Lessons learned in a ball fetch-and-carry robotic competition

Robot competitions are effective means to learn the issues of autonomous systems on the field, by solving a complex problem end-to-end. In this paper, we illustrate Red Beard Button, the robotic system that we developed for the Sick Robot Day 2012 competition, and we highlight notions about design and implementation of robotic systems acquired through this experience. The aim of the contest was to detect, fetch and carry balls with an assigned color to a dropping area, similarly to a foraging navigation task. The developed robotic system was required to perceive colored balls, to grasp and transport balls, and to localize itself and navigate to assigned areas. Through extensive experiments the team developed an initial prototype, discovered pitfalls, revised the initial assumptions and design decisions, and took advantage of the iteration process to perform successfully at the competition.