The quest to do better
Fresh off a dominant performance at RoboCup SG Open last year and an eye-opening trip to internationals, we entered 2019 with high expectations for ourselves. We were keen to repeat our successes and perhaps even go beyond the standards we had set for ourselves last year.
Soccer
Unfortunately, this year was not meant to be for our soccer teams. Due to a multitude of reasons, we were unable to secure a podium finish and nearly more than half of our robots straight up did not function. While it was definitely disappointing for all of our soccer members, we hope that future/junior members can learn from our mistakes and strive to do better next year.
Rescue Line
Once again, we sent 2 senior teams for Rescue Line. This time around, 1 team attempted to build a full Arduino robot without the use of any LEGO parts while the other would stick to a full LEGO robot. Unfortunately, the Arduino robot did not work well largely due to hardware failure and inexperience. Other teams like RI and NJC also improved significantly from the previous years and Team PCMasterrace would end up placing 4th, barely missing out on a podium finish.
Edit: Due to the top 3 teams declining to represent Singapore at RoboCup Sydney, Team PCMasterrace was invited to go instead, marking the second consecutive year where we sent a team to participate in international Rescue Line.
Cospace Rescue
This year was the last year that we would be sending teams to participate in Cospace due to a lack of interest and raining resources available for juniors. (hence there is no mention of it on our Cup page)
Once again, we clinched 2nd place, losing out to the team from NYJC. Nonetheless, this was still a remarkable achievement as we finished in 2nd 3 times in 4 years.
Onstage
Once again, we are venturing into uncharted territory this year as a senior team was sent to participate in Onstage (Advanced). Using a humanoid robot named Eve, the team easily beat out the other competitors to emerge as champions. (much to our surprise)
Due to the unique design of Eve, the team was also asked to give a live technical demonstration to VIP guests before the awards ceremony.
Concluding remarks
Our performance at RoboCup 2019 was met with mixed reactions. For many of our soccer members, this marks the end of their robotics journey as they would graduate this year. While we hoped to end it off with a bang, most of our robots simply could not even run due to a wide range of hardware failures.
Despite our failures, this reminded us of the importance of self-directed learning. With no external guidance, the success or failure of our robots rests solely in our hands and this results in disasters more often than we like. Hence, all members must have the drive and motivation to truly master the ever-evolving, interdisciplinary nature of robotics.
On the flip side, this year could not be completely dismissed as a total failure. We still ended up qualifying 2 teams for internationals while breaking boundaries in a new category (Onstage) for a second consecutive year.
Rest assured, Hwa Chong Robotics will strive to do our best at internationals and emerge stronger next year.
Final award tally:
- Onstage (Advanced) Champions
- Cospace Rescue 2nd
