Ah... Yes... Spring!... Birds are singing , plants are blooming, snow is melting, and robots are roaming. Robots? Really? YES!
May 14th 2011 will mark the 22nd Western Canada Robot Games and will be held at the Calgary AeroSpace Museum. I am so excited. Young and old robot enthusiasts all over western Canada are gearing up for the event, building robots, testing them in home-baked arenas, competing with friends and looking forward to game day. The Robot Games is run by the Western Canadian Robotics Society (WCRS) which has been around since about 1990 and started in Calgary, Alberta.
When I first connected with the Western Canadian Robotics Society in 1997, the annual games were already 7 years old. You can read about the games early history here. There were only about 40 actual members back then and robotics was a very new frontier. Today, there are thousands of members in the on-line community and many show up for the weekly build events and meetings. By 2004 I had become so involved that I landed a seat on the executive (VP) and had an opportunity to help plan the games - I can tell you it is no small task. As much work as it was to put on the event, it was ten times more fun to be there and watch amateur robot builders create something cool. It was extremely rewarding to help young students learn electronics, mechanics, and physics, then build a working robot and watch it compete for prizes in the ring.
Even if you are not able to get to the games, you can get a lot of value out of watching the web site or joining the society. The members are always working on something cool and interesting, particularly at this time of year. One of the most popular events is mini-sumo where you build a robot to fit inside a 10 cm cube, then have it compete autonomously in a ring with another person's similar bot - the goal being to push the opponent out of the ring. This one is fun for builders and spectators alike. A few years ago I had an opportunity to work as a judge at the games and the mini-sumo competition was like being at a UFC title match. Extremely exciting.
I have been building robots for almost as many years as I have been building computers (that's a really long time) and it is great to see clubs like this grow and gain new followers every year. Robotics is no longer in it's infancy, we no longer have to tear apart old hardware to salvage components (although that is still fun) and we no longer have to make up new circuits to do what we want (also still fun). Being a roboticist does not mean you need a degree or special knowledge any more, you just need a passion for cool things that move. There are numerous resources and clubs that can help you experiment with robotics any time any where at any skill level. I once taught a class of 10 year old students how to build working robots for less than $20 each and in the process taught them electronics, physics, mechanics and design philosophy - all in about 3 days. The result was priceless.
If you want to compete at the games there is still time, but you need to register now. If you want to be a spectator, I am sure there is room for you. If you are just interested in finding more about robotics, take a look at some of the cool links below.
http://www.robotgames.com/
http://www.asmac.ab.ca/aerospace/default.asp
http://www.jcminventures.com/
http://www.solarbotics.com/
http://www.parallax.com/
http://www.robotshop.com/
Be awesome. Change the world.
