Published: March 18, 2008 07:44 pm            

Rose students’ robots run up the score

TERRE HAUTE — Points were being scored in rapid-fire fashion as 15 teams of sophomore and junior electrical and computer engineering majors squared off in Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s version of March Madness during the “Berry’s Bodacious Basketball Bash on the ’Bash” winter robotics competition.

As the final problem-solving test in an engineering practice course, teams were required to design autonomous LEGO-based robots that delivered as many ping-pong “basket” balls as possible within two minutes. Two basketball courts were part of the overall playing field, allowing for two teams to compete at a time in the double- elimination tournament, organized by professors David Voltmer and Daniel Moore.

The value of each scored basket was based on the location of the robot from the hoop, similar to real basketball. Most teams utilized a continuous loop mechanism with five or six ping-pong balls continuously being scored. One team, appropriately named “We Has A Bucket,” utilized a net on its hoop to help keep track of the balls.

The top-seeded Swedes LLC team swept the championship with an unbeaten record, including a 2,250-2,016 victory over the Teeming team in the finals.

“Nobody knows defense,” cited Voltmer in marveling at the high scores being recorded by the teams’ robots. He led the competition in a referee’s uniform and whistle.

Members of the Swedes team were Kevin Beals, a junior electrical engineering major from Mattoon, Ill.; Scott Fieldhouse, a junior computer engineering major from Demotte, Ind.; Benjamin Jung, a junior electrical engineering major from Schaumburg, Ill.; and Whitney Zimmerman, a junior electrical engineering major from Durham, N.C. The Teeming team included Joshua Cartwright, Brandon Finan, Matthew Moseng and Mitchell Thomas.

“The entire class involves teamwork, continuous improvement and plenty of testing,” stated Zimmerman, adding that the secret to the team’s success was a windmill-type device, created by Jung, that lifted balls from the bottom of the hoop around to the shooting area. The idea was crafted during the third day of testing and perfected throughout the assembly process.

“We needed to control the ball path and the shooting speed,” Zimmerman added. “Really, it’s not about winning. Rose-Hulman isn’t about competition. So many teams improved their designs throughout the course. I’m just happy to see such a competitive competition. We had fun, collaborated on some creative ideas and learned a lot about the engineering design process.”

Earning the Designer Award for most creative and elegant design, voted by fellow students, was The Ballers team of John Barton, Cory Bergen, Jonathan Clark and Robert Weaver.

The Stormy Award for most theatrical design, voted by all audience members, was the Hypotamoose team of Kevin Hengehold, Kyle Kavanaugh, Orcun Tekarslan, and Michelle Vitale.

A team’s performance did not impact a student’s course grade.

        

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