matches to decide the overall winner.

The winning team:  Darragh O'Brien, Conor Moloney and James Kilkenny Roddy, with Michael O'Connor of Siemens.

Although defeated in their first match, the determined McLovin team went on to win nine matches convincingly, to take first prize in RoboRugby*09.  They had started ranked only 10th out of 21 teams, but their ingenious arms and simple strategy proved effective in the main competition, clearing all the balls scored against them, and often scoring some balls in their favour also.

Second place went to Three Guys one Robot, created by Gareth  Allen, Tiarnan Coffey and Matthew MacFarlane.  This was another clever design with a combined plate and wall to remove the balls scored against them and prevent any further balls being scored.  This proved very successful, and the robot won its first five matches before finally being defeated twice by McLovin.

The picture shows the close result of the last match, with both robots having successfully cleared their own scoring zones, leaving the score at 0 - 0.  The robots remained locked in combat until the end of the match.  However, McLovin (with the pirate sail) had moved the red ball onto its scoring side of the table, and this gave it victory under the tie-break rules.

Ciaran Hurney, John Murphy and Barry O'Neill took third place with their robot, Spilled Milk.  This robot actually beat McLovin in its first match, and went on to win two more matches before being defeated by Three Guys and McLovin.

In fourth place was Morpheus, created by David Chaney, Tomas Collins and Damien Yourell.  Their robot was defeated in its first match, but fought back, winning 5 matches before being defeated by McLovin.

The Darius Innovation award went to Botball, an ingenious double-ended robot, designed by Conor Casey, Stephen Killian and John O'Connor.

The Best-Looking Robot was chosen as Two Men and a Little Skivvy, well designed and decorated by April Colley, Sean Draper and Ruari McMahon.

Full competition results are available here.

What is RoboRugby?

RoboRugby is a game where small autonomous robots try to score points by moving balls into the scoring areas at each end of the playing table.  A match involves 2 robots and many balls of different colour and value.  Each match lasts for 60 seconds, and the position of the balls at the end of the match determines the score.

The robots are designed and built by first-year students, mostly Engineering students, working in small teams.  Each robot must be built from a standard kit of parts.  The robots are controlled by an on-board computer, programmed in advance of the competition.  There is no remote control - the team cannot intervene during a match.  The robots must rely on their programming and information from sensors to navigate around the table, find balls and move them to the scoring areas. 

The teams initially spent 4 weeks learning how to use various sensors and actuators, and developing the programming skills and algorithms needed to control an autonomous robot.  During this time, they also devised strategies for the game of RoboRugby, and selected a likely winner.

With their skills perfected and a winning strategy chosen, each team proceeded to design and build a unique robot, optimised for their chosen strategy.  They programmed their robot's computer to carry out this strategy, trying to anticipate all the possibilities and devise algorithms to deal with them.

Why RoboRugby?

Design and problem-solving are an important part of an Engineering education and there is no substitute for learning by doing.  The RoboRugby design exercise provides an interesting and enjoyable problem, with plenty of scope for innovation and creative thinking.  The competition and prizes provide an extra incentive, thanks to generous sponsorship from Siemens Ireland. 

RoboRugby forms the basis of a module: EEEN 10020 - Robotics Design Project.  It is available as an elective module under the UCD Horizons system, to students who have taken an introductory module in Electronic and Electrical Engineering.

News:

Competition video available.

Competition results.

Ranking Round results and impounding reminder...

New prize for "Best-Looking Robot"

Extra lab time available...

Video of demonstration matches available.

RoboRugby competition rules published.

Pictures below courtesy of Pierre Jolivet, UCD

Sponsor
For more than 155 years, the Siemens name has been synonymous with cutting-edge technologies.  Siemens' divisions are world leaders in automation and control, information and communications, lighting, medical, power and transportation.  Siemens and its subsidiaries employ 430,000 people in 192 countries.
University College Dublin
UCD is a research-intensive university where we strive to advance knowledge through cutting-edge research and to communicate knowledge through excellence in teaching.  Through innovative links in Ireland and abroad, UCD has exciting educational and research partnerships and collaborations with other academic, industrial and not-for-profit organisations.  UCD's staff and students influence the fabric of Ireland's cultural, social and economic development through a range of extramural activities.
School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering
The UCD School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering at UCD has 35 academic staff, 20 support staff, over 100 postgraduate students and many visiting researchers.  The School provides courses for over 400 undergraduate students, and is active in research in a wide range of areas, including Digital Signal and Image Processing, Non-linear Circuits and Systems, Optoelectronics, RF and Microwave Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Energy, Magnetics and Machines, Materials, Manufacturing and Energy Conversion.
Origins
RoboRugby was created by lecturers Dr. Scott Rickard, Brian Mulkeen and Dr. Paul Curran; students Maurice Fallon, Liza Kierans, John Healy, Vincent Grace and Peadar Grant; and technicians Gerry Hughes, Frank Hoye, Declan Lehane, Liam Carroll, and Luke Dalton.  RoboRugby was inspired by MIT's 6.270 Competition and was created with support from a 2004 UCD President's Teaching Award and the (then) Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at UCD.

 

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