For immediate release: December 1, 2002
Contact Marci Hersh, 216-368-6518 or meh10@po.cwru.edu

CLEVELAND—Students of Case Western Reserve University's Autonomous Robotics course have designed and built teams of two LEGO robots that will compete in a hockey-like rink to steal pastel eggs from their rivals, block the opponent's nest, and stop them from gathering, 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, December 14, at the Great Lakes Science Center, 601 Erieside Avenue. The event can be seen live online at http://legocam.cwru.edu/.

An example of a Lego robot built by CWRU students.

Students of the Case School of Engineering course in autonomous robotics spend a semester designing and building the robots from LEGO kits, sensors, and motors. They control the robots behavior and allow them to adapt to competitorsâ behavior by programming them with on-board microcomputers.

"The Great Lakes Science Center is the perfect venue for the Egg Hunt where a diverse audience from all over Northeast Ohio can watch the robots compete," said Randall Beer, lead instructor of the course and professor in the department of electrical engineering and computer science.

"The robots rely on light sensors and polarized light beacons to guide them around a fixed field with a goal at each end, and in depositing the pastel eggs in their own nest and not their competitorâs," said Richard Drushel, co- instructor and senior research associate.

During the CWRU competition, teams of two robots will cooperate to collect eggs together or specialize and let one robot attempt to block the opponentâs nest.

"Teams of students build these robots, honing in on the aesthetics of the robots and their computer programming inside," said Drushel. "Learning to work in teams is critical in modern engineering. We welcome anyone to come cheer the robots to victory. The robot competition at the Great Lakes Science Center is just pure fun for kids, families and adults."

The event is open to the public. There is an additional charge for admission to the Science Center's exhibits and/or OMNIMAX theater. For further information about the CWRU Autonomous Robotics course, visit http://www.eecs.cwru.edu/courses/lego375/.

–CWRU–

 

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