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| Oakland University engineering students place 10th overall in the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition. |
By Rebecca Wyatt Thomas, OU Web Writer
A converter wheelchair, a little horsepower and a bunch of algorithms helped Oakland University engineering students place 10th overall in the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition. The students turned the wheelchair into a vehicle to independently navigate an increasingly more difficult course as part of the international competition. The team also placed seventh in the design competition and won $500 for meeting compliance standards.
“We were very happy with our performance,” said Oakland Robotics Association President Micho Radovnikovich. “We placed 7th in the design competition, which was based on our design report and presentation, as well as the quality of the robot itself. We also won $500 for showing level two compliance with the Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems communication standards.”
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| OU's robot was based on the frame of a wheelchair. |
The Oakland University Robotics Association is made up of eight students, including graduate and undergraduate computer science students, electrical engineering students and systems engineering students, who used what they learned in the classroom to build a competitive robot.
Radovnikovich said the team didn’t have much time to test the robot’s artificial intelligence algorithms, but that is something they can build on for next year. This year, the group built a new robot and drive control system, a foundation they can use in future IGVC competitions.
The robots autonomously navigate a course set up in the open area at the corner of Walton and Adams road. A white line on the ground indicates the boundary. The robot must be able to look for intensity differences, and use range finders and other programs to navigate the path, which get more difficult as the competition goes on.
The IGVC is annually held late May to early June. For more information visit the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition Web site.
A converter wheelchair, a little horsepower and a bunch of algorithms helped Oakland University engineering students place 10th overall in the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition. The students turned the wheelchair into a vehicle to independently navigate an increasingly more difficult course as part of the international competition. The team also placed seventh in the design competition and won $500 for meeting compliance standards.