Welcome to the Robocode Ireland, the 1st year Full Time Undergraduate 3rd level Programming Competition.
Robocode Marshals 2011 Team Dundalk Institute of Technology, winners of the Irish Computer Society Robocode Ireland Challenge trophy.
The virtual contest, which was hosted at Tipperary Institute’s Thurles campus, involved computer-game loving students from third level institutions pitting their very own software for ‘tank-war’ battles against rivals’ from other colleges.
Robocode Ireland is part of Games Fleadh which is Ireland’s computer console programming festival.
The competition is a programming competition for first year students and had teams from all third level colleges across the country.
Robocode Ireland Challenge Honours List:
The competition has been running since 2004 and winners honour roles include;
- Dundalk Institute of Technology (2011)
- University of Limerick (2010)
- Trinity College Dublin (2009)
- Griffith College (2008)
- Dublin Institute of Technology (2007)
- Cork Institute of Technology (2006)
- Tipperary Institute (2005)
- Waterford Institute of Technology (2004)
Along with the previous winners, other colleges and universities who have participated include;
- IADT Dun Laoghaire
- Institute of Technology Blanchardstown
- Institute of Technology Carlow
- National University of Ireland, Maynooth
- Dundalk Institute of Technology
- Letterkenny Institute of Technology
- Sligo Institute of Technology
- University College Cork
- Galway Mayo Institute of Technology
What is RoboCode ?
RoboCode is a game where teams use Java to program one or more robot tanks to battle in an arena against each other.The little graphical tanks need to be programmed to avoid being hit. They need to be smart enough to move around an arena without any kind of manual control. All of their intelligence is part of a single Java file. Unlike the real-life destruction possible with the Scorpion tank that posed menancingly outside the Tipperary Institute venue, the RoboCode tanks depended on artificial intelligence and computer ammunition to maneuver, fire and hunt.
The little graphical tanks need to be programmed to avoid being hit. They need to be smart enough to move around an arena without any kind of manual control. All of their intelligence is part of a single Java file. During a short interview and inspection prior to the contest, judges ensure the contestants have created the RoboCode Java used in their submissions.
The arena is a large computer monitor that is projected onto a wall. Everyone can see the ruthless robots at work, including information about the energy level and radar scanning capability of each robot. Each RoboCode match normally lasts less than three minutes, until one robot tank is destroyed. Similar to a real land battle, all the work for RoboCode happens well before the robots are launched into battle. Like all complex machines, the magic is under the bonnet.
The competition is targeted at 1st year programming students. It is intended as an opportunity for fresher years to demonstrate their programming abilities and advance their knowledge of GUI programming, API usage and Artificial Intelligence.
The competition is a result of a review of 1st year programming syllabus delivery. The introduction of the programming competition complemented the syllabus delivery changes made. As every college and university is introducing initiatives for engaging students at all levels, this will be an ideal opportunity to encourage excellence and support the hard work of 1st year students and their programming lecturers.
