Rescue Mighty Maisy Maze
RoboCup Junior Australia website... https://www.robocupjunior.org.au/rescue-maze/ Rescue Maze rules 2026.PDF
Download or print: Might Maze quick reference
Embedded Files
Maisy Maze.movThe Scenario
There has been an accident at a manufacturing plant. There are a number of victims still trapped within the plant and it is too hazardous to send in human rescue teams. Your autonomous robot must be able to navigate through a treacherous building with obstacles, uneven floors and restricted areas to identify victims and (optionally) leave rescue packages to aid anyone still trapped. Time and technical skills are essential! Come and prepare to be the most successful Rescue Maze Response Team.
The following is a simple guide to completing the task: Might Maze workshop - a good intro for students and includes infromation on how to build robots.
The above video from David's Robotic Portal website shows one way to build a Maze robot. Please note that this is a reference design only and that students are expected to make their own robots and not just copy these designs.
Students are required to design, build, and program a robot to find and assist victims in a disaster area. The victims are trapped in a building represented by the competition maze.
Mighty Maisy Maze course:
• The course should be laid out on a white or light coloured smooth hard surface.
• The course cannot have any freestanding internal “floating” walls.
• There is no debris, obstacles, stairs.
• The start and finish is the same location, being the Silver tile.
• There can be Black tiles, signifying a hole in the ground.
• There can be trapped victims (Green squares) and Injured victims (Red squares). There will be a minimum of 5 victims on a course.
The Simple Wall Following code below is taken from the slideshow from the 2023 Online National Mighty Maisy Maze Launch Workshop:
https://www.robocupjunior.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Mighty-Maisy-Maze-Introduction-2023.pdf (delivered by Dave Musgrave and Tim Ronchi).
This is a good introduction. Go to the slides for a more advance guide.
Spike wall following is simple. The robot either steers towards the wall if too far away or away from the wall if too close.
• The key issue is carefully calibrating your robot turn rates. The robot should follow a constant arc around a wall divider.
• Individual motor speed control or steering works for Spike.
EV3 wall following is simple. The robot either steers towards the wall if too far away or away from the wall if too close.
• The key issue is carefully calibrating your robot turn rates. The robot should follow a constant arc around a wall divider.
• Individual motor speed control works better than steering for EV3.
Playing Field
All measurements in the rules have a tolerance of 5%.
Mighty Maisy Maze: Maze Description
2.1.1 The maze will be on a single level and may consist of multiple distinct areas. Areas will have a horizontal floor and a perimeter wall. Walls can be constructed either using reams of A4 Paper laid on their long side or using the Open Maze walls.
2.1.2 Areas may be joined together by doorways.
2.1.3 Walls will be located approximately 29 cm (tolerance ±1.5 cm) apart. There may be a 5mm gap between wall sections.
2.1.4 Doorways are approximately 29 cm (tolerance ±1.5 cm) wide.
2.1.5 Walls that make up the maze are at least 15 cm to a maximum of 30 cm high. There may be a 5mm gap between wall sections.
Mighty Maisy Maze: Floor
2.2.1 Floors should be smooth (e.g. vinyl) and lightly coloured and may have up to 3 mm height difference at joints. There may be holes in the floor (about 5 mm diameter) for fastening walls. There may also be 5mm gaps between floor tiles.
2.2.2 The Start/Exit Tile will be marked by aluminium foil approx. 30cm square.
2.2.3 Throughout the arena, there may exist black tiles that represent “no go” spaces.
Mighty Maisy Maze: Path
2.3.1 Walls will lead to the entrance/exit. Walls that lead to the entrance/exit are called linear walls. The walls that do NOT lead to the entrance/exit are called "Floating Walls" and are not included in the Mighty Maisy Maze division.
2.3.2 Paths will be approximately 30 cm wide but may open into foyers wider than the path.
Mighty Maisy Maze: Debris, Obstacles and Stairs
2.4.1 There are no Debris, Obstacles, Stairs or Ramps in the Mighty Maisy Maze division.
Environmental Conditions
2.9.1 This event simulates a disaster area. There may be gaps and misalignments between wall panels, differences in flooring materials and heights, and changes may occur as the robot moves through the maze.
2.9.2 Teams should expect the environmental conditions at a tournament to be different from the conditions at their home practice field. Teams must come prepared to adjust their robots to the conditions at the venue.
2.9.3 Lighting and magnetic conditions may vary along the course in the rescue arena.
Victims
Mighty Maisy Maze: Definition
3.1.1 Victims are represented by red or green coloured 5cm squares laid on the floor approximately 15cm from the nearest wall (as measured to the centre of the square).
3.1.2 The trapped victims are depicted as green squares while the critically injured victims are red squares.
Mighty Maisy Maze: Locations
3.2.1 There will be a minimum of five (5) active victims in any round.
3.2.1 Victims can be located anywhere within the maze with the exception of black tiles.
3.2.1 Victims will be placed more than 10cm apart as measured from the edge of each square.
Start of Play
7.3.1 A run begins at the scheduled starting time whether or not the team is present/ready. Start times will be posted prominently around the venue.
7.3.2 Once the scoring run has begun, the playing robot is not permitted to be taken from the event area for any reason.
7.3.3 Each run lasts a maximum of 240 seconds and includes time for calibration. Time Limits for a round may be varied at the discretion of the Challenge Coordinator at the event.
7.3.4 Calibration is defined as the taking of sensor readings and if necessary, modifying a robot’s program to accommodate such sensor readings. Once the clock has started, a team may calibrate their robot at as many locations as desired on the arena, but the clock will continue to count down.
For all play rules see: Rescue Maze rules 2025.PDF
Mighty Maisy Maze: Scoring
7.6.1 Successful Victim Identification: Robots are rewarded points for each Successful Victim Identification in the arena:
• 10 points per Trapped (green) victim.
• 25 points per Critical (red) victim.
7.6.2 A robot can carry out the following action to successfully identify a victim by stopping for 1 second over the victim and clearly indicating by either visual indicator or sound.
7.6.3 Once identified a victim can be used as a checkpoint for lack of progress. }
7.6.4 Exit Bonus. A successful exit bonus of 25 points will be awarded if the robot reaches and stops on the Start/Exit Tile.
7.6.4 Count Bonus. The robot will be awarded a further bonus of 25 points if it stops on the Start/Exit tile and clearly indicates the number of trapped (green) victims found. A bonus of 50 points will be awarded if the number of critical (red) victims is clearly indicated.
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