Robots built and programmed by Shoreline Community College students placed 1st and 3rd in the American Society of Mechanical Engineering Pacific Northwest Engineering Student Design Conference held at Tacoma Community College April 8-9, 2016. The conference included participants from both two- and four-year institutions across the Pacific Northwest.
This was Shoreline Community College’s first year entering the competition with a robotics project. The two student teams, made up of Yun-Chien Lin and Hsuan-Han Lai and Sheng-Kai Chen and Hucheng Guo, took third and first respectively in the mini-SumoBot competition. The students are members of Shoreline’s Engineering and Technology Society, and their entry into the competition was sponsored by the Associated Student Government and supported by faculty advisor Dr. Eric Basham.
“The results of this competition demonstrate that Shoreline Community College students can compete with both two- and four-year engineering student teams and win!” said Basham. “But aside from winning, participating in these competitions helps students to gain confidence in their skills as creative thinkers and innovators, network with their peers, and get noticed in the industry. And completing projects like the mini-Sumobot also sets students apart when they apply for internships and transfers.”
While the wins showcase the talent and ingenuity of our students, they also reflect on Shoreline’s commitment to supporting the growth of our students and providing them the appropriate tools to be competitive in the marketplace after college.
“Our students are in a unique position to enter competitions and win, not only because of their own talent,” said Basham, “but also because Shoreline possesses the specialized facilities to fabricate robots, a unique collaboration between manufacturing and engineering, and a blossoming robotics and mechatronics program in both engineering and manufacturing.”
For those not in the know, a mini-SumoBot is a relatively small, self-propelled, electromechanical robotic device designed to compete in Sumo-style matches by forcing an opponent’s similar device out of a designated competition zone. Autonomous SumoBots, once placed in starting position and activated, operate under their own internal logic and programming, without any human guidance or control. SumoBots do not use any form of weapons. Points, penalties, and victories are determined in the style of classic Sumo.
Shoreline’s Engineering and Technology Society plans to compete against both college and professional teams again this fall, this time on a national level. The Engineering and Technology Society received generous sponsorship support from ROBOTIS and jSumo for their entry into the American Society of Mechanical Engineering Pacific Northwest Engineering Student Design Conference competition.