Introduction
The Robot Sumo Competition is an open competition for schools and
undergraduates to compete at a robotic challenge. This challenge is to develop a
robot that can push its robotic opponent out of a circle. The robot is required to be
autonomous (i.e. not remote controlled). The competitors are free to develop their
robot as they seem fit within the rules of the competition.
The department of Computing and Communication Technologies will sponsor up to 5
undergraduate teams provided they can find a member of staff from CCT to support
their design.
Schools can also apply to be sponsored provided a member of the school’s teaching
staff will oversee the project. Up to three school teams are eligible for an award.
Awards will be up to £100.00 for each team, depending on requirements.
Rules and Regulations
1.
The decision of the jury is final in all cases, including disputes resolution
and suitability of the robot.
2.
The jury can decide to disqualify a robot if it is considered to be unsafe or
a hazard in any form.
3.
Robot Dimensions and Properties
3.1. Maximal weight is 1500 grams.
3.2. Maximal width is 25 cm, maximal length is 25 cm, unlimited height.
This includes the length of arms, wheels and other extruding parts.
3.3. Any type of sensor can be used with the exception of laser based
sensors.
3.4. No weapons of any kind are allowed, nothing that can cause
damage to the opponent or the audience.
3.5. The robot has to be autonomous, no remote control.
3.6. The robot should solve the various tasks, such as finding the
opponent, staying within the boundaries, and controlling movement
using sensor input, motor output and appropriate artificial
intelligence. This need not be advanced.
4.
The Match Rules
4.1. A match is fought between two robots, one from each of two
competing teams. One member of the team may approach the ring,
the others must watch with the audience.
4.2. The robots are placed on the Sumo Ring (Dohyo) at the starting lines
(Shikiri).
4.3. The ring will be circular with a diameter of 154 cm, it will be painted
matt black with a 5 cm border in white reflective paint at the edge. It
will be 3cm high. The starting lines will be painted brown (or similar,
for IR light absorption).
4.4. Once the robots are in place, the team member can test the power to
the robot and proper function, it must then be switched off again. At
the signal from the jury, the robots will be switched on by the team
member. At this point, the robots must count down 5 seconds, which
they must indicate in some manner (e.g. using leds or a numerical
display). During this time, they may not move from their place, but
they can use their sensors to initialize and plan their attack. Once the
countdown is complete, they can begin.
4.5. During the countdown, the team member can observe the robot and
signal a halt to the jury if the robot does not seem to function as
intended. The jury can also halt the match if the robot does not
perform the countdown appropriately. If halted, the team has 3 mins
to restart the robot. If the robot that aborted the match cannot
resume or takes longer than 3 mins to resume, it will forfeit the
match. It will also forfeit if the match is halted more than once.
4.6. The match will last 3 mins, during which the robots should attempt to
push the opponent out of the ring. A robot is deemed to be out of
bounds if any part of its body touches the floor outside the ring.
5.
Scoring system:
5.1. There will be several match rounds in which all robots will compete
against each other.
5.2. The match order will be assigned by lottery.
5.3. Each robot will compete at least 3 times, depending on the number
of competitors.
5.4. A win will score 3 points, a draw 1 point and a loss 0 points.
5.5. Once all robots have competed against each other, the top 4 robots
will go through to the semi-final. The order of competition in the
semi-final is by lottery.
5.6. The two winners of the semi-finals will compete in the final.
5.7. The final will last until a winner is found, or at most 9 mins. If there is
no clear winner after 9 minutes, the jury will select the winner based
on performance in the whole competition.