Time limit
5 minutes
Control method
Autonomous
Aim of the challenge
The straight line speed course is a shallow trough of painted hardboard approximately 7.3m (24 feet) long with walls 64mm high and set 534mm apart. From a starting marker, the aim of the challenge is to drive in a straight line and cross a finish line. The course will be laser-timed for accuracy. A barrier will be placed at the end of the course (approx 50cm – 1m from the end of the course) to stop the robots but it is to your benefit to work out some kind of ’emergency shut off’ to avoid damaging your robot.
The robot must be autonomous. A “start” and a “stop” button are permitted (whether on the robot or on the controller). You will, however, be permitted to manually retrieve your robot from the end of the course and return it to the start without penalty.
The runs will be laser-timed for accuracy. For more information on the laser-timing rig, take a look here.
Ranking and points
Competitors will be ranked according to the total amount of time taken to drive the course, the robot with the shortest time will take first place. Only those robots that have completed three runs will be eligible for ranking.
Points will be awarded to the top ranked robots like so:
- 1st: 40 points
- 2nd: 32 points
- 3rd : 25 points
- 4th : 18 points
- 5th : 15 points
- 6th : 12 points
- 7th : 10 points
- 8th : 8 points
- 9th : 6 points
- 10th : 4 points
- 11th : 2 points
- 12th : 1 point
Additional points
- 5 points will be awarded for each completed run.
- 5 points will be awarded for each run where the robot does not touch the sides of the course.
- The robot with the fastest single run will be awarded 10 additional points.
Penalties
- Each touch of the walls incurs a 10 second penalty up to a maximum of 30 seconds. Robots scraping along the wall(s) will be penalised to the maximum of 30 seconds.
- It is permitted to rescue the robot and place it back on the course at the place where things went wrong once per run without penalty but the clock will not be stopped.
- An additional rescue is permitted, incurring a 15 second penalty.
- A third rescue is not permitted, instead the run must be abandoned.
- Abandoned or non-completed runs will be penalised by 60 seconds.