Servo - September 2007

RoboGames 2007

games.net/2007.php.

Humanoid and Robo-One/Android bots took part in many different competitions. Some of these bots were fully autonomous while others were under radio control. An example of an autonomous challenge was the “Humanoid Obstacle run” where a walking robot has to navigate its way through a number of obstacles (Figure 7). This appeared to be a pretty tough task with most having great difficulty in completing it.

The bots in the “Penalty Kick” (Figure 8) and “Kung Fu” are partially radio controlled and were much more agile. The mechanicals of these type of

robots is Bot Hockey ( www.bothock ey.com). In this sport, two teams of three radio controlled bots (Figure 10) battle it out to score goals in a simple arena (Figure 11). The games end up very much like their NHL counterparts with a lot of pushing and shoving and an occasional violent slamming of the opponents into the walls. The games quickly drew crowds, who soon got caught up in the fast paced action.

Former “Battlebots” heavyweight Champion, Carlo Bertocchini, demonstrated a couple of his new “RoBoxers” ( www.roboxers.com). These are 3/4 life-size Humanoid figures carried on a radio controlled wheeled platform

15). Bar tender robots were in action up on the mezzanine as was a robotic drum set (my son who takes percussion at school says it was pretty good) and an eclectic collection of mechanisms and displays with a robotic theme.

On the Pavilion floor, you could meet R2D2, an Imperial Stormtrooper, and a very cool robot called “Hotshot” (Figure 16) who went around talking to people. There must have been a person operating it, but I never spotted him/her.

I haven’t covered all the robots and contests at the show as it would take more than one visit to cover everything, especially if you are

RESULTS FOR THE COMBAT ROBOTS:

• 340 lbs

• 220 lbs

• 120 lbs

• 60 lbs

• 30 lbs

• 12 lbs

• 3 lbs

• 1 lb

• 1 lb (Auto)

• 5. 3 oz

Canada — Ziggy
USA — Sewer Snake
Brazil — Touro
Brazil — Touro Light
USA — Totally Offensive
USA — Surgical Strike
USA — Dark Pummeler
USA — Dark Pounder
USA — Thinkling
USA — Micro Drive

USA — The Judge
USA — Last Rites
USA — Pipe Wench
USA — K2
USA — Proteus
USA — AlphaQ jr.
USA — Itsa?
USA — Dark Blade
UK — Spider
USA — Dark Bullit

USA — Vladiator
USA — Original Sin
USA — SubZero
Canada — Texas HEAT
USA — Whammo
USA — Bullet
USA — Gutter Monkey
USA — Revert
UK — Chopper
Mexico — Skeet Skeet

robots are advancing rapidly, but the sensors and on-board processing power have a way to go to catch up.

The fire fighting robots were also fun to watch ( www.trincoll.edu/ events/robot/). The robot starts out in a random location in a house-like maze (Figure 9) and then has to find and blow out a candle that is randomly positioned in another room. Extra points can be gained for speed and if further challenges like stairs are inserted. Likewise, points are lost if the bot touches a wall. The bots are fully autonomous and use multiple sensors and have a lot more space for the high speed processors than their bipedal counterparts.

A new offshoot from the combat

(Figure 12). They can bend at the waist and throw punches with either arm. Sensors mounted on the robot’s body and head record hits and the bot that gets the most hits wins the round. James Hyneman of the TV show Mythbusters (seen here with Carlo, Figure 13) controlled one of the bots in a fight in the arena.

Audience reception was mixed as it was difficult to tell when a hit was scored, but the idea definitely has potential.

There were other attractions at the show including a number of “Art” bots which featured a pretty scary looking metal dinosaur (Figure 14), a giant squid, and a well equipped (if somewhat under-dressed) robot gunslinger! (Figure

competing as well. The good things were a broad range of robot types, surely enough to cover all interests! A great venue, lovely weather (mid 70s- 80s) and — for me — the biggest, best, combat show in the USA.

Bad things? Well, the catering was poor (luckily, there is a supermarket just outside Fort Mason that did reasonable carry out food); there was a lack of information posted as to what was going to happen when and where; and finally, a badly handled (in my opinion), last minute, change of rules caused quite a bit of ill feeling with some of the combat builders.