This robotics design project is starting
again. In the next few weeks, we expect to have 21 teams of
first-year
Engineering students working on designing, building and programming
their own autonomous robots. Over the 12 weeks of the
project, we hope to see novices become experts as the participants
develop their creative thinking and design skills, while working on an
interesting and challenging problem.
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.
(If your browser settings block the video
above, you can watch it on YouTube instead.)
The robots are designed and built by
students, mostly first-year 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 on information from sensors to navigate around the
table, find balls and move them to the scoring areas.
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.
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.
School of Electrical, Electronic and
Communications Engineering
The UCD School of Electrical, Electronic
and Communications Engineering at UCD has 16 academic staff, 8 support
staff, over 50 postgraduate students and many visiting
researchers. The School provides taught modules for students
at Bachelor and Master level, and is active in research in a wide range
of areas, including Communications, Signal Processing,
Non-linear Circuits and Systems, Optical Engineering, RF and Microwave
Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Energy,
Magnetics and Machines.
Origins
RoboRugby
was created by lecturers Scott Rickard, Brian Mulkeen and Paul Curran
with support from a 2004 UCD President's Teaching Award and the (then)
Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at UCD.
We
have had great support from technicians Frank Hoye, Declan Lehane, Liam
Carroll, Luke Dalton and the late Gerry Hughes (RIP).
Project students Maurice Fallon, Liza Kierans, John Healy,
Vincent Grace and Peadar Grant also helped in the development of the
module, and many teaching assistants help to deliver it each
year. RoboRugby was inspired by the 6.270 robotics
competition at
MIT.
