Engineered chaos excites Sac State
Sacramento Bee 2/19/07
The robots are commonly known as sozbots or antbots.
Engineering student Tim Burkhard calls his robot "Dome of Death" and describes it as a "remote control car on steroids" that can hit speeds of up to 10,000 revolutions per minute.
About 30 teams of college students and adults from across the country participated through a series of elimination rounds. They used bulky remote devices to flip, cut, bang and annihilate the competition.
The prize: cash rewards ranging from $100 to $600, the Hornet trophy and most importantly, they said, bragging rights.
The free event was part of the university's Engineering Expo, organized by students to showcase their work and to encourage interest in robotics among youth.
"We're drawing kids from high school to elementary and getting them excited about engineering," said Burkhard, who helps organize the festivities every other year.
The expo also featured displays from student organizations and community groups.
Other mechanical engineering projects included a mini-Baja race car, a 220-pound fighting robot and a Lego Mindstorms robot display. Civil engineering students showed off a concrete canoe and computer science students demonstrated their 3-D computer games.
Visitors appeared thrilled with the variety of interactive play.
"I like all the robot carnage most and just watching them battle," said 12-year-old Brent Klironomos of Sacramento, as he cheered from the stands surrounding the miniature arena.
Steve Dowling of Folsom, who brought his 8- and 12-year-old sons to the event, said he appreciated the educational aspect of the expo.
"This is good exposure for the kids and a way for them to learn a little bit about what jobs an engineering degree can bring," Dowling said.
California State University has a strong background in robotics, said Robin Bandy, chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
He listed several careers students interested in robotics can pursue, such as automotive technology, aerospace, manufacturing, construction, agriculture and medical science.
"Unless students can do something hands-on, they don't see how science connects to real life," Bandy said.
David Liaw of Fremont earned an engineering degree and now works for a semiconductor company. He said that he has participated in sozbot competitions for the past four years after being exposed to the sport on the cable television show "BattleBots" that aired on Comedy Central.
"I think the best thing about this event is just meeting with friends and hanging out," Liaw said after winning a two-minute battle using his four-wheel, four-motor robot, "Pooky."
Ron Palmer of Santa Barbara said the thrill of competition keeps him in the game. He has learned some winning strategies over the years, such as using blades on his robot to disable the competitor's tires.
"I just enjoy competing," Palmer said. "I used to drive race cars but this is a little bit safer."