Sumobots ready to resume battles at UOIT
Thirty-four teams will demonstrate their robotics expertise at annual event
November 27, 2009
OSHAWA, ON. - Reporters are invited to capture the action first-hand next weekend, when high school robotics enthusiasts from across Ontario rumble into Oshawa to do battle at the fourth annual University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Engineering Robotics Competition.
There will be 34 teams representing 28 high schools at the event, which features autonomous robots assembled and programmed by students going head-to-head with other competitors' robot designs in a sumo-style match. Six 'sumobots' compete at the same time, with each team trying to eliminate others. Teams are eliminated if they are forced off the edge of the sumo table, into a pit in the middle of the table, rendered immobile or stop moving for more than 20 seconds. Matches last a maximum of three minutes.
The annual competition is the culmination of eight weeks of preparation for students that included workshops at UOIT where students assembled their robots, learned engineering theory and skills and took part in practice competitions under the guidance of faculty, students and other volunteers from UOIT's Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. The competition allows high school students to learn more about robotics while discovering the benefits and many career pathways and possibilities that come with pursuing post-secondary studies in engineering.
The event is once again being sponsored by BRIC Engineered Systems.
Among the entries this year are teams (including defending two-time champion Sir William Mulock Secondary School) from:
- Ajax;
- Aurora;
- Barrie;
- Belleville;
- Bowmanville;
- Bracebridge;
- Keswick;
- Markham;
- Mississauga;
- Newmarket;
- Oshawa;
- Richmond Hill;
- Scarborough;
- Toronto;
- Whitby; and
- Woodbridge.
Who:
Dr. Mikael Eklund, assistant professor, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, UOIT.
When:
Saturday, December 5
12:20 to 2 p.m. - first-round matches
2:15 to 4 p.m. - final-round matches
Where:
UOIT
Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre - new gymnasiums
2000 Simcoe Street North
Oshawa, Ontario
About Ontario Tech University
A modern, forwarding-thinking university, Ontario Tech advances the discovery and application of knowledge to accelerate economic growth, regional development and social innovation. We inspire and equip our students and our graduates to make a positive impact in a tech-focused world. For us, it’s not only about developing the next tech breakthrough. Understanding and integrating the social and ethical implications of technology differentiates us as university. Learn more at ontariotechu.ca.
Media contact
Tony Doyle
Communications and Marketing
Ontario Tech University
905.721.8668 ext. 2209
905.809.4763
tony.doyle@uoit.ca
