Robotics · Sumo Competition
Brief
A sumo robot has one job: detect the other robot and push it out of the ring without driving itself out. That makes it a tight little mechatronics problem — a low, sturdy chassis, enough traction to push, and sensors to know where the opponent is. This is the design and build of that robot.
The Design
The robot was modelled in Fusion 360 and detailed as flat panels in AutoCAD — a ground plate, roof, and four walls that assemble into a ~200 × 200 mm box (the mini-sumo size class) with ~60 mm sides. The front face carries a rounded sensor aperture so the infrared sensors can see straight ahead, and the base is cut to seat the drive and walls. Drawing each panel to dimension means the body could be cut and assembled to a consistent spec.
Sensing
Forward-facing infrared proximity sensors let the robot detect an opponent in front of it and drive toward it — a simple closed-loop behaviour (sense → steer → push) rather than blind, pre-programmed motion. It’s the same sensor-feedback thinking that runs through the rest of my work, shrunk down to a 20 cm box.
The Build
The design was built into real hardware: an aluminium base plate, the forward IR sensors, a low wheeled drive, and the panel body — shown here mid-build with a temporary cover. Rough edges and all, it’s a working robot rather than a render: the point of a sumo bot is that it has to survive contact and keep pushing.
Value
Mechanical CAD, sensor selection, and a physical build that had to work under contact — a compact end-to-end robotics project that ties mechanical design to sensor-driven behaviour.