Challenge overview:

The challenge requires a robot to demonstrate janitorial tasks that would be typically performed in a washroom. In this challenge, the tasks are limited to clearing of any rubbish that may be on the floor followed by cleaning the wash basin and the wash basin counter using a sanitizing liquid. Finally, the robot will mop the floor of the restroom. The rubbish will consist of items such as tissue paper and small paper cups. The counter and the floor will need to be relatively dry after cleaning, i.e., free of any pools of water. The robot will be given a brief opportunity to scout out the restroom area so that it can assess the environment and create representation of it for planning and navigation purposes. A detailed description of the challenge is available on the website.

Stages of the competition:

Registration: All teams that are interested in participating must first register themselves through the link that has been provided below.

Stage 1: Proposal Submission & Selection (6 weeks) : A more detailed description of the challenge will be made available to the teams that have completed the registration, against which they will be asked to submit a proposal. The proposal should describe the approach they plan to take to address the challenge and the credentials of the team in the area of autonomous robots. A detailed template for the proposal will be made available. A subset of the registered teams will be selected for Stage 2, based on the strength of the proposal.

Stage 2: Simulation Demonstration (3 months): Teams selected from Stage 1, will be asked to demonstrate a simulated version of their proposed solution. The details of the simulation environment, as well as the scoring system that will be used, will be announced ahead of time. Up to six teams will be selected for the final, prototyping stage.

Stage 3: Prototype Development and Demonstration (5 months): Teams in stage 3 will be allocated a budget of upto INR 4L for purchase of equipment or accessories to develop their solution as well as any other incidental expenses including travel to IISc for the finals. A mock washroom facility will be set up on IISc campus a couple of weeks prior to the final competition. If any of the teams would like to use the facility, they would be able to book a time slot. Monthly online meetings will be held with each team to assess progress and provide any feedback/mentorship.

Final Competition: The final competition will be held on Dec 10-11, 2021, on IISc campus in the mock washroom facility. The winners will be announced on Dec 13, 2021.

The committee will organize periodic virtual meetings in order to interact with the participating teams and will address any questions or concerns they might have regarding the detailed description of the challenge and the rules and regulations. These discussions may also lead to some minor changes and modifications to the challenge. Teams in Stage 3 will also be assigned a mentor.

Eligibility:

Undergraduate and graduate students from accredited engineering institutions in India are eligible to participate in the competition. Each team can have up to five members and needs to have an institutional contact person (a faculty member or administrator from the institution). Having an interdisciplinary team and mentors from academia and industry will earn extra points in the proposal evaluation.

Prizes:

First prize: Rs. 10 lakh in cash.

Second prize: Rs. 2.5 lakh in cash.

Outstanding teams and individuals will also be considered for incubation of a startup at ARTPARK Venture Studio. They will be provided with space, a seed grant of upto INR 40L and full access to the ARTPARK ecosystem (including mentorship by global experts and VCs) for one year.

After the final competition, the teams are expected to hand over the hardware and software purchased through the grant to ARTPARK. All the Intellectual Property developed by the teams will remain their own and ARTPARK will have no claim over it.

Important dates:
Submission of intent to participate - February 16, 2021

Registration link: https://forms.gle/oFxxv3TVSmnRXJed6

Initial proposal due: March 22, 2021

Announcement of teams qualifying for Stage 2: April 5,2021

Submission for Stage 2: June 30, 2021, to August 23, 2021

Announcement of teams qualifying for Stage 3: September 03, 2021

Final competition: TBD

For any queries related to competition, you may contact competition@artpark.in

The organizers of the ARTPARK Robotics Challenge reserve the right to continue to fine-tune the description as well as the rules and regulations of the challenge until the final date of the competition, based on feedback from the robotics community, participants, and the ARTPARK Challenge Technical Advisory Committee. (Also see section on the “stages of the competition.”