Some talented young Calgarians are getting set to battle it out in a new kind of competition at this year’s Calgary Stampede.
Members of the Calgary-based Western Mechatronics Robotics Club are hosting the Stampede’s first-ever Robot Rodeo.
The event happens Saturday, July 6 and Sunday, July 7 in the BMO Centre and will feature 32 teams competing with their robots.
The club will also have a booth in the BMO Centre throughout the Stampede, offering people an opportunity to build a basic robot.
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“This gives them a chance to do robotics and engineering,” Western Mechatronics’ James Zhang said. “And it’s just really cool to look at.”
Club members are hoping their presence at the Stampede will get people thinking about future directions for some long-time western traditions.
“Robotics has been growing a lot within agriculture,” Zhou said. “Are we able to drive these tractors or big machinery autonomously so we don’t have to get someone to sit there and drive around?”