Using Robot Competitions to Promote Intellectual Development

The three competitions--(1) AAAI Mobile Robot, (2) AUVS Unmanned Ground Robotics, and (3) IJCAI RoboCup--were used in different years for an introductory undergraduate robotics course, an advanced graduate robotics course, and an undergraduate practicum course. Based on these experiences, a strategy is presented for incorporating competitions into courses in such a way as to foster intellectual maturation as well as learn lessons in organizing courses and fielding teams. The article also provides a classification of the major robot competitions and discusses the relative merits of each for educational projects, including the expected course level of computer science students, equipment needed, and costs. The sponsorship of such competitions ranges from local clubs of enthusiasts to large professional organizations, such as the American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), which sponsors the annual AAAI Mobile Robot Competition and Exhibition as part of its annual ...