Aim of the challenge
To defuse as many mines as possible within the time limit.
Control method
Remote control or Autonomous.
Time limit
5 minutes with an additional 1 minute at the start for any calibration for autonomous robots.
Rules
- Robots will be placed in the “bottom, left” corner of a raised, walled arena approximately 1600mm x 1600mm in size. Walls are 30cm tall above the base and are black in colour.
- The arena will be split up into 16 square zones (4×4). These zones will have as their floor pieces of white, opaque Perspex.
- The lights are super-bright LED modules that are designed to fit in an old school halogen fitting. They are approx 15cm away from the bottom of the Perspex.
- A single, random square will be lit up in red. The robot must visit the square in question and stop, motionless for 1 second with some part of the robot over the square. The mine is then considered defused, the Judge will click a remote button and the next, random square will be lit up, and so on.
- This challenge can be tackled either using remote control or autonomously, for example using a combination of a high-mounted camera and/or light sensors.
- Here are photographs of a sample perspex plate, both lit and unlit. Please note that due to white-balancing, the white appears slightly blue-grey, but how it’ll appear to an on-robot camera (if your attempt is being done autonomously) is something you’ll need to be able to calibrate on the day. There will be a calibration sample available to use to set-up your camera, if you are attempting the challenge autonomously.
Here are some photographs of one-quarter of the course:
… and the full course, with robot for scale.
Scoring
- A maximum of 20 mines will be lit up to be defused.
- A timer will be started as soon as the robot moves for the first time.
- If the robot should defuse all 20 mines, the timer will be stopped and the time recorded.
- The defusing of a mine will be deemed successful when the light is extinguished.
- Robots that defuse all 20 mines will be ranked according to the time they take, within their category, and then points awarded according to the Formula Scoring System.
Autonomous robots
- 50 points will be awarded for each mine that has been defused.
- 150 additional points will be awarded for defusing at least 10 mines within the time limit.
- 250 points will be awarded for attempting the challenge autonomously.
Remote-controlled robots
- 35 points will be awarded for each mine defused.
- 150 additional points will be awarded for defusing at least 10 mines within the time limit.
Penalties
Each rescue will be penalised as follows. There is no limit to the number of rescues and it is not possible to achieve negative points for the challenge.
Upon being rescued, the robot will be placed back on the start square.
- 25 points will be deducted for each rescue of an autonomous robot
- 15 points will be deducted for each rescue of a remote-controlled robot.
Ask Questions and Discuss
There are a number of ways you can discuss this challenge and the competition in general.