Hi Peter and all , We ran a student assignment last year based on the idea of a timed race around a rectangular course - and we'll most likely run it again this year. It should have happened by the time Micromouse 2005 has run its course ... so we may be able to show something off in the hub. We could actually run a small event alongside the main competition to try it out ..... Regards Tony -----Original Message----- From: owner-micromouse@cs.rhul.ac.uk on behalf of Peter Harrison Sent: Thu 11/18/2004 9:54 PM To: micromouse@cs.rhul.ac.uk Cc: Subject: Re: Minimal mice I would like to see a mouse race. I understand that, in some SE Asian competitions, there is an event for mice to do a timed lap around the outside of the maze. This would be extremely easy to set up and I would expect most existing mice to be adaptable in as much as they would use whatever algorithm they have to solve a path. It would be a good way for the developing mouse builder to test or show of his/her straight line speed, steering control and cornering prowess. On my midget 5x5 maze at home, it is a compulsory event to test the effect of small changes to some of the cornering code and such. Two mice could compete in half each of a full-size maze. Heats and a knockout competition might be fun. Simple electronic detection can determine the winner if necessary. From my point of view, this would be a valid and useful competition because it is a reasonable stage in the development of a competition mouse. It would also give students with shorter project times a legitimate goal. Bill Marshall wrote: >With all this discussion of minimal mice how about this idea? Forgive me if it's been discussed before, but how about mouse circuit racing as an intermediate complexity event? I suspect many are put off maze solving because: >1. You need access to a maze for development. >2. The task is very complicated if anything other than a simple mechanical wall follower is built. >3. The average micromouse competition is not very exciting to the younger onlookers who see many robots failing to make much progress. > >A rectangular walled circuit 'maze' would be much easier to construct and could be any size. >The racing mice would need essentially the same hardware as a maze solver (microcontroller plus side looking wall sensors), but the software would be greatly simplified. Normally you need the low-level control and navigation routines with a maze solver on top. The racer still needs the control but no solver and easy navigation. > >
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