SparkFun 2011 Autonomous Vehicle Competition - Onboard Video from Ground Vehicles

Several heats of the ground vehicle race at the SparkFun 2011 Autonomous Vehicle Competition. I was unable to get my vehicle ready by the third round, so I spent the time mounting a GoPro Hero on one of the ground vehicles in each heat. The video shows spliced segments of onboard video and offboard video, filmed with a Canon Powershot A540. We hastily mounted the GoPro on each of the unprepared ground vehicles, so the camera seemed to eject prematurely on about half of the runs.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• SparkFun
• autonomous
• vehicle
• competition
• AVC
• ground
• robots
• science
• happens

[ashmilo2112]

I want to enter next year but how can my robot navigate effectively with all those people walking around the robots? It's sensors will be overloaded and confused. GPS and waypoints are not good enough on their own. I want my robot to avoid obstacles like curbs, poles, and ponds but it can't do that effectively or quickly with so many randomly moving obstacles in the way. Other races keep the path clear of obstructions. An autonomous robot race should be even more unobstructed.

[StudioJooj]

@ashmilo2112, You're absolutely right - it can get a bit chaotic on the course despite the best efforts of the SparkFun staff. This year remains better than the previous - although having five vehicles run the course at once mean that there are a bunch of teams running about chasing robots - in addition to the spectators. It seems like the best way would be to rope off parts of the course and perhaps stage the launches of the five vehicles. Some robots were crushed right after the start.

[VinylMechanic]

Who was the moron in the blue coat and cowboy hat at the end there? The one who got in the way of the robot, then completely ignored it? What a twit!

That's the kind of "chaos" that can be lived without!

I still can't believe that someone at an AUTONOMOUS ROBOT competition couldn't be bothered looking around them in the middle of a race! That's someone who really doesn't understand what's going on. Maybe some big, simple, awareness signs (like "Don't feed the Lions") might work? Then again...

[SentryGun53]

@ashmilo2112

Also hoping to race next year. I have the same concerns about people in the way, and/or stepping on robots...