::Design Competition 2007::

The following rules for Design Competition 2007 have been designed in order to ensure a fair, safe and entertaining competition.

ROBOT SPECIFICATIONS

1. One agent is allowed per team. The agent may break into different components, but they all must complete the course. All of the weight of the robot you start off with must be on the last platform to complete.

2. The agent must be autonomous (i.e. it may have no external controls).

3. The flag must also not have external controls.

4. The agent must completely fit inside a 12-inch x 12-inch x 12-inch measuring box at the start of each match.

5. The weight of the agent must not exceed 25 pounds.

6. Agents are allowed to break into different components only after the start of a match, provided that the following applies:

A) Only one starting mechanism can activate the agent at the start of a race.

B) All of the agent’s components must by physically touching at the beginning of the round.

C) All of the agent's components must be on the last platform to complete the course.

7. The agent will be checked in terms of size, weight, etc., during registration. After registration, additional modifications will be allowed only if the resulting agent does not violate any of the rules set down in this section. The head judge must be notified of any additional modifications after the initial inspection.

8. Intentional contact with other robots is prohibited, and will result in disqualification for the robot that is determined to be at fault.

9. At all times, any part of the robot is not allowed to touch the ground (All of the course will be built with wood, so ground is anywhere that is not wood, or the Ford Machine Shop floor). If it does, then the round for that robot is over. As long as the robot does not touch the Ford Machine Shop floor, the robot is eligible to complete the course.

10. If a robot is disqualified, the total progress it made prior to the disqualification will be recorded in case a reference is needed to determine a winner (e.g. both robots gets disqualified). However, it must immediately be removed from the course and may not earn additional points.

11. Any robot that causes damage to the course will be disqualified.

12. If a team elects to remove their robot from the course before the end of the match (e.g. they determine that their robots will make no further progress during the round), they may do so provided they receive permission from an official judge of the event and they do not interfere with the activities of the opposing team’s robot. All progress the robot made prior to the removal from course will be recorded;

13. If the robot is still making progress after three minutes into the race, the progress it makes after three minutes will not count and the team will be asked to remove its robot off the course.

14. No emissions are allowed except those normally associated with electric motors and magnetic fields. IR emissions are permitted if and only if care has been taken to ensure that they will not cause harm to participants or spectators. (This is particulary applicable to IR lasers)

15. No projectiles are allowed. No object from the course may be intentionally thrown or launched by a robot. In the event of an object being launched by a robot (for the obvious benefit of the guilty party), disqualification may occur at the discretion of the head judge. This means that the flag cannot be a projectile as well.

16. Pressurized tanks, with the exception of non-flammable gases, are not allowed. The use of a non-flammable gas, if opted for by a team, may not result in damage to the course or interfere with the performance of the opposing team's robot. If this is in question, disqualification will be up to the discretion of the head judge.

17. No explosives are allowed.

18. No flames are allowed.

19. No live animals are allowed.

20. The agent must not damage the course in any way. This includes damaging goals, puncturing any surfaces with screws, nails, or staples, or gluing anything to any part of the course. Unintentional damage to the course not listed above may lead to disqualification at the discretion of the judges.

21. All designs are subject to a safety review by the Executive Board.

22. The robot can start anywhere on the assigned area. The starting point will be a 1.5 square feet block. The official starting point will be at the bottom of the 2.5 feet ramp going up. Hence, all progress will be measured from there.

23. You may not dynamically reprogram your robot right before your round. Your robot is expected to complete the course from the side you are assigned to. A coin toss will determine which side of the course your robot is assigned to. After being assigned the course for your robot to run, you are not allowed to dynamically reprogram your robot, or hook up wires. You are only permitted to flip a switch and only one switch.

24. To complete the course the robot must transport the flag at the middle of the course and make it stand at the last platform in the target area. The robot does not necessarily have to lift the flag off the course, but must be in contact with the flag while transporting. Each team must come up with their own flag design.

25. The flag must consist of a base, top, and a banner where you can write your team name. This is because the judges at the competition will need to be able to distinguish whether the flag is standing up at the end of the run. The flag must be taller than 5 inches.

26. The flag does not count as another component of the robot.

27. Prior to the beginning of the race, competitors are not allowed to place anything on the course other than their robot and their flag. (e.g. you may not place a base of Velcro on the last platform to help the flag stand up) Also, the robot and the flag may not be in contact with each other in any way (such as rope or cable). The flag must be placed inside the first box such that no part of its base is touching outside of the box (on the line is okay) prior to the start of the round.

28. In order to complete the course, the robot must come to a complete stop, and the flag must be on the target area. The robot must release and not be in contact with the flag to complete the course. The flag does not have to be placed in the middle of the target. If you can make your robot bring the flag to the end of the course and let it stand within boundary of the target (the box), you have completed the course. The Base of the flag may be on top of the border lines (white optical tape), but may not be stepping out of it. At the end, if the flag stands up initially but fails to keep standing until the robot makes a complete stop, it is not considered completing the course. You will only be credited for getting to the end of the course.

29. The robot does not have to follow the lining of the optical tape. It is just there to help your robot navigate.

SCORING

1. The team whose robot finishes the race in the least amount of time wins the match. A three minute time limit will be given to finish the race.

A) In the event that neither robot finishes the race, the agent that has traveled to the furthest part of the course will be chosen as the winner.

B) In the event that both robots fail to finish the race and components are used, the component that is left closest to the starting point will be used in determining its furthest position traveled.

C) If a tie still exists, the match will be repeated until a winner can be determined.

2. If the robot makes it to the end of the course, attempts to place (or drop) the flag and the flag does not stand up, it will only receive the credit of making it to the end of the course. It will not be determined as completion.

2. Teams will compete on individual courses at the same time. The courses will be in close proximity to each other.

3. Each agent will have one chance to navigate the course individually before the tournament begins. The time (or how far the robot gets) for the practice round will be recorded and used to rank the teams before the tournament begins.

4. Teams will be seeded in the tournament bracket according to their practice round results. In the first round, the top-seeded team will compete against the lowest-seeded team, the second highest seed vs. the second-to-last, etc. Teams that opt not to participate in the preliminary round will be seeded below those that do participate. If multiple teams elect not to participate, they will be seeded according to their registration time.

5. If the number of teams is uneven, the top seed will be awarded a bye for the first round. More byes may have to be given if the number of teams is not a power of two.

6. Alcohol and any other illegal substances are not allowed at the competition. Violators will be forced to forfeit the competition.

b. if a member of a team receives permission from an Executive Board member to remove it because it is in danger of harming itself.

9. Once a robot has been removed from the course, it is done for the round. You will not have a chance to restart from beginning.

1. Any appeals to the judges’ decisions must be made to the head judge before the start of the match immediately following the match in question. If an appeal is filed, the competition will be suspended until a final decision on the matter has been made.

The final or last 2 rounds (if the runner up wins a round), there will be only one target to place the flag at the middle of two symmetrical courses. Hence these extra rules are appended:

The following situations are assumed that Team A uses robot A and Team B uses robot B

1. If robot A places its flag properly in the target before robot B does, Team A wins the round.

2. If robot A places its flag before robot B does, but does not place it properly (i.e. the base of the flag steps out of boundary), and robot B places the flag properly, Team B wins the round

3. Same situation as #2, but now robot B was not able to place the flag properly b/c the flag of robot A was in the way, Team A wins the round for completing the same amount of the course as Team B, but faster.

4. If the flags collide with each other and only one flag remains standing, the team with the standing flag wins. If they are both not standing, the robot that comes to a complete stop first wins.

5. IMPORTANT: If robot A gets to the flag drop off point first and drop off the flag, it is expected to back off like in the previous rounds and come to a complete stop. It is not allowed to keep moving and intervene robot B’s chance of completing the course. Doing so will result in disqualification.

6. If robot A pushes robot B while robot A tries to place its flag, it is not an interference.