- One minute will be allowed for setup and calibration before
each round.
- The robot must fit within the 18 x 18 cm starting box (no
weight limit).
- The maximum number of motors is two.
- The robot starts in the starting box, at the edge of the game
board (a 1x2"pine furring strip).
- The team operator is only allowed to place the robot on the
board and to push its starting button when told to do so.
- The robot must beep when the button is pushed and start no
sooner than 5 seconds after the button is pushed. (to allow
the operator to remove his/her hand and step back).
- The robot must run straight ahead, at least touching each
of the numbered lines in order and then returning to the starting
game board edge.
- The judge will time the robot.
- Each robot will be given two official trials at running the
lines and the shortest time will be recorded.
- The robot finishing the run in the shortest time will be the
winner.
- If two or more robots finish within 2 seconds, a run off will
be declared between the best entries.
- If the robot misses a line it will be disqualified for that
run. (The judge's decision on 'miss-of-line' is final.)
Game
Board Description:
- The board is a 4 x 4 foot white enamel masonite board, the same material
as used in Botball.
- The board is edged with 1x2" pine furring strips (only needed for protection
and for the Line Running Challenge).
- The lines are made with standard 19 mm (3/4" black electrician's tape
except for the two lines in the center, which are light green paper, attached
with scotch tape. In some places the tape may be two layers thick (where
tape overlaps).
- The two centered lines are 21.6 cm long and 5 cm apart .
- The sharp curves are 7.6 cm radius and broader curves are 15.2 cm radius
on the inside edges.
- The inner area is 64 cm x 64 cm and the space between parallel lines is
10 cm.
- The circled numbers are not on the board, but identify the reference lines
for the line running competition.
- The two starting boxes are 18 cm x 18 cm and 10 cm apart, equally spaced
with one edge on the inner edge of the outside straight line.
Robot Course
Construction Tips:
- Suggested method for accurate line layout: Measure and draw the inside
edges of the tape as two concentric boxes on the board, then use a compass
to draw the curves. Finally, lay the tape along the marked edges, taking
care to not stretch the tape, as it tends to shrink back to its unstretched
length.
- You should try to make the board lighting as uniform as possible, but
the entrants are responsible for calibrating out the local lighting effects
on their sensors.
Sharing the Results:
If you would like to share the results of your runs or competition, please feel
free to send Terry Grant with
your data and other information regarding the challenge, or if you have any
questions about what to send.
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