2007 2021 A Robot Odyssey
DHS competed in NM BEST this year as well.
Information from:
Best Robotics Inc. - Boosting Engineering Science and Technology
The objective of the game is for teams to use their remote controlled machines to unload a cargo ship on the surface of Mars and place the supplies in a storage bins. Matches are 3-minutes long and played with 4 teams in each match.
The machines start the match in the corners of the carpeted field surface. A pressure sensitive switch near the exit of each starting area is used a tiebreaker (and scores one point when it is tripped). The driver is located near the machine starting area. The spotter and the team's scoring bin are both located on the side of the field opposite the driver. All supplies (game pieces) are located on the elevated platform in the center of the field (the cargo bay). The platform is 14-inches high and can be accessed via the 66-inch long ramps.
Field Overview - Robot in starting position for green team.
The boxes used as game pieces are 3"x3"x3" (nominal) empty cardboard boxes placed in the locations shown in the pictures. The Fuel tanks (bottles) are 16 fl. oz. bottles that contain 8 wt. oz. of pea gravel. The 2-3/8" OD fuel tanks are placed into 2-5/8" holes in the surface of the cargo container. The surface of cargo container is elevated about 1-3/4" above the surface of the cargo bay. The point value of each game pieces is detailed in the table below.
A bonus score of 75 points is awarded for scoring one or more of each of the following types of game pieces: fuel tank, equipment box and food box. An additional 50 points are award if one or more medical supply boxes are scored in addition to the previous three types of game pieces. A team can earn a maximum of 125 bonus points in a single match.
In order for a game piece to score, the piece must be placed in the storage bin such that no part of the game piece extends beyond the inside wall of the scoring bin. The position of the game piece at the end of the match determines the scoring status. Game pieces in scoring position, but in contact with the machine at the end match do not score; however, this does not apply to contact between game pieces and detached portions of the machine.
Game pieces in the possession of a team or in scoring position cannot be touched by another team. Teams may not drive into the scoring bins or into the Cargo Container.