Robowars '24
My first robotics competition — competing solo with Black Copy, a sumo robot I built from scratch with no prior experience.
My first robotics competition — competing solo with Black Copy, a sumo robot I built from scratch with no prior experience.
🏆 4th Place
Overview
Robowars is IEEE Concordia's annual autonomous sumo robot competition. Robots face off in a ring — the goal is to push your opponent out or be the last one standing.
My Entry: Black Copy
This was my first robotics project and my first competition. While most teams had 2-4 members, I built Black Copy entirely solo:
- Complete mechanical design and CAD
- All electronics and wiring
- Embedded programming and control logic
Result
4th Place — Not bad for a first attempt with zero prior robotics experience.
Why It Mattered
This competition sparked my interest in robotics. Walking into Robowars 2024, I was a computer engineering student interested in chip manufacturing. Walking out, I was hooked on making things move.
Black Copy was chaotic, imperfect, and exactly what I needed. It led directly to everything that came after — more sumo bots, IEEE projects, research internships, and eventually a robotics-focused career path.