In order to attract more students to the field of robotics and with the belief that “hands-on” activities provide a much-needed opportunity to enhance traditional classroom teaching, the AUVSI Foundation directly sponsors 5 annual autonomous vehicle competitions as well as other robotics events around the world.
The AUVSI Foundation's competitions have captured the imagination of students, industry, the media and the public around the world and have been featured on television, radio and news and special-interest publications around the world. Since the competitions began, more than $1.2 million has been awarded in prize money. Although the events vary in the challenges and settings in which they take place – air, land, sea and sub-sea – they have several key elements in common. The Foundation's events attract the best and the brightest students from around the world; and they serve as perhaps the best recruiting sites imaginable for any organization involved in the robotics field.
To learn more about sponsoring or recruiting at any or all of these events, please contact Clay Battin at battin@auvsifoundation.org.
2nd Annual National SeaPerch Challenge
April 11-13, 2012
Manassas Park Community Center, Manassas, VA
SeaPerch is an easy to assemble, underwater ROV (remotely operated vehicle) that serves as a perfect entry point into robotics for late elementary and middle school students. The SeaPerch curriculum was developed by the MIT Sea Grant College and is designed to teach students how to build underwater robots.
Each year, students build their own SeaPerches and compete in an underwater course with other student teams from around the country. More than 80 teams will participate in the 2012 event.
Event Website
Support the National SeaPerch Challenge
Provide free SeaPerch kits to schools
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UAE Innovation Challenge
April 24-26, 2012
Abu Dhabi
Northrop Grumman and the UAE’s Higher Colleges of Technology are pleased to announce the “2012 UAE Innovation Challenge.” Building on the success of the 2011 event, this year’s event will feature more student teams building and flying their original designed remote control airplanes.
Event Website
View the competition curriculum.
View the 2012 rules.
Join the online discussion group for the 2012 event.
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The RoboBoat Competition challenges student teams to design and build autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) that operate under rules of the waterway. This includes littoral area navigation, channel following and autonomous docking. This is typically done with computer vision, multi-sensor fusion techniques, proactive and reactive path planning, and machine learning approaches using embedded systems within the vehicle. This event is co-sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR).
Important Links:
Event Website
Video Gallery
Photo Gallery
Online Community
Journal Paper and Team Website Archive
RoboBoat Team Central (Intent to Compete, 2012 Mission, schedules, orientation info, team resources and discounts, etc.)
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15th International RoboSub Competition
July 17-22, 2012
SSC Pacific TRANSDEC, San Diego, CA
Co-sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the goal of this competition is to advance the development of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) by challenging a new generation of engineers to perform realistic missions in an underwater environment. This event also serves to foster ties between young engineers and the organizations developing AUV technologies.
Important Links:
Event Website
Video Gallery
Photo Gallery
Online Community
Journal Paper and Teach Website Archive
RoboSub Team Central (Intent to Compete, 2012 Mission, schedules, orientation info, team resources and discounts, etc.)
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20th Annual Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition (IGVC)
June 8-11, 2012
Oakland University, Rochester, MI
The IGVC challenges college student teams to evelop an autonomous ground vehicle that must navigate a complicated obstacle course, complete with an extensive list of mobility and design requirements. Partnerships between students and industry leaders enable the competition to not only serve as a unique educational experience, but also a way to get an inside view of design challenges and establish connections with potential mentors or future employers.
Important Links:
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9th Annual Student Unmanned Air Systems (SUAS) Competition
June 13-17, 2012
Webster Field, Patuxent River, MD
The SUAS Competition, aimed at stimulating and fostering interest in unmanned air systems, technologies and careers, is focused on engaging students in a challenging mission. It requires the design, integration and demonstration of a system capable of conducting air operations to include autonomous flight, navigation of a specified course and use of onboard payload sensors. Additionally, students are required to submit technical journal papers and make oral presentations.
Important Links:
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22nd Annual International Aerial Robotics Competition
July 31-August 3, 2012
Grand Forks, ND and Beijing China
The IARC requires collegiate teams to create fully autonomous flying robots capable of negotiating urban warfare situations. The IARC allows student teams to prepare for challenges that have robotic applications highly relevant to DoD and MoD programs.
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