MATLAB Tag Tournament

Spring 2020

Project Goal: Utilize MATLAB to create a complex algorithmic set of functions to autonomously control the movement of a "player" in a simulated game of tag. 

Skills: MATLAB programming, code debugging, algorithm writing. 

Ranked 7th out of 40 in class tournament

Project Outline:
1. Collaborate virtually with a partner to plan, write, and execute a complex MATLAB script based on team designed algorithms.

2. Avoid traps (star) in the map, collect food (square), and maneuver around the game board in order to gain more points than opposing teams and tag them.

3. Debug and improve your algorithm based on calculated performance statistics in preliminary tournament rounds.

Overview of my Team's Approach and Algorithm
Utilized embedded loops and vector mathematics to track the position of the opponent and of our own player with respect to the traps, food sources, and each other. 

Created layered "if" and "when" statements to help our player to autonomously which food source would be most advantageous to move towards. 

Wrote functions to predict the point-gain versus-energy loss comparison for various different movement paths and move in the most advantageous direction. 

Utilized small angular movements to avoid the 5 unit radius of traps while conversing energy.

Built override functions into the code to recognize when opponent is low energy and prioritize moving towards them to tag them instead of seeking food.