Robo - CrossRobo - Cross

Students will design and build a robot to collect items on a playing field, move them from one zone of the playing field to another, and deposit the items in one of two goal boxes

The Basics (#1)

1. Each team can enter one (and only one) robot

2. The robot must fit inside a 30cm x 30cm x 30cm cube

3. Students place the cube over the robot once they have placed it on the playing field to demonstrate it fits inside. After removing the cube, the robot may not change shape on its own or move before timing starts. If the students use the controls to change the size or shape of the robot, they may not do so until the 3 minute timing has started.

4. Students may not touch the robot itself once they have removed the cube.

The Basics (#2)5. Students will have 3 minutes to pick up items from Zone B of the

playing field and transport them back to goal boxes located in Zone C and Zone D

6. Points are scored for every item moved from Zone B to either Zone C or Zone D or placed in a goal box. If the robot is controlled via a tether system, the wires may not be used to move any item or to physically move the robot itself.

7. To enter Zone D from Zone A, the robot must travel over a piece of 11/16" quarter round molding. The rounded portion of the molding will face Zone A, making it easy to enter Zone D but very difficult to leave. To enter Zone D from Zone C the robot must travel over 2 pieces of 11/16" quarter round molding, placed together to form a half cylinder.

The Basics (#3)8. Students may not step on the playing field. If they step on the

playing field competition will be stopped and points will be awarded based on the location of items at that time.

9. Students may not touch the robot or use the wires or control box to physically move the robot. If they do so, competition stops and points are awarded based on the location of items at that time.

10. Voltage for motors is limited to 9.6 volts. Each motor that performs a separate function may be powered by its own 9.6 volt battery.

11. The robot motion may only be powered by electrical, elastic or gravitational energy. Hydraulics, pneumatics, and fluidics will not be allowed to power the robot.

The Basics (#4)12. If the robot is controlled by a control box wired to the robot, the

control box must be powered by a battery with a maximum voltage of 9.6 volts. If remote controlled, it may be controlled by one or more transmitters, each powered as stipulated by the manufacturer

13. The robot must have a legible team name on it.

14. If the robot is radio controlled, the only allowed frequencies are 75 MHz, 27 MHz, 49 MHz, or 2.4 GHz, including Bluetooth.

15. At the end of the competition, the students must place their controls on the floor. If the parts of the robot that are touching the floor 10 seconds after this are inside Zone B, Zone C, Zone D or one of the goal boxes, the team will receive a bonus.

The Basics (#5)16. The robot may move the goal boxes, but they must remain inside

the playing field at all times. If a goal box touches the floor outside of the playing field, competition will be stopped at that point. Since the goal box is out of bounds, none of the items inside it will receive points.

17. Any scorable item that touches the floor outside of the playing field, even if it under the control of the robot, is out of play and will receive no points.

18. The Playing Field will be a 4' x 4' piece of 1/4 inch Masonite with the smooth side up. The perimeter of the playing field will have a border made of 1" x 2" wood, attached to the top surface of the playing field with the 2" side placed vertically

The Competition1. The robot (and all items the student may need, such as tools and

extra batteries) will be impounded before the competition.

2. All of the scorable items will be placed in Zone B (see diagram of playing field). Students will place their robot in the starting position in Zone A. The Goal Boxes will be placed in the outside corner of Zone C (small goal box) and Zone D (large goal box).

3. Students will place a 30cm x 30 cm x 30 cm Plexiglas cube over their robot to demonstrate that it meets the size requirements. All parts of the robot except the controllers (and any wires running to the controllers) must fit completely within the Plexiglas cube.

4. After removing the cube the robot MAY NOT expand or move.

The Competition5. Students MAY NOT use their controllers to expand the robot until

after the 3 minute time limit has started.

6. The judge will give the students a "1, 2, 3, Go". At that point, the students have a maximum of 3 minutes to collect as many scoreable items as possible, with a goal of placing all of the items in either the Large Goal Box in Zone D or the Small Goal Box in Zone C.

7. If a student steps onto the Playing Field the competition is over at that point.

8. There are 4 other things that can end the competition before the 3 minute time limit has expired: any part of either Goal Box or the robot touches the floor out-of-bounds; a team member touches their robot after removing the Plexiglas cube; the robot is moved by the wires connecting it to the control box; or a team member says "Stop".

The Competition9. If a scorable item is moved by the wires on a robot it will be out of

play and won't accumulate any points.

10. Part or all of the robot may wind up inside the Goal Box without penalty.

11. At the end of the competition, the students must place their controllers on the floor. If the parts of the robot touching the ground after 10 seconds has elapsed are touching a part of the playing field, the team will receive bonus points. The amount of the bonus will depend on the part of the playing field the robot is touching.

12. If an item (or the robot) is on a line or straddles two different zones of the playing field, the lower amount of points will be awarded.

13. A scoreable item is considered in the goal if part of the item is within the goal box and the item is only in contact with the goal box or other items inside the goal box.

This Years Objects

•4 Golf Balls

•4 C-cell batteries

•2 Yellow Lego blocks - standard 4 x 2 size

•2 Blue Lego blocks - standard 4 x 2 size

•Coins totaling $0.40 value (specifics to be announced after impound but prior to the beginning of competition)

ScoringScoringItem Number Zone C Zone D Small

Goal BoxLarge

Goal Box

Golf Balls 4 5 10 5 20

C-cell batteries 4 6 12 6 24

Y. Lego Blocks 2 8 8 24 8

B. Lego Blocks 2 8 8 8 24

Coins 40¢ total Value in ¢

Value in ¢

3 x Value in ¢

Value in ¢

Points may be earned for only one location

Robot in Zone B = 5 pts; in Zone C = 10 pts; in Zone D or either of the Goals = 20 pts. If any part of the robot is left in another zone, robot receives lesser of the two possible scores

Maximum score is 412 points

Rule Changes from Last Year

1. Team must design and build robot2. Controllers constructed by students must be powered by commercial

batteries3. You may not squeeze your robot into the qualifying cube or use the

cube to hold the antenna below the 30 cm height limit4. Addition of 2.4 GHz Band (including Bluetooth)5. Separation between Zone C and Zone D will now be a rounded

separation6. Changes in the items being moved7. Two goal boxes this year and items earn points based on the goal box

where they wind up8. Large goal box in Zone D will be a 1 quart plastic container9. Small goal box in Zone C will be a 1.5 pint plastic container10. The sides of both goal boxes (including any lips they might have)

will not be thicker than 2 mm

Rule Changes from Last Year - Part 2

11. Goal boxes will be placed on their sides, with the open top facing Zone A and Zone B respectively

12. The robot may not expand under its own power or move by itself once the qualifying cube has been removed.

13. Competition will end if any part of the robot or either goal box touches the floor outside the playing field.

14. Students will not receive a warning about stepping on the playing field

15. The Yellow Lego blocks and the coins earn the most points if they end up in the small goal. All other items earn the most points for ending up in the large goal

16. The rules specifically state when an item shall be considered inside a goal box.

Hints

•Call “Time” as soon as you know you can’t get any more points

•If you cannot place items in the goal which earns them the most points, there is no difference between having the items in the other goal or having them in the zone of the other goal.

•Tiebreakers:Time (two teams w/ same # of points - fastest

wins)Mass (two teams w/ same # of points and same

time - lightest wins)