IRONMAN ROBOT CONTEST

IRONMAN ROBOT CONTEST

RULES REVISED 4-13-14

An ant can lift something like 25 times it’s weight.  How about a robot contest to test the ability to lift a weight, relative to it’s own weight.  So a LEGO robot would have an equal chance of lifting a weight relative to itself, just as a 10 pound robot would.  Contestants need to bring their “lifted object” to the contest.  This “object” can be modified or set on a pedestal to adapt to the robot lifting method.  A lifting method such as a crane or fork-lift is OK.

Setup:

  1. Digital bathroom scales can be used to measure each robot and each lifted object.  Contestants can bring a smaller scale for smaller robots.  Each contestant needs to figure out a method to weigh their robot if it doesn’t fit on a bathroom scale (such as the contestant lifting it while on top of a scale and then subtracting their human weight).

Suggested rules:

  1. The objective of the contest is for an autonomous robot to find an object placed in one of three random rooms (see floor layout), while staying within black taped boundaries, physically lift the object off the ground, and take it back to the starting line.
  2. There is a five minute time limit, or until judges deem no progress is made.  Three retries can be used.
  3. The “object” is considered lifted off the ground, as long as a piece of paper can be slid underneath the weighted object.
  4. Any object can be used, as long as it can be weighed.
  5. The robot and object to be lifted (which the contestant provides) are weighed to determine the ratio between them.
  6. Initial score is determined by moving the lifted object to a location greater than 2 feet away from where the object was placed at the start of the contest, and then using the following percentage formula: (see score sheet)

Percentage  =  weight of object / weight of robot

Example:   10% (or .1) =  1 oz object / 10 oz robot

  1. Add a bonus score of .05 points to the initial score, if the robot can autonomously carry object to within 2 feet of where it started.
  2. Add a bonus of .05 to the previous totals if robot senses black lines on the ground and the main part of it’s “body” stays within the boundaries.  It would be helpful if robot shows detection of the line with an indicator (such as a beep or flashing led). 
  3. Add a bonus of .10 if the robot is legged, and is able to carry the object.
  4.  Judges decisions are final.

Rationale for layout:  We need a 3 foot width for larger robots, and clearance along sides of about 6 to 12 inches, to turn around if black line is encountered.   Hallway width at the elevators is limited to around 9 feet.  Also robots with ultrasonic sensors need the “lifted object” to be at least  a foot away from the right side walls in picture above.  Additionally the left black line (near elevators) needs to be at least six inches away from the elevator doors so robot has room to rotate, while carrying object. A visitor can randomly place the object in any of the three rooms.