Warehouse FAQs

Q: How do I register for the event? Is there any abstract submission for the event?

Registration for the events has to be done from www.ktj.in. No abstract submission is required.

Q: Is picking/gripping compulsory or can the block be pushed?

Yes a picking/gripper mechanism is Compulsory, since the block needs to be lifted to a height of 12 cm to be placed on the top shelf. The block can be dragged or pushed on the shelf but it should not fall down or go beyond the safe zone. The gripper must, however, be controlled to gestures only using no physical buttons or explicit contacts to act as switching circuits.

Q: Can we use smartphone or camera for gesture recognition? What other sensors can be used?

Yes, you can use a smartphone, camera or any other sensor for gesture recognition but make sure you use a 16 bit microcontroller for locomotion and gripping mechanisms. Other sensors that can be used are tilt sensors, accelerometers, gyroscope etc. You cannot use any buttons as a means for the gesture control.

Q: Is it very necessary to operate the robot with two different accelerometer sensors as shown in the tutorial video?

No it is not necessary to use 2 sensors for controlling the robot. You can use any number of sensors for solving the PS. Note that the gesture recognition is needed for the locomotion as well as the movement of the forklift/gripper, rack and pinion,etc.

Q: How many members can be there in a team and how many team members can control the motion of the bot during the run?

There can be a maximum of 4 members in a team and only 2 team members can control the robot during the run. Also you cannot change the teammates who are controlling the bot during the run. You will have to take a timeout for that purpose. You can also alot a team member with the task of holding the wires of the robot so that they do not interfere with the arena or the bot.

Q: What kind of microcontroller can be used to control the locomotion and gripping of the robot?

Any 16 bit or less microcontroller can be used for the locomotion and gripping mechanisms. To see whether you microcontroller is 16 Bit or less refer to its datasheet.

Q: What kind of a sensor can be used of detecting the RFID tags?

You can use many sensors for RFID detection. Make sure it detects the frequency of 125KHz.

Q: Can i add a button to switch between my gesture control for locomotion and gripper movement?

No.

Q: Can we use a readymade gripper/forklift?

Yes you can use a readymade gripper/forklift as given in the tutorial or you can also make your own. But make sure your gripper is gesture controlled and not manually using physical buttons. you can use this link: https://www.robomart.com/buy-acrylic-robotic-arm-gripper-online-price-india?search=gripper&dsearch=gripper

Q: What will be the dimensions and materials of the blocks?

Size of blocks will be 5*5*5. The Block will be hollow and made of wood. It will be less than 50 gms.

Q: Can the bot be connected to the Laptop during the run?

Yes, the bot can be connected to the laptop during the run, but it can only be done if you are using the laptop camera for gesture communication. All on board processing as well as locomotions and movements must be on the 8/16 bit microcontroller. You cannot use the laptop only as a power source either and you must burn the code on the bot and also have a power source like an on board battery or an adapter source.`

Q: Do we have to deposit block in safe zone one by one or can we deposit more than one at a time.

Yes it is not compulsory to deposit the blocks one by one. You can store multiple blocks on the bot during run and deposit them at their safe zones but the evaluation of the correctness of the position of each block will be done at the end.

Q: Where is the starting zone?

Starting Zone will be 30 x 30 cm square adjacent to one of the sides of the arena. The bot must be within that square at the start and the end of the event. The starting orientation can be decided by the user but Team ROBOTIX can disallow certain orientations if they do not feel that orientation is fair.

Q: Does the robot have to return to the starting zone to mark the end of the run? If no, how do we know when the run ends?

Yes you have to return to the starting zone. The run will end as soon as the task is complete within the time limit and is placed in the safe zone or when the team wants the run to end or when the time runs out.

Q: Is there any wall surrounding the arena?

Yes there will be a wall surrounding the arean from all the four sides and you will be penalized if the robot hits it during the run.