MAE3 Design Contest
Contest Date: Monday March 17 2003, 11:30am
Location: Warren Lecture Hall 2005
Public is Invited (see Campus Map for directions)
Model of Price Center on Contest Table
Price Center on UCSD Campus
Kit Part List and Motor CAD Models
Clarifications to Contest Rules
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Contest Description*
For the Academic Year 2002-2003, UC San Diego has switched over to a 10 minute period between classes, reducing by 5 minutes the time students have to get from one building to another. While the new “10 minute passing period” simplifies class times and allows for additional use of classrooms, it also places an increased transportation burden on students. Team of Aerospace, Bio, and Mechanical Engineers have been asked to develop a robotic solution to this problem, and help UCSD student get to class on time!
Proper student nutrition is also a concern, so one of the design requirements for the transportation system is that students can grab a bite to eat at the Price Center on their way to class. To simulate this design challenge, a contest table has been built as shown below:
*This contest was proposed and developed by Nate Marelich and Timothy Jenkins; MAE3 graduates
The students are represented by plastic spheres, and start off “sitting” at the steps of the Price Center. There are 58 students on the lower level, 30 students on the second level, and one faculty member late for class on the highest level. The lower level has a dividing wall between the students, and there is a speed bump running down the center of the table. The students have finished eating and nine minutes have already been spent from the passing period; there is only 1 minute before class starts! The classrooms on the table include York shown in blue, and Warren Lecture Halls that has a raised entrance to the top of the hall and is shown in red.
Each MAE3 design team will build a robot that will compete head-to-head on the contest table. The robots will be arbitrarily assigned to start in either the right or left starting regions (which corresponds to the parking spot on campus of the new MAE Electric Cart). The goal of the contest is to place as many students into the classrooms during a 60 seconds playing period. Each team will receive points for students placed into buildings on their starting side of the table. The engineering students would like to see as many students as possible go to Warren Lecture Hall where many engineering classes are held (thereby increasing the Penner parameter for the engineering school). Accordingly, two points will be awarded for each student placed into Warren, and one point for each student placed into York. The late faculty member (represented by an orange sphere) will be the tie breaker if it is on one side of the table, and will add to the points if placed in a classroom. The summary of the points are:
· One point for each student in York
· Two points for each student in Warren
· Five points for the faculty member in York
· Ten points for the faculty member in Warren
· The faculty member is the tie breaker if it ends up on one side of the table
The contest will involve a head-to-head competition between two design teams (each consisting of 3-4 students). Each team will build a robotic machine that is electrically controlled with switch pads. The starting size of each machine is limited to a cube of 12”x12”x12” and must fit unconstrained (i.e. not touching the sides) of the test cube. Teams will be assigned randomly to start in either starting area A or B. Note: the playing filed is not symmetric, thus the Price center is on the right side in one starting area and on the left for the other starting area.
Each team will build a machine using the kit parts described below to perform the task. The kit will include 5 DC motors (2 will have gearboxes) and one solenoid. Electrical power will be provided from a constant voltage power supply with 5VDC output, and can be controlled with two switch boxes (each switch box can be controlled by a different team member). Each switch box has two Double Pole Double Throw (DPDT) switches (these switches can operate a DC motor in either direction). Note the kit contains five DC motors and one solenoid, but only four user controlled switches. In order to operate more than four motors independently one must use contact switches on the machine. Use of motors, solenoids, and switches will be covered in lecture and is described in the Mechanical Device textbook.
Contest Event Description
The contest will be held during the MAE finals period and will be open to the public. The contest will be held in a single elimination fashion (like a tennis tournament). During the lab period of the last week of classes, each section will hold a section-wide contest. The results of this contest will be used to seed the placement of the final contest. Thus teams that perform better during their section contest will have statistically easier contests in the early rounds. Since the number of teams in the class will not be exactly a power of 2, the higher seeded teams may get a "buy" during the first round. If necessary random numbers will be used to ensure a proper contest pyramid.
A trophy will be presented to each member of the winning teams, and a number of machines will be selected for display in the Design Studio and MAE Department. Team members must work out among themselves who will keep the final machine (after their display period). All members will make a web page describing their machine (including video), which they can cherish forever.
Each team must return the geared motors, since their price is not included in the course fee. Anyone wishing to keep their complete robot can purchase replacement geared motors, and turn them in to keep their robot.
Contest Rules
Energy Sources: The energy used by the devices in the competition must come solely from:
Potential energy derived through a change in altitude of the center of gravity of the machine;
Potential energy achieved by the deformation of the springs provided by the Kit
Electrical energy derived through the umbilical during the 60 seconds when the power supply is energized.
Size: At the start of each competition, every part of the machine must fit, unconstrained, inside the 12”x12”x12” starting area, whose base is completely aligned with the marked starting area on the playing field.
Umbilical Cables: The electrical connections will made to a single umbilical cord hung from above the table; one on each side of the table. The umbilical cord cannot be touched during the contest, and there will be some drag from the cable. Each machine must be designed to overcome this drag if necessary for motion of the machine.
Detailed Rules
Judges and/or instructors will disqualify any device that appears to be a safety hazard.
Any machine that has flying parts must notify opponents, and all contestants must wear safety glasses during the machine operation.
If a projectile is used, for reasons of safety, it must have a frontal area greater than 2 inch squared.
Contestants will randomly be assigned to start on either side of the playing field.
A maximum set-up time of 2 minutes will be allowed at the contest table.
A maximum of 1 minute will be allowed for removal of all parts of each machine after each contest.
Operators may interact with their machine during a contest only through normal operation of the switch boxes (for example you cannot touch the machine with one's hands during operation).
It is allowable to adjust the configuration of the machine between contests; for example adjusting the configuration to the side of the playing field the machine starts on.
Each machine can only interact with the surface of the playing field and objects on the playing field.
The judges will wait until all the balls (I mean students) have stopped moving before determining the winner.
A ball will be considered inside a lecture hall if all of the ball is inside the building.
Points will be awarded based upon the final location of the balls, regardless of which machine moved the balls.
A ball will be declared out-of-bounds if it is off the playing field.
The tie breaker must be on the playing field for it to count.
Damaging the playing field, the balls, or the control boxes may result in disqualification.
Purposefully using the electrical cables for any purpose other than transmitting electrical is not allowed.
Gaining traction by use of adhesives, or by abrading or breaking the surface of the playing field is not allowed.
A machine may not contaminate with lubricant or other substance the playing field, an opponent's machine, the playing field, or the balls (internal lubrication of a machine is permissible).
Kit materials may not be changed chemically. DC Motors may not be rewound.
Machines may be designed to interact. However, it is not in the spirit of the competition to intentionally damage another machine and no part of the kit may be used in a manner that is intended to cause harm. Any device which is designed to chop, break, or penetrate another machine will not be allowed to compete. If you think your machine may be at risk for violating this rule, ask early before you build it!
Strategies aimed at destruction of, or damage to, an opponent machine is not in the spirit of the contest and will not be allowed.
All rulings of the judges will be final.
Any modifications or clarifications to the rules or kits will be posted on the class web page.
Clarification to Contest Rules
Kit Parts Rules
Each machine must be constructed solely from materials provided in the Kit listed below, i.e. one cannot substitute a 12"x16" piece of acrylic with a 6"x32" piece.
If a part of the kit is damaged it can be replaced from the scrap pile, as long as the design team can show that they could completely rebuild their machine solely from the kit.
In addition to the kit parts listed in the table, the following items may be included in the machine:
· Nuts, bolts, and washers included in the Design Studio bin. These include bolts from size 2 to size 10, and metric screws for mounting the geared motor.
Only take nuts and bolts from the bin as you need them, and search through the spare bolt bin before taking more (we went through $1,500 in fasteners last year!)
· Adhesives; including hot melt glue, and acrylic adhesive.
· Tape used ONLY for electrical insulation
· Lubricants used only to reduce friction.
· Nonfunctional decorations.
Replacement Material Policy
We have some extra material that can be used for experimentation. This material will be made available in the lab scrap bins. In addition each section tutor has access to a limited amount of replacement material for their section. If you need replacement parts, contact your tutor. Some replacement of "mistakes" made to kit parts will be available, but supplies are limited, and replacement is not guaranteed.
Kit Part List and Motor CAD Models
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)