LVBots Challenge 2.5 - Dec 2, 2006
Our forth robot competition was held again at Durango Hills Community Center / YMCA in the north west area of Las Vegas. We had 21 robots competing in the 4 different events, including our new Pool Race competetion.
We would like to thank the following sponsors for their gracious prize dontations:
 Pololu |
 Solarbotics |
 Parallax |
 Wright Hobbies Robotics |
 Nubotics |
 Make: Magazine |
 Norland Research | |
Line Following Results
We had 6 robots competing in this event.
Robots had to make 3 laps around the track without falling off, and were given 2 chances to do this.
We started with preliminary races to determine the top 4, and then had a single elimination bracket to
pick the winners. Many of the bots were racers at the last event, but all of those had slower times this time around.
The line following track had 12 straight tiles, and 24 curve tiles, for a total 3 lap length of about 2821 cm.
| Robot | Builder | Best Time | |
| 1st Place | Laser | Byon Garrabrant | 43.44 seconds |
| 2nd Place | What's That Smell? | Jan Malasek | 44.54 seconds |
| 3rd Place | Quixo | Scott Garrabrant | 1:35 |
| 4th Place | JG 1000 | Jacob | 2:02 |
| Got the Shakes | Mike Griffith | 3:23 | |
| Big Ugly | Candice Kamachi | Lost the line |
Mini Sumo Results
We had 7 entrants in the mini sumo event.
As we did last competition, the preliminary events were a chance for every bot to have a single battle with every other.
Then the top 4 from the preliminaries went on to a single elimination bracket of best 2 of 3 battles.
| Robot | Builder | Preliminary Wins | |
| 1st Place | Ultra Violet | Jan Malasek | 4 wins |
| 2nd Place | Bucky 2.0 | Scott Garrabrant | 3 wins |
| 3rd Place | Happy Jr. | Byon Garrabrant | 6 wins |
| 4th Place | Red | Mike Griffith | 4 wins |
| DK2 | Dennis Krostoski | 2 wins | |
| B-Dog | Brandon Hjelstom | 1 win | |
| Quarto | Scott Garrabrant | 0 wins |
Line Maze Results
We had 3 competitors in the Line Maze event. They were all either a bot from, or from a builder in the 2.0 competition.
All three solved the maze perfectly after the initial exploration.
All three also showed a sign of realization of solving the maze, so all received the 0:10 bonus removes from their time.
This event was down to one half a second between first and second place.
| Robot | Builder | Time | |
| 1st Place | Square | Jan Malasek | 0:31 seconds |
| 2nd Place | Mini Mazer | Byon Garrabrant | 0:32 seconds |
| 3rd Place | Quoridor | Scott Garrabrant | 2:38 |
Pool Race Results
We invented a new event for this competition, a NASCAR style muli-bot race around a track.
Two tracks were used, an inflatable pool, and also an inflatable pool along side a large trash bin.
Bots started equally spaced around the track, and had to complete 5 laps around the track, while hopefully passing other racers.
This resulted in several multi-bot pileups, but the winning bot was fast, and stayed far away from the inside walls of the track, so it
was never caught up in the collisions.
We had 5 competitors in this event, and, although we didn't realize that it would become such a contact sport, it was the
most exciting event of the day.
| Robot | Builder | ||
| 1st Place | Dog's Pants | Ben Schmidel | 5 laps on complex course |
| 2nd Place | Her Pleasure | Nat Luvera | 3 laps on simple course |
| 3rd Place | Centrifugal Force | Scott Garrabrant | 3 laps on simple course |
| Pool Boy | Dave Leblanc | 3/4 lap on simple course | |
| Wiggles the 2nd | Candice Kamachi | 1/2 lap on simple course |
Event pictures
Here are a few random pictures from the event.
The table of the competitors
Mini-Mazer running the maze
The crowd enjoying the sumo event
Ready to start the first run on the complex course
Pool Boy caught in the turn
Collision time on the simple course
Dog's Pants keeping to the outside
Her Pleasure was small, slow and steady
2012-02-09
Emily: RGB LED Halloween CostumeAdd yourself here!
2012-01-26
6:00-6:10 Robot help - ask questions about anything6:10-6:20 Introductions & group matters
6:20-6:30 Kevin - Zumo prototype and QuadBot
6:30-6:50 Kevin - I2C
6:50-7:00 Nathan - Quick intro to 3D scanning with Davidscanner (free version).
At ~7pm we will adjourn to a nearby bar or restaurant for general discussion.
2012-01-05
Neil and Michael: Navigation project with TReX JrEric and Mark: Big Traxx
Kevin: 5m LED strip synchronized with music
Ryan/Paul: General organizational discussion for LVBots
At ~8pm we will adjourn to a nearby bar or restaurant for general discussion.
2011-10-27
Show and tell: everyoneVintage electronics: Eric
Dual VNH5019 Motor Shield RyanTM
2011-10-13
David: New servo control library for the WixelNathan: Hackerspace Status Update
2011-09-29
Kyle S: Heathkit HERO jr. Robot from 1984, educational robot. it has a few problems.
Nathan: ST L6384E H-Bridge MOSFET driver troubleshooting.
David: AVR Studio 5 demo, featuring the Pololu USB AVR Programmer
RyanTM: New arduino shield
2011-09-15
2011-09-01
Dave: 2-way wireless communication with PICAXE using Wixels
Brian: RGB led strip demo
RyanTM: exciting new motor driver
Kevin: IMU board (gyro+compass+accelerometer) demo
2011-08-18
Paul G: reflectance sensor demo (requested by Paul I)
Dave/Paul/Kevin: Try to wirelessly program a PICAXE - should be much easier since they just use RX, TX, and GND.
2011-08-04
Paul I: Line follower
Dave: Request a demo of how to wirelessly connect a Parallax Sumobot with a serial interface to a computer using Wixels. I have the Sumobot and will purchase the Wixels.
2011-07-21
Paul I: HexapodDiscuss contest ideas.
Dave: Flea and Ant fighting robots (live demo), Boy Scout Electronics Merit Badge Kit (before and after assembly) and a FingerTech motor controller demo.
Andy H: DSO QUAD pocket oscilloscope
Kevin: Tank chassis sumo battle
Paul G: new shiftbrite LED modules
2011-07-07
David: Programming the ATmega2560 with ICSPRyanTM fun small-robot drive: link
2011-06-23
Kevin: more tracked chassis examples using new tracksNathan: Sailboat motor regeneration bench demo
2011-06-09
Kevin: 3d gyro
RyanTM: Wixel Shield for Arduino
David: Programming the Wixel on Linux and maybe a Mac
Someone: new current sensors
2011-05-26
Kevin: building a tank chassis with Tamiya plates and Pololu wheels & treads
Nathan: Regenerative Motor Control Demo (Untested!!)
2011-05-12
RyanTM: new Satellite LED modules (003, 004)
Ben: 25D gearmotors
Ben: tank treads and bolts
Ben: m3pi POV LEDs
Jan: USB microscope
2011-04-28
Kevin: Wixel i2c interface demos - wireless compass and barometer
RyanTM: m3pi (a board for mounting an mbed on a 3pi)
Mark: ?
2011-04-14
Kevin: Wixel wireless tilt mouse and joystick
Paul: new robot arm from Dagu, several new metal gearmotors
2011-03-31
David/Kevin/Paul: new Wixel apps
2011-03-17
David: Deskpet Robot Body from Shapeways
David/others: Wixel
2011-03-03
Paul: Scorbot-ER III robot arm (dropped off by Eric O)
Nathan: Even more regenerative electric motor stuff (batteries included).
2011-02-17
Nathan: Regenerative electric sailboat motor part IIKevin: wireless robot with Rover-5 tank chassis, wixel, and Arduino SVP
David/JanH: wixel bootloading software
RyanTM: AutoHotKey demo (easy way to control servos and other things with a keyboard or joystick)
RyanTM: CHR-UM6 Orientation Sensor
Fang/Paul: torque meter
2011-02-03
Nathan: Regenerative electric sailboat motorRyan: Wirelessly controlled 3pi Robot
Ben: 25mm-diameter encoder motors
2011-01-20
Kevin/Ryan: 3d compass / accelerometerDavid/Kevin: wireless serial port
Paul: absolute encoder
Travis: mbed-based robot ?
Kevin: wireless router robot
Henry: XMOS
2011-01-06
Ryan: barometric pressure sensorByon: removing email addresses
Byon: email requesting help with Sahara West Library robotics program (see Yahoo Group)
David & Kevin: wireless serial port demo
2010-12-16
Henry: XMOSHenry: Windows CE touchscreen computer
Aaron (visitor): demoing his REVO 1 robot
JanH: update on Pololu AVR library support for OSX
RyanM: Relative humidity sensor.
Byon: Minimal progress on the encoder bot chassis
2010-12-02
David: mbed robot racing videoRyan: Demo of computer cable for Agilent meters
Paul: Demo of Octobrite DEFILIPPI driving 24 LEDs
Jan H: Preview of support for Pololu AVR Programmer
Kevin: Demo of 20x4 Character LCD with LED backlight