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General Rules

  • No compressed gas or liquid is allowed, nor is any combustible material allowed.  No liquid or solid fuel engines are allowed.  
     
  • All contestants must be students of a Wisconsin Technical College.
     
  • All teams must have at least one student from the electronics or industrial program at their respective WTCS college.  Inclusion of students from other programs is highly encouraged.
     
  • Teams will be comprised of 2 to 8 members.
     
  • Each team will have between 1 and 3 advisors.  The advisors should be connected to the college.  (teacher, advisory committee member, administrator)
     
  • The bots must be autonomous.  The operator may initiate the program at the beginning of the event, but can not touch or otherwise remotely control their bot after that point in time.
     
  • The overall investment must be less than $500 per team.  Receipts must be provided.  This includes donated material.  Any donated items or material must include a receipt for the "like new" value of the item.  The intent of this rule is not to have a team spend $500 on their bot.  Rather it is to set an upper limit on spending.  Teams are encouraged to build their bots in the most economical manner possible.
     
  • Maximum Dimensions of the bot are 12" W x 15" L
     
  • Maximum weight is 12 lbs.  (Please note: This limit has been increased from 10 lbs.)
     

  • Poster Board size for the presentation can not exceed 36 x 48 inches.
     

  • When the team arrives, they will have one last opportunity to verify their bot is in top working order.  Then they will give it to the judges for final inspection.  Once the judges have inspected it, the bot will be placed on the display table with the other sumo bots.  The bot and the controller will remain on the table any time it is not directly in competition.  The table will be in plain view of all the students, but not accessible by them.  The bots will be inspected between events.
     

  • Each team is encouraged to create a 4 x 6 foot banner to cheer on / support their team.  Obscenities or innuendo will not be allowed.  The general rule of thumb is: if you would be proud to show it to your mom, it will be acceptable at the competition.
     

  • The judges will decide on what repairs can and will be made.  If granted, the repairs must be made within 30 minutes or the bot must withdraw from the competition.  If they have to withdraw, they will keep their current standings in any competitions already completed.
     

  • There will be NO manual "reset" of any devices.
     

  • No portable electric devices allowed in the building during competition.
     

  • Only two members of the team are allowed on the activity floor during the competition.    These members can be different for the two competitions.
     

  • The judges do reserve the right to call a false start and start the individual trial and timer over.
     

  • The robots must fit within a 12 wide by 15 inch long rectangle when they are checked in, but may expand to any size once the contest begins.   However, no manual changes in configuration, any changes must be done remotely.  In other words, the changes have to take place without anyone physically touching the bot.  If the bot configuration is changed, it can not be reset by hand - IT MUST BE DONE AUTOMATICALLY.
     

  • The height of the robot is unlimited.
     

  • If you have any questions concerning your robots eligibility, please feel free to contact Pat Hoppe and he will be happy to inform you if the robot is legal or not!
     

  • If a team fails to meet the entry requirements for size, weight or dollar limit for their bot, they will be disqualified.
     

  • Teams must compete in all three events.
     

  • All disputes must be reported immediately to the rules committee.  The rules committee has final judgment over all disputes.

 

Timed Task Course

The task for each bot is to drive up to and navigate over a wooden obstacle.  The wooden obstacle will be made of pine 2x4's 24 inches in length, stacked 6 rows high plus the top row.  The 2x4's will be stacked in the same manner as you would stack Lincoln Logs; one row will be laid flat, the next row will be laid on end.  (The open space between the 2x4's might be of help while climbing it.)  The top row will be made of 2x4's laid flat  (I will try to keep the space between the board to a minimum).  The bot will be placed exactly 2 feet away from the obstacle.  Each team can chose the side it wishes to approach.  Time will start when the bot starts moving toward the obstacle and will stop when it reaches the ground on the other side of the obstacle.  All of the bot must make it over the block.  No parts can be intentionally left behind.

Let the brainstorming begin!

 

Q & A

Answers are in Red

  1. What are the exact dimensions of the obstacle? The drawing shows a rectangular obstacle as viewed from the top, but the associated text implies that the 2x4s are all 24 inches long. Are the top layer 2x4s side-by-side close spaced as drawn or are they separated across 24 inches if the obstacle is actually square as viewed from the top? It is close to square as possible.  the top row is made of 2x4's laid next to each other.  Don't assume only 4 will be used, remember - I am a Biomedical Engineer not a Mechanical Engineer,  This drawing was made in Powerpoint :)
     
    1. The rules say that a team can approach the obstacle from either side. Please define side. Can a robot approach the end of the obstacle if the obstacle is not square as shown in the drawing? In other words can a robot approach the obstacle from any of the four sides? Yes, from a distance of 2 feet away.
       
    2. The text also mentions “like Lincoln Logs”. Lincoln Logs are notched so the space between layers would be less than what it would be if the 2x4s are stacked as shown. Are they notched in any way? If so, how much, so that we can take that into account? No notches are used, it was just to help you picture how they would be stacked.

 

  1. Does the robot have to maintain contact with the sides and top of the obstacle as it climbs and descends, or can it jump or fly over it? It can jump or fly, but ALL of the robot must clear the top of the block.  The bot CANNOT straddle the block.

 

  1. Are the 2x4s secured (glued, nailed, screwed) to each other or do we have to worry about the robot knocking it over or deforming it as it goes over the obstacle? Is the obstacle secured to the floor? The wood will be glued and screwed together.  It will be sitting on the floor, not secured to the concrete floor.

 

  1. Does the robot have to meet the size requirement after completing the task without manual intervention? If it expands to solve the task, must it retract automatically as it completes the task? Yes

 

  1. Assuming that the robot reaches the top of the obstacle and drives across, does it have to climb down the other side or can it just fall off the far edge? That is up to you, it is your bot.

 

  1. Is there a penalty if the robot moves or knocks a board(s) from the obstacle during its climb/descent? What happens if the bot moves the obstacle? Is it disqualified? No, you will not be disqualified.  The boards will be reattached. for the next round.

 

  1. As the robot descends from the obstacle does it have to clear the obstacle or can any part of it remain in contact with the obstacle? If it must clear/move away from the obstacle, what is the minimum/maximum distance that it can/must move away from the obstacle?  No parts can intentionally be left behind.  If parts accidently fall off during the task, the bot will not be disqualified.

 

  1. Does the robot have to remain fully functional at the end of the task? If the robot drives off the obstacle and falls to the ground and it breaks, is it disqualified? No, but remember that you have two tries at this.  If your bot breaks on the first attempt, you won't be able to try a second time.

 

  1. Are the robots allowed more than one run? Each bot will get two "runs" and the best time will be used.

 

  1. For presentation purposes could a small dvd player/laptop continuously playing videos of the construction/testing process be used in place of or in addition to the conventional poster board display? Yes, nice touch

 

  1. Does the entire robot have to climb over the obstacle or as long as the majority of the robot passes over the obstacle is it legal? In other words, does the robot as a whole have to break contact with the ground or can part of it (wheels as an example) remain on the ground as the robot crosses the obstacle? Yes, see #2

 

  1. Can any portion of the bot be left behind as it climbs over the obstacle such as a detachable ramp, hooks, adhesives, etc. or must it return to original size and shape? It must be able to fit into the prescribed box after the task.  If something accidently falls off, that is ok.  it it is intentionally left behind, the run is disqualified.

 

  1. Can a bot alter the shape of the obstacle either intentionally or accidentally? Is the robot disqualified? Intentionally - No, accidently - Yes
     
  2. What does "drive up to and navigate over a wooden obstacle" mean?  The bot will start two feet from the obstacle and move toward the obstacle.  This means it must make forward movement.  Then it can make it's way over the obstacle. 
     
  3. Can it jump or fly over the obstacle? Yes, provided it initially moves toward the obstacle on the ground.  But remember, the use of any compressed gas or fluid is prohibited.  Also, once it makes it to the other side, it can not be manually "reset", it must be able to return to the shape that fit within the measuring box.  Since there is a second attempt, any sprig mechanism must be reset automatically as there is no manual reset of the device allowed.
     
  4. On completion of the task. Can the bot end up anywhere or does it have to stop/land within two feet of the obstacle as when it started. Good question... The bot must stop within 2 feet of the other side of the object. 
     
  5. We envision the task obstacle area as a 24” x 24” square centered inside a 6’ x 6’ square. Is this correct?  Yes to both.  The 6 foot square will be formed with duct tape on the concrete floor.
     
  6. As shipping and handling charges have increased rather dramatically in the last year, must these S&H charges come out of our $500 budget? No, just the cost or estimated value of the parts.
     
  7. We notice that the statement disallowing compressed air, propellants, CO2, etc. is absent from this year’s rules. Was this intentional or an oversight?  If a bot flies or jumps the obstacle, are propellants allowed? If so, what types/quantities are acceptable?  It was an oversight on my part.  No compressed gas or liquid is allowed, nor is any combustible material allowed.  No liquid or solid fuel engines are allowed. 
     

 

Remember ladies and gentlemen, this is a friendly competition.  Good sportsmanship and fair play is required.

This page was last updated 02/04/10
Comments? Contact: Patrick Hoppe
office: (262) 619-6462