Objective

This contest is about creating a robot that will try to detect the cans placed randomly at any points in the 4-foot diameter circular ring. The challenge is to create a robot whose sole purpose is to push the maximum number of cans out of the ring within a given time of three minutes.

The Ring

The Robo-Cleansweep competition takes place in a level, circular ring 4 feet in diameter with a 1" black border around the rings periphery. The surface of the playing field is white laminate.

The Play

The robot is placed in the ring at the center of the ring. The cans will be placed at some arbitrary points within the circumference of the ring. The main objective of the robot is to locate the cans and try to push as many cans out of the ring. The cans will be of different weights so you must make sure that your robot is capable of pushing out both the light and heavy cans. Remember the more cans you push out the more points you score.

A robot whose body, wheel, or other support stays on the border is not considered "off" until it physically tips or is unable to recover from that position (i.e. no traction, falls off the platform). Judgments made by the ring officials are final. If a robot crosses over the black border while searching for soda can, it is not considered "off" as long as it returns to the ring immediately.

Contestants who are unsure if their strategies are suitable should contact the instructor or the graduate assistants.

The Robots

The robots must fit within a 20 cm by 20 cm square in the starting position, but may expand to any size once the contest begins. The height of the robot is unlimited. The robots must weigh no more than 1.0 Kilogram. Autonomous robots must contain all motivational intelligence within its structure. No cues or instructions may be provided from outside the ring. Robots may be turned on or initialized by hand at the beginning of the match, then must be left to their own devices.