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Robonz Robotics Competition 2007
 "Robonz
is New Zealand's personal robotics club"
Its finally the
time you have all been waiting for. An all-new robotics
competition. A challenge for engineers, hobbyists and
students. All levels of competition from beginners to
advanced. All competitors will be welcomed.
What
challenge is best for me?
The courses have been specifically
designed to allow for all levels of ability from beginners to
the advanced. The simplest course is a easy as driving from
one end of the track to the other in the quickest possible
time. See the Quick trip course listed below. A more
challenging course involves two robots competing against each
other. They must dominate by controlling the lights on the
course. See the Domination course listed below
(based on the game Unreal Tournament). If you decide to take
up the challenge, don't be surprised if you end up inventing
something.
When?
Where?
The competition will be set up and run
on the first Saturday in August 2007. This is the 4th of
August 2007 to be precise.
We have two venues in mind and will
announce these closer to the competition date. The number of
entrants will dictate which venue we decide on. See www.robonz.com for updates.
What
is the challenge?
Listed in order from easiest to
hardest. Remember robot means autonomous action (no remotes
controls).
- Quicktrip
- Up to the end and back, don't crash into the wall
as it might waist time.
- Path
Finder - Can your robot follow a line, even
a squiggly one?.
- Wall
Following - Can your robot follow the wall
to make it right around the course?
- Domination
- Is your robot smarter and faster than the
opponents. This is going to be an entertaining
challenge. We expect this course to be the highlight
of the robotics competition, as two robots will be
competing in the course at the same time.
- Can Can
- Retrieving cans is a lot harder than it seems.
How
do I start?
 Register to
compete. Email your contact details to Next at
pitstock.com (replace the "at" with the @
symbol) or join our mailing list from our main page and send an email to
the mail list. There will be a $20 registration fee
which will go towards prizes and costs.
- Get building! Talking and mucking
around will make sure you are not ready on time.
Build and build. This will leave you time to sort out
your software bugs.
- www.robonz.com/mailist.html mailing list is a helpful and friendly
resource. You can join the email news letter and
communicate with competitors for ideas resources and
rule clarifications. Ask a question and you will be
sure to get many detailed answers.
Your Robot's Specifications
- Every robot must fit into the area
of a standard piece of A4 paper, including grippers
and accessories. There is no height limit,
- Horizontally visible light sources
cannot be used during domination, they could be
confused for totem poles. Infrared LED's and any
colour lasers are allowable.
- No use of weapons, including
spikes, flamethrowers, emp weapons (Electro Magnetic
Pulse). You know the drill. Unintentional collisions
are un avoidable but will be noted by the referee.
The referee can disqualify robots that intentionally
appear to want to damage or destroy opponent robots
or the robot arena.
- All robots must be autonomous.
Robots cannot be remote controlled.
- All robots must be self-contained
and untethered. Radio control by a laptop is ok so
long as the laptop is not touched when the robot is
running a course. The robot must be self-contained,
in that it cannot slip in multiple robots or an item
like string.
The
Competition Arena
- The walls are painted white (shown
brown for clarity in the above picture) on all sides
and made of wood, approximately 18mm thick.
- The floor of the Arena is black
paper. Note that the black paper is not actually
black, it will be a dark grey simular to builders
paper as this easier to purchase, so make sure your
sensors can handle this. There will be plenty of
contrast between the white insulation tape and this
paper.
- Each area, A, B and C (see PDF or picture above) will be marked off
with 20mm wide white insulation tape as shown.
- Additional totem poles will be
fitted to the course during "Domination".
The location of these totems is shown in light blue
in the picture above.
Sponsors
- Robonz is a community run
non-profit club. If you would like to sponsor or
donate prizes please contact Next at pitstock.com
(replace the "at" with the @ symbol) or
join our mailing
list. We expect a large
audience and possibly some TV coverage so this could
be an advertising opportunity. The course has room on
the outside for company logos.
Course1:
"Quicktrip"
- This is the easiest course
designed for entry level competitors. Experienced
competitors will still be able to compete on this
course as well.
- Your robot must move from area A
to area B and back to Area A in the quickest time.
- When the robot enters area B, the
whole of the robot must cross the white line to
qualify as a run.
- The robot is timed when it begins
to cross the first white line, leaving area A. The
total time is completed when the robot returns back
to this area.
- The robot can be started anywhere
in area A.
- Robots that turn around before
returning to area A will get a bonus of 5 seconds
reduced from their total time.
- Each competitor will have 3
attempts to complete this course.
Course2:
"Path Finder"
 This is a typical line following course.
Your robot is required to navigate from one end of
the line to the other in the shortest possible time.
- The floor of the Arena is black
paper. Note that the black paper is not actually
black, it will be a dark grey simular to builders
paper as this easier to purchase. Make sure your
sensors can handle this. There will be plenty of
contrast between the white insulation tape and this
paper.
- The line is standard white
electrical insulation tape. This is about 20mm wide.
This tape can vary from about 18 to 21mm in width.
Make sure your robot can handle this.
- Robots must follow the line at all
time. If a robot appears to have lost track of the
line it may not qualify as a completed run.
- The line will have curves, right
angles and be fairly random. No angle will be tighter
than 90 degrees. The line will randomly made on
competition day by a competition official. The
drawing below is a general example of what it could
look like.
- At the finish the robot will cross
a finish white line as drawn below. Robots that stop
on this white line will get a bonus of 5 seconds
removed from their total time. The finish of the line
will be 3 tape widths as shown in the picture
(right).
- Each competitor will have 3
attempts to complete this course.
Course3:
"Wall following"
- Your robot must start from area A.
The robot is required to follow the inside wall until
it reaches area A again. The robots with the quickest
times will be the winners.
- The robot is timed when it begins
to cross the first white line, leaving area A. The
total time is completed when the robot returns back
to this area.
- The robot can be started anywhere
in area A.
- The robot must never be further
than 30 centimeters from the wall at any time.
- The diagram shows an example path
of a robot going round the course anti-clockwise.
Your robot can go clockwise or anti clockwise when
traversing this course. There is no preference.
- Each competitor will have 3
attempts to complete this course.
Course4:
"Domination"
 Domination
is the only course that sees two robots competing
against each other at the same time. In each area A,
B and C there are "totem poles" which are
described in detail below. It is based on the PC game
Unreal Tournament.
- When this course commences the
totem poles will be illuminated from within using
bright blue and red LED's. Both red and blue LED's
will be on at the start.
- The red team will start in area A
and the blue team will start in area B.
- The goal of the robot is to keep
as many totem poles illuminated with their team
colour. Each team will get one point per second for
every totem pole that is showing their colour. e.g.
If two of the totem poles were red and one was
showing blue the red team would get two points per
second and the blue team would get one point per
second.
- The red team should press the top
switch on the totem pole. This will make the totem
pole display red. Pressing the switch multiple times
is of no consequence. The blue team should press the
bottom switch on the totem pole. This will make the
totem pole display blue.
- All robots must be
configurable to run as red team or blue team.
E.G. the bumper that is used to push the switch must
be able to be moved to either height of 25mm or 50mm.
See the totem
pole dimensions here as a PDF. If your robot uses sensors to see the
led colour you may need to change a colour filter so
your robot behaves correctly.
Course4:
"Domination" continued
- The duration of this competition
is two minutes. Which ever team has collected the
most points will be declared the winner of that
attempt.
- Robots should not be programmed to
intentionally damage the competitor. Robots
displaying this trait may be disqualified. Blocking
robots from a totem pole is acceptable. Blocking
robots into a corner is not acceptable.
- If the robots get jammed with each
or the walls the judge can give them a nudge and will
try not to re-orient their heading.
- Horizontally visible light sources
cannot be used during domination, they could be
confused for totem poles by competing robots.
Infrared LED's and any colour lasers are allowable
- Teams will be played against each
other in a knock out style competition.
Totem
Poles used in domination
- See domination rules listed below
for the usage of these. These will only be fitted to
the course during domination.
- The totem poles have a ring of red
and blue LED's fitted near the top. These are bright
light sources, which will make it easy for your robot
to locate these totem poles.
- Each totem pole is fitted with two
disc buttons that can be pressed from most angles.
The disc buttons (or switches) are made of 6mm thick
clear acrylic (Perspex).
- The totems are half-circle posts
that are painted white and measuring 100mm in
diameter or 50mm radius.
Totem
Pole diagrams
Download the
totem pole dimensions here as a PDF.
Course5:
"Can Can"
 We are not expecting a lot of
competitors to attempt this course, as it is fairly
hard. But remember getting a winning placing could be
quite easy if you are one of three entrants.
- In this course your robot is
required to retrieve 3 cans placed on the course.
These cans need to be returned to area A. The robots
goal is to collect all three cans in the fastest
time. If no robot collects all three cans judging
will be based on how much of the course was
completed.
- The competing robot starts in area
A behind the white line.
- 2 cans are placed in fixed
positions as drawn and the third can will be randomly
placed in area D. These will be ordinary aluminium
soda cans 355mL that have been painted white. If you
want to bring your own cans of a different colour
that would be okay (e.g. 300 gram tin cans).
- Area D is always more than 15
centimetres from a wall or a line.
- All cans collected should be
returned to area A. If the robot is holding all three
cans and standing in area A, this would qualify as
completion. Putting the cans down in area A is of no
consequence.
- Each competitor will have 3
attempts to complete this course.
Prizes
- All entrants will get a
certificate of participation, except placeholders.
- Certificates will be issued for
1st 2nd and 3rd placing's.
- There will be special certificates
for "young achievers" or robots that have
"wow factor".
- One person will get the title of
"national robotics champion". This will be
carefully decided.
- Prizes are being sourced. Winners
will not go away empty handed.
Footnotes
- Only the person starting the
competing robot can enter the course. There will be
no shoes allowed on the course at anytime. This may
sound silly, but the last competitor would get the
grubbiest course to use. Bare feet or socks are ok.
- We would appreciate that children
are kept a short distance away from the arena at all
times.
- These are preliminary rules and we
do expect some minor modifications, mainly to clarify
or correct items.
Sponsors
- Robonz is a community run
non-profit club. If you would like to sponsor or
donate prizes please contact Next at pitstock.com
(replace the "at" with the @ symbol) or
join our mailing
list. We expect a large
audience and possibly some TV coverage so this could
be an advertising opportunity. The course has room on
the outside for company logos.
Contact
information
- Call Keith Colson in 09-353-6687
- Register now:
Email Next at Pitstock.com (remove the "at"
and put in a @). Please include your contact details.
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