Bearcat II Robot Wins Big at International Meet Date: July 21, 2000 By: Chris Curran Phone: (513) 556-1806 A University of Cincinnati engineering team just returned from Disney World where UC's Bearcat II robot claimed third place in the International Ground Robotics Competition held July 10, 2000 in Orlando. The student engineering competition is one of three sponsored each year by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems. "It interests us most because we are in the Midwest and work with many auto companies, and we're among the 100 million drivers who want safer cars," said Professor Ernie Hall, the team's adviser and director of the Center for Robotics Research at UC The contest has four parts: Design Competition which requires a written report, oral presentation and vehicle inspection. Main Performance Obstacle Course. (Click here to watch a movie) Road Hazard Competition. Follow the Leader Competition. "The main event is number two, the performance competition" said Hall. "My students met each Saturday from September through May then someone was working nearly every day from May through July 10 to get their robot ready." The Bearcat II robot is designed as a kit or industrial erector set so that other schools can copy our design and enter the contest. Many of our team members are also industrial engineers, so a kit of industrial size and components fits their background. Automated robots have a variety of applications, according to Hall. The military is exploring robot tanks. The Society of Automotive Engineers would love to have safer cars, since about 50,000 people in the U.S. are injured in car wrecks each year. Several hospitals use automated guided vehicles to deliver food to patients. "And for the rest of us, wouldn't it be nice if we had a robot lawn mower (now available for about $600) a robot vacuum cleaner, or just a gofer robot to bring our computer to us?" asks Hall. "From a teacher's view, this is the most fun way I have ever found to teach feedback control, kinematics and dynamics of mechanisms, sensors and vision and artificial intelligence. The UC Robot team also teaches leadership, and the team members get to know each other and often help each other better than I could. During the contest they also helped the teams from Japan and Michigan and others." Hall said the international competition is an opportunity to compare UC's performance with other schools from around the country and world. "Coming in third place shows me that they compare very well and are just as bright and capable and reliable as anyone." More information on the contest and program can be found at: http://www.robotics.uc.edu/