The Wrecking Ball Challenge

Mandatory Registration at: https://techfest.org/competitions/wrecking-ball-challengeThe Wrecking Ball Challenge is Techfest, IIT Bombay’s premier autonomous robotics competition. Participants are tasked with designing, building, and deploying a self-contained, autonomous, battery-powered spherical robot to navigate a high-stakes 75-meter obstacle-laden arena. The challenge evaluates advanced engineering principles—balancing internal mechanical actuation (Center-of-Gravity stabilization) with real-time vision algorithms to autonomously navigate ramps, smash low-density barriers, and evade a swinging pendulum. Do you have what it takes to engineer a rolling sphere that can master autonomous vision-based navigation under pressure? Benchmark your innovation against the top student teams across the country and compete for cash prizes, internships, and subscriptions! Eligibility & Team Structure Eligibility: Open to all currently enrolled undergraduate, postgraduate, or diploma students from recognized academic institutions. Team Size: Up to 6 members per team. Inter-College Teams: Permitted. Registration: All teams must register on techfest.org to receive an official Team ID. Round Details & Structure Phase 1: Registration & CAD Abstract Submission (Deadline: October 20, 2026) Format: Online Document Submission. Deliverable: Submit a CAD assembly illustrating the internal electronic layout, center-of-gravity placement, system architecture schematic, and dimension compliance. Phase 2: Virtual Design & Simulation Audit (Deadline: November 15, 2026) Format: Virtual Evaluation. Deliverable: Technical Simulation Report including mathematical analysis validating actuator torque across inclined planes (specifically the 0.8 ft ramp), balance stability calculations, and wireless emergency kill-switch implementation. Finalist Announcement: November 20, 2026. Phase 3: Grand Finale (On-Campus at IIT Bombay — Dec 16–17, 2026) Day 1 (Dec 16): On-Site Technical Inspection & Qualifying Heats Dimensional compliance check (2.0 to 2.5 ft diameter), weight verification, electrical isolation, emergency kill-switch validation, and preliminary practice runs. Day 2 (Dec 17): Official Timed Final Heats Teams execute official timed runs across the 75-meter arena. Teams get 3 restart attempts, with only the top performance logged. The 75-Meter Arena Layout The track is guided visually by color-coded boundary cones (Red on the right, Yellow on the left): Sector 1: The Gate Runway (0m–15m): Straight acceleration stretch with wide chevron-patterned cone gates for vision calibration. Sector 2: The Step-Up Ramps (15m–35m): Three consecutive incline ramps (0.2 ft, 0.4 ft, and 0.8 ft heights). Sector 3: The Wrecking Zone (35m–55m): Low-density barriers (foam, thermocol, cardboard) that the robot must plow through while staying on course. Sector 4: The Pendulum Gauntlet (55m–75m): Final sector featuring a continuously swinging mechanical pendulum before the finish line. Technical & Constraint Guidelines Robot Dimensions: Outer shell must be strictly spherical with a diameter between 2.0 feet and 2.5 feet. Peripheral Limits: External sensors or camera mounts cannot extend more than 0.5 feet beyond the shell surface. Autonomy: 100% autonomous operation; no manual remote control, tethered lines, or external offload processing permitted. Primary Sensing: Onboard camera system must serve as the primary path-tracking sensor (IMUs, encoders, distance sensors permitted internally for balance). Safety: Must include a working wireless emergency kill switch that halts motor power immediately. Penalties: Touching, knocking over, or running over any boundary cone incurs a +5 second penalty per instance.