Newsgroups: comp.robotics
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From: kip@hurricane.seas.ucla.edu (Carey Nachenberg)
Subject: UCLA International Battling Robots Competition
Summary: UCLA sponsors its first International Programming Competition
Sender: news@seas.ucla.edu (News Administrator)
Message-ID: <CHn5u3.CE0@seas.ucla.edu>
Date: Tue, 7 Dec 1993 01:37:08 GMT
Organization: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, UCLA
Lines: 56

UCLA Internet Battling Robots Competition

	Over the next three months, UCLA will be sponsoring its first 
	international programming contest over the Internet.  Contestants 
	will have to write programs in the C language to control robots in 
	a simulated maze/battlefield.  

	The goal of the competition is to obtain "The Prize" which is 
	carried  through the maze by a software controlled drone robot, and 
	escape with it through your robot's specific exit.  The robots can 
	move, scan, attack, destroy/build new walls in the maze and even 
	resurrect other dead players (I.E. a robot can resurrect a deceased 
	robot causing it to use its algorithms and data)!  The actual 
	battles can be displayed in high resolution graphics for all to 
	watch and cheer! 

	All software development can be done on IBM 286+ DOS machines 
	equipped with a VGA monitor.  Turbo C or Borland C is required for 
	compilation.  All source code used in the competition, as well as 
	previous entries submitted at UCLA will be distributed for all to 
	see.  Entrants must develop their robots and test them on their 
	own machine against the demonstration robots we provide.  The 
	final judging of the competition will be done at UCLA and results 
	will be distributed over the internet.

	In the past at UCLA, we have received many very interesting and 
	clever entries.  Entrants have successfully implemented maze 
	searching and navigation algorithms.  In addition, more complex 
	entries even implement distributed mapping and job distribution; 
	these features are useful when a robot resurrects one or more 
	competitors.  

	We would like to encourage all undergraduate and graduate students 
	who are interested to examine the documentation and if they can, 
	submit an entry.  Due to the complexity involved in creating a 
	successful entry, all entrants are urged to obtain the contest 
	materials as soon as possible so they can begin working on their 
	submission.  Materials can be obtained immediately via anonymous 
	FTP from: cs.ucla.edu in the /pub/contest directory.  The 
	competition itself will start as soon as you read this posting, 
	and continue through Winter break till the first week in February.  
	At this time, we will gather all submitted entries and conduct a 
	round-robin tournament to determine the ultimate Battling Machine.  
	More details about rules, submissions and updates will be placed 
	on the FTP site mentioned above.

	Trophies will be awarded to the top 6 entries submitted and all 
	entries will receive honorable mention.  
	
	Please mail all questions, comments, etc. to kip@oahu.cs.ucla.edu.

	Thank you,

	Carey Nachenberg
	UCLA Computer Science Undergraduate Association Contest Coordinator

