OBJECTIVES:
Encourage participation of all age groups especially young robot builders in design competitions.
Make the contest simple enough so that everyone knows what the rules are and can participate.
Encourage participation robot builders using robot construction sets (i.e. MindSt*rm).
Encourage design of autonomous robots (minimal dependence of human control during presentation)
Allow maximum number of entrants (from inside and outside of the club).
Generate excitement from participants and audience during the competition.
RULES:
Floor Space: An 8' x 8' floorspace will be provided. The floorspace can be configured in any fashion; configuration is completely up to contestant. The actual floorspace may be tile, carpet tile, or concrete.
Qualifications: The entry must be a physical device and must have at least one moving part. It cannot be a software simulation. It must be related to the field of robotics in some way.
Goals: The goal of the robot is left to the contestant (builder). The goal and floorspace configuration (if any) are submitted before the start of the contest. (e.g. a mobile robot is to search a maze for an infrared transmitter; a robot arm is to pick up a soda can and pop the top; a walking robot is to "leap" a series of walls to get from one side of the arena to the other; a wall follower robot is to solve a maze with 2' wide paths; etc.) Robots that could potentially cause damage are not permitted. Participants are responsible for bringing all necessary accessories for their presentation.
Safety: For robots that cannot be safely demonstrated in an auditorium, videotaped entries will be accepted as long as they are made within two weeks prior to the competition and are witnessed by a Contest Committee member. No open flames are allowed in the Robot Rally©. Decisions on questions of safety will be made by the Judging Officials and are final."
Lighting: Lighting and light positions may interfere with some robot designs. Also media coverage including but not limited to flash photography may upset some demonstrations. Please take this into consideration when building your robot. The staff are unable to change the lights during the competition, however, some adjustment to the location of the contest area may be allowed subject to the Judging Committee. If your robot is susceptible to such lighting issues, please inform the staff at the time of registration. The Judging Committee will make reasonable attempts to assist in lighting problems.
Presentation Time: Presentation must not exceed five minutes.
Touching Robot: Touching the robot for 'corrective' action will be penalized two points. A maximum of six points (three or more touches) can be deducted from the final score. Examples of touch penalties are freeing a stuck robot or resetting the device. Examples of allowed touches (no penalty) are robots that shakes hands and robots with interactive tactile design features. The Contest Judges will determine the penalty assessed.
Cost Information: Each robot entry must include an estimated cost of materials. Ancillary or Non-dedicated components that are used for other purposes do not have to be included in the cost of the robot. Examples of items not included in the robot cost are computers or laptops used for programming and/or control of a robot.
Disputes: On the day of the event, the Contest Judge Committee will decide all disputes.
Stock Robots: Robot builders must demonstrate design, programming and/or construction features added to a "Store bought" robot entry. "Store bought" robots without an added "demonstrable" feature are not permitted. For example, a purchased robot that seeks out a light without modification is ineligible; adding a bumper sensor or reprogramming the device is allowed.
SCORING:
A judging committee will perform scoring of the contest. The judging committee includes members of the Atlanta Hobby Robot Club and individuals with a background in robotics, electronics, computer programming, industrial design or related field.
Scoring is on a ten point scale in three subjective and one objective category. The contestant with the most TOTAL points (as tallied at the end of the contest) is declared the winner.
The four scoring categories are:
Achievement
of design goal (i.e. Does it do what the builder said it would
do?)
Subjective score, accounts for 30% of final score.
Complexity
of goal (i.e. Is it a goal that challenged the builder for the
age group?)
Subjective score, accounts for 30% of final score
Novelty
of Robot (i.e. Is it an original design? Does the robot perform a
unique function?)
Subjective score, accounts for 15% of final
score
Quality
of Robot (i.e. Did it fall apart? Is the robot constructed well?
)
Subjective score, accounts for 15% of final score
Economy
of final product (i.e. Does it cost too much for a hobbyist?)
Scoring is as follows: <$2000 scores 1, <$1000 + 1, <$500
+1, <$200 +1, <$100 +1. (e.g. a $150 robot would score 4
points)
Objective score, accounts for 10% of final score
Special Awards:
Entries to the Open Competition are eligible for the AHRC Robot Rally© Special Awards. Achievements in robot building will be recognized with awards for the Coolest Bot, Most Original and Technical Innovation. The judging committee will make selection of the awards with consideration given to the age of the robot builder.
Contest Prizes:
Prizes
will be awarded for First, Second and Third Place entries . Planned
prize awards will be posted on the www.botlanta.org
web pages.
ELIGIBILITY:
There are no requirements. We encourage all hobby robot builders to enter. All entries will be judged according to the rules of the contest. Groups or teams are allowed to enter as a single entry.
REGISTRATION:
There is a $10 registration fee for each robot competitor. Click here for information on registering.
Video Tape:
The Atlanta Hobby Robot Club reserves the right to Video Tape and offer for sale any portion or all of the contest or program.