Work In Progress: The MARC Competition: An Introductory-level Robotics Competition

The complexity of autonomous robots required by competitive entries into robotics competitions can be intimidating to students who have limited knowledge of robotics and embedded systems design. This paper describes the mobile autonomous robot challenge (MARC), a proposed competition which is tailored specifically to students who have an interest in robotics, but lack practical experience in the various disciplines associated with devices. The MARC competition provides a relatively simple step into robotics and creates a foundation of experience that can be applied to more complex robotics competitions and applicable coursework. The MARC competition is an extra-curricular event which introduces as many students as possible to autonomous robots and associated disciplines by keeping all aspects of the competition relatively simple. The MARC competition utilizes pre-built robots designed specifically for line following. All aspects of the competition reflect the theme of simplicity including robot hardware and software, course, and competition rules