Mechanical Engineering Robotics Competition

All competitions should be prepared in advance and conducted on the day of the competition.

Deadline to register: October 10, 2025

Teams must assemble and program the Keyestudio 4WD Mechanical Arm Robot Smart Car (KS0523) before the competition day. On the day of the competition, robots should arrive fully assembled, tested, and pre-programmed for both manual and autonomous operation. The event will focus on performance, not assembly.

The competition simulates a bomb rescue scenario, where the robot must transport objects (acting as bombs) from a designated area to a safe zone. The challenge includes both manual control and autonomous programming. In Phase 1, students will manually drive the robot using a Bluetooth smartphone app (available for both Android and iOS) to approach the pickup location. In Phase 2, the robotic arm must operate autonomously to grip the object (acting as a bomb), transport it, and release it safely in the drop-off designated zone which will be a container placed directly beside the pickup container. Once the robot reaches the pickup location in Phase 1, the mobile base must remain stationary, and only the robotic arm will operate to complete the autonomous transport.

• Students in grades 11 and 12 are invited to participate.
• Each school may register not more than three teams, with a maximum of 4–5 students per team.
• Robots must strictly be the Keyestudio 4WD Mechanical Arm Robot Smart Car (KS0523).
• No external modifications (such as adding extra sensors or arms) are allowed unless approved.

• Teams must use only the Keyestudio KS0523 kit.
• The competition objects will represent bombs that must be safely relocated.
• Robots should not be modified with extra hardware unless approved.
• Teams must document their code and process.
• Safety must always be prioritized.

• Platform
• Keyestudio 4WD Mechanical Arm Robot Smart Car (KS0523).
• Mobile Base
  4WD driven by geared DC motors.
• Robotic Arm
  4 Degrees of Freedom (base rotation, shoulder, elbow, gripper).
• Controller
  Arduino UNO R3 with Bluetooth module.
• Power
  Battery pack for motors and servos.
• Control Modes
  Manual driving via Bluetooth phone app.
  Autonomous picking and dropping of objects.
• Competition objects
  Objects will be spheres (diameter ≤ 45 mm) or cubes (edge length ≤ 4 cm), with a maximum weight of 60 g. All objects will be suitable for the KS0523 gripper.

Important Note: The Bluetooth module must be unplugged before uploading new Arduino code to avoid communication conflicts. This is a normal design limitation, not a manufacturing defect.

Pick-up container Specifications
Containers will be standard mugs.

• Inner diameter: 7.5 cm – 10 cm
• Height: 8 cm – 11 cm
• Each mug will be filled with multiple small objects.
• The top layer of objects will always be positioned approximately 4–6 cm above the base of the mug to ensure consistent pickup across all teams.
• Programming your arm for ~5 cm from the base should work for all mugs in the competition

Drop-off zone/container
The drop-off zone will be a designated container placed directly beside the pickup container. The drop-off container will be large enough to ensure fairness.

• Fairness Clause
  All mugs will fall within the above dimensions, and the object surface height will be standardized.
  Minor variations within this range will not affect the challenge. This ensures equal conditions for every team.
• Clarification for Programming
  Students should program their arm to descend until it reaches a depth where the objects are located 4–6 cm above the base of the mug.
  The base is the universal reference point, ensuring that the pickup depth is consistent regardless of the mug’s total height. You only need to program for ~5 cm from the base; this will work for all mugs used in the competition

Purchase Link:

• Amazon UAE: https://www.amazon.ae/KEYESTUDIO-Bluetooth-Building-Programmable-Roboti…
• Keyestudio Documentation: https://docs.keyestudio.com/projects/KS0523/en/latest/KS0523.html

Note: Documentation may be accessed through other sources. As long as the kit is Keyestudio KS0523, it does not matter where it is purchased from.

Click here to register for the competition