Robot-sumo

Robot-sumo (Japanese: ロボット相撲) is an engineering and robotics competition in which two robots attempt to push each other out of a circular arena, in a similar fashion to the sport of sumo. The robots used in this competition are called "sumo robots", "sumobots" or simply "sumos".

Competitions typically involve autonomously operated wheeled mobile robots. The engineering challenges are for the robot to find its opponent (usually accomplished with infrared or ultra-sonic sensors) and to push it out of the dohyō. A robot should also avoid leaving the arena, usually by means of a sensor that detects the edge. The most common mechanical design is to use a wedge with a blade at the front to lift the opposing robot and push it more easily.

Robot-Sumo originated in Japan in 1989 when FUJISOFT Inc. [jp] organized an experimental robot-sumo tournament, which would later be established as the All Japan Robot Sumo Tournament [jp](Japanese: 全日本ロボット相撲大会 zen'nippon robotto sumou taikai). Since 1998, FUJISOFT has collaborated with more than 30 countries, and robot-sumo has spread and has been one of the most popular robotics competitions in the world, such as in Europe, Mexico and Brazil, with a total of 80,000 people around the world actively developing sumo robots. Currently, the All Japan Robot-Sumo Tournament is hailed as the "World Robot-Sumo Championship".

Robot-sumo competitions still hold amateur status, though high-performance competitions (events contested between technical students, universitarians and graduated engineers hobbyists) require highly complex engineering projects.

Robot-sumo is also often used as an educational tool of engineering, robotics and electronics for simpler protoypes in schools and undergraduate levels. Sumo robots design has also been the subject of studies and research of academic nature as well.