Annex A: Rules & Regulations

Registration

1. Only primary or secondary school (including IP1 and IP2 from JCs) students are eligible for this competition.

2. All primary and secondary students in Singapore can participate in all categories.

3. Each school can send up to three (3) teams for the Exploration Challenge. Each team may be allocated to either the Light or Heavy weight categories. Each school can send up to another two (2) teams for the Autonomous Challenge.

There can be up to 5 students in each team.

4. For the Exploration Challenge, Light weight competition category robots are typically Lego robots and any other robots with similar power and weight characteristics.

5. For the Exploration Challenge, Heavy weight competition category robots are typically VEX robots and any other robots with similar power and weight characteristics. If teams build their robots from raw parts, then they must ensure that the DC motors that they use are comparable to the VEX 2-wire 393 motors in terms of power. Vex 2-wire 393 motors have a maximum torque of 1.67 N m and a maximum speed of 100 revolutions per minute (rpm). (ref.)(ref.) This is to ensure that teams using such DC motors are not advantaged by overly-powerful motors.

6. The organizers reserve the right to decide whether a team’s robots fall under the Light or Heavy weight categories, and they also have the right to disqualify a team if its robots are deemed unsuitable for the category they were registered under. Teams should check with the organizers if they are not sure of the category of their robots.

7. Teams are allowed to register less powerful and lighter robots under the Heavy category.

8. Teams are NOT allowed to register very powerful and heavy robots under the Light category.

9. All teams must be administered by a teacher of the participating school; a team led by a coach is not allowed to participate.

10. Robot(s) submitted for the competition must be built and programmed by the students. Teachers and other staff may teach and advise students, but should leave the actual implementation to students.

11. Robots may NOT be shared across multiple teams. The robots used by each team must be built and programmed by the members of the team. Individual parts such as motors and wheels may be shared if the school has a shortage of parts, but there must not be sharing of entire portions of robots, such as arms, as these require effort to build. Similarly, CPU's must not be shared as then the computer programs within would be written by only one team.

12. All entries to the East Zone DSTA-DSO Robotics Challenge should be made using the online registration form at the Challenge website: http://sites.google.com/a/vjc.sg/vjc-robotics-club/Home/robotics-challenge

Materials

Teams must prepare and bring all the equipment, software and portable computers they need during the tournament.

Playing field

1. Students and teachers from participating schools, as well as coaches will be allowed to have access to the playing field for practices or for the Challenge itself. However, only the students should be working on the robots, and not the teachers or coaches. Furthermore, for actual games, only the students and teachers from the particular teams involved will be allowed to access the field; other teams must leave the laboratory so as to minimize noise and other disruptions to the ongoing games.

2. Any action or equipment that causes damage to the playing field or robots of other teams is prohibited.

3. Drink or food is not allowed in or around the playing field.

4. The committee has the right to revoke a team’s qualification of any team which violates any rules.

5. The organizer reserves the right to reject any entry based on safety, fairness or other concerns.

6. The organizers have the final authority to modify the rules.

Rules on Robot Construction (for Exploration Challenge) - link