Introduction: This report is meant to serve mainly two purposes; first, it gives detailed information on the subject contest. In that it highlights the main features of the event; the theme of the contest, the number of universities and teams participated, the complete process of the competition, brief history and benefits of such competitions; and Secondly it provides guide to the prospective teams and the faculty involved in the design and manufacture of the competing robots. In this part, the report provides a systematic sequence through which the students of this department are passed through in design and manufacture of the mobile robots.

 Last two decades have seen tremendous activity in the field of robotics. Robots clubs have sprung up every where in the world and thousands of web pages are devoted to robots. A large number of robot contest are held annually through out the world. The primary reason for the importance the robotics field has attained is its multidisciplinary subjectivity. Since, there lies interest for the vast variety of engineers in the design and manufacture of robots, this field is accepted at faster pace. For example; the major fields that design and manufacture of robots encompass are mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science and a specific subfield of artificial intelligence (AI). Robotics is about building systems. Locomotion actuators, manipulators, control systems, sensors, efficient power supplies, well-engineered software – all of these sub systems have to be designed to fit together into an appropriate package suitable for carrying out the robot task.

The contest that the department of Mechatronics organizes provides a great learning to the participating teams. The successful design phase of the robotic machines helps understand the complete loop of the data acquisition and control which is extremely important in designing any control system. For example, the students learn to apply following important feature of their class room learning; optimum mechanical design of the mobile robot; environment sensing like line tracking, object sensing, limit switches operation; all using either sensors or camera vision. These inputs are then, after requisite signal conditioning, fed into microcontroller which is the brain of the machine (robot). The logical computer program based on the inputs, stored in the micro controller, sends the out puts to the actuators for the assigned tasks.

In fact the robot is just an interesting object on which the whole process of data acquisition and control is implemented. Once a student gets enough expertise in implementing the whole process on his robot, he can then be expected to successfully design and implement this control process to any bigger industrial process or a plant. The feed back from the students who successfully designed their robot, with all above mentioned feature has been extra ordinarily encouraging. These students gain such a confidence after this contest that they can take up any control oriented industrial project without any major difficulty. This is the ultimate achievement of the contest of this nature. That is why we see that the contests like “DARPA Challenge”, “ABU Robocon”, “Robocup” “UAV Contest” of Georgia Tech and many others, are given extreme importance in the world. We, at the department of Mechatronics, College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, hope that this vision of ours is also given the same importance at higher level of thinking and decision making in the country.

  The Robot Development Process- Mechatronics Department

 The fundamental question that any prospective team for this contest can ask is; Where do we start in building the robot? The answer lies in the results of all the contests held so far. Why it was so that Mechatronics Department teams won Most of the prizes? The answer to this is in the proceeding lines. We, in the Mechatronics department have included the making of the robot for this contest as a part of curriculum. For example; the building of robot for the contest is given 60% weight to a four credits course of “Mechatronics Design Lab”. Not only this, we also break up the robot building process in modules allocating deadlines for the completion of the modules. These modules are; building robot base (including the wheels). Second module asks for potting one ball in one of the baskets (for the theme of year 2008); and similarly it goes on in modular phase. The machines are then tested for every phase both practically and through viva. The students are also tested for knowing the rules of the contest; before they actually make the machine. This whole modular process takes the students successfully through each module till the complete robot is developed. The idea of breaking the complete mobile robot design in smaller modules and objectives has proven to be extremely successful. By this experience, students also learn to divide the bigger aims in life into smaller, easily achievable targets.

 We would also recommend here to the students groups of other universities to follow a similar approach. If there is no theory course matching to what is done in the Department of Mechatronics then machines to be used in such contests can be assigned as final year projects to the students.

 ROBOTICS CONTEST OVER THE YEARS:

The contest was started back in 2003 as “Fire Fighting Robot Contest (FFRC)”. The contest attained immediate acceptance among students and faculty. In 2004 the contest was re-organized with slightly change in theme but still remained as Fire Fighting Contest.

THE NATIONAL ENGINEERING ROBOTICS CONTEST:

YEAR 2005-2006:

The first NERC was organized in 2005, in collaboration with STEM Careers Programme (HEC). Its theme was similar to previous years with slight modifications. The competition was a huge success. In NERC 2006, the theme was totally different from the previous competitions.  Instead of extinguishing candles, the robot had to pot tennis balls into the goal posts of similar heights.

YEAR 2007:

The 5^th competition of the robotic series was organized in the college of EME in October 2007. Once again proving to be a successful competition, the number of teams registered was 61. The theme for NERC 2007 was to pot the balls into the goal posts of different heights. One high goal post was placed along with four smaller ones.

YEAR 2008:

The goal of this contest was to build an autonomous mobile robot. This robot should be able to move in a model arena and fulfill the task of potting tennis balls into the goal-posts. The theme for this competition was to “pot the tennis balls in the goal posts of different heights”. Total eight balls were to be potted. The robot could initially load four balls; the rest of the balls had to be picked from a container carrying nine balls. A total of 78 teams got registered for this event.

Year 2009

The contest took place from 8^th to 11^th of July at the College of E&ME (NUST). The contest consisted of two categories: Indigenous Robot category and Modular/Lego category, each based on the focus of design and the level of technology used. 108 Teams participated in NERC 2009 from around 25 different institutes from across the country and the event was a huge success.

NERC 2010

This year 154 teams took part in this mega event from 37 institutes around the country. The event is took place from 7^th to 10^th July 2010 at the College of E&ME.

The contest consisted of two categories (Indigenous and Modular), each based on the focus of design and the level of technology used. The aim of the contest was to build an Autonomous Robot which should be able “To move in a specified arena, comprising of a non flat terrain with two ramps of specified gradient, and insert wooden pegs into the peg-stands placed at pre-defined points in the arena”. There were some differences in the theme and rules for both the categories. Both categories had separate prizes.

 FUTURE VISION OF NERC

 NERC is the only national level Robotics event that is held in Pakistan and is one excellent example of its kind. Currently around 35 institutes from all over the country take part in this mega event. The Universities/Institutes that frequently take part in this event every year include University of Engineering and Technology Lahore, Pakistan Naval Engineering College Karachi, University of the Punjab Lahore, Air University Islamabad, Centre for Advanced Engineering Studies (CASE) Islamabad, University of Engineering and Technology Taxila, International Islamic University Islamabad, Wah Engineering College Wah Cantt, Bahria University Islamabad, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering and Technology Topi, NED Karachi, Sir Syed UET, HeadStart School Islamabad, City School Islamabad.

 The thirst for more is never quenched and a margin for expansion and improvement is always there to be found. Taking a leap into future, we at the Department of Mechatronics plan to take this event at international level, involving as the first step developing countries of the greater region. The venue for the event is also planned to be shifted from College of E&ME to Liaquat Gymnasium Islamabad. This would not only foster rapid development in the field of robotics but would also broaden the cultural vision and academic expertise of the participating students. The platform would also reflect the soft image of Pakistan, a country that is capable of bringing high profile academic ventures and pursuits to the international level. With all this and much more in mind, we are all set to embark on a path that would surely bring a good name to the nation and serve it in the best possible manner.