IEEE Micromouse for mechatronics research and education

IEEE Micromouse is a university level competition in which student teams build small robots capable of exploring, mapping, and racing through a small maze. Building a successful micromouse involves the design and construction of the hardware, control, sensor and system integration, microcontroller integration, and development of computer algorithms for mapping and route planning. Beyond the technical skills, team members also learn team work, time management, and communication skills. Micromouse gives students the ability to learn these valuable skills and, more importantly, gain some experience, thus giving them an edge in a very competitive job market. With the motivation we have gained as winners of the IEEE NW Area Micromouse Competition for the past four years in a row, in this paper we aim to describe the important technical aspects and the required continuous improvements to the system in terms of design, controls, and computer algorithms for a better, faster autonomous robot We also show how a micromouse program can be beneficial, especially for undergraduate research and education in robotics and mechatronics.