Fight Real Sumo Robots Anywhere in the World
SurrogateTV's SumoBots Battle Royale arena lets players fight in a robot sumo competition over the Internet.
Sumo matches, where robots attempt to push each other out of an arena, are a staple of robotics competitions. As fun as this can be, you normally have to actually go somewhere to find others with the same interests and carefully prepared hardware, but not anymore. When active, SurrogateTV’s new SumoBots Battle Royale game enables you to simply log on and fight with other robot competitors over the Internet.
The robots you’ll be controlling are rather tough little devices by JSumo. They’re made of steel sheets, but had to be modified with a 3D-printed housing to enclosure new electronics, including an Arduino, a custom motor driver board, and a lithium-ion battery. They’ve also added a servo motor that pops out as a flipping mechanism, turning the robot right side up when it’s on its back.
Like any sumo competition, the goal is to push your opponent out of the arena. Unlike other competitions, however, their octagonal ring actually changes shape during gameplay. Spectators can actually vote on which sections drop out during gameplay, making them active participants in the outcome. The arena is tracked via a a pair of Logitech C925e cameras, which passes data to an Ubuntu PC running a computer vision system. Symbols printed on the top of each bot assist with this task, allowing for automatic scoring, and even the ability to direct the little sumos to a recharging station when needed.