Bearcat 3 Robot Wins Big at International Competition

The University of Cincinnati College of Engineering entry captured three different prizes in an international robotics competition this week in Florida.

The Bearcat3 Robot was competing against top engineering schools in the United States and from as far away as Japan in the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Contest July 6-8 at the Coronado Springs Resort in Walt Disney World.

"Sachin Modi, our team leader, has done a splendid job this year," said Ernie Hall, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the UC Center for Robotics Research.

The UC Robot Team won the First to Qualify award. They also won a trophy, certificate and check for Third Place in the Autonomous Challenge Contest. They also came in Fourth Place in the Navigation Contest. UC was one of only three American univerisites to receive performance awards during the competition.

"I believe our team worked very hard, were wonderful representatives of the University of Cincinnati and had a great experience," said Hall, adding that UC out-performed several well-known schools including the University of Florida and Virginia Tech which started out with five different robots.

The Bearcat3 Robot included a Global Positioning System to help in navigation, but was also required to follow a specific pattern. So, the test track work was essential to preparing the team for national competition. The track was set up on Campus Green with the assistance of Gary Herzog in UC's Building and Grounds.

More information is available on the contest web site.