From: hattori@convex.com (Mato Hattori)
Subject: Robot Sumo Tournament in Japan
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 19:31:33 GMT
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.



I'm surpprised so many people responded to my posting.
Here's a newsletter I wrote before.

Any way, I'm posting this article in two groups, comp.robotics 
and soc.culture.japan.  Please excuse my inappropriate description
for either groups.

If you have more questions, please send me an e-mail.

Thanks,
---
Mato Hattori                  email: hattori@convex.com
Convex Computer, U.S.A.              (or hattori@csrd.nkk.co.jp)
3000 Waterview Parkway        office: 1+214-497-4304
Richardson, Texas 75083       home:   1+214-424-4655




----------------------------------------------------------------------




	All Japan Robot Sumou Tournament
				-- the most exciting game in Japan --



						    Mato Hattori 
						    hattori@convex.com



* Introduction *

	One day in March 1991, my boss told me that I should  move  to
the U.S.  Actually, I felt happy at that time.  My new job in the U.S. 
is very challenging and educational for me.  But, my further consider-
ation has concluded that the boss hated me doing my  personal  project
at the work place.  The boss wanted to  have  me  stop  this  project.
Now, I'm here in Dallas, Texas.  It's 6,000 miles far from my country,
Japan.  The boss might consider 6,000 is enough to have me  stop,  but
he has underestimated me.  No one can stop me.  I would like to intro-
duce the continuing project, and hopefully, the project  would  please
the boss. :-)

	My lifetime project is aiming at the Robots  Sumou  Tournament
that has been held every December  in Tokyo,  Japan.   At  first,  I'd
like to describe the Sumou.  Next, I will introduce the  Robot  Sumou.
Then, the rest of this article will tell you my approach to the games.



* The Sumou *

	The Sumou is Japanese traditional sports.  Two guys, generally
they grow very fat and they are almost naked, fight against each other
in the entire circle called "Dohyou".   The  winner  of  the  game  is
either guy who hadn't touched his hand to the ground and hadn't stepp-
ed out from the circle before the other guy did.

	The hall is filled up by many people watching the games.   The
ring made of sand is located at the center  of  the  hall.   The  fine
grain sand is piled up into several feets of  height  using  salt  and
water.  The circle is drawn with twined straw.  Two naked guys  appear
on such ring.  They do some meeting ceremony at first.   The  behavior
of this ceremony is called  "Shiko-wo-Fumu".   After  a  few  minuites
doing this ceremony, they are going to fight against each other.  They
throw a handfull of salt.  This means to harden the sand of the  ring,
and hope for victory and safety.  They get ready  at  the  start  line
called "Shikiri".  They are watching each other in eye to  eye.   They
do this behavior again and again.  The people enjoy  the  thrill  when
the fight starts.  Finally, they start fighting.  Though it took  more
than 10 minuits to start, the fight would finish in few minuits.

	Hundreds of wrestlers appear on the day-long games.   Usually,
the games run for 15 days.  The wrestlers have been ranked with  their
results of these days.  The higher rank will bring  them  the  greater
honor, the larger audience and the better salary.

	The highest rank is called "Yokozuna".  The wrestler who rank-
ed with "Yokozuna" has the greatest honor.  Only one in  thousands  of
wrestlers could win this rank.  Recent news  announced  that  the  guy
called "Hokutoumi", who are the only person currently ranked as "Yoko-
zuna", have retired.  Then, nobody has this greatest honor, now.



* The Robot Sumou *

	There is the Robot Sumou Tournament in Japan, that is held  in
December every year in Tokyo.  The rule of the Tournament is basically
same as the real Sumou I mentioned  before,  except  two  robots  will
fight rather than naked guys.  Robots will fight against each other on
the ring, which is 154cm in diameter and made of wood with black  hard
rubber sticked on.  The circle is drawn with white  paint.   The  REAL
Sumou wrestlers should not touch his hand to the ground, but the Robot
Sumou wrestlers may touch any part of its body to inside  the  circle.
As you can easily guess, the task of the game is quite simple, pushing
the opponent away from the circle.

	The regurations of the robots are as follows:

1. The area of the base cannot exceed 20cmX20cme before  game  starts,
   means it is free in hight and can spread after game starts.

2. The weight cannot exceed 3kg.

3. Use of internal/external combustion (ignition) engine is prohibited.

4. Intention to harm the opponent  or  the  Dohyou ( playground  which
   includes the circle) is excessive.

5. The way of control is free, but divided into 2 categories.

	The 2 categories due to the way of control are the Radio  Con-
troled and the Stand Alone.  Robots in the  Radio  Controled  category
can use ordinary merchandised RC equipments to be controled by a  man.
As you know, the RC controlers have two joy-sticks and a few switches.
We usually use this kind of controler with  model  car,  model  plane,
model helicopter, and so on.

	Otherwise, robots in the Stand Alone category cannot  be  con-
troled externally by men except pushing some start buttons at the time
of beginning.  In order to avoid interference with the man who set the
robot on the ring, the Stand Alone category has a special  rule  which
says that the game will starts exactry 5 seconds  after  the  judgeman
signals beginning.  It means that the man will push a start button (or
something else) of the robot as same time as  the  judgeman's  signal,
the robot must keep his starting position for 5 seconds, and  the  man
who pushes the button must leave the Dohyou in that time.   Therefore,
robots in the Stand Alone category must have at least a  start  button
and a way to know passage of 5 seconds.

	The Tournament would make progress with 3  games  matches of a
pre-randomized couples of robots.  150, in the  Radio  Controled cate-
gory, and 190, in the Stand Alone category, of  robots  gathered  last
year.

	There are so many robot freaks gathered  that  the  Tournament
has been divided in two days.  The first day of the Tournament is pre-
liminary.  In order to take part in the second day, you should beat  2
or 3 opponents at first.  The second day is  final.   There  are  many
people watching the final session.  800 of people gathered at the hall
last year.  Additionally, some TV stations cover the Tournament.   You
and your own made robot wrestlers will  be  broadcasted  nation  wide.
Best of all, if you could beat 4 or 5 opponents in the final  session,
you would win the first prize of 1,000,000Yen or 7,700U.S.Dollars.

	Don't you think it's exciting?



* My project *

	I took part in the last Tournament last year with my own hand-
built robot, named "BigTX".  Unfortunately, he lost to his first oppo-
nent.  Please don't let me talk much about this result. :-)

	My "BigTX" is the Stand Alone type.  Its features are as
follows:

1. CPU, Intel 8052AH, 12MHz clock, internal ROM with the  MCS52  BASIC
   interpreter.

2. RS232C serial communication capability to up/down load the  program
   from/to PC.

3. PIO, 8255A-2, 3X8bits I/O port.

4. 32KB RAM and 8KB EEPROM for user control programs.

5. 2X DC Motors, 3000rpm at torque of 750g-cm, drive  wheels,  3cm  in
   diameter and 4cm in tread, each side through 1/10 speed-down gear.

6. 2X Ultrasonic sensors detect motion of the opponent in range of 3cm
   to 1m.

7. 8X Infrared sensors detect the edge of the circle.

8. Knife-edge in front scoop up and push away the opponent.

	The CPU is enough powerfull.  Most of all, ability to  program
with the BASIC language helped me much.  I bought a  merchandised  CPU
board.  Its size, 7cmX10cm, is so compact.   I  have  constructed  PIO
board to connect motors and sensors with the CPU.  The PIO  board  has
made of 8255 and address decoder.  And, I have  constructed  one  more
board, which mainly took my work time.  The  board  interface  digital
signal of PIO to motors and analog signal of sensors to digital PIO.

	It has two kind of sensors.  One is infrared sensors to detect
edge of the circle.  The edge is marked with 5cm  width  white  paint,
and inside the circle is colored black.  Sothat, it is easy to  detect
using light reflection sensors.  I picked out  EESF5  manufactured  by
OMRON, which has a pair of infrared LED and  photo-diode  in  a  small
enclosure.  I located 8 of this sensors in circumference of the robot.
According to which sensors reacting, it can descriminate which  direc-
tion the robot should turn to.  The robot can  avoid  white  line  and
keep himself inside the circle.

	The another is ultrasonic sensors.  It can detect whether  ob-
jects exist in front of the robot or not.  I supposed it might  useful
to find out where the opponent is.  But, As the following  reason,  it
was not useful.

	According to my experience  last  year,  I  believe  following
improvements must be done in next robot, that  has  already  named  as
"Opus2":

1. The Dohyou is small as compared with  robot,  and  one  game  would
   finish in seconds.  It means that  initial  movement  is  the  most
   important.  Timelag between the  time  when  the  judgeman  signals
   beginning and when I push the start button of the robot  cannot  be
   neglectful.  Therefore, both a clock to measure  5  seconds  and  a
   sensor to detect initial movement of the  opponent  are  necessary.
   "BigTX" has only a clock, though it has motion sensors.   I  didn't
   program it as start signal. :-<

2. "BigTX" was not enough powerfull, actually it had bee  pushed  away
   by the opponent's frontal attack.  I  need  more  torque  and  more
   speed.  There are 3 parameters which determine  the  power  of  the
   robot; spec of motor, gear-down ratio, and diameter  of  wheel.   I
   have to estimate the best parameters to  have  the  most  powerfull
   robot.  ( I suppose that you know the equation,
                              power = torque*revolution = mass*speed )

3. Attacking the opponent in flank, not in  front,  is  effective.   I
   have to research the dynamic  path-findings.   Measuring  direction
   which the opponent move to, calcurating way to reach flank  of  the
   opponent, and turning toward that direction, have  to  be  done  in
   every milliseconds during the game.  Is it possible???

4. Most of all, wrestlers must exercise much more.  The first step  is
   constructing another robot, "Opus2", as an opponent of "BigTX".  I
   should try to have them fight aginst each  other.   Then,  problems
   would be obtained.  It is  difficult  to  obtain  problems  without
   exercises.  The second step is solving those problems, and reconfi-
   gure "BigTX".  Then, "BigTX" might be stronger than "Opus2".   The
   third step is obtaining problems of  "Opus2",  and  solving  them. 
   Doing these step again and again, finally, I might have two of very
   strong wrestlers!



* Informations *

	Here are some addresses and phone numbers where you can  reach
some more informations.

     the main sponsor:	Fuji Software, Inc.

			attention: Khoji Ohba
				   General Manager
				   Publication Division

			2-13-18  Okamoto, Kamakura-city
			Kanagawa-pref.  221,  Japan

			tel: 81+467-47-4416
			fax: 81+467-47-3955


	The supervisor of this tournament, Dr.Chie Kasuga, has  taught
her laboratory's students using the Sumou Robots as  the  material  of
studying.  Many robots were born from her laboratory.  If you  have  a
chance to go to Japan, please don't hesitate to contact her and  visit
her laboratory.

     the supervisor:	Dr. Chie Kasuga
			Assistant Professor

			Sibaura Institute of Engineering
			3-9-14  Sibaura Minato-ku
			Tokyo  108,  Japan

			tel: 81+3-5476-2456
			fax: 81+3-5476-3163

	But, I would like to make a caution.  These  people  in  Japan
are not accustomed to speaking English.  Please don't  surprises  them
by sudden phone calling.  Writing a letter or sending a  facsimile  is
better idea.  I warn you not to call up them :-)

	The next tournament will be held on December 22nd and 23rd  at
Ryougoku Kokugikan Hall.  As you know, this hall  is  extremely  large
hall, where the real Sumou has been held twice in a year.



* Prologue *

	Well, how did you feel?  I suppose that the Sumou game is  too
simple to interest you, but it's so simple that excite me.  Indeed,  I
still wonder why my dear robot, "BigTX", lost to the first  match?   I
have made my mind I would never give up until I win the first prize.
--
Mato Hattori                  email: hattori@convex.com
Convex Computer, U.S.A.              (or hattori@csrd.nkk.co.jp)
3000 Waterview Parkway        office: 1+214-497-4304
Richardson, Texas 75083       home:   1+214-424-4655
Newsgroups: comp.robotics