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UNI physics students to compete with Sumo robotsApr 19, 2012 (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- It's going to be a long week for a number of University of Northern Iowa physics students. On Thursday, they will compete in an event pitting their small robots against each other in a sumo-style match. They will seek glory in the ring, or at least hope to avoid the embarrassment associated with a robot that enters the ring and sits there, immobile. The event will mark the seventh annual minisumo robotics competition at UNI. A total of 26 UNI students will battle for supremacy along with seven at-large entries. Among those are Kevin O'Conner, who won the competition last year when he was a UNI student, and Tracy Eib of Indiana, whose robot Blackout has won multiple times. "Most want to make sure they don't send a robot out that just sits there like a brick. It's like their baby. No one wants to see their baby keel over," said Cliff Chancey, head of the physics department at UNI. Leading up to the competition, many students will be pulling long hours tweaking their designs and refining programming. Brad Friend has a trick -- well, two of them -- up his sleeve. He plans to cover his robot with mirrors so opposing robots' infrared beams harmlessly reflect away. "They won't see my robot is there, so it's invisible," Friend said. But that's just part of the plan. He is also building an arm that will drop down with a flag. He hopes his opponents will key in on the flag, come after it and when they do, his robot will sense them when they come broadside and Bender will move in for the kill. "It all sounds good in theory," Friend said with a shrug. At last Thursday's initial trials, his robot took third place without the fancy strategies. Chancey said the hands-on application gives students confidence and skills that leave an impression on potential employers. The contest will be from 9 a.m. to noon in Hemisphere Lounge in Maucker Union on campus, and the public is welcome.There will be a live webcast of the event at www.narobotics.org/. ___ (c)2012 Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) Visit Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) at www.wcfcourier.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |