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Canadian University Hosts SAE Walking Machine(TM) Decathlon

22 April 1999

Canadian University Hosts SAE Walking Machine(TM) Decathlon

    WARRENDALE, Pa., April 22 -- The Ecole de Technologie
Supieure, Montreal, Quebec, Canada will host the 13th Annual Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE) Walking Machine(TM) Decathlon on April 29-May 1.
    Seventeen teams from the United States, Canada and Mexico will bring
machines they have designed and built to walk in a ten-part competition that
will determine the most versatile robot that combines the best thinking of the
engineering and computer science fields.
     Ecole de Technologie Supieure won the 1998 competition that was held at
Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.
    The walkers must perform ten tasks that challenge students to think
creatively.  The robots must perform such operations as a dash, load
retrieval, grand tour, object retrieval, object avoidance, object seeking,
hill climb and obstacle course.
    Student engineers participating in this competition will become familiar
with the components and systems necessary for the construction and development
of robots and other complex intelligent machines.
    Other universities competing in the event include Carnegie Mellon
University, Pittsburgh, PA; Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO (three
teams);  Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA; Northern Illinois University,
DeKalb, IL (two teams); U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD; State University of
New York at Stony Brook, NY; Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH;  and
Universidad Bonaterra, Univeridad del Valle de Mexico and I.P.N E.S.I.M.E
Azcapotzalco and Universidad LaCalle A.C. from Mexico.
    The Walking Machine Decathlon is one of eight student design competitions
sponsored annually by SAE.  Other events include Formula SAE(R), Mini-Baja(R)
East, West and Midwest; Aero Design(R) East and West and Supermileage(R).
    The public is invited to watch the finals of the Walking Machine Decathlon
on Saturday May 1 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Engineering Building.