Designing a competition for autonomous robots with a restricted set of sensors with a case study of LEGO NXT

Arrangements for a competition are not only difficult in terms of logiscs of the event, but also require an assurance of quality. In this paper we analyze limitations which arise from design of the contest for robots equipped with a very poor sensor set. This issue is faintly explored – up to now research work usually has focused on results of a certain task and in addition it assumed almost having a free hand with a choice of components. The discussed ques- tion is significant on the grounds of primary principles: objectivity in grading, equal opportunities among participants and preservation of attractiveness of the tournament at the same time. All of our actions have been evaluated through several years of existence of the PozRobot robotics contest. Over a three-year period we had an opportunity to test our approach on nearly 50 teams and almost 150 contestants from many Polish universities. We analyze various aspects of performing the tournament and we indicate solutions to common problems, e.g. we touch upon dealing with an arena and objects which are placed on it. In particular, we propose a list of features which a well-designed competition should fulfill. To show our experience we describe an instance of a model competition. We outline new directions of further development of the contest, which are connected with a structure of the arena and possible changes in the limited set of the sensors.