Day of the event

You are encouraged to arrive as early as possible to ensure you have adequate time to complete the registration process, and to set up and prepare for the competition.

8 - 9:45 a.m.
Registration and robot inspections.

Competitor packages will be consolidated into one bag for each school. The teacher/chaperone can sign in for your school and distribute the package contents to your team(s). 

Each package will contain:

• a lanyard with name tag and a Robot Rumble t-shirt for each competitor (please wear your t-shirt and lanyard, as this doubles as your lunch pass)
• door prize draw slip (blue slip)-please fill this out and drop it into the draw box located in the gym by 10 a.m.  Door prizes will be draw throughout the morning until noon.
• event evaluation (yellow sheet) and a pen.  Please complete the evaluation at the end of the event, and upon leaving return it with your name tag to be eligible for the final draw.

Once competitors have their packages:

• Proceed to the inspection tables to have their robots inspected and tagged for the competition.
• You will be guided into the gym and assigned a table

9:45 - 10 a.m.
Welcome from Sask Polytechnic

10 a.m. - noon

• Preliminary round robin matches begin.  A link will be given for teams to see the schedule and results online.

• Door prizes drawn throughout the morning

Noon - 1 p.m.
Lunch (provided)

Students will be escorted to the Electronics Systems Engineering Technology area located on the 3rd floor of the campus for lunch. Please follow the directions of the staff around noon, a pizza lunch with a vegetarian option will be provided. As we may not be able to accommodate all dietary restrictions, students with specific food requirements are encouraged to provide their own lunches.

1 - 3 p.m.

Championship fight and consolation rounds.    

~2:30 - 3 p.m.

• Award presentations
• Event closes

Parking is provided for participants at our event parking lot located east of the main campus on 33rd Street.  Please refer to the map for directions.  The lot will have signage and a commissionaire to guide you to the proper area.

You may park in the visitor lot at the corner of Idylwyld and 33rd St., however this is a pay lot and there is a charge to park here for the entire day.  Follow the directions at the pay station located at this lot.

Parking in the staff parking lot or in the student parking lot is not permitted during the competition.

In March 2009, Sask Polytechnic introduced the Robot Rumble SUMObot Challenge. The event was a smashing success. With $11,000 in tuition money and iPods up for grabs, electronics programs at Sask Polytechnic campuses in Moose Jaw and Saskatoon hosted more than 160 high school students for their first-ever SUMObot robotic competition.

Sask Polytechnic provided the schools with a robot kit that contained enough parts for two SUMO robots. High school teachers worked with their students to build, program and test their robots.

At the 2024 competition, almost 130 students from twenty-six high schools across Saskatchewan registered for the competition.

Sask Polytech's Robot Rumble competition gives high school students, working in teams of two, the chance to demonstrate their problem-solving skills, technical knowledge of electronics and teamwork as they competed against other students from across the province.

Similar to traditional Japanese sumo wrestling matches, two SUMObots face-off against each other in a ring. The goal is to stay in the ring while pushing the opposing robot out of the ring. The robot that stays in the ring the longest wins the match. The top prize for the competition was a $1,500 entrance award and an iPod Touch for each team member.

While the focus of the event is the competition, students also have the chance to tour Sask Polytechnic Nutrien School of Mining, Manufacturing and Engineering Technologies, such as electronics programs. Students will gain knowledge of potential careers in the field of electronics and telecommunications.

Sask Polytech electronics grads work with business, industry and government employers in areas such as manufacturing, communications, resource processing and consulting.

Team requirements

Each team will consist of two grade 9 - 12 students and one robot.

Team members must be Saskatchewan high school students registered in grades 9 - 12.

Each school is allowed to register two teams. Each team must identify if they will be competing in the stock or modified competition as outline in SECTION 6A: ROBOT REQUIREMENTS MODIFIED and SECTION 6B: ROBOT REQUIREMENTS STOCK. Additional teams may be submitted for registration, and will be accepted based on availability of space. Additional team acceptance will be prioritized on a first come, first served basis.

Robot kit distribution

Sask Polytech distributes 25 robot kits each year. The robot kits will be distributed upon receipt of the high schools' completed registration form. Schools that have not participated previously will be shown preference provided they apply by the school registration deadline date. After this date, kits will be distributed in the order registrations are received until all kits have been allocated.

Each high school will be provided one robot kit at no charge provided the school sends at least one team that registers to compete. Each kit contains two robots, which means each school could send two teams. If the school does not send a team to compete, the school will be required to pay $565 to keep the kit or return it to Sask Polytechnic unopened.

Robot requirements

Modifications to robots will be allowed for teams competing in the modified competition, provided these modifications adhere to the rules specified in SECTION 6A: ROBOT REQUIREMENTS MODIFIED and Section 8: Compliance of the Sask Polytechnic Sumo Robot Competition Rules. Sask Polytechnic will not provide extra parts for modifications.

Modifications to robots will not be allowed for teams competing in the stock competition, see section SECTION 6B: ROBOT REQUIREMENTS STOCK and Section 8: Compliance of the Sask Polytechnic Sumo Robot Competition Rules.

If time permits, robots may be reprogrammed between matches. Teams will supply their own equipment for reprogramming.

Please review the Sask Sumo Robot Competition Rules.

Rules and regulations for the Sask Polytechnic Robot Rumble sumo wrestling robot competition. The competition format, team description and the definition of the competition area are included.

Section 1: tournament structure

Registration

• Teams register upon arrival at Sask Polytechnic on the morning of the competition.
• A flag will be supplied for each robot that identifies the robot's number, name and school.
• A tamper proof label identifying the robot's number will be attached to the robot.
• Both the flag and sticker must remain on the robot for the duration of the competition.

Qualification round (morning)

• Each team will be assigned to a pool. Each pool will contain seven to 12 robots based on registration numbers and determined by the Head Judges.
• All teams in each pool will challenge the other teams in the pool in round robin format.
• The morning schedule for each team will be provided at registration.
• Matches in the qualification round will start at 10 a.m.
• If a team does not show up for the competition all matches involving that team will be forfeited during the qualification round.
• There will be a break after the qualification round for lunch and a tour of the Electronic Systems Engineering Technology program facilities at Sask Polytechnic.

Finals

Afternoon tournament structure will be available after registration closes.

Section 2: match principles

Section 3: ties/stalemates/exceptions

Judges may decide to restart the battle if:

• Both robots remain in a clinch with no movement for five seconds.
• Both robots follow the same orbit or periodic motion for five seconds.
• It is not clear to the judges that progress in the battle is being made.
• Both robots fall off the competition surface at the same time and a winner is contested.
• Judges may declare a winner if:
  • One robot stops moving for more than five seconds.
  • A time limit of three minutes runs out.

Section 4: judges

Ring judges

• Coordinate the play at each ring of the competition.
• Keep track of the time of each battle.
• Decide the winner and looser of each battle.
• May raise concerns about participant or robot conduct during the competition.

Head judge

• Supervises the ring judges.
• Has final decision in any ruling.

Section 5: determining the winner of a qualification pool

The tournament structure will be available on the day of the tournament.

Section 6A: robot requirements modified

• Robots can be built using the parts supplied in the kit by following the instructions included with the kit.
• Physical modifications or additions to the robots are permitted for this competition.
• Robots must include a start switch.
• Robots shall not move until five seconds after their start switch is pressed.
• Wireless communications to the robot is not allowed.
• A robot must:
  • weigh less than 500 grams
  • fit in a 10cm x 10cm x 10cm cube at the start of a battle.
• A robot may expand after the start of a match.
• Robots shall not separate into pieces during a match.
• Robot parts, with a total mass of less than five grams, may fall off a robot during a match.
• A robot is not allowed to intentionally expel any liquids, solids or gases.
• Robots may be reprogrammed between matches.
• Teams will supply their own equipment for reprogramming. Robots may not be reprogrammed between battles.
• You may not change the robots batteries between battles.
• Robots may not employ devices or methods intended to interfere with sensors of the competition.
• Robots shall not use parts that inflict damage to the ring or the opponent's robot.
• Robots shall not attempt to stick to the ring.
  • Judges may place a robot on a piece of paper to test for violations to this rule.
  • If the paper lifts when the robot is picked up, the robot will be disqualified.

SECTION 6B: Robot Requirements stock

• Robots must be built using the parts supplied in the kit by following the instructions included with the kit.
• Physical modifications or additions to the robots are NOT permitted for this competition. The only exceptions are.
  • Weight can be added.
  • Rubber bands for wheels can be changed.
• Robots must include a start switch.
• Robots shall not move until five seconds after their start switch is pressed.
• A robot must:
  • weigh less than 500 grams.
  • fit in a 10cm x 10cm x 10cm cube at the start of a battle.
• Robots may be reprogrammed between matches.
• Teams will supply their own equipment for reprogramming.
• Robots may not be reprogrammed between battles.
• You may not change the robots batteries between battles.
• Robots may not employ devices or methods intended to interfere with sensors of the competition.
• Robots shall not use parts that inflict damage to the ring or the opponent's robot.
• Robots shall not attempt to stick to the ring.
  • Judges may place a robot on a piece of paper to test for violations to this rule.
  • If the paper lifts when the robot is picked up, the robot will be disqualified.

Section 7: teams

• A team consists of a robot and a group of students in grades 9, 10, 11 or 12.
• Only one team member shall enter the competition area and place the robot on the ring.
• There will be a maximum of 120 teams in the Robot Rumble competition.

Section 8: compliance

• All robots will be weighted on the following scale at registration. All robots must be under 500 grams.
• Judges will weight each winning robot after each of the competition matches.

All robots must fit inside the 10cm x 10cm X 10cm cube at registration and at the start of each battle.

Judges have the right to apply the cube at any time during the competition.

Section 9: Competition Area

• The match shall be fought by two teams within the perimeter of the defined sumo ring.
• The ring is a black circular area 72 cm in diameter.
• The ring is surrounded by a 2.5 cm wide white border or Tawara.
• An empty space of at least 50 cm wide will surround the Tawara.

SumoBot information

Fingertech Robotics

The 27402 SumoBot Robot Competition Kit by Parallax used in previous competition is no longer available. The new robot kit that will be distributed for future competitions is 32134 Sumobot WX Competition Kit and allows you to build and program two high-quality SumoBot robots designed to wrestle in the mini-sumo competition ring (included in the kit).

The previous robot kits can still be used in the competition.