Robot Competition Task:

Remove all ping-pong balls from a 4x6 grid, either by pushing them off the sides of the grid or (for bonus points) by collecting them.

Robot Requirements

These are given in the main Robot Day information pages, as well.

One physical robot, controlled by one robot controller.

Robot must operate in the grid without being tethered to a base computer.

No other limits on robot design or sensor usage.

Grid Specifications

The grid is made out of white paper with black lines marking the boundaries of each grid. The lines are made with black tape so that they are as consistent in color as possible. The tape has a somewhat shiny surface: it is standard electrical tape. Obstacles within the grid block entire grid squares from use. An obstacle appears as a straight wall at least four inches high right inside the black line boundary. The white paper continues a short distance past the outer boundaries, but the robots should not cross the outer boundary completely (minor infractions will be allowed here).

Each square in the grid is 18 inches by 18 inches. The boundary line is one-half inch wide; its width is not included in the size of the square. The grid uses zero-based Cartesian coordinates. See figure below.

Task Details

Before starting the task

The robot may begin in any square in thye grid. Teams will be told before beginning execution what their starting locations and headings will be, so that they can set this information in their program, if necessary. It is a bonus if this information can be set while the robot is not tethered!

Obstacle locations will be fixed just before teams begin their task, the robot should have no knowledge of the obstacle locations when beginning its run. Obviously, robots may learn about the obstacle location as they travel the maze. Teams will have an opportunity before starting the task to calibrate their sensors to the actual contest environment. (We will try to have a less light-washed and glary location for the contest this year.)

The actual task:

The robot will be placed somewhere in the middle of a grid square. The robot will be timed as it travels the grids removing ping-pong balls. The robot will be scored on how many balls it removes, whether or not it "collects" them or simply pushes them off the grid, how quickly it completes its task, and whether or not it can determine when it has completed the task. (The robot may know how many ping-pong balls there are ahead of time, if that is helpful.) Bonuses will also be given for particularly clever robot designs, control algorithms, and for informing the observers of what the robot is doing.

Feel free to come up with your own embellishments!

If there are any questions about the task description, anything that is unclear, vague, confusing, just plain wrong, please contact Susan Fox (fox@macalester.edu) so that she can make clarifications or corrections to all teams.