Important practical information 

Here we summarize some important practical information for participants and visitors.

When?

You can however view last years schedule here: Competition schedule 2018.

Information for participants

  • Check in will take place between 08:00 AM and 09:30 AM, please be early.
  • We are not responsible for valuables, however some things could be put inside Chalmers Robotics workshop (we still are not responsible for it). It is a basement about 150 meters south of Ljusgården. One of the officials at the competition may be able to help with this. We will also have access to a conference room nearby where valuables may be stored.
  • If you need access to the WiFi ask about this at check in.
  • Participants will get free lunch from the kiosk. Just go and grab some when you feel like it!
  • At the competition area you will have access to a workshop and tools that can be used to modify and repair your robots. Please be careful not to plug in faulty equipment in the electrical sockets as that may blow a fuse and create a big hassle.
  • Please pay attention of any announcements during the day, the program may change without prior warning. If you do not show up for the round it counts as walkover.
  • Filming and taking photographs is highly encouraged. Please do share your material with us after the competition.
  • Please take the time to fill out our survey after the competition to let us know what you think! This is very helpful for us to make this competition as good as possible for you.
  • If you have any questions you can contact the competition officials via e-mail. See contact.

The start modules

During the Swedish Robotics Championship 2012 and Robotchallenge 2012 (Europes biggest robotics competition) the start module system was used with great success. The point of it was to make the competition more fair and prevent false starts. Therefore this system will be used this year as well. You can implement this yourself or buy the assembled module. The assembled module costs 75 SEK, shipping included within Sweden. Without shipping it costs 60 SEK. If you order multiple modules you only pay shipping for one of them. Order is done in conjunction with registering. Payment is done to CRF’s “bankgiro” 5861-1898. Label the transaction with your full name and “startmodul”. Please also send us a mail notifying us that you have transferred money. The module will be sent as soon as we have received payment. If you need international shipping, contact us and we will help you with this. If you do not wish to buy a start module you can borrow one during the competition if we have any extra. Also a deposit is required. To be safe you have a start module at the competition you should order one, also it gives you time to integrate it into your robot.

You can find more information about this at the start system information.

How to get here

Car

To get here by car, head for Teknologgården 2, 412 58 Göteborg. There are a lot of map and GPS services available on the internet, please use them. On Chalmers there is parking at the following places:

Public transportation

The trams 6, 7, 8, 10, 13 and the bus 16 stops at Chalmers. If you are coming from central station you can take 7 from Drottningtorget heading for Tynnered or bus 16 from Nordstan heading for Eketrägatan. For more information see http://www.vasttrafik.se/#!/en/
From the Chalmers bus/tram stop, go into the Chalmers area. The big building with a glass wall seen from the tram stop is the Student Union building. The Student Union Restaurant where the competition takes place is in the far end of the building. Entrance can be found on the east side of the building.

Living arrangements

Here is a list of a few links that may help you find places to stay. Be sure to book in time so you have a place to stay!

What to bring

  • The robots for the competitions you are competing in.
  • Computer for changing your firmware.
  • Tools and spare components for repairs.

What is offered

We will have a few soldering stations that all participants will have to share. Each team will have a workplace with a power outlet. We will also have some trouble shooting equipment but please bring your own to be sure.

Building robots

If you have never built a robot but think it sounds exciting, Robot-SM is an excellent reason to start. It might seem hard with all the knowledge and components that you need to build an autonomous robot, but if you put mind to it, it can be done! But to start you will probably need some guidance.

A good way to get started is by using the internet. There is an abundance of of information about robots available that is free to download and read. Some of which are:

Or simply just Google Build sumo robot.

An alternative that can be more accessible for the uninitiated is books aimed at beginners. These can give you an excellent base to stand on and offer detailed and structured descriptions on how you build you first robot.

A few recommended books are:

“JunkBots, Bugbots, and Bots on Wheels: Building Simple Robots With BEAM Technology”

Author: David Hrynkiw, Mark Tilden

Contains an intresting and easy description on how to build a cheap Minisumo Robot.

“Robot Sumo: The Official Guide”
Author: Pete Miles

Building instructions, international rules and so on. Please note that the rules described in this book may differ from those used at Robot-SM.