From 25 to 27 August, a team of three participants built a small autonomous robot during the UK RAS STEPS MicroMaze Robot Hackathon, held at the University of York’s Institute for Safe Autonomy. The challenge was to design a robot capable of navigating increasingly difficult mazes, a goal which, according to one participant’s account, proved significantly harder than expected.
- The team built a small autonomous robot in three days during the UK RAS STEPS MicroMaze Robot Hackathon.
- The robot ran on a Raspberry Pi Pico W and was programmed in MicroPython.
- The task proved harder than expected, but shared mistakes built lasting bonds between participants.
- The event created connections that led participants to plan future meetups.
From a Box of Parts to a Working Robot
The participants started with a box of components and a laser-cut chassis. The robot was equipped with sensors, motors, and a Raspberry Pi Pico W board, programmed in MicroPython, a variant of the Python language adapted for microcontrollers, these small electronic circuits dedicated to specific tasks. Between adjustments, bug fixes, and failed attempts, the teams had to solve numerous problems before the robot managed to navigate a maze.
The account focuses less on the technical aspects than on the exchanges between participants. Emily, Joolz, and the author, who did not know each other before the event, say they formed lasting bonds during these three days of shared work and mistakes.
A Final Day in York
On the final day, Michael Smith, Eugen Guritanu, Emily, Joolz, and the author took time to visit York, sharing meals and discussions. The account highlights how quickly this type of event creates connections: people who arrived knowing almost no one found themselves a few days later discussing robotics, comparing their solutions, and planning future meetups.
The author thanks Rob Woolley, the hackathon organiser, as well as the Institute for Safe Autonomy, the University of York, and the wider UK RAS STEPS team, for these opportunities offered to technical research professionals. Devashish Tambade, the author of the text, is a Research Support Engineer at the University of Bristol’s Bristol Robotics Laboratory.
