Robots tried yesterday to navigate a makeshift Martian terrain as part of the 2005 Fundamentals of Engineering for Honors Robot Competiton.
Robots were built by first-year honors engineering students as part of Engineering H193.
A total of 64 teams, each made up of 3-4 students, took part in the competion in St. John Arena.
Robots were required to leave a central base, pick up an object representing a fuel cell and drop off a replacement, pick up some marbles representing Martian rocks and return to the base to recharge.
Four teams competed simultaneously, with one winner moving on to the next round. There were a total of three rounds.
David Vuckovich, an undecided engineering student, was part of the team The People’s Republic of Chipotle. His robot lost because of navigational problems.
“It was supposed to go straight, then turn – it didn’t do either very well,” Vuckovich said.
The robots were guided by a series of sensors, he said. These sensors detected things such as light, color, infrared, or contact with a wall or other object.
Vuckovich said he and his team had spent most of the last three days fine-tuning the robot.
Less than ten percent of the final grade in the class is based on the results of the competition, but Vuckovich said it was the most stressful part.
Vuckovich said he thought that team Cyclops had a good chance of winning the competition, and he was right.
Cyclops – made up of Mark Bennon, Michael Cengia, Tyler Pack, and Ben Szpak – beat Fita Electrica, Goodfellas, and Team Earth for the championship.
Although members of Cyclops were optimistic about their chances going into the competition, some technical problems had them worried.
“Last night the robot just broke,” Pack said.
The team spent most of last night in a laboratory in Hitchcock Hall trying to fix a multitude of problems. Pack said. The robot was running well prior to these problems, so once they were fixed the team thought they were going to perform well, Szpak said.
The robot did not win any one of the three preliminary rounds held prior to the competion, Cengia said. As a result, the team was pleased with the win.
“I’m very, very happy, very satisfied,” Bennon said.
Each member of the team won a $250 scholarship and bonus points in their class, Bennon said. While the competition was stressful, all the teammates agreed it was fun.
Nate Hodge said he thought the competion served a good purpose. The competition gave the students some real world experience, said Hodge, a second-year graduate student in electrical and computer engineering.
“I think the biggest part of what they’re learning is how to do a huge project,” Hodge said.
