Mini Sumo is a competition among two autonomous robots, similar to human sumo. The robots maneuver inside of a circular ring and attempt to push the opposing robot out. Mini Sumo originated in Japan, and quickly spread to the rest of the world. The rules for Mini Sumo vary by region and club, but are all similar with restraints on the size/weight of the robot, time limits, and scoring systems.

A sample Mini Sumo ring

Mini Sumo robots come in many styles, and push the designer’s imagination to fit as much capability as they can into the restraints imposed by the rules. Popular commercially produced Mini Sumo robots include the Sumovore from Solarbotics, the Sumobot from Parallax, and the Mark III from Junun.

ROBOMO has at least one Mini Sumo competition per year. If you wish to participate in a grudge match, contact Flexwing on the forum to arrange for the ring to be brought to the next meeting.