What is the ABU ROBOCON ?
ABU ROBOCON, short for the Asia-Pacific Robot Contest, stands as a premier robotics competition within the Asian-Oceanian region. This illustrious event was inaugurated in 2002, courtesy of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. ABU ROBOCON serves as an exceptional platform for college students to exhibit their prowess in various domains, including mechanical engineering, electronics, and software development.
Why is it significant this year?
The spotlight this year shines brightly on Cambodia, as the nation proudly hosts ABU ROBOCON 2023. The competition's game rules were meticulously crafted to showcase the profound cultural heritage of Cambodia, with the game aptly titled "Casting Flower over Angkor Wat." Angkor Wat, more detail, a globally renowned temple complex, claims the distinction of being the largest religious structure on Earth, as recognized by the Guinness World Records.
Who we are ?
We are a group of fourth-year students hailing from the Institute of Technology of Cambodia, specializing in Electrical and Energy Engineering, with a major focus on Electronics and Automation. Throughout our journey, we have received invaluable guidance from our dedicated teachers and the wisdom of our seniors, who have played an instrumental role in our pursuit of robot design.
Our preparation for the robot contest was a true educational odyssey. We conducted extensive research into cutting-edge technologies, striving to ensure that our robots would stand at the vanguard of innovation.
Electronics
In the realm of electronics, we chose the STM32 microcontroller as the linchpin of our robot's operation. This powerful core was instrumental in managing and controlling the myriad sensors embedded within our robot. Leveraging the flexibility and data scalability offered by CAN-Bus communication over Serial-UART, we also took it upon ourselves to design and implement our proprietary module board.
Programming
Our programming endeavors extended beyond mere microcontroller programming. We embarked on a challenging journey to comprehend and harness the capabilities of the Robotics Operating System 2, or ROS2. ROS2 proved to be a versatile software framework, enriched with a treasure trove of open-source software. It facilitated the seamless integration of third-party libraries and frameworks, ultimately bestowing our robot with enhanced functionality.
Mechanical
Despite the absence of comprehensive coursework in mechanical design, we undertook the daunting task of crafting our robot's mechanical components. This year's mechanical design posed a formidable challenge, yet our determination and perseverance paid off as we completed both robots well in advance of the competition.
Presenting Our Remarkable Robots 😍
The Elephant Robot
The Rabbit Robot
Glimpses of Testing and Competition Days
The testing and competition days were brimming with exhilaration and boundless excitement! 😄
What was the result
Regrettably, we secured a fourth-place ranking, which precluded us from advancing to the international competition. However, as the host nation for this year's event, we had the privilege of fielding two teams in the international arena. The televised results from TVK are as follows:
Memories have been made
I extend my heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity to participate in this esteemed robot contest, despite the outcome falling short of our expectations. This achievement would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our parents, the wisdom of our seniors, the guidance of our professors, and the generosity of our sponsors.