1999 Contest Rules
© 1999 Copyright Trinity College.
To build a computer controlled Robot that can move through a model floor plan structure of a house, find a lit candle and then extinguish it in the shortest time subject to a few operating factors (see Scoring Procedure, section #21).This is meant to simulate the real-world operation of a Robot performing a fire security function in a actual home. The candle represents a fire which has started in the home and which the Robot must find and extinguish.
2. THE HOUSE FLOOR PLAN STRUCTURES AND FEATURES
The official floor plan structure contest area is shown in Attachment A. This is what the contest structure will look like. This is not a maze contest where the Robot has to figure out how to move through the structure. The design of the structure will be known before hand (see Attachment A) and the goal is to find and extinguish the candle as quickly as possible. However, just like in the real world where there is always a measure of uncertainty in any information, the dimensions in the Attachment A floor plan are approximations. The actual dimensions may vary up to as much as an inch from the given values. Welcome to operating Robots in the Real World!
The walls of the structure will be made of wood and will be 13 inches high. The walls will be painted with flat white paint. The floor of the arena will be a smooth, wood surface painted with flat black latex paint. Any seams in the floor will be taped over and painted with the same flat black paint.
As noted in the Attachment A floor plan, all hallways and doorways to room will be 18 inches wide. There will not be a door in the doorways, just an 18inch opening. There will be a white 1" wide line made with white tape or painted on the floor across each doorway to indicate the entrance to each room. The inner edge of the walls at the doorways (the inside of the door jam)may have a red rubber trim.
The floor of the arena will be black. But just a note of warning that some Robots may use foam, power or other substances to attack the candle flame. Best efforts will be made to clean up after each Robot, but there is no guarantee that the floor will stay uniformly black throughout the entire contest. The floor may also have small (1/8" diameter) red or blue dots on it to indicate the potential locations of candles and furniture. Unless you are operating in the Non-Dead-Reckoning mode (see Operating Modes, section #17),the floor will be level with no ramps or stairs.
The Robot will start at the Home Circle location marked by the H in a circle on the arena floor plan (see Attachment A). The actual Home Circle will be a solid white circle without the H painted on the floor. The 12" diameter white Home Circle will be in the center of the 18" hallway, so there will be 3" of space between the edge of the Home Circle and the walls. Therefore the center of the Home Circle will be 9" from the either side wall. Notice that on the arena floor plan in Attachment A there is no gap in the outer wall of the arena behind the Home Circle. This part of the wall can be removed to allow contestants easier access to their Robots in setting them up, but the wall can be replaced in this section if it helps the Robot's operation. Robots may also use any placement fixtures if they help the Robot initially align itself in the Home Circle. The Robot must start within the Home Circle, but once started, it can go in any direction desired and can go either horizontally or vertically in the diagram shown in Attachment A.
Some of the corners of the arena may have black, plastic connecting hardware which sticks out about 1/2 inch from the walls. These may be used to hold the arena structure together.
The ambient light level in the contest area is impossible to determine until the actual day of the contest. Contestants will be given time on the contest day to make ambient light level readings if necessary to calibrate their Robot. The room will be lit by overhead high pressure sodium vapor lights.
Once turned on, the Robot must be self-controlled without any human intervention, that is, these are to be computer controlled and not manually controlled devices.
The Robot can bump into or touch the walls of the arena as it travels, but it can not mark or damage the walls in doing so. However there will be a penalty for touching a wall. (See Penalties, section #18) The Robot can not leave anything behind as it travels through the arena. It can not make any marks on the floor of the arena that aid in navigation as it travels. Any Robot that deliberately, in the judges' opinion, damages the contest arena (including the walls) will be disqualified. This does not include any accidental marks or scratches made in moving around.
The Robot must, in the opinion of the official judges, have found the candle before it attempts to put it out. The Robot can not just flood the arena structure with CO2 and put out the candle out by accident.
The Robot must not use any destructive or dangerous methods to put out the candle. It can use such items as water, air, CO2, Halon, etc., but any method or material that is dangerous or will damage the arena is prohibited. For example, the Robot can not explode a firecracker and put the candle out with the concussion. The Robot can not knock the candle over to put it out.
It will be permissible to put out the candle by blowing air on it. Although this is not a very practical method of extinguishing a fire in the real world, it will be allowed in this contest.
The candle can not be knocked over while it is still lit. If a Robot accidentally knocks over a candle after it has been put out, then the Robot's trial run will still count, but there will be a penalty. (See Penalties, section #18) The candle will be mounted on a wooden base so that it will not be easily knocked over by moving air or water.
Any mess that a Robot makes (water, baking soda, whipped cream, etc.) in its effort to put out the candle will be cleaned up by the judges to the best of their ability between trials.
Recent advances in the technology of extinguishing a candle have allow some Robots in past contests to put out the candle from more then 2 feet away. This ability to put out the candle from a relatively great distance runs contrary to the contest goal of building intelligent Robots that can truly find and zero in on a flame. To try to turn the contest back to its original track, the Robot must come within 12 inches of the candle, before it attempts to extinguish the flame. There will be a white line (1 inch thick) in a 12 inch radius circle on the floor around the candle and the Robot must have some part of its body within the circle before it puts out the candle. The Robot can still shoot a jet of CO2, but it must do by having some part of its body within 12 inches of the candle.
The maximum size of the Robot shall be 12.25" by 12.25" by 12.25". The Robot can not look over the walls of the structure and must never extend itself beyond 12.25 inches in any dimension. All Robots will be carefully measured. Don't let your Robot be disqualified because it is slightly over the limit.
If the Robot has feelers to sense an object or wall, the feelers must be counted as part of the Robot's dimensions and can not extend beyond 12.25"from side to side.
If contestants want to add a flag, hat or other purely decorative, non-functional items to the Robot, they may do so as long as the item has absolutely no effect on the operation of the Robot.
There are no restrictions on the weight of the Robot.
8. ROBOT CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
There are no restrictions on the types of materials used in the construction of the Robot.
The lit candle is supposed to represent a small house fire that the Robot is attempting to find and put out. The bottom of the candle flame will be between6 and 8 inches off the floor. This height includes the height of the wooden candle support base. The bottom of the candle flame will start out at 8 inches above the floor and when in the course of the contest's many trials, it burns down to 6 inches above the floor, it will be replaced by a new candle. The candle used will be a standard approximately 1 inch thick white candle. The flame will be visible from the side and not hidden by unmelted wax as with thick candles. The exact height and size of the flame is unknown and variable and will be determined by the specific conditions of candle and its surroundings. As along as the candle is within the specifications outlined above, the Robot is required to find the candle no matter what the size of the flame is at that particular moment.
The candle will be placed at random in one of the room in the arena. The candle has an equal chance of being in any of the 4 rooms in each of the 3trials that a Robot has. Hopefully the candle will be placed in different rooms in each trial to best test the Robot's operation, but it might be possible for the candle to be in the same room twice. If it happens that the candle is placed in the same room for both the 1st and 2nd trials, then we will make sure that it is not in that room for the 3rd and last trial. Thus every Robot will have the candle in at least 2 rooms & maybe 3, during its 3 trials.
The candle will not be placed in a hallway, but it might be placed just inside a doorway of a room. However the front of the Robot will be able to move at least 6" into the room before it encounters the candle. The locations of the candle used in last year's contest may not be the same used in this year's contest.
The candle will be mounted on a wooden base (3" x 3" x 1.25") painted semi-gloss yellow. This base is used to keep the candle from tipping over easily. It will be possible to knock the candle over by bumping into it (which you don't want to do - see Penalties, section #18), but the candle will not fall over if it is merely hit by a stream of air or water.
There is no restriction on the type of sensors that can be used as long as they do not violate any of the other rules or regulations.
Contestants are not allowed to place any markers, beacons or reflectors on the walls or floors to aid in the Robot's navigation.
Robot builders should be aware that many modern film and video cameras transmit infrared light as part of their automatic focusing systems. Ambient lighting in the contest room may also be a source of IR, visible and UV light. If a Robot uses light sensors to find the candle or detect walls or furniture, the builders should take steps to prevent these light sources from interfering with its operation.
The maximum electrical requirements for any system needing electrical connection will be 20 amps at 120 VAC. If your Robot or computer needs electricity - bring plenty of long grounded extension cords and outlet strips.
If the Robot is connected to an external computer system for instructions and/or power make sure that the cable is long enough for the Robot to get to all areas of the arena. The cable can either be dragged behind the Robot as it travels through the structure or it can be held above the walls by one of the impartial contest officials.
The Robots will be assigned numbers to determine the order in which they will compete in the contest. Each Robot will make a run in the arena in the order in which it is assigned. After every Robot has made its first run, then the whole process will begin again for the second run. In other words, the Robots will compete consecutively and when everyone is done with their first attempt, then the whole process will repeat for the second and finally third attempts.
Contestants will have time between their runs to make any adjustments, modifications or repairs to their Robot, but once the Robot before them has completed its run, then they will have 1 minute to get their Robot in the arena and started on its run. Any Robot that is not ready to run after 1minute will forfeit it's chance at that trial. It may still compete in any other runs that are left. Once assigned, the order of running will not be changed. If you are not ready, then you've missed your turn. The time between turns is undetermined and is controlled by how long the other competitors take to complete their runs.
However, if a contestant wants to run their Robot successively without any delay between runs, they may do so. We actually encourage this since it helps to speed up the contest.
Once the Robot is ready, the location of the candle and any furniture, if necessary, shall be determined and the candle and the furniture shall be put in the proper locations.
The contestants will show a judge how to actuate the Robot and then the judge will actually press whatever buttons necessary to start the Robot.
In order to achieve the contest objective of building a Robot that can find and extinguish a fire in a house, finding the fire within a reasonable period of time is very important. The maximum time limit for a Robot to find the candle will be 6 minutes. After 6 minutes the trial will be stopped. The maximum time for the Robot to return to the Home circle in the Return Trip mode will be 3 minutes. If in any trail, a Robot gets stuck in a loop and performs the same movement 5 times in a row, that trial will be stopped. Anytime the Robot does not move at all for 1 minute, the trial will be stopped. Any trial that is stopped will count as no score for that Robot. Stopping a trial run for any of the above reasons will have no impact on any of the other two trial runs that the Robot has.
There will be two different divisions. A Junior division for Robots built by people in High School and younger and a Senior division for Robots built by anyone else. Each division will perform under the same operating and scoring rules, but will have its own set of winners and prizes.
This two division structure was created to make the event more fun for students, but at the same time we realize that we are opening another entire area of possible conflict and problems. The problem occurs with a Robot submitted by a group consisting of people both in and out of High School. For example, a Robot created by a group of High School students with an adult teacher advisor, would probably be allowed into the student division since it is our experience that the students really do build the Robots themselves and besides the students usually know more then the teachers (no offense intended). On the other hand, a microprocessor controlled Robot using modulated IR sensing with the programming written in C++ submitted by a 7 year old whose father just happens to work for NASA would probably end up in the adult division. We will try to be very fair, but as in everything else, the decision of the judges is final.
The Robot with the lowest Final Score (FS) is the winner. The Final Score is calculated from a number of different factors which are explained below. The scoring process is really not as complicated as it might seem at first. It is intended to make the contest as realistic and as fair as possible. We are sorry if it reminds you of the federal tax code.
For any trial, the lower the Operating Score (OS), the better. The simplest method of running a Robot is in the Standard Operation mode. There are then 4different Operating Mode (OM) factors which contestants can choose to apply to their Robot either individually or in combination to reduce the Operating Score for that trial. These Operating Modes are the Sound Activation, Return Trip, Furniture and Non-Dead-Reckoning modes.
STANDARD OPERATION
In this mode, the Robot is controlled by either an external PC computer with a tether or it uses an internal self-contained computer. The Robot operates in the arena structure with no obstructions other than the walls and no ramps on the floor. The Robot is activated (starts to search for the candle) by manually starting it. After finding the candle and extinguishing it, the Robot stays where it is. The un tethered mode bonus has been eliminated from the contest. The Mode Factor for running in the Standard Operation mode is 1.0 (MF = 1.0 ).
SOUND ACTIVATION
Instead of being manually activated by the press of a button on the Robot, the Robot activates itself when it detects a 3.5 KHz sound signal (a Radio Shack#273-075 in continuous mode). Once turned on, the Robot can not start to move until the 3.5 KHz signal is activated. There will be a 5% reduction in score for a Robot operating in this mode. The Operating Mode factor for running in the Sound Activation mode is 0.95 ( OM = 0.95 ).
RETURN TRIP
After extinguishing the candle, the Robot returns to the Home Circle. It does not have to retrace its path in returning to the Home Circle or even take the most efficient route, it just must get back, but without going into any other rooms along the way. In other words, once it has put out the candle, it must leave that room and return to the Home Circle without entering any other rooms.
The Robot will be considered to have returned to the Home Circle if any part of the Robot is within the 12" white Home Circle. The Robot does not have to be in the same position that it was when it started the contest, it just must have some part of its body within the Home Circle.
If a Robot is entered to run in the Return Trip mode and finds and extinguishes the candle, but doesn't return to the Home Circle, the Robot would not be disqualified. Instead we would drop the Robot back into the Standard Operation Mode and it would just receive the Operating Score with no Return Trip mode factor reduction.
The Actual Time (AT) score will include just the time the Robot takes to find and extinguish the candle. It will not include the time for the Robot's return trip to the Home Circle. Operating in this mode will result in a 10% reduction in the score. The Operating Mode factor for running in the Return Trip mode is0.9 ( OM = 0.9 ).
NON-DEAD-RECKONING
Many Robots use a form of dead-reckoning to travel through the arena. That is, once correctly oriented at the start of the arena, they count the distance moved and angle turned and add them to their old position to obtain their new location and orientation. While this is a perfectly good and legitimate method of traveling through the arena in this contest, it is not as practical oruseful in the real world. So to encourage Robots to use more sophisticated methods of determining their position within the arena, we are giving a score reduction bonus to Robots that do not use a dead-reckoning method.
The key to using dead-reckoning is knowing the distance before-hand to the various rooms in the arena. If you decide to run your Robot in this non-dead-reckoning mode, we will place one or more inclined sections in the hallways of the arena which will have the effect of changing the distance to the rooms.
An inclined section will be placed in one of the hallways. It will be 18"wide, completely filling the hallway. It will have gently sloped sides. Because of the sloped sides, the total distant a Robot travels in going over the inclined section will be greater then if it just went on the flat floor, thus limiting the effectiveness of dead-reckoning. The slope may be such that a wheel on one side of the Robot may travel a greater distance then a wheel on the other side. Since the robot will not know exactly where this increased path will be placed, it will have to use other methods besides dead reckoning to determine its location and orientation within the arena.
There may be more then one inclined section used during a trial. The inclined section will only be used in hallways and not in rooms. A inclined section will not be placed in a doorway and will not block a doorway. The number and location of the inclined sections will be changed from trial to trail if this mode is selected. The inclined sections will remain in place during the return trip portion of the trial. The maximum height of the inclined section will be less than 2 inches. The inclined sections will be tapered and there will be as smooth an intersection with the flat floor as possible. There will NOT be any steps or sharp drops. The exact dimensions of the inclined section will be unknown to the Robot before the start of the contest. The maximum slope of the incline will be 13 degrees. The inclined sections will be painted flat black just like the floor. Successfully operating in this mode will result in a 30%reduction in the score. The Operating Mode factor for running in the Non-Dead-Reckoning mode is 0.7 (OM = 0.7 ).
FURNITURE
In this mode there will be one piece of furniture in each room. The furniture will be placed at random in the rooms. The Robot may touch the furniture, but it can not push it out of the way. The furniture will be made of 4.5 inch diameter steel cylinders, painted semi-gloss yellow. The cylinders are 12inches high and weigh 5 pounds.
The possibility that the furniture may be blocking the Robot's view of the candle or that the Robot may have to go around the furniture to get to the candle is what makes the Furniture Mode such an interesting and real-world realistic challenge. The Robot may have to look around the room from different locations to see if the furniture is really blocking it's view of the candle and if the candle is indeed behind the furniture, the Robot may have to determine what is the best way to go around the furniture to get to the candle. Successfully operating in this mode will result in a 40% reduction in the score. The Operating Mode factor for running in the Furniture mode is 0.6(OM = 0.6 ).
The goal of this contest is to be as real-world realistic as possible. Therefore there are two actions while not illegal, are not what would be a good operating method in the real world. Thus there are Penalty Points (PP)added to the Actual Time (AT) of any Robot which does them. You can still do these things, but you will get points added to your Time Score if you do. Don't let these penalties scare you too much. These penalties are generally a small price to pay for a Robot actually manages to accomplish the task.
Touching a wall
Any Robot that touches a wall with any part of its body or feeler, either deliberately or accidentally will have 5 points added to its Actual Time score for each time it touched a wall. Any Robot that slides along a wall will have an additional 1 point added to its time score for each inch of wall it touched as it was sliding along. A Robot can still touch a wall to orient itself, but it will be penalized for doing so. (PP = 5/hit and PP = 1/inch of sliding)There are no penalties counted for hitting the wall on the Return Trip back to the Home Circle after extinguishing the candle.
Touching the candle
Any Robot that touches the candle or its base with any part of its body or feeler, either deliberately or accidentally, will have 50 points added to its Actual Time score. This is true whether the candle is lit or extinguished. This touching refers only to a part of the Robot's body and does not include any water, air or other material that the Robot might use to extinguish the candle. (PP = 50)
In order to make the contest realistic and to encourage the creation of smart Robots, we have deliberately added uncertainty into the contest. The Robot does not know in which of 4 rooms the candle is in. Sometimes a Robot gets lucky and the candle is in the first room it searches and sometimes a Robot is unlucky and the candle is in the 4th room searched. The unfairness of this is that finding the candle in the 4th room you look in is a lot harder and takes longer than finding it in the 1st room you search. To reduce the impact of "luck" and give some credit to the more sophisticated Robots that can search multiple rooms successfully, there will be a Room Factor involved in the scoring that will be multiplied by the Time Score to get the Operating Score. The more rooms a Robot has to search before it finds the candle, the lower the Room Factor and thus the better the Operating Score.
If the candle is in the 1st room searched, the Room Factor will be 1.0
If the candle is in the 2nd room searched, the Room Factor will be 0.9
If the candle is in the 3rd room searched, the Room Factor will be 0.8
If the candle is in the 4th room searched, the Room Factor will be 0.7
It does not matter in which order the Robot searches the rooms. The only thing that matters is how many rooms the Robot has searched before it finds the candle.
Some Robots have extremely sensitive sensors and can tell if the candle is in the room by merely looking in the doorway as it passes by. The Robot does not have to have entered a room to be considered as having searched it. Any Robot going past a doorway that it has not gone past before will be considered to have searched that room. If the Robot has already searched a room and then goes past the doorway again on its way to a different room, that room will not be counted twice.
Since it is important that any Fire-Fighting Robot be reliable as well as fast, any Robot that extinguishes the candle in all three of its trials will get a 10% reduction in its Final Score (The sum of its two best Operating Scores.) For example, Robot A has Operating Scores of 25 and 24, but failed to extinguish the candle in its third trial. Robot B has Operating Scores of 28,24 & 47. The two best Operating Scores for Robot A added together give Robot A a final score of 49. The two best Operating Scores for Robot B total 52, but since it extinguished the candle in all 3 trials, it gets a 10% reduction in the Operating Score total so its Final Score would be 46.8 and Robot B would beat Robot A. For extinguishing the candle in all 3 trials Reliability Factor(RF) = 0.9, otherwise RF = 1.0
A. Multiply the Operating Modes together to get the Mode Factor (MF)(Sound = 0.95, Return=0.9, Non Dead Reckoning=0.7, Furniture=0.6)
(If none of the Operating Modes are used and the Robot is running in the Standard Operation then MF=1.)
B. Record the Actual Time (AT) in seconds needed to put out the candle
C. Add all the Penalty Points (PP) together
hitting a wall = 5 points/hit sliding along wall = 1 point/inch touching the candle or base = 50 points
D. Record the Room Factor (RF)
1st room = 1.0, 2nd room = 0.9, 3rd room = 0.8, 4th room = 0.7
E. Add the Actual Time to the Penalty Points to get the Time Score (TS)
TS = AT + PP
F. Multiply the Time Score, Room Factor and Mode Factor together to get the Operating Score (OS) for that trial.
OS = TS x RF x MF
G. After 3 trials, add the two lowest Operating Scores together to get the Sum of Best 2 Trials (SB2T)
H. If the Robot had 2 successful trials (the candle was extinguished) the Reliability Factor (RF) is 1.0. If the Robot had 3 successful trials, the Reliability Factor is 0.9
I. Multiply the Sum of Best 2 Trials times the Reliability Factor to get the Final Score (FS)
FS = SB2T x RF
J. The Robot with the lowest Final Score is the winner.
1st Trial: If a Robot runs its first trial in the Sound and Return modes, takes 1 minute and 23 seconds to extinguish the candle in the 2nd room while hitting the wall 3 times, its Operating Score for that trial would be:
A. Multiply the Operating Modes together to get the Mode Factor (MF) (Sound = 0.95 and Return=0.9)
MF = S x R = 0.95 x 0.9 = 0.855
B. Record the Actual Time (AT) in seconds needed to put out the candle
AT = 83
C. Add all the Penalty Points (PP) together (hitting a wall = 5 points/hit)
PP = 15
D. Record the Room Factor (RF) (2nd room = 0.9)
RF = 0.9
E. Add the Actual Time to the Penalty Points to get the Time Score (TS)
TS = AT + PP = 83 + 15 = 98
F. Multiply the Time Score, Room Factor and Mode Factor together to get the Operating Score (OS)
OS = TS x RF x MF = 98 x 0.9 x 0.855 = 75.41
2nd Trial: If the Robot runs its second trail in the Sound, Return and Non-Dead Reckoning modes, takes 1 minute and 41 seconds to extinguish the candle in the fourth room searched while accidentally bumping into the candle, it Operating Score for that trial would be:
A. Multiply the Operating Modes together to get the Mode Factor (MF)
(Sound = 0.95, Return=0.9 and Non Dead Reckoning=0.7) MF = S x R x NDR = 0.95 x 0.9 x 0.7 = 0.5985
B. Record the Actual Time (AT) in seconds needed to put out the candle
AT = 101
C. Add all the Penalty Points (PP) together (hitting candle = 50 points)
PP = 50
D. Record the Room Factor (RF) (4th room = 0.7)
RF = 0.7
E. Add the Actual Time to the Penalty Points to get the Time Score (TS)
TS = AT + PP = 101 + 50 = 151
F. Multiply the Time Score, Room Factor and Mode Factor together to get the Operating Score (OS)
OS = TS x RF x MF = 151 x 0.7 x 0.5985 = 63.26
3rd Trial: In the third trial the Robot tried to run in the Sound, Return and Furniture modes. It extinguished the candle in the first room in 1 minute and10 seconds, but it did not make it back to the Home Circle.
A. Multiply the Operating Modes together to get the Mode Factor (MF) The Robot did not make it back to the Home Circle so it loses the Return mode reduction.
(Sound = 0.95 and Furniture = 0.6) MF = S x F = 0.95 x 0.6 = 0.54
B. Record the Actual Time (AT) in seconds needed to put out the candle
AT = 70
C. Add all the Penalty Points (PP) together
PP = 0
D. Record the Room Factor (RF) (1st room = 1.0)
RF = 1.0
E. Add the Actual Time to the Penalty Points to get the Time Score (TS)
TS = AT + PP = 70 + 0 = 70
F. Multiply the Time Score, Room Factor and Mode Factor together to get the Operating Score (OS)
OS = TS x RF x MF = 70 x 1.0 x 0.54 = 37.80
Final Calculations: Now the Robot is done with its 3 trials.
G. After 3 trials add the two lowest Operating Scores together to get the Sum of Best 2 Trials (SB2T)
SB2T = 63.26 + 37.80 = 101.06
H. Since the Robot had 3 successful trials (the candle was extinguished) the Reliability Factor (RF) is 0.9
RF = 0.9
I. Multiply the Sum of Best 2 Trials times the Reliability Factor to get the Final Score (FS)
FS = SB2T x RF = 101.06 x 0.9 = 90.95
J. The Robot's final score would be 90.95
This scoring procedure is designed to try to allow Robot entries of all different levels of sophistication to compete in the same contest. Anyone can win.
Each Robot will have 3 chances to find and extinguish the candle. The Robot can operate under different modes during each trial. The candle and any furniture, if necessary, will be moved to different locations for each trial. The lowest total of the two best scores from the three trials shall be used to determine the winner. A Robot must successfully extinguish the candle in order to have completed a run and get a score. A Robot must have at least two completed runs and the associated scores in order to be eligible for a prize. In other words, a Robot must have put the candle out at least twice in order to win a prize. One really, really good score will not be enough.
23. PRELIMINARY QUALIFICATIONS
Due to the enormous popularity of this contest, we are literally swamped with entries. This is good and we want to encourage people to enter. However, having a huge number of entries does tend to slow down the pace of the contest, especially when some of the Robots do not perform at all. Therefore, to enhance the actual contest time as an opportunity to demonstrate the very best in Robotics as well as being an interesting and exciting event, all the Robot entries will have to pre-qualify before the contest on Sunday to show that they actually can find and extinguish a candle.
In order to qualify for the contest a Robot must be able to find and extinguish a candle within the 6 minute time limit. As part of this qualification test, the Robot builder, themselves, can place the candle in any room and in any location within that room of their choosing. If the Robot finds the candle, then it passes the preliminary qualification test and can compete in the contest on Sunday.
The time that it takes the Robot to find and extinguish the flame during the qualification test will not count in any way towards its score in the actual contest. The Robot can make as many attempts at qualifying for the contest as the time and schedule during the practice sessions on Saturday and Sunday permit. The Robot only needs to have found and extinguished a candle once in order to be qualified for the contest. Any Robot which has come in 1st, 2nd or3rd in a regional contest is already considered qualified for the main Trinity contest and does not have to pass this preliminary qualification test.
The contest judges may stop any Robot at any time if they feel that it is performing , or is about to perform, any action that is dangerous or hazardous to people or equipment. No Robot is allowed to use any flammable or combustible processes.
Here are the prizes that will be awarded in each division:
First - $1,000;
Second - $500;
Third - $250;
Fourth - $125;
Fifth - $75;
Sixth - $50.
In order to get one of the cash prizes a Robot must complete at least one successful run. All Robot entries which participate in the contest will receive a Certificate of Achievement and an official contest T-shirt.
In all matters of interpreting these rules before and during the contest and in any issues not covered by these rules, the decisions of the official contest coordinator will be final.
There are no restrictions as to who can enter a Robot. Although most Robot entries will be submitted by individuals, there is no limit on the number of people, who as a group, can submit a Robot entry. Only one prize will be given to each winning Robot entry. The group can divide it up themselves as they see fit.
A non-refundable fee of $20 is required for each Robot entered into the contest. More then one Robot can be entered by any individual or group, but each entry must be accompanied by a $20 fee. The same physical Robot can not be entered twice even if two entry fees are paid. If you want to enter two Robots, then you must build two Robots. Please make the checks payable to Trinity College and include the check with the entry form.
In the past there has always been a registration deadline which has been generally ignored by the contestants. However we really do need to know as early as possible whether we will have 5 or 50 or 500 Robots in the contest. Therefore, any contest registrations postmarked before March 15, 1999 will cost $20, After March 15, it will cost $30 to register and no registrations will be accepted on the contest day of April 18. Once you are registered, you will be automatically kept informed as to any changes or updates to the contest rules and schedule.
The contest will be held at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut on Sunday, April 18, 1999. There will be time available on Saturday, April 17 for entrants to test their Robots in the official arenas. As more specific information about the contest schedule is finalized, officially registered entrants will be notified.
In order to enable people from all over to participate in this scientific, educational and fun event, we are working with local groups across North America to establish regional contests that will occur before the main Trinity contest. The rules and regulations in the regional contests will be the same as those used in the main Trinity contest. It is NOT mandatory for a Robot entered in the main Trinity contest to have first competed in an regional event, but if you want to compete in both, you certain can. Any Robot that has come in 1st, 2nd or 3rd in a regional event does not have to pre-qualify forthe main Trinity contest (See Rule #20). Contact Jake Mendelssohn or check the contest Home Page for a list, schedule and contact information for all of the regional contests. If your organization is interested in sponsoring a regional contest in your area next year, contact Jake Mendelssohn for more information.
All official registrants will be kept update as to any rule changes and/or modifications that should arise between now and the contest. We will also send the registrants more specific information about the schedule of activities on the actual weekend of the contest. The only way to be kept informed is to register - so register your Robot entry today.
Because of the expense involved, it will not be possible to call people back on the telephone. The best way to contact the contest coordinator, Jake Mendelssohn, is by E-Mail, US mail or FAX.
Jake Mendelssohn,
190 Mohegan Drive,
West Hartford, CT 06117
e-mail: JMENDEL141@AOL.COM
FAX: (860) 232-0435
Home Page: http://www.trincoll.edu/~robot
If you do contact Jake and need a reply, leave either a E-mail address, USmail address or FAX #.Do not leave a voice telephone number, because he will not be able to call you back.
For more information contact Jake Mendelssohn
via
JMENDEL141@aol.com.