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A look back at the intense adventure of the 7robot team in La Roche-sur-Yon for the French Robotics Cup. Between hazelnut storage strategy, cutting-edge tech, and sleepless nights, we tell you everything!
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The Coupe de France de Robotique remains the unmissable event of the year for all tech enthusiasts. This year, the entire 7robot team packed their bags and headed to the Parc des Expositions in La Roche-sur-Yon with a single goal: to make our new autonomous robot shine against the best teams in France.
The Challenge: "Winter is Coming" ❄️
This year's theme required treasures of ingenuity in mechanics and programming. Inspired by nature (and a little bit by pop culture), the scenario featured squirrels having to store hazelnuts to keep warm through the winter, after swiping them from humans distracted by their coffee break.
In exactly 100 seconds on the match table, our robots had to complete several complex actions in complete autonomy:
Harvesting: Spotting and retrieving crates full of hazelnuts.
Nest logistics: Transporting and sorting the crates in a stable manner within our storage area.
Thermal management: Adjusting the slider on the table's thermometer to the ideal temperature.
The bonus action (The Pamis): Deploying our auxiliary mini-robots in the final 15 seconds of the match to secure critical points.
Our Technical Specification
To meet these demanding specifications, our technical department developed a tailor-made architecture:
Component / System | Choice of the 7robot team | Objective on the table |
Chassis & Propulsion | 3-wheel odo-motor rolling base | Smooth movements and repositioning using a lidar |
Vision System | Onboard camera with image processing (ArUco markers) | Detection of hazelnut crates. |
Main Actuator | Robotic arm with suction cups to fill a cylinder | Gripping crates for storage (strategy) and then turning them over if needed. |
Electronics | Custom home-made PCB | Connection reliability and reduction of parasitic wiring. |
Onboard computer | LattePanda Sigma board with ROS 2 | Strategy and reliable control of the robot, acting as the conductor. |
An intense journey to the round of 16! 🚀
After months of design, intensive coding, and late-night debugging sessions, the reality of the field awaited us. Homologation – the crucial stage where the referees check that the robot scrupulously respects the rules and safety – went brilliantly.
During the group stages, our strategy based on consistency and active avoidance paid off. The robot chained the matches, optimising the positioning of the crates while releasing our Pamis with perfect timing.
Thanks to this superb momentum, 7robot made it to the round of 16, ranking among the top 9 teams in France in this edition! An immense source of pride for the entire association, considering the incredible technical level of the competing clubs this year.
What we take away from this edition: Beyond the score, the Coupe de France is an incomparable human adventure. It's the mutual support in the stands, the technical solutions found at the last minute with a soldering iron in hand, and the pleasure of seeing our code come to life on the gaming table.
A huge thank you to our partners, to the school. Brains are already overheating and 3D printers are running at full speed to prepare for what's next. See you next year for new robotic challenges!
