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From: rsr@ncc.com (Steve Rainwater)
Subject: Robot Competition List
Message-ID: <1994Oct14.185152.3858@tigger.jvnc.net>
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Date: Fri, 14 Oct 1994 18:51:52 GMT


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ROBOT CONTESTS AND COMPETITIONS                      Updated: October 1, 1994

Number of events currently listed: 13
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This listing contains brief summaries of known robot competitions around the
world with pointers to additional information when known. Submission of new
contest information, rules, agendas, or additional information of any type is 
appreciated.  All information received will be made available to the public 
on The Interocitor BBS (214-258-1832).  This listing is posted monthly on the
Fidonet AI, and ROBOTIX conferences as well as on the Usenet newsgroup
comp.robotics.

Each listing includes a number of different fields:

NAME........The name of the competition and/or sponsoring organziation.
LAST DATE...Date of the last known occurance of the competition.
NEXT DATE...Date on which the next competition will be held.
LOCATION....Location where next competition is to be held
EVENTS......A listing of the events included in the competition.
CLASSES.....Autonomous, radio-controlled, etc.
SIZE........Notes on size or weight of robots that may enter.
AWARDS......Type or value of awards for winners.
INFO........Who to contact for rules, entry forms, or additional information.
OTHER.......Misc. additional information.

I'm attempting to follow up on the imcomplete entries but have listed what I
know (however little that may be) at this time.  If anyone can fill me in on
one of the partial listings or knows of a competition that I've left out, send
me email about!

Updates, new listings, corrections, complaints, and suggestions, should be
sent to:

Internet   srainwater@ncc.com
Fidonet    Steve Rainwater @ 1:124/2206.0
Compuserve 72066.3606@compuserve.com
Fax        214-650-1929
BBS        214-258-1832

Copyright (C) 1994, Steve Rainwater/Network Cybernetics Corp. for permission
to reprint or include in file collections contact NCC at above addresses.

=============================================================================
NAME:       American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI)
LAST DATE:  July 31 - August 2, 1994, Washington State Conv. Center
NEXT DATE:  [TBA]
LOCATION:   [TBA]
EVENTS:     OFFICE DELIVERY: Using minimal map information, navigate in
            offices, around furniture and through corridors to reach a
            specified goal destination.  Go for speed, but watch out for
            blocked passageways and closed doors.
            CLEAN UP THE OFFICE: Search the rooms and corridors for rubbish
            (cans, cups, paper wads) and deposit them in a trashbin. Multiple
            robots may team up in this event.
CLASSES:    Autonomous only.
SIZE:       Must be able to maneuver in 2-meter wide corridors.
AWARDS:     Certificate for all participants.  Winners will receive copies of
            the AI CD-ROM and subscriptions to technical journals.
INFO:       AAAI
            445 Burgess Drive
            Menlo Park, CA  94025
            tel 415-328-3123
            Email ncai@aaai.org
            Rules, information, and reports on previous competitions can be
            found on The Interocitor BBS.
                          
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NAME:       AUVS International Aerial Robotics Competition
LAST DATE:  May 19, 1994, Georgia Tech
NEXT DATE:  July 6, 1995
LOCATION:   Georgia Tech
EVENTS:     Single event involving autonomous robot flight, navigation,
            and object retrieval.  Event takes place in a 60' x 120' arena
            divided in half by a 3' high opaque wall.  6' diameter rings are
            place 80' apart, one on each side of the wall.  One ring is the
            "pick-up" ring and contains 6 target disks which must be picked
            up and transfered, one at a time, to the "drop-off" ring on the
            other side of the wall.
CLASSES:    Autonomous only (rules require R/C backup for safety reasons)
SIZE:       ?
AWARDS:     1st place $4,000; 2nd place $2,000; 3rd place $1,000
INFO:       auvsarc-request@robotics.usc.edu
OTHER:      After 4 years, no one has completed course. FAQs and RULES are
            available via FTP from usc.edu in /pub/nn_robotics/other/auvsarc
            and on The Interocitor BBS.  Unfortunately, the rules are in
            Aldus Pagemaker for Mac format only.  An ASCII version will be
            available soon.

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NAME:       BEAM  Robot Olympics
LAST DATE:  Sep 23-25, 1993 Glasgow, Scotland
NEXT DATE:  ?
LOCATION:   ?
EVENTS:     SOLARROLLER:          Self-starting robot dragster race.
            PHOTVORE:             Robots face a close "world" and each other.
            HIGH JUMP:            Robot creature leaps, lands on feat.
            ROPE CLIMBING:        First up, first down, self-starting.
            LEGGED RACE:          Walking creatures run for the money.
            INNOVATION MACHINES:  Electronic chopsticks, for example.
            ROBOART/MODIFICATION: Mechanical/electronic aesthetics that move.
            ROBOT SUMO:           Push/Bash an opponent out of a ring.
            LIMBO RACE:           How low can you build?
            NANOMOUSE:            A smaller and simpler form of the...
            MICROMOUSE:           Where metal mice race for aluminum cheese.
            AEROBOT:              Build a self-contained, flying dive-bomber.
CLASSES:    Autonomous and Remote-Control
SIZE:       Must be smaller than a "standard upright refrigerator".
AWARDS:     Non-cash awards in all catagories.
INFO:       mwtilden@math.uwaterloo.ca (Mark Tilden)
            Rules for '93 event are available on The Interocitor BBS.

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NAME:       Competition of Intelligent Autonomous Vehicles (IAV-95)
LAST DATE:  none
NEXT DATE:  12 - 14 June, 1995
LOCATION:   Helsinki University of Technology, Espoo, Finland
EVENTS:     15-30 min. demonstration. Jury judges the demonstrations
            on the grounds of how well the vehicle performs
            following criteria: intelligence
                                autonomousness
                                reliability
                                navigation
                                useability
                                safety
CLASSES:    Autonomous
SIZE:       There is no size limit, but the competition is for
            outdoor vehicles so very small robots might have
            problems in moving on the test field where the
            competition will be held.
AWARDS:     1st 40 000 FIM
INFO:       Mr. Jussi Suomela
            Otakaari 5A
            02150 Espoo
            Finland
            Tel: +358 0 451 3312
            Fax: +358 0 451 3308
            Email: iavcomp@hut.fi
            Preliminary rules are available on The Interocitor BBS.
OTHER:      The competition is held with 2nd IFAC Conference on
            Intelligent Autonomous Vehicles

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NAME:       Critter Crunch (Sponsored by the Mad Scientists Club)
LAST DATE:  October, 1993 
NEXT DATE:  October 21-23, 1994
LOCATION:   Denver, CO, held in conjunction with MileHiCon SF convention
EVENTS:     Robot combat - 2lbs and 20lbs event catagories
CLASSES:    Autonomous and Remote-Control
SIZE:       Starting size of 12"x12"x12". Expansion during event okay.
            Weight limit of 20lbs.  Power source must meet OSHA requirements
            for indoor use.
AWARDS:     Handmade art objects created by local artist. Awards for 1st, 2nd
            3rd place as well as "amusing and arbitrary accomplishments".
INFO:       The Denver Mad Scientists Club (Denver, CO)
            Bill Lemieux
            Internet: blemieux@10nyx.cs.du.edu
            Fidonet:  1:104/43  (MonkeyBoy BBS)
            US Snail: 1010 Clarkson St. #101, Denver, CO 80218
            Rules and description available on The Interocitor BBS.
OTHER:      Note that your vehicle may, during the course of competition, be
            severely damaged, or even destroyed.  Past competitions have seen
            vehicles equipped with pneumatic cylinders, spear-throwing CO2
            cannons, and flame throwers.  Please consider this when packaging
            your power source if it involves such potential hazards as acid 
            (batteries), flammable liquids (engines), or plutonium (reactors).
            Developing an emotional attachment to your vehicle is not
            recommended.

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NAME:       Hong-Kong Robot ping pong competition
LAST DATE:  ?
NEXT DATE:  ?
LOCATION    Hong Kong
EVENTS:     Robot ping pong
CLASSES:    ?
SIZE:       ?
AWARDS:     ?
INFO:       EERTBRAD@hk.cphk.cphkvx (Robin Bradbeer)

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NAME:       RBL-94 (AAAI 1994 Robot Building Laboratory)
LAST DATE:  July 31 to August 4, 1994
NEXT DATE:  During IJCAI 1995 (tentative, being planned)
LOCATION:   Montreal (IJCAI-95)
EVENTS:     ?
CLASSES:    Autonomous
SIZE:       Dimensions not to exceed 1 cubic foot.
AWARDS:     ?
INFO:       ncai@aaai.org, rbl-95@ai.mit.edu

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NAME:       Robofest Robot Sumo Competition
LAST DATE:  1994
NEXT DATE:  1995
LOCATION:   Austin, Texas
EVENTS:     Robot Sumo Wrestling
CLASSES:    Autonomous and Remote-Control
SIZE:       Base 20cm x 20cm at start of event, Height unlimited, Weight 
            3000 grams.  Expansion during event okay.
AWARDS:     ?
INFO:       Austin Robotics Society
            Rules for last years event are available on The Interocitor BBS.

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NAME:       Robotics Society of Southern California Annual Competition and
            Robot Faire
LAST DATE:  October, 1993
NEXT DATE:  October 2, 1994
LOCATION:   ?
EVENTS:     Robot SUMU
            Micro-mouse competition
            "Get me a beer" - a navigation and retrieval contest
CLASSES:    ?
SIZE:       ?
AWARDS:     ?
INFO:       jbpir2@aol.com (JB PIR2)

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NAME:       San Francisco Robotics Society Robot Sumo Competition
LAST DATE:  May 1, 1994 at San Jose State University
NEXT DATE:  September 18, 1994
LOCATION:   The Exploritorium in San Francisco, CA
EVENTS:     Robot Sumo using Fuji Software of Japan rules.
CLASSES:    Autonomous and Remote-Control
SIZE:       Base 20cm x 20cm at start of event, Height unlimited, Weight
            3000 grams. Expansion during event okay.
AWARDS:     1st and 2nd place trophies in RC and Auto classes.
INFO:       rowley@netcom.com
OTHER:      Rules and FAQ available via ftp at ftp.netcom.com in pub/rowley
            and on The Interocitor BBS.

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NAME:       Science Center of Connecticut Robot Contest
LAST DATE:  April 17th, 1994
NEXT DATE:  ?
LOCATION:   Science Center of Connecticut
EVENTS:     ?
CLASSES:    ?
SIZE:       ?
AWARDS:     $1000
INFO:       Jake Mendelssohn, tel 203.231.2824 / fax 203.232.0705

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NAME:       SPIE International Unmanned Ground Vehicle Robotics Competition
LAST DATE:  May 20-22, 1994
NEXT DATE:  ?
LOCATION:   ?
EVENTS:     All Terrain Vehicle (ATV)
            Outdoor Natural Terrain Course
CLASSES:    Autonomous only
SIZE:       No limit?
AWARDS:     $10,000 to University team with best vehicle
INFO:       lescoep%ccmail@tacom-enmhl.army.mil

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NAME:       Western Canadian Robot Games
LAST DATE:  April 9, 1994, Southern Alberta Institute Of Technology
NEXT DATE:  April 8, 1995 (saturday)
LOCATION:   Southern Alberta Institute Of Technology
            1301 16TH Ave NW Calgary
            T2M-0L4
            Campus Center Building
EVENTS:     Robot Sumo Wrestling
            Atomic Hockey (robots in ring area attempt to gather and deposit
                ping-pong balls [protons] in their goal [nucleus] while
                avoiding ball bearings [electrons] or placing them in the
                opponents goal.)
            Solar Roller
            The Extinguisher
            Robot Exhibition And Demostrations
CLASSES:    Autonomous and Remote-Control
SIZE:       9"x9" square at start, expansion during event okay.
            no limit on height. 5kg max weight in Sumo event.
AWARDS:     Medalions and prizes for winners.  Names engraved on trophies.
            (last years prizes exceeded $2,000 in value.)
INFO:       maynard@trantor.el.sait.ab.ca (Craig Maynard)
OTHER:      We are working toward hosting Mark Tildens BEAM robot olympics
            this year and generally have an impressive line-up of robot
            demonstrations in addition to the competitions.


=============================================================================

 ---------------------------------------  -----------------------------------
| Internet   srainwater@ncc.com         || Network Cybernetics Corporation   |
| Fidonet    Steve Rainwater@1:124/2206 || Tel 214-650-2002 BBS 214-258-1832 |
| Compuserve 72066,3606                 || Fax 214-650-1929                  |
 ---------------------------------------  -----------------------------------

