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| 1 | +# IEEE RAS UT Austin |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +This is the official website for the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS) chapter at the University of Texas at Austin. |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +We are a student-led organization dedicated to advancing robotics, automation, and related technologies through education, research, and community engagement. |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +## About Us |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +The RAS chapter organizes workshops, competitions, tech talks, and social events to foster innovation in robotics. We collaborate with industry partners and offer opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience across multiple competitive teams and projects. |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | +## Competition Teams & Committees |
| 12 | + |
| 13 | +### VEX U - Team GHOST |
| 14 | +Team GHOST is UT Austin's competitive VEX U robotics team competing in both VEXU and VEX AI competitions. They feature an advanced software stack running on NVIDIA Orin Nano with ROS2, complete localization using lidar/IMU/odometry, and innovative mechanical designs including swerve drive systems. |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +**Recent Robots:** |
| 17 | +- Baby Jerry (2025-present) |
| 18 | +- Omega Jerry (2025) - High Stakes competition |
| 19 | +- George (2024) - Over Under competition |
| 20 | + |
| 21 | +**Achievements:** |
| 22 | +- VEX AI Excellence Award (highest tournament award) |
| 23 | +- VEX Worlds Build Award |
| 24 | +- 156 points - highest score at tournament |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +**Discord:** https://discord.gg/DvPsTE94qe |
| 27 | + |
| 28 | +The team emphasizes personal development with structured onboarding for mechanical (CAD/design), software (ROS2/control theory), project management, and strategy. They give back through open-sourced materials and mentoring local VEX teams. |
| 29 | + |
| 30 | +### RoboMaster - Team Stampede |
| 31 | +Stampede competes in RoboMaster North America, an esports-robotics fusion featuring custom-built combat robots in physical arenas. Founded in 2021, they achieved 4th place in their first competition and reached Top 8 among 25+ universities worldwide in 2023-2024. |
| 32 | + |
| 33 | +**Robot Types:** |
| 34 | +- **Standard** - All-round workhorse with 17mm launcher, highly maneuverable for 3v3 and 1v1 combat |
| 35 | +- **Hero** - Heavy damage dealer with 42mm launcher and increased health pool |
| 36 | +- **Sentry** - Fully autonomous dual-turret robot with computer vision and simultaneous targeting |
| 37 | + |
| 38 | +**Technical Stack:** |
| 39 | +- Custom PCBs designed in KiCAD for power/data distribution |
| 40 | +- NVIDIA Jetson processors with Intel RealSense cameras |
| 41 | +- Advanced computer vision, localization, auto-targeting, and self-navigation |
| 42 | +- Bare-metal firmware with hardware drivers and control algorithms |
| 43 | +- SolidWorks design with FEA optimization |
| 44 | + |
| 45 | +**Meetings:** |
| 46 | +- Team Meetings: Fridays 5-6:30pm in ECJ 1.214 |
| 47 | +- Work Meetings: Sundays 1-5pm in ETC 2.136 |
| 48 | +- Discord: https://discord.gg/QSNPf3aPMs |
| 49 | + |
| 50 | +### Demobots |
| 51 | +Demobots creates interactive demonstration robots for outreach and education. Projects showcase diverse robotics concepts and engage the community at events. |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | +**Active Projects:** |
| 54 | +- **Couchbot** - Interactive couch robot |
| 55 | +- **Chessbot** - Autonomous chess-playing robot |
| 56 | +- **Polargraph** - Drawing robot creating large-scale art |
| 57 | +- **Dancebot** - Entertainment robot with choreographed movements |
| 58 | +- **Armbot** - Robotic arm demonstration |
| 59 | +- **TOA (The One Arm)** - Advanced arm manipulation project |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | +**Discord:** https://discord.gg/fU7qEDc322 |
| 62 | + |
| 63 | +### Robotathon |
| 64 | +An annual fall semester introductory robotics competition created and run by UT IEEE RAS. About 50-100 participants (no prior experience required) form teams of 4-6 students, each paired with a RAS mentor. |
| 65 | + |
| 66 | +**Competition Format:** |
| 67 | +- 9-week competition period |
| 68 | +- Teams design and build robots to compete in themed challenges |
| 69 | +- 2-5 hours/week time commitment |
| 70 | +- Workshops and office hours provided |
| 71 | + |
| 72 | +**Recent Themes:** |
| 73 | +- 2024: RASterchef |
| 74 | +- 2023: RAStronaut |
| 75 | +- 2022: JuRASsic Park |
| 76 | + |
| 77 | +**Resources:** https://ut-ras.github.io/RobotathonESP32/ |
| 78 | + |
| 79 | +Many RAS members started their robotics journey through Robotathon before joining other committees. |
| 80 | + |
| 81 | +## Key Sections |
| 82 | + |
| 83 | +- **Home**: Overview of activities and latest news |
| 84 | +- **About**: Mission, leadership, and organizational history |
| 85 | +- **Events**: Upcoming workshops, competitions, and meetings |
| 86 | +- **Support**: Information for sponsors, partners, and donations |
| 87 | +- **Members**: Resources for current members, activity tracking, and forms |
| 88 | +- **Committees**: Details on VEX, RoboMaster, Demobots, Robotathon, and Advanced Projects |
| 89 | + |
| 90 | +## Corporate Partnership |
| 91 | + |
| 92 | +RAS collaborates with corporate partners through: |
| 93 | +- General meetings and tech talks |
| 94 | +- Hands-on workshops |
| 95 | +- Social events (virtual, in-person, and hybrid formats) |
| 96 | + |
| 97 | +View our corporate packet: /ut_ieee_ras_corp_packet.pdf |
| 98 | + |
| 99 | +## Support & Donations |
| 100 | + |
| 101 | +Support RAS through our donation page: https://hcb.hackclub.com/donations/start/austin-ieee-ras |
| 102 | + |
| 103 | +## Contact |
| 104 | + |
| 105 | +General inquiries & Corporate relations: [email protected] |
| 106 | + |
| 107 | +## Social Media & Links |
| 108 | + |
| 109 | +- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ut_ieee_ras/ |
| 110 | +- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ut_ieee_ras |
| 111 | +- GitHub: https://github.com/ut-ras |
| 112 | +- Main Discord: https://discord.gg/ehmhUTZ2NZ |
| 113 | + |
| 114 | +### Committee-Specific Discords |
| 115 | +- VEX U: https://discord.gg/DvPsTE94qe |
| 116 | +- RoboMaster: https://discord.gg/QSNPf3aPMs |
| 117 | +- Demobots: https://discord.gg/fU7qEDc322 |
| 118 | + |
| 119 | +Last updated: November 2025 |
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