WARG competes in Aerial Robotics Competition

The University of Waterloo Aerial Robotics Group (WARG) is competing this week in the International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC) in Fort Benning, Georgia.

WARG is currently one of the leading teams in the IARC, having won first place in 2004 and ranking second overall among 20 teams from Canada and the United States. It has received the support of key sponsors: Research In Motion (RIM) and QNX Software Systems Limited (QSSL).

"The IARC is considered by its organizers to be an 'impossible' multi-year competition," said Brent Tweddle, President and Technical Leader of WARG. "It is broken up into four levels and since 2001 only one team (Georgia Institute of Technology) has completed levels one and two, and two teams (University of Waterloo and University of Arizona) have completed level one." 

Under the contest rules, if any team completes levels three and four this week, they win $50,000 US. If not, the prize will continue to grow by $10,000 US yearly.

"Because we are focusing on a long-term strategy, this year WARG will only be competing in Static Judging and not the Performance Judging," Tweddle said. "We also will be unveiling a new airplane this September."

The IARC is designed to advance the current state-of-the-art in autonomous aerial robotics technology. The mission set out for students to complete has not even been accomplished by any private or government organization.

The first level requires a vehicle to autonomously fly a three-kilometre course around a set of GPS waypoints and hold a position above a small city. For the second level, the flight vehicle needs to autonomously find, somewhere in the city, the location of a building with a symbol and a one metre by one metre open window on that same building.

To achieve the third level, a vehicle must autonomously enter that window, find a specific image inside the building and relay that back to the judges. The fourth level requires completion of all three levels within 15 minutes -- again all aspects must be done autonomously.

Tweddle said that WARG's long-term strategy is to use a large fixed-wing airplane to travel the three km, search the city with onboard cameras and drop a guided parachute through the open window that will then release a small ground vehicle to search the building for the required visual information. 

The entire technical approach will be published in the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International's Unmanned Systems 2005 Conference Proceedings.

WARG is working on this system with a team of more than 100 undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of disciplines within UW's Faculties of Engineering and Mathematics.

Of WARG's sponsors, RIM designs and manufactures the Blackberry handheld devices donated for use by all of WARG's executives. QNX Software Systems donated their Neutrino Operating System and Momentics Development Environment, which is used on all of WARG's microprocessors.

Students stage FUSION charity Jam

Billed as the hottest party on campus, a FUSION Charity Jam will be held Thursday night in the Bombshelter Pub at the University of Waterloo's Student Life Centre.

Doors open at 9 p.m., and tickets cost $3 (advance) and $5 at the door. All proceeds will go to the Food Bank of Waterloo Region and Habitat for Humanity.

The event will feature performances by UW Hip Hop and the UWDJ Turntablists.

Music will be performed by the UWDJ Club, with eight campus DJs spinning Hip Hop, R&B, Electro, Reggae, Trance, House, Drum and Bass.

Both the UW Hip Hop Club and the UWDJ Club are officially recognized by the UW Federation of Students.

The UW Hip Hop Club is a club whose purpose is to provide a fun environment in which students can learn to dance hip hop. There is also the option of performing at various events around campus.

UWDJ Club is about bringing together the UW DJ community. The club is for people who DJ, those who want to learn, and those who just like the music.

Also on Thursday, the Mathematics Society holds a Movie Night, screening two flicks starting at 7 p.m. in Mathematics and Computer, Room 2066. The event is open to all students. At 7 p.m., The Negotiator will be featured, followed by S.W.A.T., beginning at 9 p.m.

Kate McCrae, a former basketball star for the Warriors, plays guard last season and this summer will join "Playing for Peace," an organization that unites and educates children and their communities through basketball.

Warrior "Playing for Peace" in Northern Ireland -- By Chris Gilbert, UW Athletics

Kate McCrae, former basketball player with the Warriors has recently been appointed to join "Playing for Peace," an organization that unites and educates children and their communities through basketball.

McCrae, who played in the guard position, is the first Canadian to be hired on by the organization. She is the daughter of Don McCrae, UW's retired basketball coach, and Judy McCrae, UW's Athletics Director.

After a lengthy application process, including interviews in Washington D. C., she was appointed to join the Northern Ireland team.

Playing for Peace was founded in 2001 and currently conducts operations in four countries throughout the world. McCrae, 24, leaves for Washington in mid-August (for two weeks of training) before heading out to Belfast for 10 months.

"I am so excited about this opportunity," McCrae said. "I wanted to stay involved in sports and I wanted to gain international experience."

She recently graduated in Recreation and Business after five seasons with the Warriors.

Based in Washington, D.C., Playing for Peace seeks to blend theories of social modelling, conflict resolution and public diplomacy to operate basketball and life-skills programs in historically divided regions by bringing together thousands of children from different religious, racial and cultural backgrounds.

The programs attract children to participate in basketball and life-skills activities that enable them to learn leadership skills and how to live as friends and neighbours.

C&PA