Meet Swoop: The Tic-Tac-Toe Robot That’s Changing How We See Robotics
December 6, 2024 | Courtney Russell
By: Mandy Holliday, senior at Miami University
In Miami University’s Industrial Robotics Lab, a unique project is bridging the gap between engineering and fun. A robot named “Swoop” is challenging perceptions of robotics, showing that they can be both functional and playful. A team of students has programmed Swoop to play Tic-Tac-Toe with anyone willing to join in, all while showcasing the potential for robotics in everyday life.
A Playful Approach to Robotics
When you think of robots, images from movies like I, Robot or The Terminator might come to mind—cold, calculating machines. But Swoop is breaking that stereotype. Instead of being a strictly utilitarian machine, Swoop has been designed with personality and fun in mind.
The CRX-10iA Collaborative Robot that powers Swoop is typically used in factories, assisting with tasks like palletizing on assembly lines. But Swoop uses the same technology to bring a sense of joy and interaction to people. By inviting passersby to play a game of Tic-Tac-Toe, Swoop offers a more social take on robotics that sparks curiosity.
The Team Behind Swoop
Swoop wasn’t built overnight. The team behind this innovative project is comprised of Electrical Engineering and Robotics Engineering majors, including Sami Friend, Parker Murphy, Ethan Chapel, Carlos Buelvas, and Jacob Bowens. Their shared goal was to combine technical expertise with creativity to make Swoop not only functional but fun for people from all backgrounds.
Working together on this project has taught the team the importance of communication and collaboration. Parker Murphy stressed how the experience not only helped reinforce “how important communication is” for him, but “how critical meeting your deadline is because you have people relying on you to get your stuff done.”
Programming the robot came with its own set of challenges, especially when working with the FANUC controllers. The team had to navigate the limited programming capabilities, which contrasted sharply with the flexibility of languages like Java or Python. “It’s basically like you’re forced to program like a middle schooler would,” Murphy explained. “That sounds like it would be easier—it’s not. It’s so much harder because you’re doing something complicated, but you just have to rely on the very basics of what you know how to do because that’s all you can use on the actual controller.”
Teaching Robots New Tricks: The Role of Voice and Personality
Swoop’s playful demeanor isn’t just limited to its Tic-Tac-Toe game. The team has plans to give the robot the ability to speak, making it even more engaging. “I’m working on integrating some voice lines for it, giving it a voice—so we’re going to use a Raspberry Pi and Python,” Ethan Chapel said, hoping to give Swoop a sassy edge.
This addition will allow Swoop to not only play games but also interact with users in a way that feels more human, creating a deeper connection with the people it encounters.
As the team continues to develop Swoop, their goal is to push the boundaries of what people expect from robots. Rather than being seen as cold, detached machines, they want robots like Swoop to be viewed as friendly, intelligent companions.
Mentorship and Support
Throughout the project, the team’s success has been bolstered by mentorship from Miami University’s faculty. Associate Teaching Professor Dave Hartup has been instrumental in guiding the students through the challenges they faced, offering advice on both the technical and collaborative aspects of the project.
“He’s definitely one of the most active and present advisors you can have in the department,” Murphy said. “He’ll meet with us every week for an hour and go over everything that we’ve done and give us suggestions on what to do for the next week.”
The Road Ahead: Shaping the Future of Robotics
As they approach graduation, the team members have a clear vision for their futures. Sami aspires to work with NASA or SpaceX, designing rovers for space exploration. Parker is focused on staying at the forefront of emerging technologies, and Ethan dreams of becoming an inventor, creating solutions that can improve everyday life.
For all of them, Swoop represents more than just a project—it’s a conversation starter that has helped them showcase their skills and ingenuity to potential employers. “In all the interviews I’ve done, I’ve talked about this project for about half the time because they keep asking questions and love it,” said Parker. “It’s a really big multidisciplinary project—you have the robotics with the actual robot, electrical with all our wiring into the controller and setting up the Pi, a lot of vision software with our camera, and mechanical with 3D printing. It covers everything.”
Changing Perceptions: Robots as Allies, Not Threats
One of the team’s main goals with Swoop is to change how people view robots. Rather than fearing them, they hope the public will see robots as valuable allies that can enhance daily life. “I hope that people become less afraid of robots,” Sami said. So many movies have given robots a bad reputation. With Swoop, the team hopes to show that robots can be smart, capable, and even fun.
Parker added, “I want people to get more comfortable with robots…it just feels like people aren’t willing to give them a chance because there are so many bad representations of them.”
Looking to the Future
As the team continues to develop Swoop, they’re also thinking about the broader impact of their work. They want to inspire future generations of engineers and robotics experts, showing them that technology can be used for both practical and creative purposes.
“I hope that people take away from this project how intelligent the programming on these robots can be,” Parker said. “You would normally just imagine these industrial robots picking up boxes and laying them back down, but here we have all this logic that really makes it this intelligent, functioning machine that’s smart enough to beat even professors in Tic-Tac-Toe.”
Swoop is more than just a robot; it’s a symbol of the exciting possibilities that exist in the world of robotics and engineering. With creativity, teamwork, and a bit of playful fun, the team has shown that robots can be much more than machines—they can be partners in the journey toward a brighter, more innovative future.