Manta Boss

System Block Diagram

Game Overview

Each round, five Quackrafts compete against each other. Scoring was based on:

• 1 point per fauna collected inside your perimeter

• 1 point per opposing Captain Duck captured

• 4 points per your own Captain Duck still on its DuckPlate at the end of the round

Quackrafts ran on a fuel system: 40 seconds of total fuel, drained by propulsion (driving) and digital use (gate servo). When depleted, the boat stays still until the Mallard Module operator performs a continuous physical refueling action (detected by our accelerometer) for at least 5 seconds.

Quackraft (watercraft) general requirements

• Each Quackraft is a watercraft capable of operating in the fountain.

• Each Quackraft shall be equipped with a propulsion/maneuvering system controlled by the Mallard Module.

• The only component of the Quackraft that may extend outside the outer edge of the bumper is a 12 inch length of foam tubing provided for the purpose of dethroning CaptainDucks by the teaching team.

• The DuckPlate must be 8in +/- 1” above the water line and one edge must be tangent to the interior edge of the bumper.

• Each DuckPlate will have a 9” radius non-intefering zone. No part of the Quackraft should interfere in this region.

• Each DuckPlate will be supplied by the teaching team and hold a maximum of 4 Captain Ducks.

• The surface of the top of the DuckPlate shall not be modified.

• Quackrafts require steam pressure to function. Thus, the Quackrafts cannot do any work when there is no steam remaining (Check out Software for a more thorough explanation of this).

• Each Quackraft shall display the number of the team that built it with digits at least 15cm tall.

• Each Quackraft shall have around its largest perimeter two SPDL-issued closed-cell foam bumpers. The two 1.75 inch diameter foam bumpers must be stacked directly on top of each other. The bottom edge of the bottom bumper must be at least 2 inches above the waterline. The top edge of the top bumper must be less than 7.5 inches above the waterline.

• Each Quackraft is limited to a total waterline circumference of 6 ft.

• No part of the Quackraft may protrude beyond the circumference of the foam bumper, with exception of any implement designed to dethrone captain ducks.

• Collisions between Quackrafts will be unavoidable. Ensure that your Quackraft is designed to robustly absorb crash energy at the bumper.

• Each Quackraft must implement an electromechanical indication of its state of association with a Mallard Module. Exactly which association states must be displayed is at the discretion of the Communications Committee.

• Each Quackraft must keep track of its own steam pressure status, counted in seconds. Quackrafts can hold a maximum of 40 seconds worth of steam.

• Each action that a Quackraft takes that propels it, deducts steam pressure for the duration of the action. Using any actuators designed to de-throne Captain Ducks also deducts steam for the duration of the action. Using propulsion and de-throning actuators at the same time uses up steam power at double time. A Quackraft that is sitting idle, whether paired with a Mallard Module or not, is not considered to be actively consuming steam.

• Once there is zero steam pressure remaining, a Quackraft cannot activate its propulsion or any mechanisms until refueled through a refueling action from the Mallard Module.

• Each Quackraft may only be powered by SPDL-supplied 7.2V NiMH and 5V LiIon battery packs. Up to 2x 7.2V NiMH packs and 1x 5V LiIon pack may be used.

• The enclosure of each Quackraft’s sensitive instrumentation and propulsion systems must be protected against damage from ingress of objects and water.

• Each Quackraft shall contain a SPDL-issued XBee radio module used to communicate with a Mallard Module.

• Each Quackraft must implement the class-wide protocol for coordinating game information (See Communications).

Mallard Module (wireless controller) general requirements

• The Mallard Module must include, at minimum, an indicator to display the remaining charge level in a Quackraft with a resolution of 1 part in 5.

• The Mallard Module is a controller capable of pairing with any Quackraft.

• The Mallard Module shall contain all controls and displays relevant to propulsion, fauna collecting functionalities, charge status, recharging, and wireless communication with the Quackraft (these are each elaborated on below).

• The Mallard Module shall have two modes: Drive Mode and Refuel Mode. It must be impossible to be in both modes simultaneously.

• The Mallard Module must include, at minimum, an indicator to display the remaining charge level in a Quackraft with a resolution of 1 part in 5.

• The Mallard Module shall have some method of displaying whether or not is is paired with a Quackraft.

• If a Mallard Module is paired with a Quackraft, it shall have some method of indicating which Quackraft it is paired to.

• Mallard Modules must incorporate at least 1 analog input and at least 1 electromechanical output.

• Each Mallard Module shall contain a SPDL-issued XBee radio module used to communicate with a Quackraft.

• The Mallard Module must provide the user controls for all required functions determined in the classwide communications protocol.

• Each Mallard Module must implement the class-wide protocol for coordinating game information (see Communication Protocol).

• Each Mallard Module may only be powered by 5V LiIon battery packs.

• The size, shape and mass of the Mallard Module are constrained only to what is portable by a team.

• Bear in mind that you may need to move the Mallard Module to stay in radio range with a Quackraft.