Revision A  (March 7, 2007)

					DRAFT RULES 

					  for the

			  W A L L   O U T L E T   C O N T E S T

				   for autonomous robots

				 written by Jim Ubersetzig

				  (original = 28 Jan 2007)



Objective:
----------

The robot's objective is to demonstrate that - at some time in the remote future - 
a robot might pick up an electrical power cord from the floor, and plug it into 
a standard wall electrical power outlet.

This contest has the purpose of slowly developing the technology that might be 
necessary. 

Robot's may enter easy versions of the contest, or medium versions of the 
contest.

Only autonomous robots are allowed. (This excludes remote-control devices)


Classes:
--------

	Easy Class Robot:
	-----------------
	The robot must locate, approach, and touch any of the wall-mounted 
	electrical outlets in the classroom where RSSC meetings are held. 
	There is a time limit of five (5) minutes per robot.

	The robot may start anywhere within 8 feet of the wall that has 
	the long whiteboard.

	The starting location shall not be directly in front of the wall outlet.


	Medium Class Robot:
	-------------------
	The robot's hand shall be a plastic child-safety-device, intended by its 
	manufacturer to be inserted by a parent into a standard wall electrical 
	outlet.

	The robot must locate, approach, and plug the child-safety-device 
	into any of the classrooms wall-mounted electrical outlets 
	within 5 minutes of robot activation.

	The robot may start anywhere within 8 feet of the wall that has 
	the long whiteboard.

	The starting location shall not be directly in front of the wall outlet.


	Difficult Class Robot:
	----------------------

	The Difficult Class has been eliminated from this contest, 
	but to give you an idea of the original purpose of this 
	contest - I include a description - as reference material only.

	( The contest judge(s) shall provide a table lamp that has a 
	( six foot length of power cord ending in a standard 2-prong plug.
	( 
	( The table lamp, it's power cord, it's electrical plug, and the 
	( robot entering the contest will be on the floor of the classroom.
	( 
	( The robot shall start from a location that is 6 feet from 
	( one of the classroom's wall-mounted electrical outlets. 
	( The exact starting location shall be randomly selected by the 
	( contest judge(s). The starting location shall not be directly 
	( in front of the wall outlet.
	( 
	( The electrical plug will be 3 feet from the same electrical outlet.  
	( The exact location of the electrical plug shall be randomly selected 
	( by the contest judge(s). The plug location shall not be directly 
	( in front of the wall outlet.
	( 
	( The robot must locate, approach, and pick up the electrical plug. 
	( Next - the robot must locate, approach, and plug into any of the  
	( classroom's wall-mounted electrical outlets within 5 minutes 
	( of robot activation.
	( 
	( Success will be indicated by turning on the table light using 
	( electrical power obtained by the robot from the classroom's 
	( wall-mounted electrical outlet.


Navigation Aids:
----------------

It is permissible to plug a navigation aid into one of the two sockets 
of the classroom's wall-mounted electrical outlets -- provided that 
the overall size of the navigation aid (including any power cord) 
does not exceed 6 inches.


Contest Location:
-----------------

The contest will be in the university classroom where meetings are held 
of the Robot Society of Southern California (RSSC). Any of the classroom's 
wall-mounted electrical outlets may be used.


Size Limits:
------------

The robot must fit through the door of the classroom.


Electrical Outlet:
------------------

The electrical outlets of the classroom are standard, duplex electrical 
outlets in the style approved for use in the United States of America. 
If they are installed correctly they will supply alternating electrical 
voltage at a frequency of 60 cycles per second and an rms voltage 
of 110 to 120 volts. 

The approximate size and location of these wall-mounted electrical outlets 
is shown in the diagram below :


	,---------,   Duplex Wall Outlet
	|         |
	|  |   |  |   ---------
	|    o    |       |
	|         |       |  1-1/2 inches
	|         |       |
	|  |   |  |   ---------
	|    o    |       |
	|         |       |
	'---------'       |
             ^            |
	     |            |  11 inches
	     |   9-1/2    |
	     |   inches   |
	     |            |
	     |            |
-------------------------------  Floor



Scoring:
--------

Scoring shall be accomplished by one or more disinterested judge(s) 
who have not entered the contest. 

For the Easy Class robots, the score shall be calculated after 
measuring the distance between the location touched by the robot 
and the nearest electrical outlet :

                 100
Score = ----------------------
         Error(in inches) + 1


For the Easy Class robots, the score shall be calculated after 
measuring the amount of insertion of the prongs of the child-safety-device. 

Score = percent of insertion


This shall not be a speed contest. If robots tie with the 
same score -- there will be a playoff for these robots.

		End Of The Contest Rules
------------------------