The Academy for Math, Engineering & Science (AMES)

presents our

2018 Pre-Season Robotics Competition

TM

MARIO BOT*
All local FRC teams are invited to participate.

Saturday, December 15, 2018

10 am until 2 pm
Doors open at 9 am for setup and practice.

5715 South 1300 East

Salt Lake City, UT

Brief Summary

This year’s AMES Pre-Season Robotics Competition, Mario Bot*, is a fast paced race that is a robotic
parody of the classic game Mario KartTM. Robots race around the track, earning points for each lap
they complete and also earning points for performing actions with fuel balls (from the 2017 FRC
game) and/or powercubes (from the 2018 FRC game). Specific details are described in the following
pages.

All requirements for robot size, weight, starting configuration, bumpers, safety regulations, and
allowed components are the same as in the 2018 official FRC competition. Those requirements may
be found at this link… https://firstfrc.blob.core.windows.net/frc2018/Manual/Sections/08-Robot.pdf. If
teams prefer to follow the 2017 FRC rules for robot size and starting configuration rather than the
2018 rules, that will be allowed.

There are two notable differences between our competition’s rules and the FRC rules. First, we don’t
require robots to be built new from scratch or the software to be written new from scratch. Teams may
repurpose old robots and use previously written code. Second, we will not be doing on-site safety
inspections. Each team must inspect their robot themselves and complete the FRC safety checklist
before coming to the event.

* MarioTM and Mario KartTM are trademarks of the Nintendo Company.

This competition is not endorsed by Nintendo or associated with them in any way.

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The Playing Field

The race track begins with a 180 inch-wide straight path that can comfortably fit four robots side by
side. At the end of this straightaway there is an alcove into which powercubes may be pushed or
placed (on the floor). Along the sides of the straightaway, in between the starting line and the alcove,
are places where powercubes may be placed in a designated spot on a raised step and where fuel
balls may be placed into either a box or a garbage can. A wading pool is located to the left of the
straightaway, well away from the edge of the track, into which fuel balls may be shot.

At the end of the straightaway the track turns to the left and the path narrows to 100 inches. Robots
must jockey for position at this point, but the path is still wide enough that faster robots will be able to
pass slower robots which might be ahead of them. After a few more straightaways and a few more left
turns the track brings robots back to the starting point where they may begin their next lap.

Before each round fuel balls and powercubes are placed on the floor at random locations along the
100 inch-wide sections of the track. Also at other locations along the 100-inch sections of the track,
more target boxes, garbage cans, steps, and tables are located into which or onto which fuel balls and
powercubes may be placed. Fuel balls may be shot into the wading pool from any point along the
track. In addition to the targets described above, at the end of the second straightaway there is also
one platform at the height of a filing cabinet onto which cubes may be placed.

Details of each of the targets, along with dimensions and point values, are specified later in this
document.

The drawing below shows the track and the locations of the various targets as well as the locations of
the human loading stations (to be described later in this document) and also the locations of the
driver’s stations. The light gray portions of the drawing are the areas where the robots travel.

A larger version of this drawing, where the dimensions can be read more easily, is shown on the next
page.

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Counter-Clockwise Travel Only

Robots must travel in a counter-clockwise direction around the track. The only exception to this rule
would be if a robot needs to move backwards a few feet (less than five) in order to correct a slight
misalignment while preparing to pick up an object or while preparing to place or shoot an object into a
target. If the officials see a robot travelling more than five feet in the clockwise direction they will blow
a whistle. If the robot does not immediately stop and turn around when the whistle is blown then the
robot will be disqualified and will not be awarded any points for that round.

Human Loading Station

In addition to picking up powercubes and fuel balls from the floor of the track, robots may also go to a
human loading station where a human player may add balls and/or a cube. During each visit to the
human loading station the maximum number of balls that the human player may add to the robot is
five and the maximum number of cubes that may be added is one. Each time the robot passes the
human loading station it may stop to get more balls and/or another cube, but the human loading
station may only be visited once per lap. Robots must complete one full lap before visiting the human
loading station the first time.

The human loading station is a space marked by tape on the raised step that forms the outer
boundary of the track near the starting line. The tape indicates where the human player will stand
while loading the robot. There will be a separate loading station for each of the four robots. There is
no physical structure through which balls or cubes must be pushed like was done in previous FRC
games. Robots will simply drive up next to their team’s human player and stop. The human player
may then do whatever they need to do in order to place fuel balls and/or power cubes into or onto
their robot. For safety reasons the human player’s feet must stay on the raised step at all times. If a

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human player’s foot touches the lower floor where the robots travel then a 25-point penalty will be
assessed. Only one human player per team is allowed to be at the loading station.

The Floor And The Track Barriers

The photo below shows the playing field. Please note that the floor of the playing field is not
smooth. It is made of mock cobblestone as shown below, so design your wheels with that in mind.

The lower floor seen in this photo is where the

robots will travel. That floor is surrounded by
raised steps. These steps form the outer
boundaries of the track. These are the same
steps where the human players will stand while
loading robots at their team’s loading station.
The inside boundaries of the track will have
some physical barrier (such as tables turned
on their sides) to keep robots from entering the
central out-of-bounds area.

Spectators will sit in the raised areas at the

tops of the steps where they will be protected
from runaway robots.

Robot Positioning and Preparation at the Start of Each Round

Four robots will run on the track at the same time. Each robot may be preloaded with up to five fuel
balls and/or one power cube.

Robots will begin the race lined up side by side just behind the starting line. Preference for the left-
most starting position will be given to teams who plan to shoot balls into the pool during the
autonomous period. Preference for the second to the left-most position will be given to teams who
plan to place balls into the box or garbage can during the autonomous period. Preference for the
second to the right-most position will be given to teams who plan to place a cube in the alcove during
the autonomous period. Preference for the right-most position will be given to teams who plan to
place a cube on the step during the autonomous period. Obviously we can’t guarantee you’ll get the
starting position you want, especially if more than one team has the same plans for the autonomous
period. You should write your autonomous code in ways that give you flexibility in case you don’t get
the starting position that you hope to get.

No Alliances

For simplicity of judging and scoring things, we’ve decided not to do alliances this year. Each robot
competes individually for points. However, it may not compete aggressively in ways that intentionally
interfere with the actions of other robots. It is definitely a violation of the rules for a robot to
intentionally hit other robots in an attempt to knock objects out of the other robot’s grasp or to
intentionally position itself so as to block the other robot from doing what that robot needs to do. If
officials suspect that this is happening then they will blow a whistle. If the offending robot does not
immediately stop its aggressive actions when the whistle is blown then that robot will be disqualified
and will not be awarded any points for that round.

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Autonomous Time

The first 15 seconds of the race is autonomous time as per normal FRC tradition. During this time
robots drive around using pre-programmed code. If during this time robots can cross the
“autonomous line” then they earn points as described later in this document. If during this time robots
can place or shoot fuel balls into the various ball target locations or if they can place powercubes into
the various cube target locations, then they earn points as described later in this document that are
significantly higher than what they’d earn for those tasks during tele-op time. Teams who plan to use
vision tracking to help their robots find the targets during autonomous time (or during tele-op time)
may create their own vision aides and place them on or near the targets before each round starts.
The vision aids may not emit light, but may reflect it. If you want to use vision aids, please contact us
well ahead of the competition date so we can work out the details of how and where to place them.

Tele-Op Time

After the first 15 seconds have elapsed drivers take manual remote control of the robots as per
normal FRC tradition. During this time robots may place or shoot fuel balls into the various ball target
locations and they may place powercubes into the various cube target locations, earning points as
described later in this document.

Power cubes and fuel balls will be scattered randomly on the floor of the track before each round.
Robots that have used up their pre-loaded balls or cubes may pick up balls or cubes from the floor
and shoot or place them onto targets in order to earn points. Robots may also get balls or cubes
reloaded into them by visiting the human loading station as described elsewhere in this document.

Robots also earn points for every lap that they complete as described later in this document.

Careful strategizing ahead of time will be needed in order to decide whether your robot should spend
its time racing around the track as many times as possible, or if it should spend its time putting balls or
cubes into the various targets.

The tele-op period ends two and a half minutes after the start of the round, as per normal FRC
tradition.

Powercube Targets

There are four levels of powercube targets. Point values for each are given later in this document.

1. Powercubes may be pushed into or placed onto the floor of the alcove at the end of the initial
straightaway. The leading edge of the alcove’s target area will be marked with tape on the
floor. All other sides of the alcove are bounded by a raised step. If any portion of the cube lies
within the alcove’s target area (including lying on the tape that marks the leading edge), the
cube counts as being inside the target.

2. Powercubes may be placed onto a defined target area located on a step raised 5.5 inches off
the ground. The front and side edges of the step’s defined area will be marked with tape on
the step. The rear edge of the target area is bounded by a raised step that will stop the cube if
it is placed onto the target area with a high velocity. If any portion of the cube lies within the
taped area (including lying on the tape that marks the area), the cube counts as being inside
the target.

3. Powercubes may be placed onto a table whose top is 30 inches above the ground. The depth
of the table is approximately 2.5 feet and the width is approximately 6 feet. The tables do not

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 have raised edges that would stop the cube from sliding off if the cube is pushed onto it with
too high of a velocity, so you need to take that into account when building your robot. If the
cube falls off the table immediately after the robot places it there then it does not count for
points. However, if another robot knocks your cube off the table when that other robot is
placing its cube on the same table then your cube still counts as points for you.

4. Powercubes may be placed onto a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet of plywood positioned horizontally 55
inches above the ground. As with the table, this high platform does not have raised edges that
would stop the cube from sliding off if the cube is pushed onto it with too high of a velocity, so
you need to take that into account when building your robot. If the cube falls off the platform
immediately after the robot places it there then it does not count for points. However, if
another robot knocks your cube off the platform when that other robot is placing its cube on
the same platform, then your cube still counts for points for you.

Fuel Ball Targets

There are three different kinds of fuel ball targets. Point values for each are given later in the
document.

1. Balls may be placed into open boxes that are 12.5 inches tall, 16 inches wide, and 12 inches
deep, which Home Depot sells as “Heavy Duty Small Moving Boxes”. These boxes will be
placed immediately next to the inner edge of the track so that balls may be placed into them
rather than needing to be shot into them. The boxes will not protrude into the track. The inner
edge of the track will be lined with a physical barrier such as tables turned on their sides, and
the boxes will be placed in the space in between two of these barriers. Therefore, most robots
will want to position themselves directly in front of the box and turn to be fully facing the box
when depositing balls into the box. It will be difficult to place balls into the box when the robot
is turned at an angle relative to the front of the box, but there is no rule prohibiting you from
trying to do this.

2. Balls may be placed into garbage cans of the type used in the FRC Recycle Rush game, but
without the lids used in that game. The height of these garbage cans is 27 inches and the
diameter of the opening is 19 inches. These cans will be placed on interior corners of the
track, in a position where balls may be placed into them rather than needing to be shot into
them. The cans will not protrude into the track. Because the garbage cans are located on
interior corners of the track, robots will have more flexibility when positioning themselves to
place balls into the cans than they would when placing balls into the boxes.

3. Balls may be shot into an inflatable wading pool that is 13 inches tall and has an outer
diameter of 58 inches. The pool being used may be found on Amazon using this link,
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000U11LW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ADPC14BGD
GV8I&psc=1 The location of the pool relative to the track edges was given previously in this
document. The pool is far enough away from the edges of the track that balls will need to be
shot into it rather than placed into it. Robots may shoot balls into the pool from any location
anywhere on the track. The floor of the pool will be lined with soft material to hopefully prevent
balls from bouncing out. If balls bounce out despite this precaution, robots will still be awarded
points as if the balls had not bounced out. Balls that might hit the ground or some other object
before reaching the pool and which then bounce into the pool will not count for points.

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Scoring During Each Round

Points will be awarded as shown in the table below.

During During
Task Autonomous Tele-Op
Time Time

Crossing the "Autonomous Line" 1 0

Pushing or placing cube onto alcove floor 3 1
Placing cube in target zone on raised step 6 2
Placing cube on table 12* 4
Placing cute on high platform 18* 6
Placing first ball in box 3 1
Each additional ball in box 1 1
Placing first ball in garbage can 6 2
Each additional ball in garbage can 1 1
Shooting first ball into wading pool 9 3
Each additional ball into wading pool 1 1
Each lap completed around the track 6* 2
Items marked with * are presumed to be impossible but hey… if you can do it you deserve the points.

Number Of Rounds In The Tournament

We anticipate that each team will get to compete in at least four different rounds during the time
allotted for the tournament. Depending on how things go that day, the actual number of rounds each
team gets to compete in might be more, but it also might be fewer.

Rankings At The End Of The Tournament

Final team rankings will be based on the highest number of points that each team earns in any one
round. All lower-scoring rounds will be ignored. If a team has one amazing high-scoring round that
beats any other team’s highest scoring round, then they will win the tournament even if they totally
bombed every other round that they were in.

Any Other Questions

If you have any questions that this document didn’t answer, send them to Douglas Hendricks at
dhendricks@ames-slc.org,

RSVP

All teams thinking to attend should contact Douglas Hendricks at dhendricks@ames-slc.org as far in
advance as possible, even if you’re not sure whether or not you’ll be able to make it. Include how
many robots you’ll enter into the competition and your team number. It’s fine to enter more than one
robot per school, in fact, we encourage it. The more participants the better.

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