BSC engineering technology students invested more than 5000 hours' work in the development, design, fabrication, and testing of "Centurion," a 300-pound robot utilizing electronic, mechanical and computer systems that have been designed, constructed, and integrated by the students.

Hosei University (Japan) won the IGRV competition, which attracted student-built robots from 34 colleges and universities, including Ohio State University, Princeton University, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, Virginia Tech, U.S. Military Academy, Enbry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Ecole Polyechnique De Montreal (Canada), and West Virginia University.

During the competition, the BSC "Centurion" negotiated around an outdoor obstacle course in a prescribed time, avoiding obstacles on the track while staying within the five miles-per-hour speed limit established by competition rules. Dr. Robert Riggins, BSC engineering technology professor and team advisor, noted that the Centurion incorporated major design changes over "Blue Boy" and "ENIAC," two previously designed and built autonomous robots. "One of the most significant major design changes was the inclusion of computer vision capability," Riggins noted.

Using an old go-cart frame, the BSC students improved their steering mechanism by utilizing a stepper motor for precise steering. They also built a "redundant" vision capability, using both banner and sonar sensors. "We noticed during previous competitions that all robots failed to navigate through the whole course because of failures in identifying road edges and obstacles," Riggins explained. "Our idea was to keep the robot in the competition, even if one system failed."

To prepare the event, the BSC student team conducted extensive testing before going to the competition. "All of the design work on the Centurion was done by a team of Bluefield State College undergraduates from various disciplines, including electrical, mechanical, and computer engineering," Riggins continued.

Centurion team members included Aauabh Srivastava, Joshua Fowler, Amy & Jarrod Snider, Tom Lambert, Shawn Nunn, Chandra Duty, Ammar Shawli, Anthony Crews, and Jerry Pugalee. "Centurion is controlled and tested by our user-friendly visual basic program, a program that was easy and a delight to write," the team advisor added.

At the competition, each college's vehicles were unmanned and autonomous, guided by their ability to perceive the course environment and avoid obstacles. Vehicles were not steered by remote control, and all computational power, sensing, and control equipment was carried on board the GRVs.

"This competition offered a design experience that is at the cutting edge of engineering education," Riggins stated. "It is multidisciplinary, theory-based, hands-on, team implemented, outcome tested, and based on product realization. Students at all levels contributed to the team effort, and at the event, students interacted with industrial sponsors and potential employers. It was exciting, and it affirmed our belief that Bluefield State College engineering technology students can more than hold their own with students from other outstanding engineering programs throughout the world."

July 29, 2002