Bot-Trot 4Bottle Race

[HarryBotter]

More information will be forthcoming over the next few days. Check out the latest issue of Robot magazine for race details and get those robots ready!

Harry

[rltucker]

I am a subscriber of Robot magazine. I registered a few minutes ago so that I could view the 4-Bottle Race mentioned in the latest issue of Robot. Please tell me WHY I cannot now view the movie. Thanks. - rlt

[HarryBotter]

I've passed your message onto the webmaster.

I've viewed it with the Windows Media Player. Have you got s/w that will read avi files?

[HarryBotter]

Others have been able to view the video so I'd guess you may not have the latest codecs installed on your computer.

[HarryBotter]

More information has just been released in the latest Robot newsletter and also on the Robot Website.

http://www.botmag.com/

If you have trouble viewing the video check out possible solutions from post #4 of the following thread:

http://www.botmag.com/forum/showthread.php?t=484

Harry

[robomaniac]

2 meter by 2 meter is big!

I can not even test this into my own house!!

I got this HUGE carpet in the way. Even there, I can not even make this track, there is too much stuff in the way!

If I make a ring outside, it won't be fun to get in, change one line of code, reprogram, go out , test, come back in... oh lord!

I wanted to test out my new maxon motor with encoder... I might try it out...

I'll find a solution... I think it is time to buy a laptop :P LOLLLL

Good luck!

Jerome

[HarryBotter]

Just do all your testing on a small piece of track, coroplast or even cardboard would work well. Then when you're ready for the big run enlist the help of that friend who lives in the big house on the hill. :)

Harry

[dporter]

Robotics camp will be starting next week. I have this challenge planned as the final activity for the campers (7th and 8th grade). They will be using the NXT Mindstorms Robots and I'm looking forward to see what they come up with.

[HarryBotter]

Good stuff! I'd sure like to see some of those Solidworks packages get into interested students hands.

Harry

[tatwood]

Hey Doug,

That is great! We look forward to your students' entries in this competition, thanks so much for hooking them up! It will be a lot of fun for all, reporting on competing race times, the robots, and the people involved.

Tom
toma@botmag.com
Robot Magazine

[srobot]

When do I have to send my video by?

--Scotty

[S. Karim]

Hi everyone,

At first glance 2x2m sounds great, I figured it would be a small track on my kitchen or living room floor. However, those of who live in urban apartments or regular apartments for that matter would agree with me when I say a 2meter by 2meter track, well, immense!

I simply cannot fit this in any of my rooms without moving furniture. Forget testing, when it comes time to make the video, I have no space to fit the track into. Unless I move my oven and refrigerator outside of my dorm, I can't do it. It's not that my apartment is small; it's that even if I do fit the track, theres no open margins where the robot will travel on!

Take a look at the area in the dynamizer video, where the heck should I be expected to find such a big space like that?

6.5' on each side is huge. Please rethink this guys, you'll have a lot more participants.

[HarryBotter]

This contest has been run using these dimensions elsewhere and is a standard that we hope to adhere to. Students should be able to find this size of space in a school and adults at work or at a friends home.

If you live in Manitoba come over to my place to run your robot. :) If not, I hope you're successful in finding a place to set up a track.

Harry

[S. Karim]

Well for most part, school is finished where I live (NY, USA). Sorry to bug you guys, but I guess what I'm complaining about doesn't really matter to yall if others are fine with it haha!

[franklin97355]

Well, I guess you could start you own mini course with it's own times and contestants.

[srobot]

I love robots becuase you do not have to be "18 years of age or higher, and mentally fit" :D, just go buy a Vex kit from Trossen Robotics, buy WD-40, and a lighter from Home Depot, and go blow up the world!!!!!

I really enjoyed not seeing, "bogus ageements" (see what I mean here http://smallprint.netzoo.net/reag/), "terms and conditions", and "subject to change with out notice" (aka "if we go bankrupted we can come to your house and punch "grandma""), on the rules.

Keep up the good work Robot Magazine!

--srobot

[HarryBotter]

Hey srobot, quit posting so much and get back to work on that autonomous robot for the 4Bottle Race. You've only got 3 months left!

Harry

[srobot]

Hey srobot, quit posting so much and get back to work on that autonomous robot for the 4Bottle Race. You've only got 3 months left!

Harry

Well then, if I have 3 months I'll keep posting :D .

I was not joking in my last post, I really did like not seeing all of that stuff.

Now about blowing up the world, I was just joking.

This is real though http://ribolabs.wordpress.com/2007/06/18/the-4th-robot-style/ . Leave a comment to let me know what you think about it.

--Scotty

[dporter]

I just thought I would let everyone know how things turned out so far. All the students have enjoyed the challenge. The most popular method for the students was to program two NXT touch sensors to steer the robot. I had one girl and one boy tie at 32 seconds with these wire guided designs. I had several students try autonomous robots. The best one cleared 3 bottles, but none of them completed the route.

[HarryBotter]

So when are the videos heading off to Robot magazine? :)

[srobot]

In this challenge, are line following robots "autonomous"?

Can I use non-IR light to controll my robot, or would it be R/C?

Also, are RoboSapiens walking or wheeled?


--Scotty

[tatwood]

Any control of a robot using any light frequency or eletromagnetic radiation or rf link is a form of "remote control."

Robots operating in an autonomous state are typically interacting with their invironment, including line following robots, but this contest assumes that your robot will navigate a flat surface with no beacons or specific inputs other than those embodied in the empty bottles themselves, the unmarked floor and ambient lighting, as indicated in the video we have posted with the rules. So if you draw a figure-8 and race a line following bot around the bottles, it does not qualify.

The latest RS Media has pads but no wheels and it walks. If a legged robot has wheels and can lean forward and "roll" as if it were on a segue, that would be a different matter.

The drop-dead deadline for entries, btw, will be September 15, 2007. Good luck!!

We are happy to answer additional questions--any who have them, please post them here!

Tom Atwood
toma@botmag.com

[srobot]

embodied in the empty bottles

By this do you mean I can put some thing in the bottles, like RFID?

Also, do I need sensors on the robot?

Thank you,
--Scotty

[HarryBotter]

Scotty,

We're trying to keep this as simple as possible...4 empty bottles and a flat floor. Nothing else.

Then we've created four categories to try to give everyone who wants to enter a fair chance.

Quit trying to be so sly and just post a winning time. :D:D

Harry

[srobot]

Scotty,

We're trying to keep this as simple as possible...4 empty bottles and a flat floor. Nothing else.

Then we've created four categories to try to give everyone who wants to enter a fair chance.

Quit trying to be so sly and just post a winning time. :D:D

Harry

Right, sorry, I did not mean for it to come off that way...:o

--Scotty

PS - Expect my video in two to three weeks.

[dporter]

Hi Harry,

Videos are on the way. I tried to link them to the post, but I haven't had luck yet. I'm e-mailing them in as soon as I'm done here.

[HarryBotter]

Great work Doug. Good Luck!

[srobot]

I am having trubble finding 1 litter water bottles, can I use any thing else like 2 litter pop bottles?

--Scotty

BTW - My robot is now built!

[dporter]

I used 1 liter ginger ale bottles. They were in the wine and beer section of my local grocery where they have all the ingredients for mixed drinks.

[HarryBotter]

I'd think we should try to stick with 1 liter bottles, the stores are full of them.

[FREEEK]

Hello ... my nickname is FREEEK and I'm new here (at the forum). I read the articles and I saw the contest and I want to participate. Until when is this available ?

P.S.: I own a RS Media robot from Wow Wee (and some others but with that I would participate if I figure out a way :confused: )

[FREEEK]

For Autonomous category can we use other bottles on the edge of the area to make some reference points for tho robot if lines on the floor are not allowed? Or we can use only those 4 bottles for orientation?

P.S.: 1) How you'll check people if their robots go autonomously or RC if there is only a film?
2) How you'l check if the movie is not put in fast forward and total time would be shorter?

... just sitting and wondering ;)

[dporter]

Until when is this available ?

P.S.: 1) How you'll check people if their robots go autonomously or RC if there is only a film?
2) How you'l check if the movie is not put in fast forward and total time would be shorter?



There are more details about the contest in some of the earlier posts, but the contest runs until Sept. 15., and only the 4 bottles can be used as reference points. You have a good question about autonomous vs remote control and I'm not sure how you would be able to tell the difference in a video. I believe most wmv and quicktime videos are time stamped, but I'll leave it up to others to answer that question too.

[FREEEK]

There are more details about the contest in some of the earlier posts, but the contest runs until Sept. 15., and only the 4 bottles can be used as reference points. You have a good question about autonomous vs remote control and I'm not sure how you would be able to tell the difference in a video. I believe most wmv and quicktime videos are time stamped, but I'll leave it up to others to answer that question too.


... :) mabey the winner will have to post the program also :cool: (autonomous robots are guided by some software no? or a logical scheme implemented hardware but I do not see the point of that ?!?!).

[HarryBotter]

The winning robots in the autonomous category will be asked for robot details, including code.

Harry

[digitaltripper]

Ok this is allot harder than I imagined. Getting my bot to negotiate this simple course is a pain...I hope I am not the only one having this difficulty...

[tartarprotection]

i designed a robot recently, and i JUST saw this challenge on botmag, and let me tell you something, I think my bot can easily beat 32 seconds. It's a vex. It'll be quite a challenge using autonomous.

[FREEEK]

The winning robots in the autonomous category will be asked for robot details, including code.

Harry


WHEN
?!?!?!?! DID THE CONTEST WAS REAL?!?!?! I DID NOT FIND ANY REPLY OR YOU FINISHED 100TH.... NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :( :confused:

[HarryBotter]

WHEN
?!?!?!?! DID THE CONTEST WAS REAL?!?!?! I DID NOT FIND ANY REPLY OR YOU FINISHED 100TH.... NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :( :confused:

The contest ended on the 15th so I'm assuming that results will be announced this week.

[digitaltripper]

I was close but not close enough...I was not able to get my bot to run the course. Still, just 'cause the competition is over though, does not mean I am going to quit. I plan to keep trying until I complete this course.

So who won? And where/when can we see the videos?

Thanks

Jim Barker
Cedar Ridge CA.

[dporter]

We worked up until the last minute and finished just in time. Our RC VEX bots were right around 20 secs and we had one autonomous NXT make it at around 44 secs.

I do like this project though and will probably use it with all my robotics classes even without the competition. You can use it to cover all kinds of programming issues as well as learn about and test the various sensors.

I plan on trying some of the new NXT sensors like the compass and color camera with my groups next to see if that makes the 4 bottle challenge any easier.

[HarryBotter]

Great work Doug! I sure wish this kind of stuff had been around when I was a kid.

I know the editors are wrestling with getting the latest issue of Robot ready for the printers and will sort out the eventual winners as soon as a bit of time becomes available.

Please try to be patient, I know I'd be anxious if I had an entry in there.:)

Harry

[dporter]

I just received my Robot mag today and there was nothing in there on the contest that I could find, and no updates on the website. We are still waiting patiently, but any idea on what is going on?

[HarryBotter]

Sorry for the lack of information Doug. Tom has been under the gun at the magazine and this was one of the tasks that slipped on the schedule. Tom has sorted through all the entries and tells me that he's made some mention of the status in the editorial. I don't have a copy of the latest issue and haven't seen that.

Hopefully something will be posted on the Robot website shortly.

Harry

[dporter]

Thanks Harry,

Our iSPACE newsletter deadline is Friday and I wanted to mention something in it about the contest, Robot magazine, and any contest winners from the iSPACE robotics camps. I'll keep an eye open to see if the winners get posted on the website.

[HarryBotter]

The winners and prizes given have been announced on the Robot website. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to those who participated.

http://www.botmag.com/articles/10-17-07_4-bottle-contest.shtml

Harry

[dporter]

Thanks Harry,

I made the deadline and added your links.

[Hivemind]

Better late than never, right?

One of our robot's, Zog, completes a bottle race (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNNi1FtBfn0&fmt=18) with flying colours (pun intended) :D