MEMSCAP, the leading provider of innovative solutions based on MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) technology, announced today it is the breeding ground for the future champion of the Robocup soccer competition. Using MUMPs manufacturing and prototyping services, many participants to the Nanogram competition have manufactured their robotic structures for this very special soccer competition.
The Robocup championships that takes place in Atlanta, Georgia, brings together 1,700 robot researchers and 300 robot teams from 33 countries that confront each other on a 2.5mm square field of play. The goals measure 900 micrometers wide by 500 micrometers deep, while the robots (players) measure a few tens of micrometers to a few hundred micrometers in their largest dimension and have masses ranging from a few nanograms to a few hundred nanograms.
This contest of a nano-kind consist of three compulsory exercises, the 2 Millimeter Dash, where each microrobot must sprint across the playing field from one goal to the other, the Slalom Drill, where the path between goals is blocked by inanimate "defenders" that the micro-robot must avoid as it races between the goals, and the Ball-Handling Drill, which requires the micro-robot to dribble as many balls as possible into the goal within a 3-minute time period, while avoiding inanimate "defenders" in the field.
The successful manufacture of these fleets of the tiniest robots ever was made possible through MEMSCAP MUMPs program, and especially PolyMUMPS.
"MUMPs is the US Naval Academy manufacturer for our team to the Robocup Competition". "We have chosen MUMPs services because we wanted to have the best quality in order to build a reliable winning team with strong and tireless players" explains Professor Samara Firebaugh, from the US Naval Academy. "MEMSCAP was the obvious partner for the sophisticated processing facilities we needed."
MUMPs is the ultimate platform for proof-of-concept fabrication. The longest running and most renowned multi-user program for MEMS manufacturing in the world, MUMPs(R) uses standard yet diversified process technologies that serve universities, laboratories, companies and researchers. Its versatile possibilities adapt to endless features, devices, and applications. The service's low cost allows researchers with the smallest budgets to realize their ideas.
"Behind this 'sport'contest lies a bigger challenge for tomorrows lives improvement and preservation, and this why we were happy to contribute to building those robots teams" says states Ron Wages, General Manager of MEMSCAP custom products business unit.