The vision of machines that can assume daily tasks in more and more areas has been the cause of countless scientific initiatives in robotics. Research in the area of fully autonomous robotic sailing boats took a large boost in 2006 due to the Microtransat initiative from Mark Neal and Yves Brière. More and more teams attempt to teach their robot boats the complex processes of sailing. Optimal route planning, the perfect reaction to constantly changing wind conditions as well as perfect timing for tacking and jibing are just a few of the skills that the artificial sailor must master at the world championships.
From the 18-25 May 2008, the best robotic sailing boats of the world will fight for the first World Champion title in robotic sailing on Lake Neusiedl (Austria). At the same time, the competition acts as the dress rehearsal for the Microtransat in Autumn 2008 – the first fully autonomous Atlantic crossing by robotic sailing boats with a maximum length of 4 metres.
A particular highlight of the world championship week will be a human versus machine race, which will allow us to see how well the robots can currently sail compared to human beings.
World Robotic Sailing Championship 2008
In robot sumo, two robots compete with each other in attempting to push the other out of the ring. The ring is black; the edge is distinguished by a white line. The sumo rules are standardised internationally. Competitions in this discipline take place all over the world in six different weight categories.
This discipline is very popular with audiences and demands a lot from the robot constructor. For the last few years, groups from the Vienna-Bratislava region have been involved in robot-sumo with great success. The European championships aim to enable robot designers to see how they compare with others on an international scale and motivate the foundation of new initiatives.
