Where to start with robotics? .... or how to get involved at a relatively high level for a

relatively low cost?

• The simplest robots to build are wheeled robots• The simplest steerable robots to build are two-wheels in

a differential drive configuration• ‘Intelligence’ is cheap – microcontrollers• Simplify by having a tightly controlled environment – yet

give the problem a wide ‘dynamic range’.

• This gives us Micromouse ....

What is Micromouse?A micromouse is an autonomous mobile robot designed to negotiate a maze of known dimensions but of unknown configuration.

The maze is a square 16 cells by 16 cells, the start is in one corner, the finish is the central 2x2 square.

The mouse must negotiate the maze unaided, map it, solve it, return to the start, and complete a fast run to the centre – and then usually there’s more …..

Micromouse is the competition – the rules to which vary slightly, dependent on where in the world it is held.

Micromouse: the early years• 1950 Dr. Claude Shannon (yes, that one!) from MIT built the first maze

solving machine consisting of a sensing finger that was moved by two motors.

• 1952 Dr. Claude Shannon built a mouse that used relay memory built into the maze. This allegedly led to new ideas for using the logical power of computers.

• 1972 Machine Design magazine sponsored “Le Mouse 5000” for mechanical mice powered by clock springs – an early “Great Egg Race”.

• 1977 “The Great Clock Climbing Contest” sponsored again by Machine Design magazine, spurred the IEEE Spectrum magazine to propose a new competition for microprocessor controlled vehicles to map and solve a complex maze. The competition was announced in 1977 – “The Amazing Micromouse Maze Contest”.

• 1979 Amazing Micromouse Maze Contest, New York. 6000 entries, 15 entrants, 6 finishers. Slightly more difficult than most had imagined – 500-1000 hours work, and up to $500

Micromouse: the middle years• 1980 Euromicro, London (similar rules to current). 100 entries received,

9 mice competed at the finals, and only one – Sterling Mouse, by Nick Smith (UK), found the centre of the maze. Delegates from Japan took the rules back, and organised the first All Japan contest that same year. 18 mice entered – none were successful.

• 1981 Competition held in Paris. There were 13 competitors. Nick Smith’s Sterling Mouse won again, being the faster of the 8 mice to reach the centre of the maze. Dave Woodfield’s Thumper (UK) won the second UK contest in Wembley.

• 1982 Alan Dibley (UK) won the 1982 British competition with his Thezeus mice.

• 1985 First World Micromouse Competition, Japan. Competitors from Europe and the US, but the Japanese claimed all top honours – slightly different story to 1980. Dave Woodfield of UK was 7th with Enterprise.

• 1986 First US competition, Atlantic City, organised by the IEEE.

Micromouse: the later years

• 1987 First Singapore competition: Won by MIR3+ from Nanyang Technological Institute

• 1987 World Micromouse Championships, IEE, Savoy Place. Dave Otten of the US was 1st and 2nd with MITEE I and II.

• 1989 IEE UK Competition: Won by members of a Singapore team, taking 6 of the top 8 places

• 1991 World Championship held in Hong Kong.

• 1999 IEE run their last UK Micromouse Competition at Exeter University

• 2000-3 RHUL host the UK Senior competition

• 2001-6 MMU host the UK Schools competition

• 2004-7 TIC host the UK Senior competition

• 2007 Senior and Schools competitions merge : New mouse builders, New Competitions

Summary• UK peaked in late 80’s, then faded to International competition.

Since 2004 renewed interest has led to a new batch of UK mice , from old hands and newcomers. We recently had the Minos’07 conference, at which Derek Hall of the UK tied with Dave Otten of the US for first place.

• US still strong in IEEE University championships, and APEC Micromouse. Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong continued their huge interest and success. India has a very large following now, and recent interest from China suggests micromouse is becoming popular there.

• Teams and individuals from Iran, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Holland, France, Norway, Ireland, US, and Singapore have attended recent UK competitions.

Summary• There are now over 100 annual international robotics

competitions, many of which have micromouse events, and many more national and regional events.

• Comparable maze times have fallen from more than 40 seconds to less than 10 in the past 20 years

• It is our aim to help the UK get back to the topmost level of international competition, by encouraging our talented younsters into engineering by showing them that engineering can be challenging ....

..... yet it can also be hugely satisfying and FUN!

A1.1: Worldwide Events• Apr 1-8, 2007 Africa Cup International Robotics Competition• Apr 10-12, 2007 DTU RoboCupApr 12, 2007 BattleBotsIQ• Apr 12-14, 2007 FIRST Robotics Competition• Apr 14, 2007 Austrobot• Apr 14 2007 CRAC Maisonneuve Sumo Competition• Apr 14, 2007 CybAiRBot• Apr 14-15, 2007 Trinity College Fire Fighting Home Robot Contest• Apr 14, 2007 UC Davis Picnic Day MicroMouse contest• Apr 20, 2007 Carnegie Mellon Mobot Races• Apr 21, 2007 RoboRodentia• Apr 25, 2007 Istrobot• Apr 26, 2007 UNI Mini Sumo• Apr 27-30, 2007 Robotica National Festival of Robotics• Apr 27, 2007 RobotRacing• Apr 28, 2007 Historical Electronics Museum Robot Festival• Apr 28, 2007 RoboFest• Apr 28, 2007 ROBOMO Maze Solving Competition• Apr 28, 2007 The Tech Museum of Innovation's Annual Tech Challenge• Apr, 2007 Battle Beach

A1.2: Worldwide Events• May 4, 2007 Robot-SM• May 4, 2007 SPURT• May 5, 2007 Eastern Canadian Robot Games• May 8-9, 2007 Haifa Robot Competition• May 11-12, 2007 Swiss Eurobot• May 12, 2007 Chibotica• May 12, 2007 Western Canadian Robot Games• May 16, 2007 Micro-Rato• May 16-20, 2007 Eurobot• May 19-20, 2007 Mechwars• May 19-20, 2007 PDXBOT• May 21, 2007 NATCAR• May 23-27, 2007 ABURobocon• May, 2007 Atlanta Robot Rally• May, 2007 DPRG Robot Talent Show• May, 2007 KCRS Robot Exhibition and Competition• May, 2007 LVBots Challenge• May, 2007 Micro Air Vehicle Competition

A1.3: Worldwide Events• Jun 2, 2007 ION Autonomous Lawnmower Competition• Jun 2, 2007 Milford Autonomous Robotics Competition• Jun 8-11, 2007 AUVS International Ground Robotics Competition• Jun 14-17, 2007 FIRA Robot World Cup• Jun 15-17, 2007 RoboGames• Jun 22-24, 2007 MATE ROV Competition• Jun 30, 2007 UK National Micromouse Competition• Jun, 2007 Mobile Robotics Software Challenge• Jun, 2007 RoboBombeiro• Jun, 2007 Vancouver Robotic Games• Jul 1-10, 2007 RoboCup Robot Soccer World Cup• Jul 11-15, 2007 AUVS International Undersea Robotics Competition• Jul 10-13, 2007 Botball National Tournament• Jul 16-20, 2007 K'Nex K*bot World Championships• Jul 21-22, 2007 War-Bots Xtreme• Jul 22-26, 2007 AAAI Mobile Robot Competition• Jul 23-27, 2007 AUVS International Aerial Robotics Competition• Jul, 2007 Singapore Inter-School Micromouse Competition

A1.4: Worldwide Events• Aug 19, 2007 RoboCountry• Aug, 2007 Robot Fighting League National• Sep 3, 2007 DragonCon Robot Battles• Sep 21-23, 2007 Robothon• Sep, 2007 RoboCup Junior Australia• Sep, 2007 RoboPraxis• Sep, 2007 SWARC Texas Cup• Oct 26-28, 2007 Critter Crunch• Oct, 2007 DPRG RoboRama• Oct, 2007 Elevator:2010 Climber Competition• Oct, 2007 Robot-Liga• Oct, 2007 Russian Olympiad of Robots• Nov, 2007 AESS National Robotics Contest• Nov, 2007 All Japan MicroMouse Contest• Nov, 2007 Hawaii Underwater Robot Challenge• Nov, 2007 PAReX Autonomous Robotics Competition• Nov, 2007 Robotex• Dec, 2007 ARADBOT• Dec, 2007 LEGO MY EGG-O Robotic Egg Hunt• Dec, 2007 Penn State Abington Robo-Hoops• Dec, 2007 ROBOEXOTICA

A1.5:Worldwide Events• Dec, 2007 South's BEST competition• Dec, 2007 Texas BEST competition• Jan, 2008 Robot Sumo in DC• Jan, 2008 Singapore Robotic Games• Jan, 2008 Techfest• Feb 24-28, 2008 APEC Micromouse Contest• Feb, 2008 Pragyan• Feb, 2008 Robotix• Mar 15-16, 2008 Manitoba Robot Games• Mar, 2008 AMD Jerry Sanders Creative Design Contest• Mar, 2008 Boonshoft Museum Robot Rumble• Mar, 2008 CIRC Central Illinois Bot Brawl• Mar, 2008 National Robotics Challenge• Mar, 2008 Penn State Abington Fire-Fighting Robot Contest• Mar, 2008 Penn State Abington Mini Grand Challenge• Mar, 2008 Roboticon• Mar, 2008 RoboWars• Apr, 2008 Alcabot• Apr, 2008 HISPABOT• Jun 1-6, 2008 CIG Car Racing Competition Copyright noticeCopyright (C) 1994 - 2007 by R. Steven Rainwater.Verbatim copying and distribution of this

entire document is permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.

Micromouse: an overview

• The maze: 16 x 16 cells, each cell 180x180mm, with walls 50mm high and 12mm thick.

• The micromouse: must fit inside a 250mm x 250mm enclosure, but with no height restriction

• Rules have been developed for several classes of contact wall-follower, non-contact wall follower, and non-contact maze solver.

NORTH

*

11x11 maze: Junior

The 11x11 is approx. 2m square, and is just about ‘portable’ as a one piece assembly, leading to fast setup times.

16x16 maze: Senior

The 16x16 maze is approx. 3m square, and must be constructed in at least 4 sections, with a sub-frame for strength.

Schools Micromouse

• Tape tracks: Formula 1 (the RAT Race)

2 - 7 metre straight tracks side by side.

• Tape mazes: Formula 2, Formula 3

180mm cells from 50mm tape

• Walled Follower track: Formula 4

180mm cells, walls 50mm by 12mm, known configuration

Schools Micromouse was created to encourage individuals and teams from schools to engage with the design and construction of micromice, as part of the curriculum.

Tracks and Tape mazes

MICE

A wide variety of mice compete

Micromouse in perspective

• 10ft wide country lanes

• Hedges on both sides

• 250mph

• Keep the car exactly 3ft from the hedge

.... by looking out of the side window

(and that is just for straights)

UK MicromouseCategories:

SeniorJunior (under-18)Schools

Events:Maze Solver OPENNon-Contact Wall Follower OPENContact Wall Follower OPEN Formula 4 SCHOOLSFormula 1 OPENLine Follower OPEN

1. Only registered SCHOOL teams may enter the SCHOOLS events.2. OPEN competitions will have Senior and Junior (Under-18) categories.3. SCHOOL teams/individuals are also eligible for entry in the JUNIOR category.4. The OPEN and SCHOOLS events may run together, but will be judged separately.