The Threat of UneXploded Ordinances

Cleaning up land mines in a war ravaged environment

2009 Arena Robotics Rules

1.0 Registration Rules
1.1 At the area contests, each school may enter no more than four teams.
1.2 A maximum of two arena teams, from each school, may advance to the state competition.
1.3 Top two (2) placing teams in each grade level division at area will advance to the state
competition
1.4 Wildcard teams will be selected for all remaining available space at the state competition.
Wildcard teams are selected by comparing all area results to determine the top scorers who did
not advance to the state competition. These teams will an invitation (depending on the number of
spaces available).
1.5 Schools qualify for the state competition, not individual team members. The individuals that
actually make up a team at the state competition are the decision of the team sponsor and the
school’s principal.
1.6 NO late or onsite registration at state will be allowed.
1.7 Teams will consist of no more than four members
1.8 Students may be members of only one team.
1.9 Students in grades 4th through 8th may compete in either the intermediate or advanced
competition.
1.10 Students in grades 9th through 12th may compete in only the advanced competition.

2.0 General Competition Rules

2.1 The robot brought to the contest must be built and programmed entirely by the student team
members.
2.1.1. Only registered students and one adult supervisor will be allowed in the team work
area/competition arena area. (NOTE: ONLY students are allowed to touch the
laptop/computer and/or robot except when technical problems with the computer
occur.)
2.1.2. Teams may use any programming language or software.
2.1.3. Only registered students are allowed to touch the robot and computer that is used to
program it. Live student problem solving is the spirit of this competition!
2.1.4. All students must display nametag prominently. (student name and team number)
2.2 Each round will consist of two teams, each competing on the same arena. Each team’s robot
will complete the challenge in a head-to-head environment. Note: both bricks can be used
this year. This means and RCX has the possibility of competing head to head with an
NXT.
2.3 Teams will be called to the arena. If teams are not present by the end of the second call, they
will forfeit the match.
2.4 Only two team members are permitted at the table at all times. Because of the new touch
rule, teams will need one person acting as the primary operator and one person to be staged
to grab the robot if it is out of reach of the operator. During a match, if the robot is broken,
both team members may repair the robot.
2.5 Robots must start in the designated corner as noted in the final arena sample picture.
2.6 Each round lasts two minutes.
3.0 General Robot Rules

3.1 All robot action must be pre-programmed, and initiated by pressing the green RUN button for the
RCX based robot or orange button found on the NXT based robot. The active program may be
changed during play, but reprogramming the robot during the competition round is not allowed.
3.2 Bluetooth will be required to be disabled on all NXT robots when competing.
3.3 Electronics from any ONE LEGO RCX or NXT Robotics Kit may be used to construct
the autonomous robot, with the following stipulations:
3.3.1 The following NXT Electrical components can be used:
• 3 Touch sensors Max
• 2 Light sensors Max
• 3 Motors Max (must be NXT motors)
3.3.2 The following RCX sensors can be used:
• 3 Touch sensors Max (any model of LEGO RCX touch sensors can be used)
• 2 Light sensors Max
• 3 Rotation Sensors Max
• 3 Motors Max (must be RCX motors)
3.3.3 No HiTechnic, other third party, or homemade sensors maybe used
3.3.4 Adapter cables found in the NXT Educational Kits may NOT be used, unless they are
being used in a non-electrical manner.
3.3.5 Any amount of LEGO Wire or LEGO Cables may be used.
3.4 An unlimited amount of LEGO pieces and elements are allowed that can be taken from the RCX
based Team challenge set or NXT education resource set, but note that the robot will need to fit into
a 12”x12”x12” cube. Please also note that a LEGO piece or element is defined as beam, plate, brick,
friction, pen, bushing etc. not a sensor, motor, or other electrical devices.
3.5 Teams may improve functionality, decorate, or accessorize their robot with LEGO or foreign items
such as cardboard, popsicle sticks, rubber bands, playing cards, etc… totaling $5.00 or less.
3.5.1 Teams who elect to use the extra materials MUST be able to present an itemized Bill of
Materials, clearly specifying the materials used, quantity, and indicating an appropriate
retail value.
3.5.2 Teams using any NON-LEGO materials will be required to present their Bill of Materials
before being allowed to compete in any round; failure to present the Bill of Materials may
result in disqualification for that round.
3.5.3 Teams must be able to make their Bill of Materials available for judges to review at any
time, even when not competing.
3.5.4 Extra items may not be used to enhance the structural stability of your robot, only the
functionality or aesthetics. Extra items (such as tape, string, etc.) cannot be used to
reinforce the lego structure — they may ONLY be used to attach other objects.
3.5.5 Glue is NOT allowed under any circumstances.
3.6 Robots are limited to 12”x12”x12” cube and will be measured prior to the start of the
competition. Robots may not be repositioned once the measuring box is removed.

4.0 Game Rules

4.1 The robot will be collecting UneXploded Ordinances (UXO) and placing them into the Onsite
Containment Unit (OCU) or into the Central Recycling Unit (CRU).
 4.1.1 UXOs will be placed on the field, according to a grid. This grid will allow the UneXploded
Ordinances to be in corresponding locations on both sides of the field.
4.1.2 Robots are not allowed to physically retrieve UXOs from their opponent's side of the field.
4.1.3 Robots are not allowed to erect or place barriers or any other mechanism to prevent the
shared use of the CRU.
4.1.4 Team members are allowed to touch or “recover” robot during play.
4.1.4.1 Robot recovery from field causes a ball to be removed from play by referee in the
following order:
4.1.4.1.1 Ball removed from field, if any present.
4.1.4.1.2 Ball removed from OCU, if any present.
4.1.4.1.2.1 A ball on robot removed when returned, if none other left.
4.1.4.1.3 Balls scored in CRU are not removed.
4.2 Robots completely/partially in Base when touched are not penalized for recovery.
4.3 Robots are only active or inactive (start inactive).
4.3.1 Robot deemed active when robot begins movement.
4.3.2 Robot turns inactive when touched by team.
4.4 Touched/Recovered robots must be brought to Base.
4.5 Touched robots must be placed within Base area before they can be reactivated.
4.6 Balls in contact with robot that originate from Base come back to Base.
4.6.1.1 Only balls previously brought to Base by robot can return with robot.
4.6.1.2 Balls that lose contact with robot are left on the playing field.
4.7 Anything brought into Base area by robot/touching may be touched/handled by team members.
4.7.1 Ex: Balls can be removed from Base area, and/or placed in/on inactive robot.
4.8 Dropping a ball on an active robot counts as being touched.
4.9 Robot may be reconfigured in Base as well.
4.9.1 Robot must completely fit within the Base area before being reactivated.
4.10 Balls touched by team members that were not brought to Base by the robot are removed from
play.

5.0 Field Specifications

5.1 Play board is a 4' x 8' white Melamine board. (approximate measurements)
5.1.1 4' x 8' Shower board can also be purchased as well. It is a thinner (3/8") material, but
suitable for practice boards. It is difficult to attach sides to a shower board, which makes
creating an 'authentic' arena more difficult.
5.2 20 UneXploded Ordinances (UXOs) (golf ball sized wiffle balls, 10 per side) will be positioned in a
grid layout on the playing field. One side will have 10 silver UXOs and one side will have 10 black
UXOs (both colors are spray painted).
5.3 A 2” divider will cut the play board in half.
5.4 Two cylinders Central Recycling Unit (CRU’s)
5.4.1 Two shared UXO receptacles - the Central Recycling Unit (CRU). These will be splitting the
separation wall into even thirds. This painted silver cylinder will be 3” in diameter and 2” tall.
5.4.2 A silver ring 1” in width will be on the playing field surrounding the base of the CRU.
5.5 One cylinder Onsite Containment Unit (OCU’s) this area is also known as Base will be located on
the back middle of the field horizontal to the robot start location.
5.5.1 One personal UXO receptacle - the Onsite Containment Unit (OCU). This black cylinder
will be 12” in diameter and ½” tall.
5.5.2 A black ring 1” in width will be on the playing field surrounding the base of each OCU
5.6 At the state competition two (2) coke cans will be placed at the midpoint between the OCU and each
CRU.
5.7 See attached picture for arena layout.
5.8 Robots are limited to 12”x12”x12” cube and will be measured prior to the start of the
competition.
5.9 See Materials List

6.0 Scoring Rules

6.1 All Teams will begin with 100 points. Points will be awarded/subtracted at the end of the round
based on the scoring sheet and as listed below. The minimum score a team can receive is Zero
points. Teams tied at the end of a round will be subject to tiebreaker rules.
6.1.1 UXOs contained within the OCU (and not touching any part of a robot): 5 points
6.1.2 UXOs contained within the CRU (and not touching any part of a robot): 20 points
6.1.3 Your UXO on the top of the stack in each CRU at the end of the round: additional 10 points.
6.2 The team that has the most points at the end of the round wins. A tie breaker will be
determined by the team that makes first contact with a UXO. Teams that are awarded
the tiebreaker will receive one additional point on their final score
6.3 A robot that performs malicious action against an opponent on the opponents’ home side can be
disqualified. Unintentional damage to the opposing robot can be deemed malicious and will be a call
made by the referee.
6.4 A robot that makes contact with their opponent robot away from the wall or CRU can be penalized 10
points. Incidental contact will not be penalize. If a robot is intentionally on their opponent’s side and
makes contact with the opponent robot, that may be penalized.