On May 21st, the Greater Princeton Branch of AYLUS (GPA) supported the Robo Cup Junior USA in Princeton High School as volunteers.
Venue: Princeton High School, 151 Moore St, Princeton, NJ 08540
Competition Day: May 21st (Sun), 2023
Leagues: Rescue, On-Stage, Soccer
- RESCUE
RoboCupJunior USA Rescue mirrors the real life use of robots to rescue people from life-threatening situations. Teams of two to four students design and program a rescue robot to complete the rescue mission in fully autonomous mode with no human assistance. The robots use all types of sensors to navigate through debris and obstacles, to sweep through rooms, to go up and down ramps, and to look for the victim to save. Teams may use any technologies (materials, controllers, sensors, etc.) they choose, as long as the robot does not violate RoboCupJunior USA Rescue rules.
- ONSTAGE
RoboCupJunior USA OnStage is a competition that integrates science, technology, engineering and the arts. Teams of two to five students present a 1-2 minute creative stage performance using autonomous robots that they have designed, built and programmed. The OnStage challenge is intended to be open-ended insofar as the performers can present any type of performing art they choose, including dance, storytelling, theater and performance art. The challenge emphasizes creativity, often bringing one or more robots together dressed in costume, moving alone or with humans. Teams are encouraged to be as creative, innovative and entertaining as possible. The competition often involves a wide range of roles for team members, including software design and development, robot design and construction, performance planning and choreography, set design and construction, costume design, music and video design and implementation.
- SOCCER
In the soccer competition, teams of two to four students design and program robots to play soccer against opposing robots. The robots are fully autonomous and use sensors to find and kick the ball into their opponent’s goal.
GPA Volunteers (5/21): Manfred Yan (6.5 hrs), Kevin He (6.5 hrs), David Chen (7 hrs), Alexander Chen (8 hrs), Alice Wang (3 hrs).
A Reflection by Alexander Chen:
Volunteering at RoboCupJunior to Promote Innovation
Robotics is fun! Volunteering at a robotics event can be lots of fun too! Robotics is a great way for children to produce innovative designs in a competitive environment that might benefit our society. Thus, volunteering at a robotics tournament can be an excellent way to contribute to our society as well.
On May 20 and 21, several AYLUS members volunteered at the RoboCupJunior tournament hosted by Princeton High School. Volunteers spent the first day from 10:30 – 1:30 helping set up the competition platforms, where all the teams will drive their robots and compete against each other. We were responsible for labeling the tables, moving boxes and clearing the gym for more space to set up the competition area.
On the day of the tournament, which lasted the entire day, we took on more important roles – some being referees for the competitions, while others contributed by ensuring that all of the games were running smoothly and according to plan.
I was excited to be able to participate as a volunteer for the competition, helping out with several aspects of the event including field setup and team queueing. The team queueing was a challenge, and on some occasions, I had to run back and forth quickly to make sure the teams knew when they would be playing. Although the work may seem trivial, it is still vital to the success of this event.
It is immensely fulfilling and rewarding to know that our hard work is helping cultivate innovation among the youth and helping them become future scientists and engineers. AYLUS’s efforts helped the event immensely, providing the much needed support. We as AYLUS members will continue to work hard providing assistance for those in need and having a positive impact on our community!
