Photo report of robotics competitions in Murmansk

    Last Saturday, an interesting event took place at the Murmansk Polytechnic Lyceum - the real “Battle of Robots”. They wrote about a similar event in St. Petersburg on Habré , but the broadcast ended, so I decided to publish a photo report from a similar event.

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    This time, the regulation did not provide for real battles, that is, fights of robots. This tournament was more sports, especially since it was qualifying for international competitions.

    Briefly about the robots themselves. Robots are made from the children's designer Lego Mindstorms, but this is not the same Lego toy that many people know about from childhood. This series is a truly powerful tool for creativity and serious research. The designer serves only as building material, and a set of sensors, electric motors, gears, shafts, pulleys, a battery and a control unit are attached to it. Everything fits in a huge box.

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    A laptop is required here, because the behavior of the robot is programmed. In the framework of the competition, not a radio-controlled toy, but an autonomous machine, which itself operates in accordance with the inherent algorithm of behavior. What, in fact, is all the interest. It is worth recalling that everything is done by children, starting from 10 years old!

    According to the regulations, at the start of the competition everything should be taken apart. About three hours is given to assemble a robot of its own design and write a program of behavior for it.

    Then you can and should test it in free mode in order to identify all the glitches and force you to complete tasks.

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    The most massive task, it is the simplest, is called "Kegelring." The task of the robot is very simple - you need to get all the pins out of the circle, old from the center, and do it as quickly as possible. Let me remind you that you cannot touch and control the robot during the attempt.

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    Girls are also fond of robotics and even now, they give interviews to the local TV channel.

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    For programming, you can use a simple visual editor in which the algorithm is presented in the form of custom blocks.

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    Robots are subject to stringent requirements - by configuration, by parts used and by size. The design time-out timer rings and all robots are sent to quarantine for inspection by judges. Each robot is carefully inspected, carefully checked so that it fits into the 20 by 20 cm frame, according to the rules.

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    Now nothing can be changed or adjusted in them until the end of the first attempt.

    The design of the robot correlates with the chosen tactics of behavior. This robot, similar to the Belarus tractor, has an oblique blade, because according to the algorithm it moves from the center of the circle in a spinning spiral and pushes pins out.

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    This one, in my opinion, looks like a harvester. With a large straight blade, he pushes the cans one at a time.

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    Sensory organs are clearly visible. Orange “eyes” are ultrasonic distance sensors. The light sensor looks down, which “catches” the black border of the ring and stops the robot. If this does not happen, then the robot as a suicide falls from the table.

    The ring is ready. The first attempt has begun! The judge marks the time, because the fastest wins.

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    The first attempt went with varying success - only one robot pushed all the pins. Kegelring robots are returned to quarantine in anticipation of improvements and a second attempt, and at the next table robots will perform with more serious tasks in which refereeing is conducted according to international rules.

    Task "Van Gogh". The robot must take 4 colored cubes in 2 minutes and put them on 4 poles of the corresponding color. The cubes are arranged randomly and the robot must determine the color of each cube and carry it to the corresponding pole.

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    The mission "Mendeleev." The robot must exit from the start, cross the bridge (+20 points), overcome the hill (+20 points), take the red or blue cylinder (you cannot take the white cylinder - fine) and take it to the blue and red fields, respectively. So you need to transfer all 4 randomly located cylinders in 2 minutes.

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    The third task for the younger age group. Blue and red cells are randomly located on the field. The robot must, moving across the field, throw 1 ball on the blue field, 2 on the red field, and not one on the white. And reach the finish in 2 minutes.

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    Recent improvements and the battle. More precisely, in “quarantine” and to verify compliance with technical regulations.

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    Then the robot starts to perform. The robot is trying to put the cube on the color, it does not fall slightly.

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    Hunting for cylinders is also not very successful - robots fall from the bridge, and if they get to the cylinders, they are “stupid” with flowers or cannot grab it mechanically normally.

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    Robots go to the start, which must correctly scatter the balls in the colored fields.

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    In the interval between attempts, two girls present a robot student who can recognize numbers on cards, solve examples, speak out loud an answer and even express emotions on the “face” depending on the results.

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    This is followed by a break and lunch in the school cafeteria. Upon return, the organizers give a countdown for the completion of robots before the second attempt. Time is worth its weight in gold, so after 15 seconds the quarantine is empty.

    These guys are not using a visual editor, but the Bricx development environment. The syntax of a language is like the C language, so it's all grown-up.

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    They say it’s more convenient - it compiles faster and easier to make changes to the parameters.

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    And here are the prizes that await their owners.

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    Recent opportunities to fix something.

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    Again quarantine, checking technical regulations, drawing lots - all honestly. And now, the robots are back in the distance.

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    In Kegelring, the competition is much tougher, because there the passions are simply written on the faces.

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    The voltage reaches its maximum, so that even one bank hangs on an edge (!!!) right on the circle line, creating a difficult refereeing situation. Since it does not concern the internal space of the field, it is considered set off.

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    The second attempt is over! Judges are removed to count points.

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    Well, then comes the awarding ceremony. It is very nice to look at smart and funny children's faces, a solid positive!

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    Outside of the competition, I was shown how robots are controlled using an application on a smartphone via Bluetooth. Also, robots can exchange information among themselves.

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    In general, the event turned out to be very eventful and interesting. It is very positive and fun and pleasant that the children are enthusiastically engaged in such a right thing. And doubly pleased that this is not only in the capitals, but also in the provincial Murmansk.

    Thanks to the MPL for the event and the invitation, and to the Habralyudam for their attention!

    update: There is no video yet, but there are stories from local television companies where robots are visible.
    One: on Youtube
    Two: on Youtube

    update2: Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1r1F-hBffU


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