This past weekend the Hub had a blast attending the Robogames 2010 robot competition as teams from all over the world came to strut their robot prowess. The main event at robogames takes place in the combat arena where robots literally fight to the death in different weight and size classes. With throngs of fans cheering from stadium seating, sparks flying, and tons of noise the combat competition is just awesome. There are dozens of other competitions, such as the autonomous firefighting event and the mech warfare urban combat event. Don’t miss the top notch videos after the jump.
There are hundreds of robots at the Robogames, from battle bots, to humanoid bots, to beer pouring bartender bots. There is a huge room in the back where teams are hard at work modifying their battle robots for the combat competitions. Drills, soldering kits, hammers, saws, and the like are whistling away and the energy in the room is palpable. Willow Garage attended Robogames in style with their open source Texai telepresence and PR2 humanoid robots. Andrew Alter from Trossen Robotics was also on hand to show off his phenomenal Giger humanoid robot. Enjoy Singularity Hub’s highlight video below:
One of the better events at Robogames is the Mech Warfare competition. In this competition an urban environment is setup where robots shoot each other with tiny pellets. Robots are fitted with pressure sensors to keep track of when they get hit. Those who operate the robots are not allowed to see the entire combat arena, but rather must see through the robot’s own eyes, which adds an additional level of complexity and awesomeness to the event. Check out the Mech Warfare promo video from BotJunkie below:
Robogames is tons of fun and the Hub was glad to be there. We will be there next year for sure, but perhaps by then we will be more than a spectator. Singularity Hub should sponsor a robot for one or more of the competitions next year. Volunteers are welcome!
