ECE 100 - Fall 2012

Introduction to the Professions (ITP)

Round 2 Competition

The "Mint Shuffle X" competition will test your robot's navigation skills via touch sensors and light sensors. The key to a winning performance lies in the physical placement of your sensors, your navigation algorithms, and your game strategy.

The competition rules are as follows:

1. The playing field is a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet of plywood painted black, with light colored masking tape "guidelines" as shown below. NOTE: The field is split into two "halves" and there are two goal areas for each team: the triangle on your side of the field, and the entire "half" of your opponent's side of the field. The triangular goal on your side may be used to score at most one of your pucks, but an unlimited number of your opponent's pucks.
   
   
    
2. The perimeter of the field consists of 4 inch high walls.
3. The tape lines are 2-3 inches wide.
4. Your robot will start in the back left "home box". No part of your robot can extend beyond the 10 inch square "home box". Your robot cannot expand during the match. It must be no more than 10 inches by 10 inches at all times. You may choose your robot's initial orientation.
5. The "home box" is a 10 inch square box (black electrical tape will mark the boundary).
6. Your robot should respond to the start button such that it does not begin moving until the start button is pushed. No other contact with your robot is allowed during the match. An interference penalty will be assessed if you interfere with your robot during the match. The match starting sequence is as follows:
   1. Place your robot in the "home box", oriented in the direction of your choice.
   2. Turn it on.
   3. When the TA gives the "GO" signal, push the start button.
7. The last tape path (two 45 degree angles) will have its puck positioned at one of five locations based on a random number generated by the TA before the match. The five locations are (1) middle of first segment, (2) corner of 1st and 2nd segments, (3) middle of second segment), (4) corner of 2nd and 3rd segments, (5) middle of third segment.
8. If the two robots get entangled with each other AND any one motor stalls (yellow hub not turning while motor port LED is on) for more than 10 seconds, then the TA may declare that the match is over before the normal match duration.
9. A match is 90 seconds in duration. The final score will be determined at the end of the 90 second regulation time.
10. Your robot must shutoff power to its motors automatically within 1 second of the end of the match. If your robot continues to drive any motor following the end of the match, then your team will be penalized 1 point.
11. You may not interfere with any robot (e.g., touch it, shield it, blind it, control it, turn it off, etc.) at any time during the match. If you interfere with a robot without your TA's permission, then your team will be penalized 1 point.
12. If at any point during the match, your entire robot crosses into the opposing team's half (i.e., no part of your robot is still touching the separator line), then your team will be penalized 6 points.
13. Your team will be penalized 6 points if your robot separates into multiple disconnected pieces and the pieces interfere with your opponent.
14. Your robot is allowed in your opponent's half, subject to the 'separator line crossing' rule above.
15. The stair-step separator line belongs to neither half.
16. At the end of regulation time, your team will score 1 point for each puck that is completely inside one of your target goal areas, subject to the "at most one of your own pucks per triangular goal" rule above. Note that the tape boundary is included in the triangular goal, so a scoring puck must be completely over the tape (it cannot overlap the black plywood outside the triangular goal). For pucks that your robot pushed across the separator line, a scoring puck must be in your opponent's half (can't overlap the separator line) AND not in your opponent's triangular goal.
17. You may modify your robot between matches. However, there will be a maximum of three minutes between matches, so modifications should be limited in scope.
18. The pucks are 3 inches in diameter and 1 inch tall.
19. Each lab period will have a round robin tournament, semi-finals, and a final. The round robin period will give each team a chance to compete against two other teams (i.e., each team will play 2 matches). The format is as follows:
    1. Round robin for 6 teams: 1v2 & 4v5; 2v3 & 5v6; 3v1 & 6v4. Round robin for 5 teams: 1v2 & 3v4; 2v3 & 4v5; 5v1. Round robin for 4 teams: 1v2 & 3v4; 2v3 & 4v1.
    2. Semi-finals: top 4 teams from the round robin (e.g., let the top 4 teams, in order, be called A, B C, D; then the two semi-final matches will be A vs. D and B vs. C). If only 3 teams, then the top 2 teams from the round robin advance to the final.
    3. Final: top team from each semi-final
20. Scoring: The following scoring formula will be used to rank teams at the end of the round robin matches:
    • 3 pts for a win
    • 1 pt for a tie
    • 0 pts for a loss
21. The following "goal production" score will be used to break any ranking-ties at the end of the round robin matches:
    • 1 pt for each puck scored by your robot, subject to the "at most one of your own per triangular goal" rule above. Note that you may score an unlimited number of your opponent's pucks in any of your target goals.
    • -1 pt for each puck scored by your opponent
    • 0 pts for each puck that is not in scoring position
22. All decisions by the teaching staff are final, including interpretation and enforcement of the Round 2 rules.
23. In each laboratory section, the top team will be awarded bonus points (0.2*teamwork_score) as described in the Lecture 1 slides.
24. The top four teams, across all of the laboratory sections, will compete in a lecture runoff following the laboratory Round 2b competitions.