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  Publication made by CIATEQ

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  Competition day!

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  Funny side note: We were actually 1v2'ing the entire competition because our other robot died. :[

Copa FutBotMX 2026 — Team Lumen - Sponsored by CIATEQ

Autonomous robotic soccer for the Agile Category | June 24–26, 2026 · UPIITA-IPN, Mexico City

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The Team

We are a three-person student team from Mexico, sponsored and supported by CIATEQ — Centro de Tecnología Avanzada A.C., a leading applied research and technology center.

Member	Role
Miguel (Team Leader)	Software architecture, firmware, algorithms & control
Enrique	Electronics design, PCB integration & software support
Norma	Mechanical design, robot structure, chassis & hardware assembly

We are competing in the Categoría Ágil — the infrared ball detection category — where two fully autonomous robots per team play 2×10-minute matches with no remote control allowed.

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What We're Building

Two fully autonomous soccer robots capable of detecting an IR-emitting ball, tracking it, making coordinated decisions, and scoring goals — all without any human intervention during play.

The robots communicate wirelessly with each other via ESP-NOW, share game state in real time, and divide responsibilities between an attacker and a defender role. Everything from ball detection to motor control runs on-board at ≥100 Hz.

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Technical Overview

Hardware Platform

Component	Specification
Microcontroller	ESP32-S3
Drive system	3-wheel omnidirectional (holonomic)
Ball detection	7× VS1838B IR receiver array
Line detection	4× TCS34725 RGB color sensors (via TCA9545A I²C mux)
Orientation	BMI160 6-axis IMU (gyro + accelerometer)
Actuator	Solenoid kicker
Communication	ESP-NOW (inter-robot), Wi-Fi AP (telemetry dashboard)
Max weight	1.4 kg
Max diameter	22 cm

Software Architecture

The firmware is written in C++17 using PlatformIO with the Arduino core for ESP32-S3. Key design principles:

• Non-blocking main loop targeting ≥ 100 Hz — no delay() in loop()
• FreeRTOS mutexes for thread-safe sensor data sharing
• State machine for autonomous behavior: IDLE → SEARCH → APPROACH → DRIBBLE → SHOOT
• Inverse kinematics for 3-wheel omnidirectional drive
• Web telemetry dashboard served directly from the robot over Wi-Fi

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Project Structure

Copa-FutBotMX-2026/
├── src/
│   ├── main.cpp                  ← Entry point, main loop
│   ├── config/
│   │   └── config.h              ← Pin definitions, PID gains, timing constants
│   ├── core/
│   │   ├── state.h / .cpp        ← Global robot state (role, FSM, sensor data)
│   │   └── SensorManager.h / .cpp← Unified sensor access layer
│   ├── drivers/
│   │   ├── motor_control.h / .cpp← Holonomic motor driver + inverse kinematics
│   │   └── kicker.h / .cpp       ← Solenoid kicker with cooldown logic
│   ├── sensors/
│   │   ├── ir_sensor_array.h / .cpp   ← IR ball detection + circular mean angle
│   │   ├── ColorSensorArray.h / .cpp  ← Line/boundary detection (TCS34725)
│   │   └── gyro.h / .cpp              ← BMI160 IMU integration
│   ├── behaviors/
│   │   └── strategy.h / .cpp     ← Game state machine + role logic
│   ├── comms/
│   │   └── comms.h / .cpp        ← ESP-NOW inter-robot communication
│   └── net/
│       ├── wifi.h / .cpp         ← Wi-Fi AP/STA management
│       └── web_server.h / .cpp   ← Async REST API + telemetry dashboard
├── shared/
│   ├── ir_protocol.h             ← ESP-NOW message structs (roles, states)
│   ├── field_constants.h         ← Field dimensions in cm
│   └── debug_utils.h             ← LOG() macro (disabled in production builds)
├── data/
│   ├── index.html                ← Telemetry dashboard UI
│   ├── style.css
│   └── script.js
├── docs/
│   ├── BOM.md                    ← Bill of Materials (required for registration)
│   └── poster/
└── platformio.ini

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Project Highlights

IR Ball Tracking

The robot uses 7 infrared receivers arranged around its perimeter. A monostable retriggerable filter removes noise, and a circular mean algorithm calculates the precise angle to the ball — even when multiple sensors fire simultaneously.

Holonomic Drive

Three omni-wheels at 90°, 210°, and 330° allow the robot to move in any direction instantly — forward, sideways, diagonal — without rotating first. Full inverse kinematics implemented from scratch.

Live Telemetry Dashboard

Each robot hosts a web dashboard over its own Wi-Fi access point. From any browser on the same network you can monitor:

• Robot role and game state
• IR sensor array (radar view)
• Gyro/IMU heading and orientation
• RGB color sensor readings
• Real-time uptime and emergency stop

Inter-Robot Coordination

Both robots communicate at ≥10 Hz using ESP-NOW (no router required). They share ball angle, confidence, heading, and role — enabling cooperative strategies like one robot defending while the other attacks.

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Gallery

Photos and GIFs will be added as the build progresses.

Robot Build	Telemetry Dashboard	Field Test
(coming soon)	(coming soon)	(coming soon)

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Getting Started

Prerequisites

• PlatformIO (VS Code extension recommended)
• ESP32-S3 board

Resources

• Official Competition Rules
• CIATEQ — Our Sponsor

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Licencia / License

This project is developed for academic and competition purposes. See LICENSE for details.

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🇲🇽 Versión en Español

For our sponsor, teammates, and the Mexican robotics community — here's a complete overview in Spanish.

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Copa FutBotMX 2026 — Equipo CIATEQ

Este repositorio contiene el firmware completo y la arquitectura de software para nuestros dos robots de fútbol autónomos, con los que competimos en la Copa FutBotMX 2026, Categoría Ágil (24–26 de junio, UPIITA-IPN, Ciudad de México).

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El Equipo

Somos un equipo de tres estudiantes mexicanos, patrocinados y apoyados por CIATEQ — Centro de Tecnología Avanzada A.C..

Integrante	Área
Miguel (Líder)	Software: arquitectura, firmware, algoritmos y control
Enrique	Electrónica: diseño de circuitos, integración de PCB y apoyo en software
Norma	Hardware: diseño mecánico, estructura del chasis y ensamblaje

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¿Qué estamos construyendo?

Dos robots de fútbol completamente autónomos capaces de detectar una pelota emisora de IR, rastrearla, tomar decisiones coordinadas y marcar goles — sin ninguna intervención humana durante el juego.

Los robots se comunican entre sí de forma inalámbrica mediante ESP-NOW, comparten estado de juego en tiempo real y se dividen responsabilidades entre el rol de atacante y defensor. Todo el procesamiento ocurre en el robot a ≥100 Hz.

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Resumen Técnico

Plataforma de hardware:

• Microcontrolador ESP32-S3
• Sistema de tracción omnidireccional de 3 ruedas (holonómico)
• 7 receptores IR VS1838B para detección de pelota
• 4 sensores de color TCS34725 para detección de líneas blancas
• IMU BMI160 de 6 ejes para orientación
• Patada solenoide
• Comunicación ESP-NOW entre robots + dashboard de telemetría vía Wi-Fi

Software:

• C++17 con PlatformIO y Arduino core para ESP32-S3
• Loop principal no bloqueante a ≥100 Hz
• Máquina de estados para comportamiento autónomo
• Cinemática inversa para tracción omnidireccional
• Dashboard de telemetría en tiempo real accesible desde el navegador

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Estado del Proyecto

Subsistema	Estado
Control de motores (holonómico)	✅ Implementado
Detección IR de pelota	✅ Implementado
Sensores de color / línea	✅ Implementado
IMU / giroscopio	✅ Implementado
Comunicación ESP-NOW	✅ Implementado
Dashboard de telemetría Wi-Fi	✅ Implementado
Patada (kicker solenoide)	✅ Implementado
Estrategia y lógica de juego	🔄 En desarrollo
Chasis + llantas + ensamble físico	🔄 En progreso
Pruebas de campo completas	🔜 Pendiente

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🤝 Agradecimientos

Agradecemos a CIATEQ por el patrocinio, las instalaciones y el apoyo técnico brindado a lo largo de este proyecto. Su respaldo ha sido fundamental para llevar este equipo a la competencia.

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Desarrollado con 💚 en México · Copa FutBotMX 2026

Built With

• c
• c++
• css
• html
• javascript
• robotics