Overview

We established the foundation for a competitive robotics program at Stony Brook University, combining hands-on mechatronics education with the structure of a formal engineering competition. Developed within the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Consortium framework, the initiative was both a technical and organizational undertaking, requiring us to design functional robotic platforms, build competition infrastructure, and define rules and constraints that would make the event accessible, repeatable, and fair.

Project Objective

Our goal was to design and build a set of base robot frames that student competitors could use as starting points for sumo-style combat robots, while simultaneously architecting the competition itself from scratch. We built the frames on the SnappyXO platform (a low-cost, modular robotics framework intended to lower the barrier to entry for students learning mechatronics), subject to real engineering constraints around size, weight, and parts availability. Beyond the hardware, we needed to define a complete competition ruleset, design a compliant arena, and establish a repeatable format that could run in future semesters.

What Was Done

• We developed multiple robot frame variants, each optimized around different performance profiles—some favoring speed, others prioritizing torque and pushing power, with varying drive system configurations.

• We researched compliant mechanisms and gear systems to inform the design of unique modular attachments, giving each sumo variant a distinct competitive profile.

• We built all frames using SnappyXO's laser-cut, snap-fit construction system, driven by an Arduino UNO microcontroller interfacing with DC motors, ultrasonic distance sensors, limit switches, line sensors, and Bluetooth controllers for manual operation modes.

• We designed the competition format from the ground up by drawing on the conventions of established Robot Sumo competitions, including defining the competition ring with line-sensor-compatible boundary markings, writing a formal ruleset covering weight classes, allowable parts, and match structure, and scoping the program to be executable within university resource constraints.

• We embedded an iterative design philosophy into the competition structure, encouraging participants to refine their robots across multiple rounds.

End Result

We delivered a functional, competition-ready sumo robotics platform: a set of buildable base frames covering multiple drive and strategy archetypes, a library of modular attachments, and a complete competition framework ready to run at Stony Brook University. The program successfully lowered the barrier to entry for students with limited robotics experience while still offering enough design depth to reward technical investment. We designed the competition format and SnappyXO-based frame system to be reproducible, providing a foundation that future cohorts could build upon and iterate.