CHALLENGE ANNOUNCEMENT

Transcription

1 National Junior Robotics Competition 2011 CHALLENGE ANNOUNCEMENT Organised by: Sponsored by: Supported by:

2 CONTENT 1. An Introduction to the NJRC Pg 3 2. Format Of Competition Pg 4 3. The NJRC Challenge Primary Division Mission 1 Pg 7 Secondary Division Mission 1 Pg 12 Tertiary Division Mission 1 Pg 16 General Rules and Regulations Pg 21 Trial / Practice Playing Fields Pg 24 The Presentation Pg Side Events Pg Open Category Pg NJRC Awards Pg Important Dates Pg Challenge Week Schedule Pg 37 2

3 An Introduction to the NJRC The National Junior Robotics Competition (NJRC) is an exciting and unique event organised by Science Centre Singapore and supported by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR). This competition promotes strategy building, teamwork and creativity among student participants is NJRC s 13 th anniversary. This annual competition started in 1999 and over the past 10 years, more than 40,000 participants and 200,000 supporters had gathered for this premier robotics competition. Theme for NJRC 2011 Every year, the NJRC revolves around a specific theme and a challenge is revealed to the students only on the day of the Challenge Announcement. This year, the theme is Domestic-Bot. Teams The NJRC is divided into 3 categories: Primary Division (for Primary 3 to Primary 6 students) Secondary Division (for Secondary 1 to Secondary 4 students) Tertiary Division (for 1 st and 2 nd year ITE/JC/Poly students) Each team; of not more than 5 students each, will work together in order to fulfill the missions of the competition. One or more teachers and/or parents can mentor each team. Mentors are to provide guidance and support, and are NOT allowed to work on the project for the students. Teams have to canvass for funds from the community around them. During the process of constructing their robots, students can request for assistance in technology know-how and entrepreneurial skills from industry partners. Expectations on Teams After the Challenge Announcement in July, teams will work on the different aspects of the competition. The primary task for the teams will be to build a robot to take on the challenge during the NJRC event. Using the LEGO MINDSTORMS RCX (9794) or NXT (9797) challenge kit, students have to construct and program their creation to overcome a specially designed and challenging course called the playing field. This year, teams will be allowed to use the LEGO 9694 color sensor. Their robots will compete with one another during the four-day challenge preliminary rounds. The top 40 teams from each category will vie for the top position during the Grand Finals on the last day of the NJRC. Apart from the building of robots, teams are expected to conduct research on the theme, which is Domestic-Bot this year. They are to present their findings to a panel of judges during the pre-event presentation rounds. Teams will also present a video that encapsulates their robot design, research work and their learning journey in this competition. NJRC is an excellent opportunity for students to interact with their peers, teachers and judges (from tertiary institutions & various industries), during the course of the competition. The NJRC is about celebrating the process of learning through interactive and meaningful experiences. 3

4 Format of Competition The competition will have three categories: Primary Level, Secondary Level and Tertiary Level. It will run over three weeks, from 22 August to 9 September i. Presentation Week (22 August August 2011, 31 August 2011) During the presentation week, teams will present to a panel of judges the work they have done for this competition. These teams will be assessed for a number of awards. These include: a. The Best Mechanical Design Award b. The Best Programming Award c. The Best Research Award d. The Best Video Award e. The Best Presentation Award It is strongly recommended that each team brings a copy of their research, a laptop with the program and video as well as the robot that they would be using in the competition. The presentation plays an integral part for those teams who wish to vie for the NJRC Championship Award. Presentation Preliminary (22 August August 2011, 31 August 2011) Teams will be allocated a specific time slot on one of the days to make their presentations. Each team is to present to one panel of judges, pitching on the awards for which the team is vying for. Teams are alloted 10 mins (5 mins presentation, 2mins video presentation, 3 mins Q&A) only. Presentation Finals (1 September 2011) During the finals, shortlisted teams will give a presentation focusing on the award for which they are being considered. E.g. Teams considered for the The Best Research Award are to pitch their presentation towards their research. Each team is given only 10 mins (5 mins presentation, 5 mins Q&A) for the presentation finals. Important notes: Teams that are considered for the presentation finals will be informed through their touch-point (either their teachers-in-charge or their team leaders). Each team is to provide its touch-point s contact number when they register for the presentation preliminary. ii. Challenge Week (5 September September 2011) 4

5 The challenge comprises of two missions. Mission 1 is made known during the Challenge Announcement while Mission 2 is a surprise mission to be announced on the day of the challenge. Each mission comprises a variety of tasks, which the teams need to accomplish to earn points. Mission 1 will make up 30% of the final score while Mission 2 will make up 70%. Apart from designing their robots, teams may also decorate their booths, market themselves or their products, showcasing their entrepreneurship, and to impress a panel of judges who will assess them for a number of awards such as those listed on the next page. Challenge Preliminary (5 September September 2011) Teams will spend a full day at the competition venue during the challenge preliminary. They will be informed of their allocated competition day prior to the challenge week. Teams should make sure their touch point contacts are registered. Each team will be assigned a booth located within the main competition hall. The booth is the team s pit where the team works on their robot. Teams may also decorate their booths and use them as bases for their marketing operations. The following is what the teams should expect during the course of the competition day. The competition hall will open at 8 am. Teams are expected to stay from 8am to 6pm. No team shall exit the hall during the quarantine period unless the team has been disqualified, or under certain special circumstances. There is a quarantine period in the morning and in the afternoon. During these periods, only participating teams (students) are allowed in the booths area. Teams can calibrate their sensors at their allocated playing field during the allocated time before the start of the quarantine. Each team needs to accomplish two missions. Each mission allows a total of 2 actual runs. Mission 1 is attempted in the morning, and Mission 2 which is a surprise, is in the afternoon. The better result of the two runs for each mission will be considered for entry to the Grand Finals. Should there be a tie in the number of points; the team with the fastest total time for the missions will proceed to the finals. No trial runs will be allowed on the competition fields. (Teams who want to do their trials can use the trial playing fields provided at the competition venue.) The top 40 teams from each of the Primary and Secondary Divisions and the top 20 teams from the Tertiary Division will 5

6 proceed to the Grand Finals. The Grand Finals will have a total of 100 teams (40 primary, 40 secondary, 20 tertiary) to vie for the Best Robot Performance Award, and eventually the Championship Award. Judges will be visiting the booths during the quarantine period to assess each team for a variety of awards. Teams are advised to have at least one member present at their booths before the quarantine ends. Each team will be assessed for the following awards: a. Best Booth Design Award b. Entrepreneur Award c. Most Bizarre Robot Design ( Robot must be the same one used for the missions) Grand Finals (9 September 2011) The top 40 teams from each of the the Primary and the Secondary Divisions and the top 20 from the Tertiary Division will pit their robots against one another to vie for the Best Robot Performance Award. Details of the Surprise Mission will only be made known in the morning of the Grand Finals, after which, teams will be immediately quarantined. They will be given approximately three hours to modify their robots to accomplish this mission. Results from the Surprise Mission will be used to determine the Best Robot Performance Award. 6

7 NJRC 2011 Challenge I. Primary School Division Mission 1 Mission Title: Robot Cleaner Robot cleaners liberate us from unpleasant household tasks. Change the way we clean by designing a robot that clears the house of messy floors. The team starts off with 4 bins made up of (32mm x 32mm x 31mm) lego bricks. The team can either place them on any part of Start (Green Square) or place them on the robot. The robot is required to navigate through the pre-defined path by either carrying or pushing the ping pong balls away and replacing them with bins. The robot is then required to carry or push all the ping pong balls back to Finish. 1) Remove 1 ping pong ball 10 points each (total 10 x 4 = 40 points) 2) Position 1 bin 20 points each if bin is upright and completely on rubber ring (total 20 x 4 = 80 points) image ( A) (A) 10 points each if bin is on parts of the rubber ring, image (B) or if bin is not upright, image (C) (B) (C) 7

8 3) Reach Finish 20 points 4) Reach Finish with 1 ball 5 points each (total 5 x 4 = 20 points) Total points in Mission 1 = 160 points Total time given for this mission: 2 minutes 8

9 Mission Detail The table-tennis balls will be placed on rubber ring of external diameter 30mm at the positions marked on the playing field diagram. The rubber ring is fixed to the playing field but not the ping pong ball. The bins are made up of 6 pieces of LEGO bricks as shown below: 9

10 a. Playing Field < The error of tolerance of court + 5 mm> 10

11 The court is made of several materials such as wood, plastic, etc and may be colorpainted according to each competition s specific needs. b. Rules The court is 2370mm long, 1150mm wide. There are border walls. The start area and finish area is 378mm long and 378mm wide, inclusive of a 20mm black line perimeter The color of the ping pong ball is orange. All features on the playing field will be white, apart from the start and finish. The color of the bin is black. 1. A mission has 2 runs. 2. The duration for each run is two minutes. Time will start when the referee gives the signal. 3. The robot must start the mission within the designated Start area. 4. No part of a robot is allowed to exceed the boundaries of the Start area until the robot has left the Start area. 5. Participants are not allowed to touch the robot once the robot is activated. 6. Participants are allowed to make adjustments or add on parts during the mission at the Start area if the robot makes it back to the starting area autonomously, and if its extensions do not exceed the stated dimension and pass inspection. 7. When the robot returns to Finish (all parts of the robot has to be within the Finish area), the mission is considered complete. 8. If the robot is unable to complete the run, or when the time runs out, the points c. Restarts gained for completed tasks will be tallied and taken as the score for that run. 1. Only ONE restart is allowed per run. 2. Participants may request for a restart at any point during the game play. 3. The intention to restart must be clearly made known to the referee. 4. Time runs on even if a restart is declared. 5. Robot should perform the restart within the designated Start area. 6. All props will be returned to the original state. 7. All previously accumulated scores are forfeited. 11

12 II. Secondary School Division Mission 1: Mission Title: Care O Bot Baby boomers are set to retire. To allow the elderly to live independently, robots are ready to help, by providing care and improving the quality of life for those in need. Design a robot that can care for the sick and elderly, specifically to transport them up or down the stairs. The teams will be given a plastic egg each at the start of the mission and they are required to place it within the receptacle. Teams are required to build the receptacle according to the specifications. The robot will begin the mission on the base of the stairs and is required to climb up to the top of the stairs without dropping the egg. After reaching the top, the robot will then start to climb down the steps with the egg intact in the receptacle. The mission is completed upon reaching the base. The moment the robots drops the egg, the mission will end. In the event that the egg drops, the points awarded will be based on the final step that the robot has reached, before it climbs further up or down. Going up 1) First step 10 points 2) Second Step 15 points 3) Third Step 20 points 4) Fourth Step 25 points 5) Fifth Step 30 points Coming down 6) First step 30 points 7) Second Step 25 points 8) Third Step 20 points 9) Fourth Step 15 points 10) Fifth Step 10 points Total points: 200 points Total time given for this mission: 2 minutes 12

13 Mission Detail The playing field consists of a Base area and five steps. At the start of the mission the robot will be placed in the Base area. The robot must not be touching any part of the first step. When the mission starts, the robot must ascend and descend the stairs independently, carrying the receptacle containing the egg. A robot is considered to have reached a step when the judge determines that the robot is resting on that step s horizontal surface. Upon reaching the top step, the robot must begin the descent. Plastic egg carrying receptacle specifications Teams may construct the egg carrying receptacle according to their own design and materials as long as it confirms to the following specifications: The egg must rest freely inside the receptacle in a vertical position. It must not be fixed to the receptacle in any way. The egg cannot be fully encased by the receptacle. The sides of the receptacle should be no higher than approximately half (1/2) the height of the plastic egg. Teams can choose how the robot carries the receptacle or how the receptacle is attached to the robot, but the robot must not encase the receptacle or the plastic egg, to prevent the plastic egg from falling out. The dimension of the egg is shown below: 13

14 a. playing Field < <The error of tolerance of court + 5 mm> 14

15 The court is made of several materials such as wood, plastic, etc and may be colorpainted according to each competition s specific needs. The court is 2370mm long, 1150mm wide. There are no border walls but there are a 20mm black line on the border All the steps are 1150mm long, 395mm wide. The first step is 25mm high, the second step is 50mm high, the third step is 75mm high, the fourth step is 100mm high and the fifth step is 125mm high. b. Rules 1. A mission has 2 runs. 2. The duration for each run is two minutes. Time will start when the referee gives the signal. 3. Participants are not allowed to touch the robot once the robot is activated. 4. Participants are NOT allowed to make adjustment or add-on parts to the robots at the start area. 5. The entire robot must reach and rest at the top of the stairs before making its descent. 6. When the robot reaches the base step (all parts of the robot has to be within the base step), the mission is considered complete. 7. If the robot is unable to complete the run, or when the time runs out, the points gained for each step will be tallied and taken as the score for that run. a. Restarts 8. Only ONE restart is allowed per run. 9. Participants may request for a restart at any point during the game play. 10. The intention to restart must be clearly made known to the referee. 11. Time runs on even if a restart is declared. 12. Robot should perform the restart within the designated start area. 13. All props will be returned to the original state. 14. All previously accumulated scores are forfeited. 15

16 III. Tertiary Division Mission 1: Mission Title: Robot Recycler Seek help in recycling before the global waste crisis gets out of hand! Many people do not take time to sort their recycling. By designing a robot that can perform sorting tasks and help pick out valuable materials, the amount of waste sent for burning will be dramatically decreased, leaving more to be recycled! The team starts off with 8 black bins made up of (32mm x 32mm x 31mm) lego bricks. The team can either place them on any part of Start (Green Square) or place them on the robot. The robot is required to carry and place one black bin within each of the area marked X. The robot will then have to move to the other end of the playing field to collect the colored bins. There are a total of 8 different colored bins (32mm x 32mm x 31mm) and they are placed according to the arrangement as shown on page 19. The robot has to carry and lift the colored bins off the ground and placed the colored bins according to their respective colors within the area marked O. The robots can choose to carry 1 bin at a time or several bins at a time. 1) Placing black bins on area X 10 points (total 10 x 8 = 80 points) 2) Placing colored bins on area O 20 points (total 20 x 8 = 160 points) Total points: 240 points Total time given for this mission : 2 ½ minutes 16

17 Mission Detail The bins are made up of 6 pieces of LEGO bricks as shown below: Color LEGO Art Number Black The colors of the LEGO colored bins are as follow: Color LEGO Art Number Color LEGO Art Number Pink Blue Grey Red Green Orange Yellow Purple

18 a. Playing Field <The error of tolerance of court + 5 mm> 18

19 19

20 The court is made of several materials such as wood, plastic, etc and may be colorpainted according to each competition s specific needs. The court is 2370mm long, 1150mm wide. There are border walls around the playing field b. Rules 1. A mission has 2 runs. 2. The duration for each run is two and a half minutes. Time will start when the referee gives the signal. 3. The robot must start the mission within the designated start (base) area. 4. Participants are not allowed to touch the robot once the robot is activated. 5. Participants are NOT allowed to make adjustment or add-on parts to the robots at the start area. 6. When the robot finish placing all the bins in the respective areas, the mission is considered complete. 7. If the robot is unable to complete the run, or when the time runs out, the points gained for completed tasks will be tallied and taken as the score for that run. c. Restarts 8. Only ONE restart is allowed per run. 9. Participants may request for a restart at any point during the game play. 10. The intention to restart must be clearly made known to the referee. 11. Time runs on even if a restart is declared. 12. Robot should perform the restart within the designated start area. 13. All props will be returned to the original state. 14. All previously accumulated scores are forfeited. 20

21 GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS Robot Inspection a. Before each run, a robot inspector will check the robot for any illegal or disallowed parts and accessories. Team may face disqualification if disallowed parts cannot be removed. b. Teams are allowed to use only one controller (RCX or NXT). However, the number of motors and sensors is not restricted. The number of parts is not limited as long as they are from the 9794 set if teams are using RCX or 9797 set if teams are using NXT. Mixing RCX and NXT parts is strictly not allowed. No other parts from other educational sets are allowed. The following RCX and NXT motors and sensors are eligible: 5225 Lego Technic Gear Motor 9758 Light Sensor 9889 Temperature Sensor (9V) 9891 Angle Sensor (9V) 9911 Touch Sensor And Leads 9842 Motor with Tacho 9843 Touch Sensor 9844 Light Sensor 9845 Sound Sensor 9846 Ultra Sonic Sensor 21

22 9694 Color Sensor Robot inspectors have the right to request the removal of any non-lego component deemed to be used for a purpose other than that as stated in the missions. c. The size of the robot and all its extensions (unextended) will be limited to 250mm by 250mm. If any robot with its extensions attached is found to exceed these dimensions before the start of the run, inside the starting base, the team will be asked to remove or retract any exceeding part of the robot immediately before they can start the run. d. Any team caught tampering or downloading programmes to/from another team s RCX/NXT will face immediate disqualification. e. Schools are NOT TO CLONE their robots. Teams or schools that clone robots may be disqualified. f. Mixing RCX and NXT parts is strictly not allowed. Parts used for NXT must come from the 9797 series while for RCX from 9794 series. g. Either NXT or RCX can be used for either mission. E.g. teams can use NXT for mission 1 and RCX for Mission 2. However, the same robot must be used for RUN 1 and 2 of each mission. Scoring a. The final scores are based on the tasks that have been completed at the end of the run. b. A team member may add to or remove pieces from the team robot after the first attempt (Run 1). c. The referees make all scoring decisions and their decision is FINAL. For contested cases, the Chief Referee will have the FINAL say. d. The time taken for the robot to complete each mission will be recorded and used to determine the overall standings should there be a tie between teams at the end of the preliminary competition day. 22

23 Games Rules of Play a. During the setup for each match, each robot must be placed within the designated starting area. b. During each run, only one member of each team is allowed around/near to the playing field unless the mission requires otherwise. c. To request a re-run, the robot operator must notify the Chief Referee before leaving the playing area. Battery failure is not a valid reason for a re-run. Durability of a team s robot will not constitute a reason for a re-run. d. A re-run may be allowed at the discretion of the chief judge. e. Each run will begin when a start signal is given by the refereee and the robot is activated and will end when all the RCX/NXT is disabled (shut-off), unless instructed by the referee or the timekeeper. f. Under no circumstances will a team be allowed to use any other parts to build their robot except for parts provided in the LEGO MINDSTORMS RCX (9794) or NXT (9797) challenge kit, any additional accessories provided, and as otherwise specified in this manual. g. The robot must be controlled autonomously and must have the ability to finish the mission by itself without the help of any participant. Any form of communication or remote control will lead to immediate disqualification. h. If NXT is used, the Bluetooth interface device MUST be switched off throughout the competition. Immediate disqualification will be applied for non-compliance. i. If any props are destroyed during the run, the damaged props cannot be replaced during that run even if a restart is called. j. After the first run, teams can go back to their booths and wait for the team coordinators to call for Run 2. Teams may opt not to do Run 2. k. The organizers will look into the consistency of the playing fields to ensure fair game play. An appeal may be brought to the organizers if the condition of the field affects the robot s performance in a particular run. A re-run however is subject to the discretion of the Chief Judge after evaluation. Any appeal or objection after the re-run will not be accepted. If a re-run is held, the score of the re-run will be the final score whether the robot finished the run or not. Violations a. The Referee(s) are the ultimate authority during the National Junior Robotics Competition. Their decisions are final. Participants not following the referees instructions will subject the participants to disqualification. Referees will not review any recorded runs after a run is completed. b. When the Chief Referee disqualifies a team, the robot will be turned off for the remainder of the run and will not score any points for the run. 23

24 c. If one team intentionally damages another team s robot they will be immediately disqualified. If the damaged robot is considered to be poorly built due to a design flaw, the other team may not be disqualified. The ultimate decision lies with the Referee. d. Deliberately damaging the playing field, RCX, NXT or altering the LEGO pieces is illegal. Teams and robots caught doing so will be immediately disqualified. e. Team members, except for the operator, are not allowed in the designated playing area until the referees have completed the scoring procedures. f. Team members must not interfere or assist the RCX/NXT robot in any way during its run. g. No RCX/NXT communication is allowed in the competition. The NXT Bluetooth device/interface is to be turned off or disabled. h. Inappropriate acts (e.g. fighting) or words that affect other teams, judges or staffs are not allowed. i. Violations of any of the above rules will result in immediate disqualification. Trial/Practice Playing Fields To help teams with the preparation for the challenge, there will be trial playing fields set up at various locations within the Science Centre. (2 Primary, 2 Secondary, 1 Tertiary) These trial fields will be set up and be made available for use (through reservation) from 18 July 2011 to 19 August 2011 or as otherwise decide by the organiser. All teams are allowed to book the trial fields for their test runs from Monday to Friday (between 9-11am, 11am-1pm, 1-3pm and 3-5pm) on a first-come-firstserved basis. Each school is allowed to reserve up to 4 hours per day, but not more than 3 times per week. Registration can be done via to njrc@science.edu.sg. The bookings will be confirmed ONLY when a confirmation is sent to the applicant. (Please allow a minimum of 3 working days for bookings of trial playing field) 24

25 The Presentation i) Presentation Content (5 mins) This is an important section of your participation. Your findings will go on to determine if you have the right stuff for the Championship Award. The research topic this year will be to describe how domestic-bot can be considered as helping hand working to improve life and why. We want students to think of a positive future, focusing on helping and improving life. The presentation shall also include explanation(s) of your robot design and programming. ii) Video (2 mins) After the presentation of the research, teams are required to present a video footage that showcases their entire learning journey, co-operative work and members reflections during their participation in the NJRC competition. Teams are free to decide on the contents of their video but the duration of the footage must not be longer than 2 minutes. They are required to show their videos on their own laptops during the presentations. Each team must also submit a CD containing a copy of the video (in MPEG 2 or 4). iii) Q&A (3 mins) Team members are to answer questions asked by the judges after their presentation. 25

26 Side Events SumoBot & Sprint Race This year, NJRC will have the SumoBot and Sprint Race as our side events on the day of the Grand Finals. In these two competitions, participants are only allowed to use the components from ONE (1) LEGO Team Challenge Kit (RCX/NXT). SumoBot A B SumoBot Competition Playing Field (Drawing s not to scale) In SumoBot, two robots pit their strength and strategy against one another, somewhat similar to the Sumo wrestling sport. The robots start behind the line at position A and B. The referee signals the start of the game. The winning robot is determined through any of the following scenarios. i. The robot wins by pushing the opposing robot out of the circle. ii. iii. iv. The robot wins by pushing its opponent such that both robots are in the opponent s side of the circle at the end of 45 seconds. If (i) and (ii) do not apply after 45 seconds, the robot furthest away from its individual starting point wins. The weight of the robot must not exceed 1.2 kg. v. Only parts from one LEGO set (RCX or NXT) will be allowed although RCX will be allowed up to three motors. 26

27 vi. vii. viii. Prior to the competition, robots will undergo inspection. If they don t meet the requirements, players will be given 15 minutes to modify, otherwise, they will be disqualified. Non-LEGO parts will not be allowed. Maximum of 5 members per team. The overall winner is decided through a knockout system of play. The Referee s decision is FINAL. Registration Pre-registration is required for participation for this event. The maximum number of teams for SumoBot is 200 teams (inclusive of all Divisions). Registration for the SumoBot opens on 11 July Monday.The closing date is on 15 August Monday. Each school is allowed a maximum of FOUR (4) teams for the SumoBot event. Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis. Registration can be done via to njrc@science.edu.sg. Please send the following information in the i. Competition that you are registering for ii. Name of School iii. Address of School Team Name iv. v. Contact Person s name, contact number, and vi. Full name and class of each member of the team 27

28 Sprint Race Start A Start B End A End B Sprint Race Playing Field In the Sprint Race, two robots compete in tracking a black line from one end to the other. The robot that reaches the end point first eliminates its opponent. If a robot deviates from the black line, the opponent robot wins. The overall winner is determined through a knock-out system. Referee s decision is FINAL. i. Only parts from one LEGO set (RCX or NXT) will be allowed although NXT will be allowed up to two light sensors and RCX will be allowed up to 3 motors. ii. iii. iv. Prior to the competition, robots will undergo inspection. If they don t qualify for the requirements, players will be given 15 minutes to modify, otherwise, they will be disqualified. Non-LEGO parts will not be allowed. Maximum of 5 members per team 28

29 Registration Pre-registration is required for participation for this event. The maximum number of teams for the Sprint Race is 400 teams. The maximum number of teams is inclusive of all Divisions. Registration for the Sprint Race opens on 11 July Monday. The closing date is on 15 August 2011 Monday. Each school is allowed a maximum of FOUR (4) teams for Sprint Race event. Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis. Registration can be done via to njrc@science.edu.sg. Please send the following information in the i. Competition that you are registering for ii. Name of School iii. Address of School Team Name iv. v. Contact Person s name, contact number, and vi. Full name and class of each member of the team 29

30 The Open Category The open category aims to encourage creative expression and innovative ideas of robot design. The theme of this year s competition is Robots for life improvement. This category is open to the following age groups: A: Primary 3 to Secondary 2 B: Secondary 3 to ITE/JC/Poly (1 st year and 2 nd year) Each participating team is allowed to have a maximum of 5 team members. Teams are allowed to use any material in the construction of their robot. Each team is to design and build a robot based on the theme. The robot must NOT be for static display only. The size of the robot must not exceed 1m wide x1m long. There is no height restriction. Each team is given 8 mins to present its robots, 4 mins to introduce and demonstrate its robot and the remaining 4 mins to respond to Judges questions. Assessment for this award will be strongly based on: Creativity (25%) Technical Design (25%) Relevance to Theme (25%) Entertainment Value (25%) The winning team of each category wins Two LEGO MINDSTORMS challenge kit (NXT) Registration Registration is open to all students. Students do not need to be from the same school. However, all the students of a team must be in the same category age group to qualify. Registration for the Open Category starts on 15 July 2011 Friday and closes on 19 August 2011 Friday. Registration can be done via to njrc@science.edu.sg. Please send the following information in the i. Competition/Category that you are registering for ii. Names of School iii. Addresses of School iv. Team Name v. Contact Person s name, mobile contact number, and vi. Full names and classes of all members of the team 30

31 NJRC Awards The Championship Awards This is the most prestigious award that a team can win. It is bestowed on the team that embodies the NJRC spirit. Teams are considered for the Championship Award based on their overall excellence and total learning experience during the course of the competition. As a Championship Award recipient, the winning team is recognised as being outstanding and the assessment is based on the scores of the top 40 finalists according to the following weightage: 30% on Robot Performance (Surprise Mission Score) 30% on Best Presentation (40% Research,20% Video Presentation, 40% Presentation skills) 20% on Technical Excellence (50% Mechanical & 50% Programming Skills) 20% on Soft Skills(50% Best Booth Design, 50% Entrepreneurship) The Open Category Award The Open category aims to encourage creative expression and innovative ideas of robot design. Competing teams are allowed to use any material in the construction of their robot. Assessment of this award will be strongly based on: Creativity (25%) Technical Design (25%) Relevance to Theme (25%) Entertainment Value (25%) Technical Awards The Best Robot Performance Award For the team whose robot accumulates the highest scores in achieving the various mission objectives on the playing field, based on the Surprise Mission in the finals. The Best Mechanical Design Award For the team that best demonstrates a sound understanding and appropriate application of mechanical design principles, as shown by their robust or sturdy, consistent and dependable robot. 31

32 Criteria Structural Design Locomotion Sensor Use Areas of Consideration 1. Durability 2. Stability 3. Efficient use of parts 4. Range of capabilities 1. Drive ratio 2. Precision 1. Degree 2. Variety 3. Mounting The Most Bizarre Robot Design Award For the team that shows the most outstanding creativity in their robot design: the most unique, bizarre, aesthetic design screams for and grabs one s attention! Robots may look attractive, weird or humorous, but they must look unique. Criteria Creativity Areas of Consideration 1. Unique design 2. Flair & Appearance The Best Programming Award For the team that demonstrates a sound understanding of programming and the challenge requirements by creating the most ingenious and sound programme to run their robot effectively and efficiently. Criteria Programming Areas of Consideration 1. Use of loops & conditionals 2. Use of variables & subroutines 3. Strategy 4. Efficiency Team Performance Awards The Best Presentation Award For the team that best exhibits creativity, fluency, confidence and flair in its presentation, and that demonstrates that WOW factor to the panel of judges during its the interview session. Assessment is based on the percentages of scores along the following weightage: 40% from the presentation skill score 40% from the research score 20% from the video score 32

33 The Best Research Award For the most informative research related to the theme. Criteria Areas of Consideration Background Research 1. Understanding of theme 2. Resourcefulness in researching information Analysis & 1. Research & data used in analysis Conclusions 2. Analysis & support of conclusions The Best Video Award For the most informative and interesting video related to the theme. Criteria Areas of Consideration Content 1. Overall content is relevant to the theme 2. Interesting and unique Video skills 1. Demonstrate good video filming skills 2. Incorporate audio effects and animation 33

34 Other Awards The Best Booth Design Award For the team that designs and puts up the most creative and outstanding booth. The Entrepreneur Award For the team that displays entrepreneurship through their exceptional (marketing) efforts with the most effective, interesting or original marketing ideas and/or gimmicks. It can be in the form of a product, a service or advertising and/or promotional media, with the purpose of selling their team and championing their cause. In addition, they must secure sponsorship (financial or otherwise)from other agencies and/or organizations. The Best Newcomer Award For the most enthusiastic and spirited novice team from a school participating for the first time, and which shows overall excellence in its performance. The Best Cheer Team Award For the school which gives the best cheer to support their participating teams with the most innovative stunts, high-spirited members and spectacularly visual and audio cheer(s). The Best Mascot Award For the most creative mascot designed and displayed or the most impressive attire the team or the school wears on any of the competition days. The Side Events Awards The side events are designed to encourage participants who are new to robotics and would like to have a go at it. This year s NJRC has 2 side events: SumoBot Sprint Race Special Recognition Award The Judges Award Apart from the awards listed above, the Judges may present up to FIVE (5) other awards to teams and/or individuals that have displayed outstanding attributes (during the competition) that set them apart in a unique way. These awards allow the judges the freedom to recognise the most remarkable teams for which a standard does not exist. 34

35 Judges awards include: The Against-All-Odds Award For the team who has faced numerous difficult tasks in their NJRC journey, due to unexpected and external factors, and yet, is able to accomplish the challenge. The Risk Taker Award For the team that takes the initiative to achieve its mission objectives through intelligent and well calculated risk management skills and strategies as well as a willingness to plan and execute dangerous maneuver. The Sportsmanship Award For those teams and/or individuals that demonstrate great sportsmanship during the competition cheering, encouraging other teams and/or schools, celebrating other s success as much as their own. This award is based on nominations by the competing teams. *Judges may not give the Judges Awards should there be no deserving teams. 35

36 Important Dates to Remember Registration Deadline for the Side Events Deadline for registration for the SumoBot and Sprint Race is on 15 August 2011 Monday. Registration Deadline for the Open Category Deadline for registration for the Open Category is on Friday, 19 August Presentation Week 22 August August 2011, 31 August 2011 (Preliminaries) 1 September 2010 Presentation Finals Schedule for Presentation preliminaries will be uploaded to the official NJRC website Challenge Week 5 September to 8 September 2011 (Preliminaries) 9 September 2011 Grand Finals Schedule for Challenge preliminaries will be uploaded to the official NJRC website Open Category and Side Events Competition These will be held during the Grand Finals Day on 10 September Time to report will be ed to participants. 36

37 Challenge Week Schedules (subject to changes) Challenge Preliminary (5 September September 2011) Daily Timetable Registration at Annex Foyer Each team is assigned a booth number and a playing field number Sensor calibration at playing fields (Optional) Quarantine begins at Booth Area(All visitors are to vacate the booth area) Briefing for all teams in the Competition Area Robot Controllers to wait at booths for Team Coordinators to bring them to the competition area Competition begins Mission 1 (Run 1) 1030 Mission 1 (Run 2) 1130 Booth area quarantine ends 1130 LUNCH 1230 Booth area quarantine begins 1235 Announcement of Mission Assembly/programming of robots For Mission 2 Robots to be quarantined Robot Controllers to wait at booths for Team Coordinators to bring them to the competition area Mission 2 (Run 1) 1630 Mission 2 (Run 2) 1730 End of Competition Day Note: Trial playing fields are available for use during periods of quarantine only. 37

38 Grand Finals Day (9 September 2011) Timetable Registration at Annexe Foyer 0800 Each team is assigned a booth number and a playing field number Hall closed to public/schools Only qualifying teams are allowed in Booth Area 0830 Briefing/Surprise Mission announcement 0850 Booth area quarantine begins 0900 Surprise Mission preparation begins 0915 Halls open to public/schools 0930 Open Category Judging 1150 Teams are to bring their robots to Robots Quarantine Area 1200 Booth area quarantine ends 1200 Lunch 1300 Surprise Mission 1400 Setup of Side Events 1430 Sumo & Sprint Race 1515 Arrival of the Guest of Honour 1645 Closing Ceremony and Prizes Presentation 1800 End of Competition 38