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MIT 6.270 Competition (Wednesday, 01-26-05 @ 6:00pm)
It was unfortunate that the snow kept the SYRA from attending the 2005 MIT
6.270 contest. On the web cast, it seemed a spirited competition, with
many of the same unpredictable issues that we often see at FLL tournaments.
Starting issues, computer issues, battery issues, some robots not doing anything
. . . The competition was fully autonomous, with no interaction with the
robots once started, and fairly complex rules governing the value of the balls
collected and placed in scoring areas (red and green balls could each have
positive or negative values, and could be placed in your own or your opponent's
scoring areas).
The best team name that we heard, in the same class with last year's "Evil
Monkey That Lives in My Closet", was "Yes, We Really Did Catch Our Robot
on Fire". The most interesting performance was the team member doing
magic tricks to stall while his team recharged their depleted robot (he was
pretty good, too!). Team 26 "This is Mike Lin" came in first, with team 29
"Boba Fet" in second, and the final match running past 10:00pm.
We hope to obtain the competition video on DVD for viewing by those that
didn't see the web cast.
We have posted some pictures from the
2004 MIT 6.270 Competition.
Use the Back button to return to this page.
MIT offers a course every January, in which students build
robots from LEGOs and electronics (they use a HandyBoard computer, not the LEGO
RCX) and compete in a contest that varies from year to year. This year's
theme is Attack of the Drones: May the Torque
be with You. The premise:
A short time from now, in a
galaxy very close by, the masses are in unrest. The non-trademark-infringing
Gedi Knights Council, droid masters, guardians of the free world, and
practitioners of the ancient interlocking plastic brick arts, have suffered a
huge loss. Their former leader, Chin-walakane-ra, better known as "Chuck", has
transcended to a higher plane of existence, and no longer will be around to keep
the masses in check. An election will be held to determine "Chuck's"
replacement, for without a leader, the Gedi Knights will be powerless to stop
the ever-growing threats of all-nighters in lab, freshman showering, and Red Sox
fans.
The
6.270 Information for Contestants page has a wealth of information for robot
builders. The
6.270
course notes explain the whole process in general, both the 2005 competition
and robot construction.
The final competition is at the Kresge Auditorium on Wednesday
night at 6:00pm. It is a great experience for FLL teams to see what
students from one of the world's best engineering universities can do with some
of the same materials that they work with themselves. Please attend if you
can, or catch the RealPlayer streamed video!
Kresge Auditorium (W16)
Final Rounds for MIT 6.270 course competition
Wednesday, January 26, 2005, 6:00pm, Kresge Main Auditorium
The final rounds of the contest. Robots will compete until a winner is decided.
This event will be televised live on MIT Cable.
Final Rounds WEBCAST
Wednesday, January 26, 2005, 6:00pm EST
Can't make it to MIT? Experience the excitement LIVE (with Real Player)!
Low Bandwidth (80 Kbps)
High Bandwidth (220 Kbps)
Directions to
MIT (from
MIT web site):
From the North (I-95 or I-93)
If you are heading south on I-93, follow I-93 into Boston
then follow the I-93 instructions below. If you are heading south on
I-95, take the I-93 South exit then follow the instructions from I-93.
Alternatively, take the I-90 East exit from I-95 then follow the
instructions from I-90.
From the South (I-95 or I-93)
If you are heading north on I-93, follow I-93 (the
Southeast Expressway) into Boston then follow the I-93 instructions
below. If you are heading north on I-95, take the I-93 North exit then
follow the instructions from I-93. Alternatively, take the I-90 East
exit from I-95 then follow the instructions from I-90.
From the West (I-90) (Mass Turnpike)
Follow I-90 east to the Cambridge/Brighton exit (exit
18). Following the signs to Cambridge, cross the River Street Bridge,
and continue straight about 1 mile to Central Square. Turn right onto
Massachusetts Avenue and follow Massachusetts Avenue for about a half
mile. The main entrance to MIT will be on your left. If you cross the
river again, you have gone too far.
From Route I-93
From I-93, take exit 26, and follow the signs to Back Bay
along Storrow Drive West, approximately 1.5 miles, to the exit for Route
2A. The exit will be on the left, just before the Harvard Bridge (more
appropriately called the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge). The Charles River
will be on your right. As you cross the bridge, you will be looking at
MIT - the Great Dome and academic facilities are on the right, the
dormitories and athletic facilities are on the left.
by Hood blimp
Take the blimp to the tall building with all the glass
windows (that would be the Hancock tower). Head north over the Charles
River and have them put you down on top of the large, convex, concrete
structure on the north shore of the river (that would be the Great Dome
of MIT). Watch out for police cars on the roof.
Parking Suggestions
Parking in Cambridge and Boston is generally not an
enjoyable experience. Whenever possible, park your car at the hotel at
which you are staying, and use public transportation to get to the MIT
campus. If you must drive to the campus, there are both on- and
off-street parking available, but most
public parking is not very close to the center of the MIT campus
(unless you arrive early in the morning or late in the evening).
There is metered parking on
Massachusetts Avenue. There are a number of lots at which you may
park for a fee. These include
Vassar St. Public Parking at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and
Vassar Street,
University Park / Star Market Public Parking, and
Marriott Parking Garage on Ames St. and Broadway.
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