Around 500 participants gathered in Jasionka near Rzeszów, Poland, for the xChallenge robotics competition held on Saturday. With over 300 robots competing across 16 categories, the event stands as the largest robotics competition in the country.
According to Łukasz Szuba, Director of the Foundation for Education Support under the Aviation Valley Association and one of the event’s organizers, this marked the third edition of the international competition.
“This is the largest robotics competition in Poland, and perhaps even in Europe,” Szuba emphasized.
Diverse Challenges
Throughout the day, participants competed in 16 distinct challenges. Among them was a robot race, where machines navigated a line-based course as quickly as possible. Another highlight was the sumo competition, a fan favorite, in which robots faced off in a ring, attempting to push each other out. “As the name suggests, the goal is for one robot to push the other out of the ring,” Szuba explained.
A particularly demanding challenge involved larger robots weighing around 50 kg. These machines performed tasks such as operating on inclined surfaces or moving levers, showcasing industrial robotics applications.
The most spectacular category was the cage battle, where robots armed with circular saws and cutting tools fought to destroy their opponents.
Participants
Competitors included primary and secondary school students, university students, and entrants in the open category.
One of the participants, Artur Zych from Dąbrowa Tarnowska, represented his technical school’s mechatronics class. Zych’s robot competed in two categories, including one involving navigating a track and completing specific tasks.
“My robot, a patrol unit, is designed for securing industrial areas like warehouses, complementing surveillance systems. It can reach areas beyond the scope of traditional monitoring,” Zych explained.
The robot features a snowplow, a tracked chassis, and two extendable arms equipped with advanced sliding mechanisms. “The brain of my robot is a mini-computer that communicates with the arms, each with its own controllers,” he added. Constructing the robot took him less than a year. “Building robots is my hobby, and this is my first time at xChallenge,” Zych shared.
16.11.2024. The XChallenge 2024 Robotics Competition at the Exhibition and Congress Center of the Podkarpackie Province, G2A Arena in Jasionka. Photo: PAP/Darek Delmanowicz
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