After an appraisal conducted by Khalifa University of the United Arab Emirates, the AL-ROBOTICS team, formed by Seville University, GMV and FADA-CATEC has been chosen to take part in the Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge (MBZIRC).

MBZIRC is an international robotics competition that aims to demonstrate the current state of the art of robotics and its many applications. The competition, held every two years, offers total prize and team sponsorship of $5 million. This year MBZIRC has received applications from 316 teams from 163 institutions in 45 different countries.

 

The competition, scheduled for May 2017, will consist of three challenges and a triathlon-type Grand Challenge. The “playing field” is a football-pitch-sized outdoor venue. To accomplish the tasks within each challenge, teams need to develop advanced, groundbreaking solutions involving robotics technologies of which GMV is past master. These include autonomy using artificial intelligence techniques such as planning, scheduling and multi-agents; path-planning and control of UAVs and UGVs; manipulation and grasping through robotic arms; and environment perception using laser, stereovision and time-of-flight devices.

Within the team GMV is leading Challenge 2, in which a 4-wheeled rover with a robotic arm has to locate and reach a panel, grab the right wrench and physically operate a valve stem. In Challenge 1 GMV is in charge of the relative tracking of a UAV with regard to a moving landing platform.