Over the past week, sometime in between my college exams, I registered Murphy the robot[:)] and our team for "Yantriki" the Annual Robotics meet at IIT Bombay, India. The competition this time is a terrain-navigation course, while racing with an opponent.

Yantriki 2001 at IIT Bombay will be held sometime in October 2001. Their game this year is called Xterra. The objective is to make a robot navigate a path full of obstacles and such pains...

An excerpt from their page says:

http://www.me.iitb.ac.in/yantriki

--begin--

Xterra: Two contesting machines will be on a mission to overcome difficulties of the terrain to reach their goal. Each remote controlled machine will begin its journey from its base on an elevated platform; jumping onto a sand bed at the end of the platform and then climbing onto an inclined plane. It will then follow its specified path, steering clear an obstacle and around the rear of a garage; and finally parking into the garage. The one that reaches the goal first is the winner. Machines are forbidden from intentionally damaging or attacking their opponents.

The second level competition will require the machines to begin the journey like a cable car hanging from two guide pipes. Rest of the track is similar to the first level.

---end---

Lots of improvements and modifications need to be done if Murphy has to show some mettle there :-)

. Better wheels to improve grip. . Some shock absorbing mechanism. . Sand/dust proofing :-| . Radio control, since maintaining an IR link over a snaking course will be a tough call. . A smaller, more capable brain :) Homebuilt 8085 board? Basic Stamp? OOPIC? 68HC11? 8051? Others? . The motors+electronics need to be able to run off a battery... . The power/weight ratio should be good enough to outrun other competitors.

Other improvements might be necessary to make Murphy off-table-terrain-friendly :-0