Sixteen student robots from Prague, eight from central Bohemia. Who will win the basket?
It is a traditional task to create machines from predetermined types of robot legos and program them to do exactly what is expected of them robocompetition, which CTU is preparing for three-member teams of high school students. In this year’s 14th edition, it was a serious challenge: to build a robotic cart that moves around a designated area where it has to collect small balls without further assistance and shoot them into a miniature basketball hoop. Although the task is the same for all, the approaches to accomplishing it differ very significantly.
Tracing the technical finesse requires a moment of observation, but it is already clear at a glance that the young designers had diverse ideas. Most robots drive around the surface and when they pick up the ball, they drive to a shooting position and shoot. And with the next set. But there is an opponent who saves time: he collects a few balls, then reaches the position and shoots: one after the other and the fourth after the third.
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The 35 teams that do best in the four semi-final rounds at the end of November will field their robot fighters in the tournament. Representatives of Prague will prevail; 16 of them advanced to the finals – with even three teams each from the Arab Gymnasium and the Smíchovská Secondary Technical School and the Gymnasium. Another eight robots will represent Central Bohemia: four from Kladno and two from Benešov.
There is competition in skills, i.e. shooting baskets, but there is also a separate category for the “design” competition: the evaluation of the technical solution with an assessment of the creativeness of the creators. The stakes are not only attractive prizes, but also a lifelong job: the most successful designers get the possibility of admission to the Cybernetics and Robotics study program without entrance exams.
The main organizer of the competition, Martin Hlinovský, from the Department of Control Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University, assesses this year’s task as challenging, but beautiful at the same time. “The teams had to deal with three problems – their creation must move precisely in the given space, be able to pick up the ball and manipulate it, and then send it along the correct trajectory given towards the basket,” he summarized what all had to be solved. And he praises that the participants have already shown originality in the search for solutions in the elimination fights.
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Ivan Sobička from the company Taktiq Communications, which ensures the course of the competitions, told Deník that even teams that do less well in the elimination rounds can surprise. “We also saw extremely imaginative solutions, but malfunctions appeared. If creators manage to ‘get it’, they can be very successful,” he says.
Fans are welcome as at any proper sports competition: the final is open to the public, Kateřina Veselá reminded for CTU. “The competition in the Zenger auditorium of the building at Karlov náměstí 13 starts on December 16 after the official opening at 11:00 – and the announcement of the winners is expected around 16:30,” he invites to an unusual sports and technical spectacle.
Representatives of Prague and Central Bohemia in the final Robo competitions
– Children and youth center Prague 2
– Gymnázium Arabská, Prague 6 (3 teams)
– Christian Doppler High School, Prague 5
– Jan Kepler High School, Prague 6
– Gymnázium Na Vítězné plani, Prague 4
– Písnická High School, Prague 4
– Gymnázium Špitálská, Prague 9
– Gymnázium Voděradská, Prague 10 (2 teams)
– New PORG, Prague 4
– Prague British International School, Prague 4
– Smíchovská middle school and gymnasium, Prague 5 (3 teams)
– Benešov High School
– Beroun High School
– Vlašim High School
– Benešov Integrated Technical High School
– SOŠ and SOU, Kladno, Dubská (4 teams)
Source: Youtube
Source: Youtube
Source: Youtube
Source: Youtube
Source: Youtube
Source: Youtube
Source: Youtube