Self-made robot cars in a spectacular race

AThere are starting difficulties on slope one, the first are already tearing their hair. Finally he drives off, the opponent’s lead on lane two is unassailable. The spectators are getting closer and closer, it’s getting cramped, those who were further away can no longer see anything. A catch-up race worthy of Hollywood: The opponent comes to a standstill shortly before the finish line, his engine gives out. won!

In the gym of the Lycée Français Victor Hugo in Frankfurt, the students of the Lycée are cheering, they literally roar, after all, one of their teams has won this round of the robot competition. It took place for the first time in 2017, launched by teacher Christophe Bouvet. After a three-year pandemic break, the robot competition entered its fourth round on Wednesday. 250 young people from sixth to ninth grade took part, including guests from Berlin, Alsace and Prague.

Your ears are ringing as the young people hug each other and celebrate. You have to say: It’s only about the round of 16. Even the elementary school children of the Lycée are there, they sit in the front row and wide their eyes. Music booms through the loudspeakers. While the jury determines the opponents of the next round, there is an entertainment program. Then everyone goes dead quiet, one girl plays Coldplay on the violin, another on the keyboard.

Housing mostly made with 3D printer

Thaddee is standing on a bench. From there he watches the race to catch up on the winding course and high fives with the guys around him. The thirteen-year-old is in the competition for the first time and is wearing one of the bright orange T-shirts of the participants. His teammates Ibrahim, Berthold and he reached the quarterfinals a few minutes ago with a spot-on victory of their robot “Speedy Gonzales”. As soon as the table shows who is playing against whom, a nervous concentration spreads through everyone. The adrenaline level is and remains high. In the quarter-finals, “Speedy” has to cover a straight line as quickly as possible, drive through a portal with two doors and come to a stop behind it. If he drives too fast and overshoots the target, he is disqualified.

Its red case was mostly made with a 3D printer. A black plaster figure climbs out at the top. She looks straight out of a horror movie – a broad take on this year’s design theme, ‘rules of the road’? The case is supposed to represent a shield, Thaddee explains. Ibrahim grins and interjects: “We would rather be fast than beautiful.” After all, the design prize that is awarded before the race does not mean that you will win. The three worked on “Speedy” for four months. According to the rules, the robots must be able to move without using a remote control, remain in contact with the ground and have an on/off device. For students, this means applying what they learn in engineering classes, from electronics to programming. That can be tricky. For example, if the infrared sensors are misaligned, the robot will deviate from the course line; if it is too heavy, the opposing team will overtake it.