Competition Strategy

Team Minion's Approach
Team Minion enters the RoboBoat 2025 competition as a critical step toward achieving excellence in the RobotX 2026 challenge. Leveraging insights from past successes and focusing on modular design, MiniMinion is optimized for high performance in prioritized tasks while balancing rapid development and adaptability.

Primary Objectives:

Focus on High-Impact Tasks:
Prioritizing tasks with strong overlap to RobotX challenges, MiniMinion will concentrate on:
- Navigation Channel: Showcasing precise autonomous navigation.
- Return to Home: Highlighting robust GPS-based navigation for a smooth finish.
- Treacherous Waters (Docking): Demonstrating accurate docking under challenging conditions.
Stretch Goals

Mapping Migration Patterns (Follow the Path): Developing complex path-tracking and obstacle avoidance capabilities.
Race Against Pollution: Testing speed and maneuverability under timed constraints.
Rescue Deliveries: Advancing object and water delivery systems with custom solutions like the ball launcher and water cannon.

Team Strategy Highlights:

Reuse and Refine: Key software modules from RobotX, such as path planning and object recognition, have been repurposed for MiniMinion with upgrades to fit RoboBoat requirements.

ROS 2 Migration: Transitioning core functionalities to ROS 2 ensures system robustness and future readiness.

Hardware Innovation: MiniMinion benefits from retrofitted propulsion and electrical systems, addressing past design flaws while introducing modular elements like a portable enclosure and simplified motor configurations.

Agile Testing: With a tight timeline, bi-weekly on-water tests ensure rapid iteration, while structured task prioritization maximizes readiness for competition day.

Vision for Success:
By concentrating on efficient task execution, fostering new team leadership, and integrating innovative hardware and software, Team Minion aims to secure at least a semi-final spot at RoboBoat 2025. This milestone will strengthen the team’s foundation for future competitions, ultimately driving toward victory at RobotX 2026.

Task 1: Navigation Channel

MiniMinion demonstrates its core navigation capabilities by autonomously passing through two sets of red and green buoys without contact. The ASV starts at least 6 feet before the first gate and adapts to varying shoreline positions for precise execution.

Team Minion's Approach: With robust control and sensing, MiniMinion efficiently handles dynamic conditions, showcasing its readiness for autonomous challenges.

Task 2: Mapping Migration Patterns (Follow the Path)

In this task, MiniMinion navigates a complex pathway marked by red and green buoys, avoiding obstacles such as endangered species (yellow buoys) and stationary vessels. The ASV must pass cleanly through each set of gates and count the yellow buoys along the way, reporting the findings per competition guidelines.

Team Minion's Approach: With advanced sensing and path-planning, MiniMinion ensures smooth navigation and accurate data reporting, reflecting the team's commitment to precise and environmentally aware operations.

Task 3: Treacherous Waters (Docking)

In this task, MiniMinion must locate and dock in an empty bay that matches the correct color or shape of the day, while avoiding occupied bays. Docking bays may display banners with shapes (circle, triangle, square, plus sign) and colors (blue, green, red). Contact with the dock is allowed but contact with stationary vessels results in reduced points.

Team Minion's Approach:
By integrating precise sensing and obstacle avoidance, MiniMinion ensures accurate docking even in challenging conditions.

Task 4: Race Against Pollution (Speed Challenge)

MiniMinion demonstrates speed, maneuverability, and precision in this timed challenge. The ASV begins by station-keeping in a holding bay and waits for a green light signal to start. It then passes through gate buoys, circumnavigates a blue marker buoy, and exits back through the same gate, avoiding oil spills (black buoys) and stationary vessels along the way.

Key Requirements:

Detect and report the number of oil spills (black buoys).

Complete the race without collisions for maximum points.

Team Minion's Approach:
Leveraging fast decision-making and efficient propulsion, MiniMinion ensures clean navigation and rapid execution.

Task 5: Rescue Deliveries (Object and Water Delivery)

MiniMinion demonstrates resourceful delivery capabilities by locating stationary vessels and performing targeted tasks:

Orange Vessels (Water Delivery): The ASV identifies orange boats with black triangle markers and delivers water by aiming a steady stream at the triangle for at least 3 seconds, evaluated by judges.

Black Vessels (Object Delivery): The ASV locates black boats with black plus signs and delivers racquetballs by either striking the plus sign, dropping them into the hull, or both. Up to three racquetballs can be pre-loaded for each run.

Team Minion's Approach:
Using a precise water cannon for orange vessels and a newly developed ball launcher for black vessels, MiniMinion ensures accuracy and efficiency in meeting rescue delivery objectives.

Task 6: Return to Home

Task 6: Return to Home

In this task, MiniMinion autonomously navigates back to the launch point through a gate marked by two black buoys. The ASV avoids obstacles, buoys, and floating docks while returning. A time bonus is awarded based on the remaining time on the clock and the points earned during the run.

Team Minion's Approach:
With advanced obstacle avoidance and precise navigation, MiniMinion ensures a seamless return while maximizing time-based bonuses.

Current & Past Competitions

The competition’s primary goal is to increase student interest in autonomous robotic systemsoperating in the maritime domain. Emphasis is placed on systems engineering and the science and engineering of autonomy. The Maritime RoboBoat Challenge will stimulate innovative approaches to autonomous sensing, on-board decision-making, and mission implementation. It will promote international endeavors in science and technology among the Pacific region communities.

Since 2014, the RoboBoat competition has been open to student teams from around the globe. Each team is required to design and build a boat. The focus of this challenge will be sensors, software, propulsion and their integration to allow successful navigation of the competition course.