2008 Just Plane Crazy

Information from:

Best Robotics Inc. - Boosting Engineering Science and Technology 

Teams must use their robots to retrieve aircraft subassemblies and complete an aircraft from these components. The aircraft components, consisting of wings, fuselage, empennage, and power plant, are initially located in a storage rack behind the closed doors of a warehouse. Prior to entering the warehouse, the robot must turn on the warehouse lights. The warehouse manager (spotter) is responsible for opening the warehouse doors, but may only do so after the lights have been turned on. The aircraft subassemblies are to be joined with the landing gear located in the assembly area that is just outside the warehouse. Completed aircraft may be transported to the shared delivery center in the middle of the field where the aircraft may be assisted to one of three flight levels.

The warehouse light switch is also used as a tiebreaker. Machines must start and fit within the designated 2x2x2 ft cubic space. The machine starting area also serves as a receptacle into which foreign object debris (FOD) can be placed. Two pieces of FOD, a nut and a bolt, are located in the team’s area at the start of the match.

Points are awarded for completion of various tasks towards the overall goal of assembling and assisting two aircraft to flight. Each completed aircraft scores points based on the position at the end of the match as indicated in the table below. Only fully completed and flight worthy aircraft may be moved to the delivery center. 

Partially completed aircraft and subassemblies located in the assembly area score 50 points for each unassembled component in the assembly area and 150 points for each installed subassembly. Parts that have not left the warehouse score no points even if they are assembled with other parts.