awards

Awards will be presented to the top teams that achieve specified goals.

Dynamic Competition

First Place Winner: $TBD + Gold Award

Second Place Winner: $TBD + Silver Award

Third Place Winner: $TBD + Bronze Award

Dynamic prize amounts are awarded only if more than 50% of the snow field is plowed.

Presentation Competitions

Along with awards for the teams that achieve the objectives in the dynamic competition, students will be given the opportunity to compete for the following additional awards and prizes:

Best Student Poster Presentation: Golden Shovel award + $500 prize

Sportspersonship: Dr. Nattu Golden Smile award + $500 prize

Additional Benefits

In addition to the above awards, all participating teams will receive special international recognition through the ION publications, announcements, and presentations at ION technical meetings.

Additionally, videos of the competition event will be distributed to sponsors, media, and the public.

Dr. Narasimhamurthi “Nattu” Natarajan

    It is with a heavy heart the entire Competition, including team members, volunteers, and organizers, mourn the loss
    of a fierce, loyal, and fun-loving competitor of Dr. Narasimhamurthi Natarajan (often called “Nattu”) from the
    University of Michigan, Dearborn.

    Nattu led over ten competition teams at the Autonomous Snowplow Competition during the first six years,
    one year (2014) competing with three teams from his university. He also led a number of teams at the ION’s past
    Robotic Lawnmower Competitions held in Dayton, Ohio.

He was an inspiration to his students and those who met him, and was always quick with an insightful analysis,

followed by a joke and a smile. Nattu will be sadly missed.

    Unfortunately, Nattu passed away from his lung illness on Saturday morning of the 2016 competition, while his two
    University of Michigan, Dearborn teams were competing. Fittingly, both his teams did well, with one of his teams
    winning the overall 2016 competition.

In honour of his leadership, the ION’s Autonomous Snowplow Competition has proudly renamed

its team sportspersonship award as the “Dr. Nattu Golden Smile Award”.