The Robotics Club at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ took fourth place Sunday at the international RoboBoat competition in Virginia Beach, Va.
The student-run club, supervised by faculty advisor Daniel Barber from the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ Institute for Simulation & Training, assembled a 15-person team and entered their boat, Gray Goose, in the contest against 18 other universities. Student teams in the fifth-annual challenge designed and raced vehicles through an aquatic obstacle course.
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ brought home a $3,000 prize from the competition, which was won by the University of Michigan. The challenge was sponsored by the Office of Naval Research and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.
Each teamβs vehicle had to complete casino-themed challenges at different stations as part of the competition, such as the βPoker Chipβ station, in which boats tried to retrieve a token from a dock. Teams were evaluated on their vehicleβs visual sensor abilities, speed and accuracy of navigation.
The Robotics Club at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ has placed at RoboBoat since the competitionβs start, earning second place in 2011 and 2010, and taking first place in 2009 and 2008.
To view the teamβs entry video for the competition, click here: http://youtu.be/z7W1wWVXAmA.