MBZIRC Maritime Grand Challenge

Duration: October 2022 – January 2023
Type: International Robotics Competition

The MBZIRC (Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge) Maritime Grand Challenge represents one of the most prestigious international robotics competitions. Our team participated in this challenging event, which required complex navigation tasks in a GNSS-denied maritime environment.

Challenge Overview:

The Maritime Grand Challenge involved coordinating a heterogeneous fleet of autonomous vehicles to perform complex maritime operations. The competition scenario simulated real-world maritime rescue and inspection operations where GPS/GNSS signals are unavailable or unreliable.

Team Composition and My Role:

I served as a key member of the Computer Vision Team, working alongside a diverse group of engineers and researchers. The overall system comprised:

2 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
4 Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs)
Heterogeneous robot collaboration systems

Key Responsibilities:

Vision-Based Navigation: Developed computer vision algorithms for navigation in GNSS-denied environments
Object Detection and Tracking: Implemented real-time detection systems for maritime targets
Multi-Robot Coordination: Created vision-based communication and coordination protocols
Sensor Fusion: Integrated visual data with other sensor modalities for robust navigation

Technical Challenges:

GNSS-Denied Environment: Navigation without GPS required alternative localization methods
Maritime Conditions: Dealing with water reflections, wave motion, and changing lighting
Real-Time Processing: Ensuring low-latency vision processing for autonomous operations
Multi-Platform Integration: Coordinating vision systems across UAVs and USVs

Technical Innovations:

Advanced computer vision algorithms for maritime object recognition
Robust feature tracking in challenging water environments
Visual SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) for autonomous navigation
Inter-robot visual communication protocols

Technologies Used:

Python/C++ for real-time processing
OpenCV for computer vision operations
ROS (Robot Operating System) for multi-robot coordination
Deep learning frameworks for object detection
Custom hardware integration for maritime environments

Competition Outcomes:

The MBZIRC Maritime Grand Challenge provided invaluable experience in:

Large-scale autonomous system deployment
Real-world robotics application under pressure
International collaboration and competition
Advanced problem-solving in challenging environments

Skills Developed:

Maritime robotics expertise
Multi-robot system coordination
Competition-level performance optimization
International teamwork and communication
Rapid prototyping and deployment

This experience significantly enhanced my understanding of autonomous systems and prepared me for advanced research in robotics and AI applications in challenging real-world environments.