College of Engineering Unit:
Our project is called SumoBot, which is a competition where two robots will compete head-to-head to push their opponent out of a ring. This competition, unlike other robot battles, will focus solely on pushing the other bot. There are no weapons allowed, and no devices that will intentionally damage or impede the opponent’s function. The robot will be completely autonomous, meaning that once the competition begins, we will have no further control of the robot's movements, and will have to rely on its coding to compete successfully. Our robot will be implementing two different types of sensors: ultrasonic and infrared sensors. The ultrasonic sensors send out an ultrasonic wave signal that bounces back to it once it has found an object a certain distance away from it, which is how we will detect the opponent’s robot. The infrared sensors use an infrared beam to detect both objects or, in this case, a change in color, so the robot can stop before it drives out of the ring.
Our robot was constructed to have a square base, a rectangular inner column, and a square top section. The base will contain the wheels and motors, the top section will contain the Arduinos, and the column will contain the batteries and be used for wire management. We will also be installing four panels on each face of the robot, both to protect the inner mechanisms, and to allow for the ultrasonic sensors to accurately detect the space around them. All of this was constructed within the size regulations set by the competition guidelines. The robot base must be no larger than 20 cm in length and 20 cm in width, but height is unlimited. However, there is a weight limit of 3000 grams, so while we do have no height restriction, making the robot too large will be a detriment.
Overall, the purpose of this project is to win the competition at the Expo on June 9th, 2023. While we may not know for certain the outcome, we will be working until the competition begins to ensure our robot has the best chance of doing just that.
Industry Sponsor(s):
| Attachment | Size |
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 Poster | 1.09 MB |