The test consisted of making a robot transport a certain number of parts from an arrivals storage warehouse to a departure storage warehouse, via processing machinery in a limited time. The 5dpo – Factory team was able to complete the test in almost half the time of the team that came in second place. The competition aims to recreate the scenario that an autonomous robot will confront working in a factory.

The robot@factory test was one of the senior tests at the event aimed at companies, and students and researchers in higher education.

INESC TEC also displayed the RobVigil that brought together the Robotics Unit, the Telecommunications and Multimedia Unit and the Information and Computer Graphics Systems Unit at INESC TEC.

RobVigil was designed to survey closed spaces (shopping centres, for example) and it is equipped with cameras (HD cameras, 360 degree cameras, thermal cameras, object and marking recognition, with or without light) and sensors to detect gas, smoke and fire. The robot is able to determine its own location using a Laser Range Finder, create a map of the area in 3D, register data and transmit it in real-time and send alarms.

The 12th International Conference on Autonomous Robot Systems and Competitions, also took place during the event and several researchers from the Robotics Unit participated, including Aníbal Matos, Bruno Ferreira, Nuno Cruz and Eduardo Silva. António Paulo Moreira, Eduardo Silva (the coordinators of the Robotics Unit) and Aníbal Matos were also part of the Organising Committee for the Conference.

BIP April 2012