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Robotech Competition 2010

ROBOTECH 2010 Rules and Regulations

Last Updated 12 May 2010

Rules and Regulations


Competition Categories

Category Levels 1 Micromouse F1 A Secondary, Sixth Form

2 Micromouse F1 B Higher Institutions

3 Micromouse F2 A Secondary, Sixth Form

4 Micromouse F2 B Higher Institutions

5 Action-BOT A Secondary, Sixth Form

6 Action-BOT B Higher Institutions

7 Gladiator 10kg Open

Secondary – Form 1 to 5 Higher Institution – Vocational, Technical, Universities

Prizes Prizes will be given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places for each category General Prizes There will be awards for the following: 1. Best Engineering Design Award for Micromouse (criteria: innovative,

creativity, quality of construction, robustness, neat soldering, etc) 2. Best Engineering Design Award for Action-BOT (criteria: innovative,

creativity, quality of construction, robustness, neat soldering, etc) 3. Best Engineering Design Award for Gladiator (criteria: innovative,

creativity, quality of construction, robustness, neat soldering, etc) 4. Best Artistic Design for Micromouse (criteria: features of a mouse)

General Safety Rule All robots/mice designed for the competition should not cause damage to the field; neither should the robots/mice cause any danger to the people around the field. Any robot/mouse deemed to be potentially harmful (to the field or people around the field) will be disqualified.

Rules and Regulations Page 1


Micromouse Competition Introduction The competition rules are adapted from “The Schools Micromouse Competition Rules” by Duncan Louttit & Jerry Niman, UK. The aim of the challenge is to design and build a Micromouse. A Micromouse is an autonomous racing robot designed to complete a course as quickly as possible. It shall comprise of a chassis, a drive or motor to move it, a steering or turning method, sensors to detect a white line, control logic to keep the vehicle on track, a power source and of course somebody to build it! Game There are two classes of competition. 1. Formula 1 (F1) (Rat Race) requires the Micromouse to travel as fast as

possible over a straight course, rather like drag racing, following a white line, then brake to a standstill before hitting the end wall.

2. Formula 2 (F2) requires the Micromouse to navigate an unknown track, marked by a white line, as fast as possible, involving both left hand and right hand 90° turns as well as curves of with radius of curvature of not less than 180 mm and not more than 180°.

Teams 1. Eligible institutions may enter several teams. Each team may have up to

three (3) student members and one (1) instructor. All team members must be nominated in advance of the competition.

2. Only student members are allowed to handle the mouse during the competition. No more than two (2) mouse handlers are allowed to operate the mouse during the competition in order to avoid having a crowd at the circuit and restricting the view of spectators. The micromouse handlers must be nominated at the start of the race.

3. Teams may enter any number of categories, but may only enter one micromouse in each category.

Mice 1. Mice must fit in a box 250 millimetres square. This implies a maximum

dimension of 350 millimetres. There is no height or weight limit. 2. Only non-polluting power sources may be used. For example clockwork

motors, rubber motors and electric motors. Internal combustion engines are not permitted and external combustion systems such as steam engines are not allowed due to the safety hazard they present.

3. Mice must carry their own power supply. This means that all batteries or other energy sources must be carried on the mouse and that the use of catapult or external push systems is not allowed.

4. Mice must be self-contained during their run. This means that umbilical cords for control or power are not allowed.



5. External control systems such as ultrasonic, infrared or radio control are not permitted, other than to start the Micromouse and (for Formula 2) to stop it again. The controller must be placed in view of the judges and only touched as necessary. Judges may disqualify a mouse if they believe that the controller is being used during the run.

Competition Rules 1. Prior to competing in any of the categories, each Micromouse shall

undergo ratification to determine its mass, and to confirm that it complies with the relevant rules, including but not limited to, overall dimensions, and the presence of suitable timing flag.

2. Scrutineers will reject a mouse if it does not comply with Mice requirements, if in their opinion it is hazardous, likely to cause damage to the track or has not been constructed within the spirit of the competition.

3. At the start of each race within the competition, all the mice entered for that race must be placed in the 'mouse park' and can only be removed to do their run. Only nominated mouse handlers may handle the mouse once the competition has begun.

4. Any touch by the mouse handler once the mouse is running on the circuit will incur a 5-second penalty being applied to that lap or timed run.

5. A mouse may be entered for more than one category, provided that the competition schedule can accommodate.

6. Mice must not damage or mark the track in any way and may be disqualified if they do.

7. In the event of a dispute over the rules, the judges' decision will be final.



Formula 1 (Rat Race) The aim of this class is for the mouse to travel as fast as possible over a straight course rather like that used for full size drag racing, then brake to a standstill before reaching the end wall. Two mice will race against each other in a knockout competition where the fastest mouse in the final will be classed as the winner. The timed run begins when the starting light changes from red to green and finishes when the mouse crosses the finishing line. Both mice will be timed independently. Rules for Formula 1 (Rat Race) 1. All the general rules apply 2. Mice must actively follow the straight white line down the centre of the

course 3. Mice to start from Start zone, before the Start line 4. Mice jumping the start will be disqualified from the run 5. Mice hitting either sidewall will be penalised 5 seconds. 6. Mice hitting the end wall will be penalised 5 seconds. 7. Mice can be put back on to its tracked once it has hit the sidewall. 8. Mice that complete the race without interruption down the centre white

line will be given priority in term of finishing position over mice that have been touched or hit the sidewall or end wall.

Track Details - See Figure 1 Overall, each lane on the track is 7500 mm long by 600 mm wide. The lane surface will be painted matt black. A 48 mm wide white tape is laid up in the middle of the lane, but stops at the finish line. The start box occupies the first 500 mm of the track with the start line being defined by a 48 mm wide strip of white tape. The track will be laid as flat as possible, but Mice should be able to cope with a step of up to 3 mm across the track where the boards are joined, and be able to cope with white lines of up to 3 layers of masking tape. Two “humps” with slope of 2:50 will be laid along the track. The finish line is defined by a 48 mm wide strip of white tape. The finish line timing beam will be paced on this line. 75 mm high walls run the length of each course. The braking area comprises the final 1500 mm of the track. A block of polystyrene foam will be placed at the end of the braking area. A catch net will be provided behind the polystyrene to arrest out-of-control Mice, but some Mice damage may occur. A 300 mm high finish gantry will straddle the track at the start and finish lines.



Pointer This is a test of acceleration and straight-line steering ability. It is unlikely that an un-steered mouse will be able to get to the end accurately enough to avoid hitting the side walls on the way. For the start, mice can have their motors running and then be dropped on the track when the lights turn green or can be started by any other means e.g. by the use of a simple microswitch which activates the power when the mouse is lowered, by a toggle switch flicked by the handler or by some more sophisticated means. Tyres having good grip will be essential (especially for braking) and 4-wheel drive might help. A number of power sources could be considered, electric, rubber, clockwork or flywheel are possible options. Mice could be adapted from Radio-controlled car kits - but cannot be controlled by radio. The mouse may be traveling quite fast at the end of the run so it will need to be strong enough to withstand running into the end if the brakes fail. The end of the track centre line tape can be used to activate brakes as could detection of the timing beam. Alternatively the finish line gantry may be used to trip a braking circuit by means of a microswitch having an extended vertical arm which is actuated by hitting (lightly!) the horizontal part of the gantry. For practice at School a test track could be made out of half of a single standard sheet of MDF (600 mm wide by 2400 mm long) with 50 mm x 20 mm walls made from softwood. An end of track arresting system could be made from a table tennis net held in place by elastic bands. This simple track would be sufficient to check the start method, acceleration, steering and activation of the brakes within a short distance.

500 500500

20

500 7500 1500

1500hump(1500)

1500hump (1500)

1500

sketch of a hump

Track for F1

600

0

(Start Zone)

Figure 1. Track for F1



Formula 2 Mice are required to follow a track laid out in 48 mm wide white tape on a black background. To complete this course however mice will need to be capable of turning left and right to follow a more complex circuit. The mouse that completes a lap in the shortest time will be the winner. Rules for Formula 2 1. All the general rules apply 2. The mouse must follow the tape at all times, only clockwise laps are

permissible in order to avoid bias in favour of one direction. 3. Mice must not cut corners or deviate far from the course on corners.

The judges may put obstacles such as cotton reels with their inside edges no less than 130 mm from the edge of the line (inside and outside the course) at points that they choose. If a mouse moves one of the obstacles, that lap cannot be used for scoring.

4. Each mouse will be limited to either 2 laps or a total of 5 minutes, whichever occurs first, to record its fastest lap.

5. Mice may be removed from the track for adjustment within their track time. However, doing so will incur a 5-second penalty being applied to that lap or timed run (refer Competition Rule No.4 on Page 3). The mice must be placed back on the track at the position just before it was removed.

6. The circuit will not be revealed until the start of the event. 7. In the event of a draw, mice that complete a circuit without/with

minimal interruption will be given priority in term of finishing position over mice that has been touched.

Track Details - See Figure 2 1. The circuit will be laid out on an array of 13 x 6 cells, where each cell is

180 mm square. 2. The track will be laid, on a matt black surface, as flat as possible but

mice should be able to cope with a step of up to 3mm across the track where tracks are joined.

3. The path to be followed will be made up of 48 mm wide adhesive white tape (standard masking tape up to 3 layers may be used and mice must be able to cope with this thickness of tape).

4. The tape will be laid out as a continuous loop with no tape overlap at the corners so that the tape is of uniform thickness throughout.

5. The tape will be laid out to within + or - 2 mm tolerance on the 180 mm. 6. The start / finish line will be placed at the mid-point of one of the long

edges of the circuit. Mice will start from before the start line and finish when it passes the finish line (same as the start line).

7. Mice must travel clockwise round the circuit following the white track involving both left hand and right hand 90° turns as well as curves of with radius of curvature of not less than 180 mm and not more than 180°.



8. The two layouts shown in Figure 2 are only a guide as to what to expect at the competition. The circuit will only be revealed as the competition is about to start. Track layout may be different for different categories.

Pointer To compete at this level requires a mouse that can steer or turn both left and right whilst accurately following the edge of the track. Absolute speed is less important than keeping on track and getting a complete lap in to record a time. Analogue and computer controlled mice should be able to compete equally if carefully designed but a mouse which learns the circuit on the first few laps is likely to be amongst the winners as it can be programmed to go faster along the straights and will know which way to turn for the next corner.

STARTFINISH

STARTFINISH

Note: white gridlines are only for illustration, i.e. they do not exist on actual circuit. Figure 2. Sample circuit for F2



Gladiator Competition Introduction

Two contestant robots joust on a line (Pole) to push opponent off the line (Pole) while invading opponent’s corner. Game field Size: 2438±70 x 2438±70 mm Material: Plywood painted with black, dark gray (corners), red and blue (start zones)

500±10

1438±50 (Ring)

(Blue Corner)

Notes: Dimensions in mm White guidelines are 48 mm wide Pole is the main Z guideline connecting the two start zones

Pole

Start Zone

Start Zone

500±10

500±10

(Red Corner)

500±10

1219±35

Figure 3. Gladiator game field



Game Two contestant robots will be positioned at their respective start zones before the game start. The contesting robots are required to keep themselves on the Pole. The Pole is the Z guideline connecting the two start zones on the game field. The two robots shall move forward along the Pole, engage with the opponent and push the opponent off the Pole. Teams Each team shall comprise of three (3) students and one (1) instructor. Only one student member is allowed to operate the robot during the competition. Machines (Robots) 1. One robot per team. 2. The robots must be autonomous. Wired and wireless remote controls

are not allowed. 3. The weight of the robot must not exceed 10 kg. 4. The dimensions of each robot must be not more than 500 mm x 500

mm and the height is not more than 500 mm in the Start Zone. The robots are allowed to change its form and dimensions freely after completely leaving the Start Zone.

5. For safety purposes, the robots must not be equipped with shooting weapons, e.g. projectiles and missiles, rotary cutting devices/tools, corrosive chemicals, explosives or any other dangerous devices not mentioned. However, the robots are allowed to combat (and interfere or cause damage to) their opponents using attached weapons that comply with above safety regulation and do not extend beyond the game field.

Competition Rules 1. Only two (2) student members are allowed to transport and position the

robot into its Start Zone. 2. Only one (1) student member (Operator) is allowed to operate (start) the

robot during the competition. 3. A robot must be started within 3 seconds from the start signal; after

which the Operator should not touch the robot. 4. Only one (1) retry is allowed for each team in a game, when the robot

can be moved back to its Start Zone and be re-started. The retry must be requested before the robot enters the Ring. The retry must be completed within 30 seconds from the time that the retry was granted; after which the Operator should not touch the robot. Two (2) student members may enter the game field to transport the robot back to its Start Zone, however only the Operator is allowed to re-start the robot. The members entering the game field should not touch or interfere with the opponent’s robot, or the team will be disqualified.

5. A robot must move into the Ring and continue to move until it engages with its opponent’s robot. See Figure 4(d).

6. The game will end in 2 minutes, whether there is engagement between the robots or not.

7. Subject to Rules 8 and 9, the first robot to enter opponent’s corner will win the game. The game will end at this time.



8. Before engaging, a team will be deemed to have lost if its robot: i. Moved (completely) out of the Pole before its opponent does,

unless the robot returns to the Pole before the position of its opponent (i.e. not by-passing), before the game ends.

ii. Failed to move into the Ring within 1 minute after the robot has been started (first attempt or retry).

9. When two robots engaged: i. The robot that moves (completely) out of the Pole before its

opponent does so is considered lost. ii. Once the two robots have engaged and their bases remain

completely (i.e. not lifted up) above the Pole at the end of the game (after 2 minutes), the robot furthest from its Start Zone (measured from the mid-point of point of the Start Zone to the mid-point of the front of the robot) will be the winner.

iii. In the case of a partial or complete push off, the robot with the largest part of its base in contact with the floor will be the winner. See Figure 4(a) to (c).

iv. If both robots are pushed off the Pole, the above criteria will be used to determine the winner; otherwise the robot nearest to the point of engagement on the Pole wins (measured from the point of engagement to the mid-point of the front of the robot). See Figure 4(e).

10. If at the end of the game (2 minutes), the two robots do not engage, the one furthest from its Start Zone will be the winner.

11. Any other situations can be brought into a discussion, but the judges’ decision based on the discussion will be final. The judges may request for a re-match if a decision (of winner) cannot be made.

12. Knock-out system will be used, where a winner from its group will progress to next round. The number of teams in each group will be dependent on the number of participating teams. All teams must strictly follow their match schedule, and their robots must be ready before their scheduled match.



Blue robot lost to white robot.

(d) Engagement in battle

(e)

Both pushed off: Red wins

Figure 4 Illustration of various situations in Gladiator competition



Action-BOT Competition Introduction

Two contestant robots compete to transport a cargo to its bay. The robots will have to break a “wall” to pick up the cargo and transport it to its bay. Game field (Figure 5) Size: 3657±105 x 2438±70 mm Material: Plywood painted with black, dark gray (cargo bay), red and blue (sides) Other Game Objects Wall The Walls are made up of bricks of dimension W150±10xD70±10xH100±10mm and weight of 410±20g. The bricks are made of soft wood. The bricks are painted in orange (brick) color. Four (4) bricks are arranged in a row to give the width of one Wall at 600±40mm. Five (5) rows of bricks are stacked to give the height of the Wall at 500±50mm. There will be one (1) Wall at the specific position along the route of each Team. Cargo The Cargos are boxes of dimensions L=W=H=300±10mm. Each Cargo is a hollow box made of Perspex with open top. The empty Cargo box has a weight of 3000±200g. For category Action-Bot A, the Cargo will be empty box. For category Action-Bot B, the Cargo will be filled to a weight of 5000±300g. The Cargo boxes will be coated in green. There will be one (1) Cargo at the specific position along the route of each Team. Fence There is a fence at the middle of the field. On one side of the field, where there is Blue Start Zone is the Blue Side. On the other side, where there is Red Start Zone is the Red Side. The fence is 30±5mm width, 90±10mm high and 2000±30 long. It is made of wood painted in white. Game Two contestant robots will be positioned at their respective start zones before the game start. The contesting robots are required to follow their own route. The route is the white guideline connecting the start zone to the cargo bay on the game field. The two robots shall move forward along their route, break the Wall, pickup the Cargo and transport the Cargo into the Cargo Bay. Teams Each team shall comprise of three (3) students and one (1) instructor. Only one student member is allowed to operate the robot during the competition.



Machines (Robots) 1. One robot per team. 2. The robots must be autonomous. Wired and wireless remote controls

are not allowed. 3. The weight of the robot must not exceed 10 kg. 4. The dimensions of each robot must be not more than 500 mm x 500

mm and the height is not more than 500 mm in the Start Zone. The robots are allowed to change its form and dimensions freely after completely leaving the Start Zone.

5. For safety purposes, the robots must not be equipped with shooting weapons, e.g. projectiles and missiles, rotary cutting devices/tools, corrosive chemicals, explosives or any other dangerous devices not mentioned. However, the robots are allowed to combat (and interfere or cause damage to) their opponents using attached weapons that comply with above safety regulation and do not extend beyond the game field.

Competition Rules 1. Only two (2) student members are allowed to transport and position the

robot into its Start Zone. 2. Only one (1) student member (Operator) is allowed to operate (start) the

robot during the competition. 3. A robot must be started within 3 seconds from the start signal; after

which the Operator should not touch the robot. 4. The robot must break through the Wall before it can pick up the Cargo.

The Operator is allowed to clear the debris (bricks) off the path after the Robot has broke through the Wall.

5. Only one (1) retry is allowed for each team in a game, when the robot can be moved back to its Start Zone and be re-started. For a retry, the Team must request for it and the judge panel must grant the request. The retry must be completed within 30 seconds from the time that the retry was granted; after which the Operator should not touch the robot. Two (2) student members may enter the game field to transport the robot back to its Start Zone, however only the Operator is allowed to re-start the robot. The members entering the game field should not touch or interfere with the opponent’s robot, or the team will be disqualified.

6. The game will end in 3 minutes, whether there a Cargo has been placed into the Cargo Bay or not.

7. Subject to Rules 8 and 9, the first robot to place (and keep) its Cargo into the Cargo Bay for a minimum duration of 10 seconds will win the game. The game will end at this time.

8. The routes (white guidelines) are for guidance of the robots. It is not mandatory to follow the white guidelines. However, the robots are not allowed to enter their opponent side (Blue or Red side) during the game. The robot that enters its opponent side first, will be considered lost.

9. If at the end of the game (3 minutes), the two robots do not place their Cargo in the Cargo Bay, the Team with its Cargo (center) closest to the center of the Cargo Bay will be the winner. If both Cargos are at the same distance from the Cargo Bay, the Team with its Robot closest to



its Cargo (measured from the center of the Cargo to the mid-point of the front of the robot) will be the winner

10. Any other situations can be brought into a discussion, but the judges’ decision based on the discussion will be final. The judges may request for a re-match if a decision (of winner) cannot be made.

11. Knock-out system will be used, where a winner from its group will progress to next round. The number of teams in each group will be dependent on the number of participating teams. All teams must strictly follow their match schedule, and their robots must be ready before their scheduled match.



500±10Notes: Dimensions in mm White guidelines are 48 mm wide

500±10

500±10

3657±105

500±10

1438±50

1000±10

500±10

Start ZoneStart Zone

500±10

500±10

70±10

Wall

Cargo Cargo

Cargo Bay

Red SideBlue Side

Fence

Figure 5 Game field for Action-BOT Competition

-- End of Document --


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