The line following contest at the annual All Japan Micromouse event is an exciting event. Simple rules, brutal timing constraints and a long, challenging course make for a great competition. While I already knew there were plenty of other robotic contest in Japan, I had not realised there was a whole line following event separate to the one I had seen.
This is the MCU Car Rally sponsored by Renesas. Clearly a big event with regional heats, the track presents additional challenges compared to the All Japan line following contest. Notably, there are slopes, sharp 90 degree turns with zero radius and abrupt breakes in the line. For a little extra excitement, the final is a head-to-head event against the clock.
Check out this introduction: