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Mobile Robotics skill challenge

supported and empowered by WorldSkills and Studica

In support of the WorldSkills Mobile

Robotics National and Regional
Communities

Challenge created by,

- Bob Tone bobtone@rogers.com
- 2021 Mobile Robotics Independent Test Project Designer
 Mobile Robotics skill challenge
supported and empowered by WorldSkills and Studica

Table of Contents

Item Page #
1 Introduction of the challenge 2
2 Purpose of the Online Challenge experience 2
3 Benefits connected with participating in the Online Challenge 2
4 Participation Requirements 3
5 Online Challenge Timeline 3
6 Online Challenge Rules and Regulations 4
7 Online Challenge Marking 5
8 The WorldSkills Mobile Robotics Official Court 5
9 The Primary Elements of the community layout 6
10 The 4 Client’s 8
11 Managing a Spill 8
12 Recycle Centre Materials 9
13 Stop Signs 9
14 Work Order Management 10
15 Location / Street Signs 10
16 Stop Sign Details 11
17 Procedure for Managing Evaluated Test Project Runs 12
18 Managing Test Project Difficulty Level 12
19 WorldSkills Mobile Robotics Collection 2019 12
20 Challenge Event Pre-Recorded 12
21 Waste Management Court Details 14
22 Core Waste Management Court 15
23 Waste Management Court Parts List 16

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 Mobile Robotics skill challenge
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1. Introduction:

Given the postponement of WorldSkills Shanghai 2021 to October 2022 and postponement or
cancelation of most national and regional competitions, Studica has decided to offer an online
challenge for Mobile Robotics. The Mobile Robotics skill challenge will be a shared,
competitive, learning experience meant to keep member countries and regions, and their
teams, engaged for 2021 and prepared for Shanghai in 2022.

For countries and regions that have cancelled their competitions, use this challenge as an
online program to continue your robotics education programs and competitions. Allow
students to complete their programs and compete against others regionally, nationally and
internationally.

For countries that are running onsite competitions but cannot send teams to Shanghai, adopt
this challenge and align with our program to have your winning team compete against other
countries.

2. Benefits to participating in the Online Challenge:

It is expected when students / competitors are building and programming a robot for this challenge
they will:

1. Gain an understanding of autonomous mobile robotic technology through design,

mechanical and electronic systems, controls, and programming.

2. Gain experience building a robot designed to accomplish a task.

3. Apply the fundamentals of problem-solving, program design, algorithms, and

programming application using a high-level language.

4. Learn the skill sets required for the development of an Intelligent Mobile Robot using
autonomous navigation.

5. Learn the engineering aspects of designing and building a robot frame and structure,
drivetrain, mechanisms, and manipulators.

6. Learn the electrical systems that control the mechanical structure of the robot as it
performs its tasks. Particularly for the electronics, embedded systems, control theory
and low- level programming. The control of a robot involves three distinct phases –
perception, processing, and action. Sensors give information about the environment or
the robot itself (e.g. the position of its joints or its end effector). This information is then
processed to be stored or transmitted and to calculate the appropriate signals to the
actuators (motors) which move the mechanical elements.

7. Understand the Computing technology that is a crucial part of robotics. This aspect deals

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 Mobile Robotics skill challenge
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with the motion planning, computer vision and machine learning aspects of robot
creation. This can include artificial intelligence and software design.

8. Understanding these five major parts of a career in robotics is crucial to becoming a

robotics technician/engineer. The challenge allows for the opportunity to put knowledge
into practice.

9. Gain an understanding of robotics technology through design, the mechanical and

electronics application, programming, and the application in the challenge.

3. The purpose of this Online Challenge experience is:

1. Offer a program that will allow WorldSkills members to continue and complete their
Mobile Robotics programs.

2. To assist in developing a common understanding regarding the skill set competitors

require to support success at WorldSkills Shanghai 2022.

3. To help teams learn how to use the new VMX/Titan Controller in preparation for
WorldSkills Shanghai 2022. Teams in Shanghai will receive the WorldSkills Shanghai
2022 Studica Mobile Robotics Collection which includes new structure, new electronics
and most importantly, a new open-source robotics controller where teams will be able
to program their robots in Java, C++. ROS, Python, or even LabVIEW. Note, currently
only Java and C++ is supported by Studica, but teams are free to use other languages on
their own.

4. To raise the skill level of all teams. Studica will provide both recorded and live video
training to registered teams and chief experts. This will include everything from
designing a robot to building and programming. Through this, all teams, including new
teams and teams that didn’t have the base knowledge will be able to compete in
Shanghai.

5. To prepare new teams to understand the challenge format and support their ability to
compete successfully.

6. To connect WorldSkills Regional and National Technical Committees with what is

happening in other regions and countries.

4. Awards and certificates

The top three winning teams, will receive First, Second and Third place certificates from Studica and
WorldSkills and will also be awarded a cash prize of $1,000, $750 and $500 in USD from Studica.

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5. The Waste Management Autonomous Robot Challenge:

The online challenge will be based on the Waste Management Autonomous Robot Challenge
which will define the Core Online Mobile Robotics Challenge Performance Requirements. The
main goal of the challenge is to build an autonomous robot that will navigate streets, to find a
specified waste material and deliver and dispose it to a waste management disposal site.

Given multiple regions and many countries have adopted the Waste Management
Autonomous Robot Challenge as their rescheduled 2021 challenge, this online experience will
enable participating teams to integrate this Online experience into their efforts related to their
national and regional challenges.

The challenge will be broken into two segments; national and international.
1. National:
At the national level, each country or region will run their own competition
either on-site or online as preferred. We suggest the WorldSkills member
organize the competition as usual by assigning a chief expert, creating
timelines and holding a final program to award a finalist that will represent
their country or region at the WorldSkills International level. We suggest
winning teams are awarded with medals or certificates as usual. This will run
from January to May.
2. International:
The international program will be the Shanghai equivalent where each
member nation will have one team that will compete with other member
teams. The challenge will be the same, but the representing team will now
work to complete their robot, create a journal for submission and prepare for
the finals which will take place over a 5-day period from Monday 7 June to
Friday 11 June.

The robot task:

Teams of two students / competitors are required to design and build a mobile robot that will
efficiently collect and deliver materials from homes to the Waste Management Center.

The robot must be built to function autonomously.

Note: The Waste Management challenge design is inspired by and based on the WorldSkills
Russia and WorldSkills Russia Junior 2019 National Challenge by Damira Ramazanova, the
WorldSkills Mobile Robotics Expert for Russia. Thank you Damira!

6. Participation Requirements:

To participate teams are required to have the following three items,

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 Mobile Robotics skill challenge
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1. The WorldSkills Shanghai 2022 Studica Mobile Robotics Collection is recommended to build the
robot to and accomplish the task, however, to help teams with limited budgets the following will
be accepted,
i. For national competitions, teams may use their choice of mechanical structure, however
they must use the VMX and Titan Controllers. Having the controllers will allow teams to
participate in the training and will make it easier for judging.
ii.For the international online challenge, teams must have the complete WorldSkills
Shanghai 2022 Studica Mobile Robotics Collection
2. The Studica Waste Management Autonomous Robot Kit or similar. Teams can create their own
lights, signs, waste bins and waste material for the challenge; however, you can find all items at
studica.com. Studica will also be happy to donate material to teams upon request and
availability.

3. The WorldSkills Mobile Robotics Official Court

7. Challenge Timeline

1. 19 January – Release Information document, publish information on website, email to

delegates, chief experts, members, etc., with an invitation to zoom presentation.

2. 22 January – Online presentation to all members

3. 19 January to 7 May: Regional and National Competitions. Member countries are encouraged
to provide all the team names to Studica to publish on official website.

4. No later than 14 May member representative MUST announce their finalist team. The two
individuals that make up the team and the name of the national expert. This information will
be published on the Studica website.

5. 14 May to 4 June, National teams will train for finals and prepare a Technician’s Journal for
submission. Technician’s Journals are expected to present the competitors journey from their
initial task analysis through their robot’s design, assembly, programming, testing, modifying
and final commissioning experiences. A standard template (digital) will be supplied to all
teams. This will involve the requirement for both text and graphical records including CAD
drawings and electrical schematics.

6. 7 June, teams must submit Technician’s journal.

7. 14 – 17 June, Finals:
▪ Each Challenge Day Teams will be given modified challenges based on the base Waste
Management Autonomous Robot Challenge.

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▪ Teams will have 3 hours to prepare and provide a 15-minute video of the robot
completing the day’s assigned task to be published together on a designated website for
live viewing.
▪ This formation will be repeated from Monday to Thursday with various challenges and all
will be published.

8. Friday 18 June, Awards Ceremony. Delivered by unified zoom we will announce the winners.

8. Online Challenge Marking

1. Marks Distribution Pattern

2. All marking will be conducted by groups of 3 assigned experts using WorldSkills’ CIS.

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 Mobile Robotics skill challenge
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9. The WorldSkills Mobile Robotics Official Court

The Waste Management Court Layout presents a community in which

competitor’s Mobile Robots / Autonomous Vehicles work in support of a Waste
Management Center.
This will require the robot to be able to:
a. Navigate the community streets remaining in compliance with traffic signs.
b. Manage 1 to 3 same size but different color recycling bins at 4 different client locations
c. Take temporary possession of the bins (individually or collectively) NOTE: Robots
cannot remove bins from the client areas
d. Retrieve the collection of objects (golf balls) from the bins in client areas
e. Retrieve individual objects (golf balls) from the floor of client’s area in the event a spill has
occurred
f. Ensure that the different types of objects are always kept separate when they
are in the possession of the robot
g. Deliver the sorted recycle objects (colored golf balls) into each of the 3 designated
bins in the recycling center
h. The control panel provided with the robot gives them a Start button, Reset Button, Stop
Button and an Emergency Stop.

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 Mobile Robotics skill challenge
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i. The autonomous programs will be started by a competitor pushing the start button on
the robot then immediately departing the court area.
j. The local computer will not be used for any processing or 2-way communication
during an autonomous test project run. It can however show feedback from the
various sensors and actuators on a robot.

10. The primary elements of the community layout include:

The Waste Management Center

a. 1200 by 800 mm Open Area raised 57 mm

higher than the general court floor,
b. The Entry Ramp Slope is 10
degrees
c. The Entry Archway provides a 600 mm
wide and 600 mm tall travel space
d. There are Three 308 by 210 by 100 mm
Storage Bins along the outside of the 1200
mm Back Wall
e. Each of these Bins has an image of the Bin
Label they support and a Black Tape Line leading to the center of the bin

The Robot’s Home: Start / End Space

a. Is a 705 by 600 mm Open Space

b. Has a 600 mm wide Entry /Exit
c. The Daily Work Order, displayed on the North
Wall, defines which Material Types the Robot is to
manage in response to the Current Work Order.
d. The ‘Uptown Clients’ #’s 1 and 2 Acorn Court are
displayed on the East Wall. If the client name is
present, then that client is included in the Current
Work Order. If the name is Not present, then that
client is not included in the Current Work Order.

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e. The ‘Crosstown Clients’ # 5 Maple Lane and # 7

Bridge Road are displayed on the South Wall.
If the client name is present, then that client is
included in the Current Work Order. If the name is
Not present, then that client is not included in the
Current Work Order.
f. The Robot is required to ‘Read’ the Work Order Display
to determine the specific task the Robot must complete.
g.The robot will send a text report back to the
control center (competitor laptop) that shows a
summary of the current work order and client
pickup schedule before the robot leaves the Start /
End Home Space.

h. The Center of ALL Signs (Home Area Material Signs, Client Address Signs as well as Street
Signs, Stop Signs and Client Home Area Signs) will be 174 mm above the court floor.

i. The Work Order Wall material signs are 50 by 50 mm.

j. The Black Tape Lines at the Home Area Entrance as well as at Stop Signs are 19 mm (3/4-inch
Gaffers Tape)

k. At the start of an Evaluated Test Project Run the robot will be positioned as follows:

• The center of the robot will be aligned with the center of the home area space
• Team’s must identify the front of their robot

The front of their robot and the robot’s camera must be facing directly towards the Home Area Exit Opening

10. There are Four Clients in the community requiring service.

1 Acorn Court 2 Acorn Court 5 Maple Lane 7 Bridge Road

The Four Clients have agreed to:

a. Always place the Blue Bin in the Center with the Green Bin to the Right and the Yellow Bin to the
Left
b. Each Bin will have a 150 by 19 mm 1 Acorn Court Black Tape Line leading to the Center of the

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Bin
c. The Center of the Blue Bin will be 400 mm to the Right or Left of the nearest wall
d. Use the same 125 by 87 by 57 mm Yellow, Blue and Green Bins
e. Provide a minimum of 668 by 800 mm Open Space in front of the set of bins
f. Empty Bins weigh 58grams
g. Solid Golf Balls weigh 44 grams
h. Whiffle Golf Balls weigh 3grams
i. Robots must retrieve the contents of the Bins in the Client Spaces and deliver these contents
to the appropriate receptacle in the Recycling Center.
j. Robots must ensure that the various elements (Golf Balls of different colors / type) are never
in contact with one another during either the collection / delivery process or in the Recycling
Center’s Final Destination Bins

Robots CANNOT remove any Bins from the Client’s Space at any time.

Observer’s Eye View of a Spill Robot’s Eye View of a Spill

11. Managing a Spill

Robots must be capable of cleaning up a spill of bin contents that either happens as a result of the
robot’s own actions or has happened before the robot arrives in a client’s space.

If a spill has occurred before the robot has arrived, then the clients have agreed to ensure the bin has
been returned to its’ correct position and has the lid open.

It is a competitor’s decision whether their robot will use the open bin during its’ spill clean-up procedure.

The court Tape Lines will be created using 3M 1755 Cotton Friction Tape -
3⁄4"

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12. Waste Management Center Materials

The Colored Whiffle and Solid Golf Balls are used to represent materials delivered to the
Recycle Centre

a. Biohazardous Materials – Yellow Bins – Yellow Whiffle Balls

b. Reduce / Reuse / Recycle Materials – Blue Bins – Blue Whiffle Balls
c. Waste Materials – Green Bins – Green Solid Balls

13. Stop Signs

When moving on the community space streets the

Mobile Robot / Autonomous Vehicle must comply
with ALL Traffic Controls.

When approaching a Stop Sign from the Front the

Robot / Autonomous Vehicle MUST STOP BEFORE
reaching the Black Tape Line.

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When approaching a Stop Sign from the Back the Robot / Autonomous Vehicle MUST NOT STOP and
MUST Continue traveling PAST the Black Tape Line

Note: The Black Tape Lines associated with Stop Signs and Traffic Lights are intended to serve as
reference points for those ‘Judging / Marking’ the Robot’s actions.

14. Work Order / Client Management is conducted using Material and Client Address Signs

Client Identification

The robot identifies the clients requiring service by viewing the ‘Uptown Client List’ on the East Wall of
the Robot’s Home Area and the ‘Crosstown Client List’ on the South Wall of the Robot’s Home Area

Clients are identified by Text Name and QR

The following Work Orders are offered as samples only and should not be viewed as being the only
available work order options.

Complete Town Day: The robot is required to service All Three Bin Types for ALL Four Clients

Blue Bin Day: The robot is required to service Blue Bins ONLY for ALL Four Clients

15. Location / Street Signs

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Street / Location Signs Are:

a. 150 by 50 mm
b. Have a Text section and a QR Code
c. Are Black and White
d. The Center of these signs will be 171 mm above the court floor.

The Waste Management Center and Robot Home Signs are on the court floor.

16. Stop Sign Details

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17. Procedure for Managing Evaluated Test Project Runs

A document providing additional Participation and Evaluation details will be created and shared with
ALL the registered National Teams taking part in the final Online Challenge.

WorldSkills Shanghai 2022 Studica Mobile Robotics Collection

The WorldSkills Mobile Robotics Collection 2022 described at:
https://www.studica.com/Worldskills2021/worldskills-mobile-robotics-collection-shanghai-2021.html will serve
as the equipment source for competitors attempting this Test Project.
18. Additional Components Restrictions

Maintaining an equal level of access to resources is a significant requirement for maintaining an equal level of
opportunity for success on the part of all Competitors.

a. All, ready to use performance or structural related components must be obtained through Studica to
ensure compatibility with the 2022 WorldSkills Mobile Robotics Component Collection.
b. Competitor Designed / Created Components must adhere to the following constraints:
• All sheet-based elements must be created using any polycarbonate material with a maximum
overall sheet size of 1000 by 1000 mm. This should be proved in the Technician’s Journal, along with
a visual evaluation.
• ALL 3D-Printed elements must be created using ABS, PLA, Nylon, PETG, HIPS, ASA or Carbon Filled
Fiber with a maximum overall weight of 1.2 kg. This should be proved in the Technician’s Journal,
along with a visual evaluation.
c. The Challenge Evaluation Process will assign marks based on compliance with these restrictions.
d. Competitors must include, in their Technician’s Journal’, a description of the creation process (Task
Analysis Stage / Design Stage / Fabrication Stage) for all ‘Competitor created custom components’.

Note:

Individual countries can modify these constants during their National Team Selection Process. However, ALL
National Teams participating in the June Online Challenge MUST comply with ALL these constants.

19. Challenge Event Pre-Recorded

a. A “Remote, Pre-Recorded” WorldSkills Challenge Event is an event held exclusively via videos of Robot
Performance based upon the daily assigned task.
b. Task runs that are submitted will be scored by groups of three experts using the CIS.
c. Videos submitted for a task must be recorded and submitted within the duration of the event set by
Studica. Videos recorded prior to the event’s start date & time will not be acceptable.
d. Studica will generate a set of unique, randomized alphanumeric codes to be sent to each Team at the
beginning of the Event. These will be used to name the video.

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e. All video format rules set forth by Studica apply. Furthermore, a second clock showing the current date /
time must be on video during the entire Match.
f. Task runs should follow a standard procedure, done and shown on one video without any “cuts” or edits,
in the following order:

1) Robot Inspection is done by the Team, showing on video, the inspection sheet signed and completed.
2) Measurements must be done using a measuring device such as a Robot Sizing Tool or tape measure.
The Team says the random code that they were given by the Event Partner out loud on video while
writing the code visibly on a paper or whiteboard.
3) Teams download their code to the Robot.
4) The Team shows on video a closeup view of the Starting space to provide video evidence that the
Robot is in a legal starting position.
5) The Team says out loud and writes on paper or whiteboard if they are attempting a task.
6) The Team starts a Match when the clock begins.
7) After the Match, the Team must move the camera to show that the robot has returned to the end
space and then show each of the client targets the robot will send a text report back to the competitor
laptop.
8) The video recording can now be stopped.

g. Teams will need to upload their video to the provided URL per the instructions provided. Videos must be
uploaded within 45 minutes of a run completion.
h. Webcam(s) with Zoom capability are also required to be active via the provided zoom link during the task
run. One webcam is permissible if it can view the whole field as well as move around the field via the SCM
instructions. Otherwise, additional webcams are needed to accomplish these tasks. Webcams need to log
into the event at least 5 minutes before your time slot.

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