Autonomous robots designed by UBC engineering students will go head to head in a “whac-a-mole” competition for top grades and bragging rights at the 13th Annual UBC Engineering Physics Robot Competition.
Date/Time: 10 a.m. – noon, Thursday, August 8, 2013
Location: Rm 200, Hennings Bldg, 6224 Agricultural Rd, UBC Vancouver
Visuals: Autonomous robots picking up small balls, traveling around on a 4-foot x 8-foot surface, locating and knocking down targets in 90-second rounds.
NB: Set up begins at 9:30 a.m., space will be reserved for TV cameras. Students and instructor will be available for interviews.
Preview: http://projectlab.engphys.ubc.ca/enph253/competition-2013/
Fifteen teams of UBC Engineering Physics students are set to compete in a “Robot Whac-A-Mole” – the 13th Annual UBC Engineering Physics Robot Competition.
Student teams must learn and use industry tools – 3D printing, laser cutting and waterjet cutting (click hyperlinks to see video of techniques) – and build robots that can autonomously pick up small balls scattered on a playing surface, identify target “moles” and flip the balls over targets while another robot is trying to flip them back in competitive 90-second rounds.
Since 2001, more than 600 UBC Engineering Physics students have taken this hands-on prototyping course as part of their academic program. The challenge changes from year to year, with previous competitions including Rescue-bots, Hockey-bots, Doctor-bots, Build-bots, Police-Bots, and a host of other entertaining challenges. This 12-week crash-course in prototyping gives students the opportunity to design every aspect of their robot designs.