Teams and Projects

Team Lunabotics are working hard to face the Robot Mining Competition challenges set up by NASA. The contest involves simulating the building of a section of a berm on the lunar surface. This competition provides students exposure to NASA’s systems engineering process: design, develop and evaluate robots, and an opportunity to be involved in a challenge with other colleges and universities at the Kennedy Space Center. The teams will also perform public outreach, submit systems engineering papers and present and demonstrate their work to a NASA review panel.

The Midwestern Robotics Design Competition (MRDC) took place for many years during the Engineering Open House on the UIUC campus. Teams competed in bracket-style elimination over two days, where matches are 10 minutes each - four robots at a time. Each robot (ground or drone) must complete tasks to gain points, and the team with the highest points at the end of every match moves forward. This robot was designed for rough terrain driving, and the ability to attach new mechanisms each year depending on the upcoming competition. Stella has undergone significant improvements over the years including powertrain ability, structural, and electronics. The team is looking forward to participating in the Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition (IGVC) this year and we hope to find equal interest with this new competition!

Team AIR builds/programs drones, and emphasizes autonomy and controls built from open-source platforms. The team has also competed in MRDC, the International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC), and the Student Unmanned Aerial Competition (SUAS). Every year, the team designs a fully 3D printed frame for mounting several attachments to suit any need that may arise. The team always has plans to continue development on the software side and further improve autonomous functions.

Robobrawl is an annual combat robotics event that takes place each year during the Engineering Open House on the UIUC campus. The event consists of a double elimination tournament over the two days, where each team battles for dominance. The current format consists of 30 pound combat robots fighting in a 16′ x 16′ arena. The event encourages interdisciplinary engineering collaboration in order to challenge all comers in both design and manufacturing skills.