RoboFest Hawaii 2007

RoboFest Hawaii 2007
November 17, 2007, 10am - 2pm
University of Hawaii at Hilo, Gymnasium

RoboFest Hawaii is a competition that frames robotics challenges with real science taking place on Hawaii island. This year, the challenge will place robots on a simulated volcanic landscape, with competition classes for elementary, intermediate, high school and open-league teams. Scholastic robotics teams are invited to participate in age and robotic platform brackets.

Map to UHH Gym RoboFest Layout

Highlights from 2006 RoboFest Hawaii event

Robots of all sizes, shapes and function came out in force to the second annual HELCO RoboFest Hawaii competition and engineering fair at the University of Hawaii at Hilo Gym on Saturday, November 17th. RoboFest is actually two events in one: a robotics competition with student and adult divisions, and a science/engineering fair with interactive exhibits from high schools, the University of Hawaii system and high-tech industry.

Robots are designed and constructed using various hardware and programmed using computers with a software development environment. A favorite robotics platform for students ages 9-13 is Lego Mindstorms, which consists of familiar construction bricks, studs, beams and pins, and specialized parts like motors and sensors. The robots are given intelligence through a microprocessor "brick" which accepts downloaded programs that operate without human intervention. The coding is done on a PC or Macintosh computer using an icon-based, object-oriented programming language that is intuitive and easy for youngsters to learn and use. Students can develop autonomous robots that are able to monitor their environment and react to events or feedback acquired through the attached sensors.

Many of the students were enrolled in this summer's Hilo Youth Robotics workshop that also trained teachers and parents alongside them. Most of the participating teachers and parents started up robotics programs at their respective schools and community organizations. Mentoring these scholastic teams were dedicated teachers, parents and motivated Hilo High School Robotics Team student members. The fact that these new teams were able to start up robotics programs and compete in RoboFest within one semester is attributable in large part to the support provided by them and their teacher Tom Murphy.

RoboFest Hawaii was created to offer accessibility to robotics competition to our local community. Many established national robotics competitions have high registration fees and take place away from home, which can impose a burden on families, schools and communities to fundraise for registration, travel and accommodations. Also, the most important people in these students' lives never have an opportunity to witness their

achievement. RoboFest "brings home" robotics to Hawaii Island. Sixteen schools (including off-island Iao School and Highlands Intermediate), organizations and individuals fielded forty three robots that competed in four different competition events. The competitions were tiered by level of difficulty, providing opportunities for teams of diverse experience and expertise to achieve success.

Final Standings

Lego Volcano Challenge (Rules)
Student teams ages 9-14 using Lego Mindstorms RCX or NXT robotics platforms and stock Lego parts and sensors.

1st - Highlands Intermediate Team 1
2nd - Highlands Intermediate Team 2
3rd - St Joseph Elementary "St Joe Bot"

Lego Brick Pit Dash (Rules)
Student teams ages 14 and under using Lego Mindstorms RCX or NXT robotics platforms and stock Lego parts and sensors.

1st - Highlands Intermediate Team 1
2nd - MB Thompson Academy "BIC007"
3rd - Waters of Life "Big Boy"

Mini Sumo Tournament (Rules)
Open teams, any age, using any robotics platform, mix-n-match or scratch built robots, constrained to 10cm x 10cm column and 500 grams in weight. Push opponent out of 77cm sumo ring.

1st - Tom Benedict "Shallow Blue"
2nd - Hilo High School "Bubbles"
3rd - Tom Benedict "Black Dolphin"

Line Follower Sprint (Rules)
Student teams ages 14 and under using Lego Mindstorms RCX or NXT robotics platforms and stock Lego parts and sensors

1st - Josiah Clark "Zippity Doo Dah"
2nd - Waters of Life "Sunny Bot"
3rd - DeSilva Elementary "Superbees"

Competition Score Sheets

A record crowd turned out to attend the second annual RoboFest Hawaii event

RoboFest Master of Ceremonies JE Orozco (left) and SEPO staff Kenyan Beals

Super Suzy Sanxter, Bliss Mishler and Emily Mishler in the RoboFest concession stand

Hilo High School robotics club mentored middle and elementary teams before the event

Myron B Thompson Academy robotics team

Kapiolani Elementary School robotics team and parent coach Kevin Purell

Face painting is an important part of robotics competition, don't you know?

Hilo Union School robotics team

Highlands Intermediate School team, with DeSilva members scouting

Kaumana Elementary School robotics team

Connections Public Charter School robotics team

Waters of Life Public Charter School robotics team

Check out what youngsters are doing in robotics at schools around Hawaii Island, including entry-level programs that use Lego Mindstorms, Botball that uses the iRobot Create platform, underwater ROVs that use common PVC tubing and FIRST robots. Discovery and Exploration stations will provide opportunities for the public to look at and play with some of these robots.

Much mahalo to Pascale Pinner and Cindy Fong of Hilo Intermediate School who brought a large pool and their underwater ROV (Remote Operable Vehicle) and ROV parts to allow the public to build and drive.

Along with the competition, representatives from K-12, higher education and high-tech industry will host hands-on informational booths. Hawaii is a unique place in the world, where cutting edge science conducted from the tops of the tallest mountains to the depths of the deepest oceans rely on diverse technologies. Young people can become a part of these fields of research at any level: as a technician, engineer or scientist by following a path of education that can be illuminated by our partners at this event. Come and learn about the Big Science on the Big Island, how technology and engineering drives it, and how young people can prepare themselves for careers in these fields.

Steve Baca, Hiroko Shinnaga and Riley Ceria of CalTech Submillimeter with nano-bots

Jon Wika of Bot.Com Cafe showcased his collection of robots to the public

Bruce Marshall shares information about the Waiakea High School's electric dragster

RAPID Technology, LLC had a bipedal robot with a video camera

John Coney of the UHH Marine Option Program

inge Heyer of the Joint Astronomy Centre

Steve Judd of Tentacle Combat Robots with a collection of his robots of all sorts

John Hamilton (UHH Physics & Astronomy) and Sonia Juvik (UHH Keaholoa STEM)

Natec and her crew at the Keaau Youth Business Center

UH Manoa College of Engineering's Native Hawaiian Science & Engineering program

Harvey Motomura of the Hawaii Community College Electronics program

Welcome to a new feature that showcases people involved in robotics from Hawaii (and beyond). Learn about these people, their background, how they got started, what inspires them, and what makes them tick...