“The legendary Stealth Runner. The master of the Stealth Turn.” This statement is a pun on Johnny Polo’s statement on the wrestler Reno Riggins. However, it aptly describes the Stealth Runner’s performance at Computer Playtime ‘97, in which it put a big feather in its cap by clinching the 1st placing.

The Stealth Runner was built by Mr Loy and Mr Cheng, with the understanding that it was to be a fallback entry.
Much later, when the team first became aware of the possibilities of MMADS technology, a control program for the Stealth Runner was created. In the April ‘97 competition, the micromouse did not perform up to expectations.

Following that, the Stealth Runner was only allowed a short rest after April ‘97, as an even greater challenge loomed in SRG ‘97. Due to the lack of time for preparation, Mr Loy and Mr Cheng had little choice but to just send in their entries without any improvements. Despite this, the Stealth Runner, now named ‘Slim Jim’, outperformed over 40 micromice to finish up in 5th position.

The next challenge was in Computer Playtime ‘97 in December, when the Stealth Runner represented SAJC Alumni at the request of Mr Choo. During the preliminary round of competition, the Stealth Runner looked an unlikely winner, finishing at 8th place, qualifying for the final round only because the judges made a judgement call and increased the number of finalists from 6 to 8. During the finals, the Stealth Runner performed well beyond expectation, outmaneuvering its competitors to emerge as champion. This victory marked SAJC’s second consecutive win in Computer Playtime competitions.

Following the conclusion of the competition, the Stealth Runner has undergone major reconstruction, culminating in a new micromouse called Stealthcraft. At the same time, Mr Choo took over as its new overseer, and the end result has been a much improved, sleek and promising micromouse, poised to be the team’s flagbearer into the next millenium.

Stealthcraft

“So, how did it go?” Mr Loy asked. “Well, we got ourselves another ‘Wappu’,” came Mr Choo. Indeed, Mr Choo’s favourite micromouse Stealthcraft is in many ways similar to the legendary Wappumouse. Sleekly produced and extremely well constructed, the Stealthcraft is a worthy successor to the Stealth Runner. It uses a modified version of Wappumouse’s control program to great effect, enabling it to attain the same stability, speed and reliability as its counterpart.

The Stealthcraft was almost entirely constructed by Mr Choo, who also made the sensor board. Designed to be Wappumouse’s competent twin, it also has a few striking differences, both in design and manufacture. Nevertheless, it manages to achieve the same striking performance as Wappumouse. This was due to the painstaking effort put in by Mr Choo and Mr Cheng in the fine-tuning of the micromouse’s motion.

With these improvements as well as Mr Choo’s vigilance, the Stealthcraft looks set to be a serious contender in upcoming competitions. In fact, as Mr Loy remarked, “the flagship which will propel us to the next millenium”.
 
Back to previous page