Robotics - The Season Starts

This post isn't about a meeting - we haven't had one yet - but about the game, which was announced yesterday. As always, the official publication consists of a video and a super-huge legal-ish list of rules, neither of which is my cup of tea. So, I wrote a textual summary with optional pictures (Ctrl+click to view in new tab)!

• Same basic stuff: two drivers, one coach, robot fits in 18x18x18" at start, 2 teams in alliance, 2 alliances in a match
• This is a picture of the field, shamelessly ripped from the video
• Speaking of the video, here's a direct link or a link that starts after all the standard gracious professionalism and important values stuff
• In the center of the field is an elevated rectangular-prismal bucket of balls of 2 sizes (mostly small), here's a sense of scale
• Each robot starts with one small and one big ball on it
• The center bucket and holding assembly is set to one of three random rotations after all robots are set, here's a better view of that assembly
• Infrared beacons are mounted on the sides of that assembly, one on each
• It also has tubes mounted on the sides above the infrared beacon - mouth at the very top
• Each team gets three assemblies consisting of a tube on a rolling base: 30, 60, and 90 centimeters tall, here's what those look like
• Each alliance has one elevated corner with a ramp down and a delineated "parking area" on the floor; one robot starts on top of the ramp and the other in the parking area
• The goal is to get the balls into the rolling tube assemblies and then push those assemblies into the parking area
• During autonomous, points can be earned by driving down the ramp, knocking down the kickstands (balls everywhere!), getting those pre-loaded balls into the tube assemblies, getting those into the tubes mounted on the sides of the main bucket assembly, and pushing the rolling assemblies into the parking zone
• During manual control, points are earned for each centimeter in the container that the balls reach (multiplied by 1, 2, and 3 respectively for the varying heights of the tubes); the high mounted center tubes are off-limits
• During the endgame, points are earned by pushing the tube assemblies into the parking area or up onto the ramp
• Also during the endgame, balls may again be placed into the center-mounted high tubes for a minimum total of 90 points if at least one ball is in the tube
• Robots may not control over 5 balls at any time, interfere with opposing tube assemblies, or enter opposing parking area or ramp during the endgame
• Sponsors!

For details on the standard rules and tournament information, see Game Manual Part 1. For details on rules and specifications for Cascade Effect, see Part 2.

This looks to be a good game!