We designed a self-operating robot and drone system for the 2026 IEEE SoutheastCon Hardware Competition. The competition required teams to build an autonomous system that completed physical tasks in an arena within a strict time limit using a point-based scoring system. Teams earned points by completing tasks accurately and quickly without human control.
Our robot completed four tasks to power antennas, which turned on LED lights. The drone then viewed and identified the LED colors and sent this information to a receiver to earn points. Six rubber ducks scattered around the arena needed to be collected into a specific region for extra points. Since the competition awarded the most points to antenna-powering tasks, our robot prioritized completing these first.
The robot navigated the arena autonomously, powered the antennas, transported rubber ducks, and traversed uneven terrain. It sensed its environment through sensors that determined its position and movement. We worked with mechanical and aerospace engineering Team 527 who designed who designed the robot’s structure, while our team handled control and sensing.
After assembling all robot parts, the system underwent repeated testing and tuning to improve reliability. We used test runs to refine movement, task completion, and coordination between the robot and drone. Once the robot consistently succeeded in testing, it was ready for competition. Note: This team won first place in the 2026 IEEE SoutheastCon competition!