Botathon - Season 5 (2024)
What is Botathon?
Botathon is an annual event hosted by UNT Robotics where all UNT students are invited to compete in a one-day design, test, build, and compete marathon!
We provide everything you will need on the day, including parts, kits, tools, guides, mentorship, and fantastic food (lunch, dinner, and snacks) for a packed day of robot building and competing. The event is open to all students, regardless of skill level. Whether you're an entry-level student looking to get involved with and learn about robotics or an advanced robot technician, there's plenty of fun for everyone!
Botathon is all about teamwork and friendly competition. Our mission is to build knowledge and skills while promoting creativity and camaraderie among all participants.
Registration
Registration for Season 5is open now for all currently enrolled UNT students.
Mar. 8: Registration Opened
Mar. 28: Registration Ends
Mar. 30: Day of Event
Gameplay
Botathon Season 5 will be a capture the flag style event, where robots will face off 1v1 and must capture blocks from the opposing team. The blue side must capture the red blocks, and the red side must capture the blue blocks.
These blocks will be of two types:
- • 1” square wooden blocks, worth 1 point each
- • 1” square nickel (magnetic) blocks, worth 2 points each (electromagnets will be provided too with your robot kits)
To capture a block, it must be placed on the robot’s home side within a marked boundary called the ‘capture area’ (marked using tape) and remain within the boundary at the end of the match.
A secondary capture area atop a ramp will provide the team one extra point per block. So, a wooden block in the secondary capture area will be worth 2 points, and a nickel block worth 3 points.
Each round will have a 3 minute time limit. At the end of the match, a referee will count all of the blocks in each area and determine the scores and winner. In the case of a tie, a sudden death round will occur with a single block placed in the center of the field and the first team to capture the block and place it into one of their capture areas will be the winner.
Schedule
| 9:00 am | Check-in Opens |
| 9:30 am | Team Finding Event |
| 10:00 am | Building Begins! |
| 1:00 pm | Lunch |
| 4:00 pm | Tournament Begins |
| 6:00 pm | Dinner |
| 7:00 pm | Closing Ceremony & Winners Announced |
Parts List
Base Kits
Each team will get to choose which base kit they want to use.
MECANUM WHEEL
CAR ROBOT
- Arduino UNO Microcontroller x1
- L293D/L289N Motor Driver x1 or x2
- 7.2V 2200mAh Ni-MH Battery Pack x1
- ESP32 Communication Module x1
- DC Motor x4
- Wheels x4
- Single-layer Chassis x1
- Speed Encoder Disk x4
- Nuts & Bolts (Assorted)
- Wires (Assorted)
RUBBER WHEEL
CAR ROBOT
- Arduino UNO Microcontroller x1
- L293D/L289N Motor Driver x1 or x2
- 7.2V 2200mAh Ni-MH Battery Pack x1
- ESP32 Communication Module x1
- DC Motor x4
- Wheels x4
- Dual-layer Chassis x2
- Chassis Connectors x6
- Speed Encoder Disk x4
- Nuts & Bolts (Assorted)
- Wires (Assorted)
TANK TRACK
ROBOT
- Arduino UNO Microcontroller x1
- L293D/L289N Motor Driver x1 or x2
- 7.2V 2200mAh Ni-MH Battery Pack x1
- ESP32 Communication Module x1
- DC Motor x4
- Tank tracks x2
- Single-layer Chassis x1
- Nuts & Bolts (Assorted)
- Wires (Assorted)
Upgrades
You can buy these parts with botbucks (in-game currency) and will be in addition to the base kits parts that you're given freely. Each team is given 500 botbucks.
| Part Name | Quantity | Price (game currency) |
|---|---|---|
| Arduino | 1 | $50 |
| Raspberry Pi | 1 | $300 |
| Servo | 1 | $50 |
| Metal Gear Servo | 1 | $100 |
| Arduino Servo Shield | 1 | $100 |
| Motor/Wheel | 1 | $50 |
| 4WD Chassis | 1 | $100 |
| Buiding Materials (cardboard, plastic, etc.) | 1 | FREE |
| Battery Harness | 1 | $50 |
| LED | 1 | $10 |
| Ultrasonic Distnace Sensor | 1 | $75 |
| Misc. screws & bolts | unknown | FREE |
| Jumper cables | 10 | FREE |
| Mini breadboards | 1 | FREE |
Teams
Teams will consist of 4-5 members. Each team will be given a base kit and 500 botbucks of in-game currency to buy upgrade parts for their robot. Participants are encouraged to form their crew prior to registration, but a team building event will be held on the morning of the event to help find teammates.
There will be mentors to assist teams during the build process in our Discord, as well as in person.
Event Sponsors
Our sponsors are absolutely imperative to the success of UNT Robotics. We rely on our sponsors so we can continue to bring quality engineering experiences to our members and the community. Every company provides us with invaluable support through both monetary and part donations. Your support will be greatly appreciated and we will be flexible with connecting our members with your company's message.
If you would like to become a UNT Robotics sponsor, please contact us!
Contact Info
If you have any questions at all, please get in touch with us at hello@untrobotics.com or call us at (940) 304-0795.
We're always happy to help, no matter how small or big your question is.