Technology sometimes leads us to tournaments that are really curious.

Right now everyone is looking at something specific in the technological world: AIs, specifically at ChatGPT. However, robotics has been around for many years and has not necessarily been negative. On the contrary. On many occasions it has given us really good stories or has improved the lives of many people. In this case, we are talking about a competition, not necessarily a sport one, since the human hand is not involved except when making the robots. It is a competition in which robotic mice have to get out of a maze before a certain time so as not to be eliminated. It is really interesting and has created many faithful throughout the world. We are going to tell you how it works.

Solving mazes with robotic mice: something that creates fascination

In the 1950s, a researcher developed something like no other: a mechanical mouse capable of solving by itself the exit of a complicated maze. Theseus called himin honor of the mythological hero who entered the labyrinth to end the life of the Minotaur as a result of the love affair between a white bull and the queen of Crete. In these years, computer technology had not yet reached a high level, but as a result of the Second World War, computing had begun to gain a lot of relevance. It is what could be known as the “Stone Age” of modern technology.

Well, from those muds, these muds. This technology capable of escaping from mazes was scaling enormously and has now become a real competition or scientific sport. Of course, in this case the athletes are mouse-shaped robots that have been programmed by scientists from all over the world to compete in a labyrinth in which the battle will be fought to see who get out of the maze before.

They have up to five attempts to complete the labyrinth tour in 7 minutes and get out of it safe and sound. If they do not succeed, they will be eliminated. Afterwards, those who manage to get out will have to compete to see who has the best time of all. The robots have been programmed to find the fastest route, not the shortest. Although it may seem counterintuitive, the shortest route is sometimes not the fastest, since they have to make many turns and that slows them down. In this way, everything is thought out and the truth is that there is a true science in this sport.

Now they have created a documentary to collect one of the most unknown competitions but most vibrant in recent years. The truth is that it is one of those events that always attract attention in the technology world like the one in which they created computers with mushrooms

In short, we find the following:

• In the 1950s, a researcher invented a magnetic mouse that knew how to get out of mazes. He named it Theseus after the Greek hero who escaped from the labyrinth.
• Since then it has been developing more and more until finally becoming a true sports competition.
• You have five attempts and seven minutes to overcome the mazeotherwise you are disqualified.
• Some mice have accidents, roll over or things like that because of how fast they are going.
• They look for the fastest path, which is not necessarily the shortest, although it may seem counterintuitive.