MazeX 1.0
Micromouse Workshop Series & Competition
IEEE RAS × WIE, University of Moratuwa
MazeX 1.0 is an island-wide inter-university Micromouse Robotics Competition run by IEEE RAS and WIE at the University of Moratuwa. Knurdz engineered the full-stack platform and cloud stack on mazex.knurdz.org. We did not organize workshops, produce competition content, or run on-the-ground operations. The committee runs the event; we build and operate the software layer.
As web partner, Knurdz engineered a full-stack event platform for the competition: a public-facing experience on mazex.knurdz.org, backed by a modular organizer suite the committee runs without developer intervention. All cloud infrastructure, including hosting, deployment, databases, email delivery, file storage, and ongoing operations, is provisioned and managed by Knurdz.
The Problem
University robotics competitions generate complexity fast, especially at island-wide scale, where organizers coordinate teams from multiple universities. The committee juggles workshop sign-ups, competition entries, sponsor visibility, resource publishing, email campaigns, and last-minute changes, often across spreadsheets, third-party form tools, and disconnected inboxes. MazeX needed a single system the committee could run themselves, from first registration to final debrief.
Public Experience
The public site drives registration for teams across participating universities and includes an interactive maze demo on the homepage, where visitors click cells to add or remove walls before any form is filled. Editorial content on the live site (schedules, downloads, copy, and media) is published by the committee through the organizer suite; Knurdz delivered the platform, not those materials.
- ▸Interactive homepage maze demo reinforcing the Micromouse competition theme
- ▸Registration and inquiry flows for workshops and the main competition
- ▸Sponsor and partner showcase with tier-based visibility managed in admin
- ▸Previous-events gallery module for committee-uploaded photos and entries
- ▸Contact directory for the organizing committee
- ▸Content and resource publishing: committee updates public pages and file downloads without redeploying code
Organizer Platform
Behind the public site sits a purpose-built admin environment structured around how event committees actually work. Every module is fully customizable: organizers configure content, forms, and workflows without touching code.
Dashboard & Analytics
Central analytics give the committee a live read on platform activity: registration volume, engagement trends, and operational health at a glance, so decisions are driven by data, not guesswork.
Registrations
Unified registration management across all workshops and the main competition. Organizers view, filter, and export registered participants from one place instead of reconciling separate form submissions. Registration schemas adapt as requirements change between workshop phases and competition day.
Mail List & Marketing
Built-in mailing list infrastructure removes the need for external newsletter tools. Organizers maintain subscriber lists, segment audiences, and run marketing email campaigns from within the platform, including workshop reminders, competition updates, sponsor announcements, and last-minute logistics from the same system that holds registration data.
Events & Resources
Event management covers the workshop and competition schedule: create, edit, and publish sessions as the timeline evolves. A resources module lets organizers upload and organize materials and downloadable assets that appear on the public site without redeploying code.
Sponsors
Sponsor profiles, tier assignments, and partner visibility are managed directly in the admin panel. The committee controls who appears on the public site, in what order, and with what collateral, keeping partner relationships current as agreements are finalized.
Form Builder
A visual form builder lets organizers create and modify registration and inquiry forms on demand. Field types, validation rules, and form-to-workflow mappings are configurable, so when one workshop needs different data from another, the committee adapts the form themselves.
Link Shortener
Trackable short links for campaigns, social posts, and partner referrals. Organizers generate branded URLs, monitor click-through, and attribute registrations back to specific channels, useful when promoting across IEEE channels, faculty groups, and media partners.
System Settings
Global platform configuration (branding, contact details, feature toggles, and operational preferences) is centralized under settings so the committee maintains full ownership of the live environment.
Infrastructure
Knurdz owns the full cloud stack behind MazeX 1.0, not just the application code. Production hosting, CI/CD pipelines, database services, transactional and marketing email delivery, asset storage for committee-uploaded resources and sponsor collateral, and environment monitoring are all provisioned and operated on Knurdz infrastructure. The IEEE committee gets a turnkey platform; we handle uptime, scaling, and the operational layer that keeps registrations, mail campaigns, and the public site running through competition day.
How We Worked Together
- ▸Scoped the build around a clear split: the committee owns event content and operations; Knurdz owns application engineering, deployment, and cloud operations.
- ▸Shipped a modular organizer suite so registration schemas, forms, sponsors, and published resources could evolve between workshop phases without developer bottlenecks.
- ▸Ran production hosting, email delivery, and platform health through launch so the committee could stay focused on teams and venues.
- ▸Worked closely with IEEE RAS and WIE through requirements, feedback, and iteration, shipping a platform the whole competition could rely on.
Organized By
Competition planning, workshops, schedules, delegate materials, and all event content are owned and produced by IEEE RAS and WIE. Knurdz provided software engineering and cloud infrastructure only.
- IEEE Robotics & Automation Society (RAS)
- IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE)
- IEEE Student Branch, University of Moratuwa
Status
Live at mazex.knurdz.org. Public registration and the full organizer suite are operational; competition registration opens soon.
Event Gallery
Moments from MazeX 1.0
“Working with the IEEE RAS and WIE committee has been a genuine highlight for us, with clear requirements, fast feedback loops, and a shared focus on shipping something the whole competition could rely on. We are proud of what we built together and would be happy to support them again on MazeX and similar initiatives.”