IJCAI 2009
Robotics Exhibition
   and Workshop

Student Challenge - Guidelines

Back to the Student Robotics Challenge main page

Guidelines for the challenge

Each team should plan to participate in three activites:

The following sections provide detail on each of these three activities.

Exhibition and workshop

The IJCAI 2009 robotics venue includes a two-and-a-half day exhibition open to conference attendees. It also includes a full-day workshop at which highlights of the exhibits are presented. Teams should plan to exhibit and discuss their systems and strategies during the exhibit. A short presentation at the workshop will summarize the set of entries in the Student Robotics Challenge (URC), as well.

It is customary to use the exhibition time to fine-tune and test robot platforms, sensors, and algorithms in anticipation of the two formal challenge rounds. In addition, there are conference presentations to attend and other exhibits to peruse... it's both intense and a lot of fun.

Round 1 -- "Showing Off"

In order to serve as motivation for a broad set of coursework or research investigations, the first round of the Student Research Challenge is largely of each team's own design. Here is the basic task.

The Task

Judging

The judging of this portion of the challenge will be based on the following five criteria, weighted equally:


Other guidelines and notes for Round 1



Round 2 -- "The Unknown"

In the second round of the challenge, teams will perform precisely the same tasks as in Round 1. However, in this case, the environment will be more challenging, beccause the judges will determine the positioning of the landmarks and obstacles. This will be done in consultation with the teams, but it will also be done in such a way to push the systems to the limit of their capabilities - and perhaps beyond it. That is, teams should not expect to complete Round 2 perfectly; rather systems will be recognized by how well they do under increasingly difficult circumstances and how well they recognize conditions they can not handle.

Judging

The judging of this portion of the challenge will be based on the same criteria as for Round 1. The final comparison of the systems will include the results of both Round 1 and Round 2, with Round 2 being given twice the weight of Round 1.



Final recognition and awards

The final list of recognitions given out to teams will depend on the tasks those teams set out to demonstrate. However, we anticipate awarding at least

There may be other judges' recognitions too. Again, the fundamental criterion upon which the five judging elements build is the extent to which teams have created and demonstrated embodied computational intelligence in their entries.



Physical prizes may also be awarded - more on this as we approach the event itself.

It is also worth reiterating that we are eager to work with teams to make this a motivating, challenging, and useful event. If there are facets of the challenge that will help it dovetail with a research project, a class project, or another part of your curriculum - please let us know!


Contact the organizers

Please contact the organizers:

Deb Burhans (Canisius College) - burhansd@canisius.edu
Zach Dodds (Harvey Mudd College) - dodds@cs.hmc.edu