Months of diligent study and hard work concluded with an electrifying shoving match with an academic twist: Robot Sumo Wrestling.

Thirty-six University of Kansas students in the Robot Intelligence course taught by Associate Professor Arvin Agah spent the fall semester amplifying and fine-tuning their robotics skills. From designing, to building, to programming, the students focused on a single goal: To create a robot better, stronger, faster and smarter than those made by their classmates.

“They can build these robot bodies and brains and program them accordingly to compete in a number of competitions,” said Agah, who teaches in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. All students in the course start with the same materials, a kind of industrial-strength Erector Set with electronics, motors and a blank computer brain. Working in teams of four students, they set about devising a robot that can navigate within a 5-foot circle, seek out its opponent and shove it outside the boundary of the small sumo “wrestling mat” in 2 minutes or less.

“The robot is on its own, it’s autonomous and it’s making decisions based on what it senses,” Agah said. Students program their robots to react to certain circumstances and arm their creation with a variety of sensors. The robot designers also have to consider what matters most in a head-to-head competition, Agah said. “Some of the approaches I can envision people taking is one would be based on physical appearance so they can go for larger robots, heavier robots. But a different approach would be to go for a slim, but very sort of agile robot.”

The teams take pride in their work, giving their robots names like Johnny 5, Girella, Ambertronics, Moscow Vodka and Hedgehog. The students also learn about themselves and their future career path through the course.

“This class has been the most eye-opening teamwork experience I’ve ever had,” said James Waymire, an electrical engineering senior from Newton, Kan. “We had to isolate who was best at doing what. We have a good solid design. We’ve thought about all the ways another team could underpin us.”

Three majors — electrical engineering, computer engineering and computer science — come together in the course to pool their talents in the quest for victory.

“A class like this brings those types together and gets them to produce a product that everyone can see and act and see the success,” said Michael Cram, computer engineering senior from Anaheim, Calif. “In the real world, you’re working together in teams with people with different majors and disciplines. I think that this class is just preparing you.”

The real world applications extend beyond the teamwork experience, added Agah, who has taught the course at KU for several years.

“It benefits them because it lets them know that as engineers and scientists it’s not only what you do, it’s what others do that matter, too. In other words, you could come up with a good product, but if there’s a competing product that’s better, then in effect you’ve not been as successful.”

At semester’s end, the nine teams squared off against one another in a boisterous 72-match class session. The winner of each match was awarded three points; the loser, none. A draw resulted in one point for each team in the ring.

Ultimately, only one team could experience the thrill of root directory; the others felt the agony of delete. Ambertronics emerged victorious with 18 points total.

Related: KU School of Engineering