ABU ASIA –PACIFIC ROBOT CONTEST 2008-(Pune)

Robotics In India
Robotics is a field born out of the desire to automate. Making things happen by themselves is easier said than done. This is a field of science with varied application ranging from plausible to downright Science Fiction for common man. To make this true you need to be only at one place called "Doordarshan-MIT Pune, Robocon India."

ABU Robocon, kicked off in Tokyo in the year 2002. It was organized by Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. Doordarshan-India is one of the broadcast member’s of ABU.
Thus, "Doordarshan Robocon India" was born.

The ABU Asia-Pacific Robot Contest or ABU ROBOCON is an annual international project organized by the ABU, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union that consists of 118 broadcasters from 53 countries and regions. Young engineers exhibit their creativity and innovative skills at ABU Robocon!
Doordarshan Robocon India started in the year 2002 with four teams participating from reputed institutes. Engineering and Diploma Students are allowed to participate in the competition. Under standardized rules, entrants test their creativity and technology in an open competition.

So far, 25 countries/regions have entered ABU Robocon and exhibited the performance and strategies of their unique hand-made machines. The Contest is also intended to enhance friendship among young people who will lead into the 21st Century and to help advance engineering and broadcasting edge. The event will be on air in the member countries through ABU member broadcasters. In India the broadcasting is through DOORDARSHAN INDIA.
MIT joined hands with Doordarshan since in 2005 and since then the participation has increased manifold over the last couple of years.

ROBOCON MIT, 2007 saw a participation of 25-teams from all leading Regional Engineering institutes and IIT’s across the country. The number increased to 25 teams in 2007.

MIT Pune will be hosting the International contest in 2008. We look upon this contest as an opportunity to make India shine on the International Arena.

Theme
The contest theme is based on Indian mythology related to Lord Krishna (a Hindu deity) and the festival of Dahi-Handi, celebrated annually in northern part of India. Born as a prince and brought up into a cowherd family, Krishna is often referred to as "Govinda".

As children, Govinda and his friends used to raid kitchens in search of milk, butter (Makhkhan) and cheese (Paneer). They also used to tease young girls (Gopis) carrying pots (Matka) filled with water, milk, butter, or cheese on their heads. A common practice in rural India is to suspend these pots (containing Cheese, Butter and Milk) from beams high in the ceiling out of reach of cats.

During the day when the men were busy in the fields and the women folk busy with outdoor chores, the naughty and adventurous Govinda along with his band of friends would form a human pyramid to reach these pots and help themselves to the contents.

Game and Rules
"The Objective"

Two (2) opposing teams a Red team and a Blue team will operate Manual machines and Autonomous machines and attempt to get at the pots of butter placed at a height and remove the large cube of Butter (Makhkhan) from the bowls.

A few of the machines would also attempt to “Steal” the Earthen Pots (Matkas) containing balls of Cheese (Paneer) being carried by the Young Girls (Gopis).

Points are earned when the Butter is removed from the Bowls placed at a height.

Points could also be earned when a Pot and/or Cheese is transferred to a Basket.

The team which picks up all the three butter cubes directly from the bowls and holds them in the air will be declared “GOVINDA” (the winner) and the game will be over.

If no team becomes “GOVINDA”, the team which accumulates more number of points within the specified time of three (3) minutes will be declared as the winner.

Matches (Refer Appendix A1)
The contest is played according to the following format

* Preliminary Rounds
Round robin within groups. Winner from each group shall advance to the Quarter-Final

* Quarter-finals
Knock out matches

* Semi-Finals
Knock out matches

* Finals
Knock out match

1.0 Teams

1.1 Each team shall comprise of four (4) members consisting of three (3) students and one (1) instructor, all from the same university, polytechnic or college. Only the three (3) students are permitted to enter the Game Field.

1.2 Team members must be enrolled in their University or Polytechnic or College at the time of the international contest. Exceptions to this rule are those who were enrolled in a University or Polytechnic or College at the time of the domestic contest.

1.3 Postgraduate students are not eligible to participate in the competition

Refer Fig 1 - Plan of Game Field With Titles >>

Contest Schedule & Venue

Awards(Refer Appendix A2)
Prizes shall include awards for the winners, runner-ups, best idea, best engineering, and best design and ABU Robocon award, Special Sponsors’ awards.

Venue : MAEER's Maharashtra Institute of Technology {MIT}

Paud Road, Kothrud, Pune- 411038

For more information www.roboconindia.com