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Results

Author: Martin Dlouhý, 2014-09-23

The Robotour 2014 winner is from Slovakia

So how was Robotour, the ninth year of outdoor contest of autonomous robots? I would almost introduce a new motto: „if you would like to checkout your robot, take it to the Robotour!”, because this year it was really hard, especially the start at 2pm … but I am now jumping ahead.

Robotour 2014 in a nutshell

It rained this year. And it was not just a few drops — it was a serious pelting rain, which would some robots easily flood out. So that's probably the first unforgivable memory to this year Robotour in Pilsen.

Do you see the path right down?!

Another positive memory is that all 12+1 teams arrived (well, the new team Blade XXII mask that till Saturday). There were five new teams and all fightet bravely, it is true that some with their own robots and software, but … AmBot finished „winner box” and big chances had also Polish team TAPAS Team, which was favorite in first runs (they did not start in 3rd pelting rain run, which was wise decision (*)).

The score was very bad this year. The paths were narrower than in Lodz and some were a grass ones. The top is the path on the right picture, which is mapped in OSM. So it was harder to judge and there were debates of some not perfectly mapped pieces of road. Also the 3rd rainy round was a source of some disappointment.

Although it was quite demanding, I am happy for Robotour 2014 — by the way is not the reason why we are doing that?

A few quick pictures

Safety tent

Naked E-liška

The half of Cogito

MarS

Plecharts

Warning

Overall score

Order	Team	1st run	2nd run	3rd run	4th run	Total
1st	Smelý Zajko	46	40	64	80	230
2nd-3rd	Radioklub Písek	0	0	2	179	181
2nd-3rd	AmBot	0	16	127	37	180
4th-5th	TAPAS Team	22	53	-	63	138
4th-5th	ARBot	11	0	49	73	133
6th	Cogito	0	16	-	13	29
7th	NDTeam	-	-	2	7	9
8th	JECC	2	0	0	0	2
9th-12th	AutoLUT2	-	0	-	-	0
9th-12th	Istrobotics	-	0	-	-	0
9th-12th	MarS	0	0	-	-	0
9th-12th	Plecharts	0	0	0	0	0

The winner is after five years of participation Smelý Zajko! Congratulation, also for endurance and patience.

Workshop

There were only Czech and Slovak teams on Saturday workshop, so after a while it was easier to talk in our native languages. I was relatively tired from Saturday, but the workshop gave me a plenty energy and optimism.

At the beginning Smelý Zajko described his hard way to the victory (they participated since 2010).

Radioklub Písek presented a story of burned motors of E-liška and „current magic” on new controllers.

Cogito finished their presentation with comment that is is not necessary to a build autonomous car and that the goals of Robotour can be reached by autonomous bike, cart or skateboard. See the last page of his presentation.

[The objective of the Robotour contest is to encourage development of robots capable of transporting you to work in the morning or to deliver the building material you have just purchased in an online shop. ]

ARBot showed his first results from stereo vision computed on gate array.

NDTeam, working in picoseconds timing business, presented his own robot with aluminium construction controlled by a 4-core computer of size of credit card.

Istrobotics mentioned synchronization of web camera PS3 (?) … you just have to solder proper inputs, but there are some issues with Windows drivers fro multiple cameras etc.

Simply all experts! The presentation often started like in alcohol/drog abuse therapy: „I am on Robotour since XYZ ...” Well, it is maybe addictive, so be beware!

Plans for Robotour 2015

Just brief points:

the Friday homologation will not be mandatory (it was already this year)
the order of teams in second and next round will be reversed, i.e. teams with high score will start at the end of the starting area
the payload remains mandatory
the runs are in all weather conditions

The next year is anniversary so we are thinking how to properly celebrate it. The preference for next location is still Czech Republic, but there are other alternatives like Großer Garten (Dresden). Smelý Zajko took some pictures on the way home in park in Hluboká nad Vltavou and comment it If Pilsen was difficulty level 4, the Hluboka is level 7! … so something to look forward.

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank especially to Petr Weissar and his student for creating the base. Without the tent we wound not survive the Saturday afternoon. Thanks to Westernbohemia university for support: the dormitories next to the park were very handy and the conference room in Academic center with café íčko in city center was a nice alternative for workshop.

If you find this contest interesting and you would like to participate next year, or you have interesting pictures or videos, please let us know via contact form.

(*) I am reading conclusions form last year Poland and one was that a team can give up one attempt without punishment. On the other hand TAPAS Team would score similarly only Smelý Zajko would have lower score and the order would be identical.