Annex B1: Exploration Challenge

Aim:

The aim is to score the highest possible score by using one or more robots to transport and deposit up to 20 tennis balls to various scoring panels around the field.

Details:

1. Each team can deploy up to 3 robots during the game.
2. The playing field is of size 2.1 m x 3.0 m 4.0 m (approximate).
3. Each robot can have a maximum size of 40 cm x 40 cm x 40 cm at the start of the game, but it is allowed to expand after the game starts.
4. At the start of the game, all robots must lie in the Start Zone behind the front edge of the field.
5. The maximum duration of each game is 3 minutes. Teams can choose to end the game early.
6. Each team will start with 2 trays (Fig. 3) of 10 tennis balls each, which are placed at both sides of the field. Each tray has a height of around 10 cm (8 cm) and dimensions 37 cm x 27 cm. Each tennis ball has a mass of around 49 g.
7. Robots must pick up the tennis balls on their own. No manual loading of balls onto robots is allowed.
8. Teams may use their robots to move the trays containing the tennis balls to any position on the field. [Updated 3 July: Robots may lift the trays and move them across the field.]
9. Teams may not use their robots to tip over the trays containing the tennis balls.
10. If a ball rolls out of the field boundaries, teams are allowed to pick it up by hand and put it back into any of the two trays, regardless of the positions of the trays on the field. Only members of the team playing the current game may do so; non-players or players from other teams are not allowed to do so.
11. A vertical Scoring Panel of approximate height 60 cm and width 50 cm (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2) is placed on the far side of the field from the Starting Area (the area outside the front edge of the field). It is constructed using 4 pieces of plastic corrugated boards (see Fig. 4) placed side-by-side and attached to the front of student desks.
12. Square holes of side lengths of either 10 cm or 20 cm are located on the front of each of the 4 corrugated boards. (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).
13. The base points scored if a robot successfully deposits a ball through a square hole from Zone C is displayed on the front of the panel. These points range from 1 to 4, depending on the height and size of the square hole.
14. The field is divided into 3 Scoring Zones (A, B and C) using two lines of construction bricks.
15. If a robot successfully deposits a ball through a square hole in the Scoring Panel from Scoring Zone C, it will earn the base points shown beside the hole.
16. If a robot successfully deposits a ball through a square hole in the Scoring Panel from Scoring Zone B, it will earn the base points shown beside the hole, multiplied by a factor of 4. For example, if a robot throws a ball through the 3-point square hole from Zone B, it will score 4 x 3 = 12 points.
17. If a robot successfully deposits a ball through a square hole in the Scoring Panel from Scoring Zone A, it will earn the base points shown beside the hole, multiplied by a factor of 7. For example, if a robot throws a ball through the 4-point square hole from Zone B, it will score 7 x 4 = 28 points.
18. The entire body of the robot must be within a Zone for it to qualify for the multiplier bonus. For example, for a robot to qualify for the 7 x multiplier bonus, its entire body must lie within Zone A, as seen from above. Similarly, for a robot to qualify for the 4 x multiplier bonus, its entire body must lie within Zone B, as seen from above.
19. If a robot from zone A throws a ball and it bounces off a robot in zone C and enters the goal, then it will be counted as a zone C score. This is because the robot in zone C effectively reduces the aiming distance from > 2 m to < 2 m. [Updated: 3 July 2019]
20. Teams may not use their robots to move the brick obstacles.
21. Team members can only control their robots using remote control. They may not physically handle the robots while a game is ongoing, except to bring them back to the Start Zone for repairs.
22. The ground of the playing field may not be perfectly flat, so teams must build their robots to accommodate this.
23. If a robot malfunctions or becomes incapacitated during the game, team members may move it by hand back to the Start Zone and restart the robot there. Repairs can only be carried out in the Start Square or at the area behind it. There is no limit to the number of restarts, but the timing will not be stopped.
24. Repairs are permitted during the course of a game, but modifications to the structure or computer program of the robot(s) are not allowed. The timing will not be stopped during repairs.
25. Robots are allowed to leave parts on the field without penalty. However, such parts must initially be carried securely by the robot above the ground, and must not be pushed or pulled by the robot while resting on the ground. The dimensions of the robot, including such additional parts, must be within the limits of 40 cm x 40 cm x 40 cm.
26. If a robot drops a ball onto the field, robots are allowed to pick up the fallen ball. Manual picking up is not allowed.
27. Teams may manually handle the robots while it is still within the Start Zone.