Sumo Robot (GRA 2026)
Competition sumo robotics for the GRA 2026 season — ESP32-S3 firmware, motor control, and sensor integration, with complete Georgian-language assembly documentation.
My Role
Firmware & Electronics — wrote the ESP32-S3 firmware, integrated motor drivers and sensors, handled the wiring, and produced the full assembly documentation in Georgian.
Project Type
Robotics — competition robot built for the Georgian Robotics Association’s 2026 season.
Tools Used
ESP32-S3, C/C++, motor drivers, sensor integration, wiring & electronics, technical documentation
Problem & Solutions
Real-Time Control on a Microcontroller
Problem
A sumo match gives the robot milliseconds to detect an opponent and respond — all within tight weight, power, and processing constraints.
Solution
A lean firmware loop on the ESP32-S3 fuses sensor input with tuned motor control, keeping reaction time low without starving any subsystem.
Documentation as Part of the Build
Problem
Robotics learning materials barely exist in Georgian, which locks students out of reproducing even a well-engineered robot.
Solution
Full assembly documentation written in Georgian — wiring included — ships with the robot, so the build doubles as a teaching resource.
Tuning Under Competition Rules
Problem
Sumo rules cap weight and size, and a single bad motor curve or a mis-timed edge sensor means being pushed out of the ring in seconds.
Solution
Motor drive and sensor thresholds were tuned in repeated test bouts — reaction timing, edge detection, and push strength measured and adjusted until the robot held the ring reliably.
Architecture
Opponent and edge sensors feed the ESP32-S3 control loop, which drives the motors through an H-bridge driver; Georgian build documentation ships with the robot.
Decision log
The calls that shaped the build — what was decided, why, and what it cost.
ESP32-S3 as the controller
Decision. Run the robot on an ESP32-S3 with C/C++ firmware.
Context. A sumo bout needs a fast control loop, enough I/O for sensors and drivers, and a part students can afford.
Consequence. A lean firmware loop with tuned reaction timing; a well-documented board that other teams can reproduce.
Documentation in Georgian ships with the robot
Decision. Write the full assembly and wiring documentation in Georgian as part of the build.
Context. Robotics learning material barely exists in Georgian, which locks students out of reproducing even a good design.
Consequence. The build doubles as a teaching resource; documentation time is budgeted into the project, not left for later.