Exposure to different competitions around the world not only enables us to explore our potential but also expands our horizon of knowledge. I have had many opportunities to test my passion in robotics through various intra- and interschool robotics competitions. There are several competitions conducted globally at multiple levels, as listed below.
I) BEGINNER LEVEL:
1) WORLD ROBOT OLYMPIAD:
2) THE FIRST LEGO LEAGUE CHALLENGE: It is an international competition held globally and is organised by FIRST for elementary and middle school students aged 9-14 years.
The students work as teams and are provided with a KIT called "Challenge set" which includes LEGO electronic and mechanical components and instructions for building a robot. The robot has two and a half minutes to complete the mission called " Robot game." Officially registered teams can also be nominated for the Global Innovation Award. Official programming languages include Scratch-based block coding and Python.
3) BOTBALL: It is an educational Robotics program that focuses on engaging middle and high school students in team-oriented robotics competitions.
It is known for the sophistication and complexity of its robotics competition. The robots are autonomous and are not directed by any remote control. Students program the robots to recognize the challenges and attempt the objectives of the competition. The official languages used are C++, Java, and Python.
II) INTERMEDIATE LEVEL :
1) VEX ROBOTICS COMPETITIONS: It is a popular and the most extensive robotics program, ranging from elementary school level through university. It is managed by the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation. ( RECF) . The two leagues designed for middle and high school students are :
a) VEX V5 ROBOTICS COMPETITION: It is a metal-based robotic platform. The robot is controlled by the VEX V5 brain. Scratch-based block coding is the official programming language.
b) VEX IQ ROBOTICS COMPETITION: It is designed for elementary and middle school students. The exciting challenges enhance their STEM skills through hands-on, student-centered learning. Their current competition, Mix and Match, is a 2-robot game played in a 6ft * 8ft rectangular field, with each robot competing for 1 minute. The programming language used is VEX code IQ, which offers both block-based coding and text-based coding options.
2) FIRST TECH CHALLENGE: It is a competition for students in grades 7-12. They work in teams to design, build, and program a robot to compete in an alliance format against other teams. The robot kit is Android-based. It is programmed using the Block programming interface and Java. The team has to develop a strategy and build robots based on innovative engineering principles with the help of their mentors. Teams design and build robots using a reusable kit of parts and compete with a standard set of game rules to play an exciting field game and compete in the specific season challenge.
3) ROBOCUP JUNIOR: One of the most prestigious competitions in robotics and artificial Intelligence. It is an educational Robotics program and competition for middle and high school students.
Three Main Leagues :
a) Soccer: Autonomous robots compete in a dynamic soccer-like environment.
c) On Stage: Robots are choreographed with music and costumes, showcasing creativity and performance.
Official languages used are C++ and Python.
III) ADVANCED LEVEL :
1) THE FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION: One of the most prestigious robotics competitions for International high school students. Every year, teams comprising high school students, along with their mentors and coaches, build robots. These robots complete game-specific tasks, such as scoring balls into goals, hanging on bars, placing objects in predetermined locations, and balancing robots on various field elements. Each team is given a standard set of parts required to build robots and is allowed to purchase additional specialized components.
The culture followed by FIRST is "Coopertition," which emphasizes that teams can compete and cooperate at the same time. FIRST LEGO LEAGUE is a competition for elementary and middle school students. FIRST TECH CHALLENGE is a competition for high school students.
The winning teams from each of these tournaments join the Global competition at the FIRST Championship.
2) BEST ROBOTIC COMPETITION: BEST ( Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology) is a six-week robotics competition in the US held each fall.
It is held for middle and high school students. This has an interesting thought behind its origin. Way back in 1993, when two Texas Instruments engineers, Ted and Steve, along with a group of high school students, were watching a video of freshmen building a robot at MIT, the students said to them, "Why don't we do this?" Thus, BEST was born. The first competition was held in 1993. Several games were conducted, such as Incision Decision, Off the Grid, BUGS, Crossfire, and 3D printing.
3) DARPA ROBOTICS CHALLENGE: It is one of the most interesting and challenging robotics competitions. It was funded by the U.S Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
It aimed to develop semiautonomous ground robots that could perform complex tasks in dangerous, degraded human-engineered environments. The challenge focuses on disaster or emergency response scenarios. The initial task requirements are :
a) Drive a utility vehicle at the site.
b) Travel dismounted across rubble.
c) Remove debris blocking an entryway.
d) Open a door and enter a building
e) Climb an industrial ladder
f) Use a tool to break through a concrete panel.
g) Locate and close a valve near a leaking pipe.
h) Connect a fire hose to a pipe and turn on a valve.
The winners will be eligible for funding.
The programming languages are C++, Java , Python, and MATLAB.
MATLAB is used for simulation and DATA analysis.
So what are you waiting for !!!! Grab the opportunity and watch out for these competitions and unleash your inner potential .
See you all in the next blog... until then , stay curious and keep Roboting!!!
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