A detailed presentation from the IEEE-RAS Mobile Microrobot Challenge and Humanitarian Robotics & Automation Technology Challenge

1. IEEE-RAS Robot Challenges
Summary and Future Plans
CAB/MAB Meeting @ ICRA 2014, Hong Kong
1) 2014 Challenges Report
2) Challenges Guide Proposal
3) 2014 Budget and 2015 request
4) Discussion
Dan Popa, Steve Balakirsky
Raj Madhavan, Jing Xiao

2. Humanitarian Robotics &
Automation Technology Challenge
2

3. 3

4. 4

5. 5

6. 6

7. 7

8. 2007-2014: NIST to IEEE-RAS
Mobile Microrobot Challenge
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Shanghai, 2011 St. Paul, 2012
Karlsruhe, 2013
Dan O. Popa, “Robust and
Reliable Microtechnology
Research and Education Through
the Mobile Microrobotics
Challenge,” in IEEE R&A
Magazine, March 2014.
Hong Kong, 2014

9. 2014 Finalist Teams & Participants
13 UG, 7 Grad Students, 4 faculty, 3 researchers (27)
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1 University of Hawaii, Manoa, USA
U Sammy Khamis U Hawaii/Team Captain
U Edward Nerad U Hawaii/Team Member
F Aaron Ohta U Hawaii/ Advisor
2 University of Texas, Arlington, USA
Jiwan Ghimire UT Arlington/Team Captain
G Sumit K. Das UT Arlington/Team Member
U Greg Martin UT Arlington/ Team Member
F Dan Popa UT Arlington/ Team Advisor
3 ETHZ, Switzerland – Team ETH
G Roel Pieters ETHZ 1 / Team Captain
G Simone Schuerle ETHZ 1 / Team Member
G Franziska Ullrich ETHZ 1 / Team Member
U Samuel Carreyron ETHZ 1 / Team Member
F Brad Nelson ETHZ 1 / Team Advisor
4 Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology, Korea – Team DGIST-ETH
G Sungmin Lee DGIST/ETHZ / Team Captain
G Seongyong Woo DGIST/ETHZ / Team Member
G Sangwon Kim DGIST/ETHZ / Team Member
Hongsoo Choi DGIST/ETHZ / Team Advisor
5 LPN-CNRS, France – Team Nomad
R Gilgueng Hwang LPN-CNRS / Team Captain
R Antoine Barbot LPN-CNRS / Team Member
R Laurent Couraud LPN-CNRS / Team Member
6 University of Alberta, Canada
U Adam Gulyas UA/ Team Captain
U David Gulyas UA/ Team Member
U Benjamin Ocampo UA/ Team Member
Abdul Wasay UA/ Team Member
7 University of Waterloo, Canada
U Scott Wheeler UW/ Team Captain
U Christopher Ling UW/ Team Member
U Aravino Ramaraju UW/ Team Member
U MacLean Kuraitis UW/ Team Member
U Evan Crothers UW/ Team Member
Ryan Kearns UW/ Team Member
Michael Leung UW/ Team Member
U Elwin Ha UW/ Team Member

10. 2014 Finalists
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11. 2014 Course – Mobility Challenge
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- Dimensional Changes to Arena
- 3 Different Paths per team with equal total
path length
- Programming on the spot
- Score – time and dimension
Ttotal x (Dmax/500)

12. 2014 Mobility Challenge Results
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2014 Trial 1
(sec)
1-4-7-9-6-3
Trial 2
(sec)
3-6-7-9-4-1
Trial 3
(sec)
2-5-8-9-6-1
Robot
Size (µm)
Final Score Rank
LPN-CNRS, France 0.23 0.67 0.189 200 0.43 1, Link
Univ. of Texas
Arlington, USA
1.02 1.16 1.17 250 1.67 2
Univ. of Hawaii, USA 1.04 120 120 175 84.36 3
DGIST-ETH, Korea 120 120 4.53 450 220.1 4
Univ. of Waterloo, CA 120 120 120 425 306.00 5
ETH, Switzerland DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Univ. of Alberta, CA DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP

13. Assembly Challenge Results
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- 2014 Course and Rules unchanged
- Score=Number of densely packed
triangles in 3 trials.
- Dense packing distance is 50 microns
(max value between components)

14. Competitions Guide Summary
 RAS and local conference organizers will financially support
several competitions (Challenges) organized yearly at leading
conferences, such as ICRA through an annual budget request.
 Each conference committee will establish a Competitions
Committee that will solicit and accept challenge proposals in a
similar manner to Workshops and Tutorials.
 While the dates for holding these challenge events may vary,
it is highly desirable that these be held during workshop and
tutorial days, with a one day cross-over into the main
conference. During this day, the challenge participants will
present posters/other displays, and be involved with the
organization of special sessions.
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15. RAS MAB Competition Chairs
Responsibilities
 Work with conference Competitions Committee to decide
funding of the accepted competition proposals.
 It is expected that the costs of setting up competition venues
will be funded jointly by the conference organization and by
RAS-MAB (nominally at 50% each. One example could be
offering free full or workshop registrations to Challenge
participants).
 Report the results of using the RAS funds in supporting
competitions every year, after obtaining input from the
conference organizers about the results.
 Contribute to R&A Magazine Challenge Update, website,
articles and other dissemination media of RAS.
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16. Conference Organizers
Responsibilities
 The Conference Organization should establish a Competitions Committee to
initiate call for proposals for competitions, review and select proposals with a
short turn-around time, and work with the Challenge Organizers to arrange
venues for individual competitions that take into account their particular needs,
including:
– Cost effective venue setup for the challenge in appropriate spaces. These can include
the conference workshop rooms, space adjacent to the display exhibit area, etc.
– Courtesy registrations, including free or reduced cost registration for organizers and
student members of the participating teams.
– Help with logistics (shipping and equipment setup) during the competition days.
– Provide time to acknowledge the performance of teams. This will include conferring
prizes and awards during the conference award ceremonies.
– Provide space in the conference guide for descriptions of the competitions and
competitions schedule. This also includes appropriate signage at the event that will allow
spectators to find the competition venue.
 Conference organizers should include the related information and budget for
competitions as part of their financial report of the conference to RAS.
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17. Competitions Budget for 2014
 In 2014, the RAS MAB has received and approved
funding requests from:
– The Mobile Microrobot Challenge (MMC) @ ICRA
2014 to include refunding registrations, and paying
for the venue.
– The Humanitarian R&A Technology Challenge
(HRATC) @ ICRA 2014 for the venue hardware,
registrations and support for student travel.
– Sponsorship of the MARS Rover Challenge, organized
by the MARS Society in Utah, May/June 2014.
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18. Discussion & Feedback
popa@uta.edu
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