How Acktar’s Black Foils Made a Sumo Robot Hard to Beat
Sumo wrestling isn’t just for humans—it’s a challenge for robots, too! In one of the recent sumo robot competitions in Brazil, the University of São Paulo’s robotics team devised a clever strategy to give their robot a significant edge. They utilized Acktar’s Metal Velvet™ foils, renowned for their extremely black, highly diffusive, and light-absorbing properties across the EUV, FUV, UV, visible, and IR spectra.
In sumo robot competitions, two robots face off in a circular ring, each attempting to push the other out. The robots operate autonomously, relying on sensors to detect their opponent and the boundaries of the ring. The objective is straightforward: remain inside the ring while pushing the opponent out.
The São Paulo team made a strategic decision to cover their robot with Acktar’s black-coated foil. These foils are exceptionally black, with a Lambertian-like surface absorbing nearly all the light that hits them, and their highly diffusive nature helps scatter any remaining unabsorbed light (it absorbs just ~98-99%, so 1-2% still remains 😊), further reducing reflections. The coating’s light absorption worked effectively across UV, visible, and IR wavelengths, making it incredibly difficult for opposing robots to detect their presence.
Their approach proved successful, as the São Paulo team’s robot was tough to beat, helping the team secure a strong second-place finish. After all, it’s challenging to defeat what you can hardly detect!
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