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U.S. Army TACOM to Co-Sponsor Student Competition

29 May 1998

U.S. Army TACOM to Co-Sponsor Student Robotics Competition June 1 At Oakland University

    WARREN, Mich., May 29 -- On your mark, get set, go!  Eighteen
unmanned ground vehicles will pull up to the starting line at the sixth annual
Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International's International Ground
Robotics Competition, slated for June 1 at Oakland University, Rochester
Hills.
    The media and the public are invited to attend any of the associated
evens.  The main competition will be held in the field at the corner of Adams
Road and Walton Boulevard, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Monday.
    Practice trials begin May 30.  May 31 marks the beginning of
qualifications, the Bonus Challenge Event and the design competition.
    The contest is co-sponsored by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments
Command here, Oakland University, AUVSI, AUVS-Great Lakes Chapter, the Society
of Automotive Engineers, Fanuc Robotics and United Defense Limited
Partnership.
    A full field of student competitors are featured this year.  Teams have
registered from 13 universities, including local institutions like Oakland
University, University of Detroit-Mercy and Wayne State University.
    Student teams will test their skills on the new Bonus Challenge Event this
year.  Their vehicles must negotiate potholes, road debris, vehicles and other
unplanned obstacles.  A separate set of monetary prizes will be given to the
top three teams.
    This new event provides challenges and rewards in addition to the main
performance competition ($10,000 in prizes) and the design competition ($2,000
in prizes). The design competition, now in its third year, is run by SAE.
According to organizers, it brings a professional and academic completeness to
the event.
    Many of the participating universities offer up to two complete semesters
of course credits for participation in the event.  The dual-use nature of
unmanned ground vehicles has been recognized by industry, SAE and the
Department of Transportation.  The course has been structured to bring out
both military and civilian challenges facing future UGVs and automated highway
systems.