FAQ's

General Questions
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Q:  What are the responsibilities of the Team Captain? We can imply some qualifications for a team captain, but I guess one big question would be is the team captain the only one who controls the robot during the event or can that be someone else. 

A: The “Team Captain” is used to identify different teams from the same school. For example, if Universal High School has four Sumo Robots we identify the teams by the team captain name on the judging sheets, awards ceremony, and competition brackets. (ie. Universal High School Sumo Robot- Rob Smith, Universal High School Sumo Robot- Suzy Still, Universal High School Sumo Robot- John Doe, Universal High School Sumo Robot- Sally Stars)

Anyone on the team can operate the robot. We do also at times call the “Team Captains” together for updates/meetings during the event to efficiently disseminate information to the teams.

Autonomous Vehicle Challenge (AVC)
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Q:  We are trying to train image recognition for buckets for the autonomous vehicles. Do you happen to have details of the paint colors used for the buckets? Brand or specific color?

A: We purchased our buckets from US Plastic. Below are the links.

Red: https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=144156

Yellow: https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=144157

Blue: https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=144154 

Q:  AVC Rules & Course Layout section in the Contest Manual states: "The vehicle must be fully autonomous and self-contained. No transmitters or communication beacons (other than GPS) of any kind are allowed. You may NOT tether to a laptop or other device. Everything necessary for the vehicle’s navigation/processing/sensing must be attached and part of the vehicle itself."
Could a team use a RTK GPS transmitter near the course to pass corrected GPS location data to the rover on the course? I ask because this is just GPS communication but it is also tethered to a minicomputer off track and is not attached and part of the vehicle itself.

A: Since the rule states "Everything necessary for the vehicle’s navigation/processing/sensing must be attached and part of the vehicle itself." Using a RTK GPS transmitter would not be allowable.

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Q:  We are interested in the Autonomous Vehicle Challenge but we were wondering what the ground rules and regulations are aside from no communication with the vehicle. Does the vehicle have to be built from scratch or are we allow to buy pre-existing parts or kits such as the NVIDA Jetson TX1 for the vehicle. Also does does the frame of the vehicle have to be built from scratch as well?
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A: The AVC rules state "For the Autonomous Vehicle Challenge each team will design and build a vehicle to navigate an obstacle course.” Our interpretation of this would be teams could use commercially available parts to include in their design/build, but using a complete commercially available autonomous vehicle, or using complete kit without modifications/additions would be against the spirit of the contest.

Additive Manufacturing Challenge ​

Q:  Rule 2.2. states -Build material can be removed after the print is complete, but nothing may be added to the structure. Does this mean we can drill holes in the printed object or is it only referring to removing support material?

A: Only the build material can be removed. The tested structure should match the submitted computer design rendering files (STL or CMB format)

Q:  Is Nylon 12CF with embedded carbon fiber permitted to be used at the Additive Manufacturing Challenge at the NRC?

A: No. Since the rules state that the only permitted materials are PLA, ABS, Nylon, and PETG, carbon fiber and any other material, would not be allowable.

Q:  In the Rules and Structure Specifications, item #3 states that "A 12-ounce soda can must be able to fit inside and pass through the structure."

A: Yes,  a regular 12-ounce soda should be able to pass entirely through the structure from top to bottom.

Box Bot
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Q:  Is it possible for students to handle the foam blocks once they are brought into the staging area? For example, could the students manipulate the blocks into a stack, and slide them to the side of the staging area to move them out of the way, or can they place the blocks onto part of the robot for delivery to either the truck or house?

A: No, only the robot can interact with the blocks/scoring objects. Additionally,  if a block/scoring object is held by or linked to the robot when a task attempt is terminated they are taken off the playing field by the referee (and do not score).

Combat Robot

Q: My team is wondering if nylon is disallowed for use in the plastic class of combat robots? I know it's not listed in the allowable plastics, but they just wanted to make sure, since it's not in the disallowed list.

A: PET, PETG, ABS, or PLA, PLA+ are the only materials that can be used for the chassis and weapons. No other types of plastics or materials allowed (ie. metal, carbon fiber, UHMW, etc) Nylon may not be used for the chassis and weapons, but it could be used for other components such as gears or wheels. ​

Q: My team is wondering if Super PLA+ is disallowed for use in the plastic class of combat robots?

A: PET, PETG, ABS, or PLA, PLA+ are the only materials that can be used for the chassis and weapons. No other types of plastics or materials allowed (ie. metal, carbon fiber, UHMW, etc) Any filament that has additional modifiers in the material name is strictly prohibited.  (ie. Super PLA+, Pro PLA+, PLA++, PLA-CF, PLA Pro, etc.)

Q: The manual mentions Robots in 12lbs class. I just want to verify that the maximum weight for the combat robots is 3 lbs.

A: The rules we use for combat are standardized from SPARC (http://sparc.tools) They ask that we not edit the rules for our events, so some of the rules do not apply when we are using various weight classes.​



Q: I have a group of students attempting to build two Antweight Plastic Combat robots. They are planning to include a spinning weapon, made entirely out of PLA. My question is this: Can the weapon be attached to a metal pulley that would be run with a belt to another small pulley mounted on a motor? The pulley would be considerably smaller than the spinning weapon. The pulley's primary purpose is to provide a good way to attach the belt to the spinner. Also, my second question: Can the spinning weapon spin on a metal shaft (using a bearing), or must it spin on a plastic shaft without a bearing? I want to make sure that the students stay within the requirements of the plastic class so that they do not arrive on competition day only to realize that we misinterpreted the rules. Any help you can give will be appreciated.
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A: The rule in 4.4. Plastic Class states: "2. Motors, electronics, axles, fasteners and adhesives can be any material, but cannot be used in such a way to enhance the structural integrity, armor the robot, or enhance any weapon.” Following this rule’s intent, the shaft (axle) and pulley do not have to be plastic.
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Q: We couldn't find information about the wheels that we can use for the plastic class robot. Would there be any specific type of wheels?

A: We allow plastic or rubber wheels in the "Plastic" class. As long as they are not metal or a composite such as carbon fiber, they will be ok. Wheels with metal ball bearings are acceptable as they are not considered to "enhance the structural integrity, armor the robot, or enhance any weapon". 



Q: What is required to win the match, ie. most damage done to the opposing robot or complete disabling of the opposing robot?

A: We will be following the SPARC Match Rules v1. 2 and SPARC Judging Guidelines v1.1 
For the NRC will be utilizing the SPARC Simplified Judging Criteria:

• Three judges will vote for the winning bot based on equally considered categories of damage, control, and aggression. Judges will not discuss the fight prior to voting barring specific questions related to damage that occurred during the fight. These questions will be communicated to the referee should any functional demonstrations be required prior to the arena door opening. For this format, no scores will be given.
• Scoring Aggression
• Aggression scoring will be based on the relative amount of time each robot spends attacking the other. The primary means of scoring points in this category involves attempting to attack the opponent in a controlled manner, whether or not the attack is successful.
• Scoring Control
• Control scoring will be based on the relative amount of time each robot spends in control of the fight. The primary means of scoring points in this category involves using elements of the robot or arena against the opponent in a manner that doesn’t directly involve the weapon system of the robot causing damage. This would include utilizing any arena hazards as the use of active or passive weapon systems on an opponent that don’t directly cause damage.
• Scoring Damage
• Damage scoring will be based on the relative amount of damage dealt by each robot. The primary means of scoring points in this category involves doing non-cosmetic damage to the opposing robot. The severity of the damage done by each robot will be considered by the judges and used to determine the score.​

Q: The particular rule in question is number 12.1, pertaining to spinning weapons that can contact the outer walls must be pre-approved. We are planning a robot with a spinning tile blade as a weapon. and wish to know if it breaches the rules.

A: For our arena there are only outer walls. We do not have any interior barriers or walls inside of the main arena. Since the outer walls of our arena are made of Lexan, any spinning blade that could cut through the Lexan would not be permitted. 



Q: Rule 9.6 in the combat robot rules states, "All pressure vessels must be rated for at least 120% of the pressure they are used at and have a current hydro test date." What does "current hydro test date" mean? 

A: "Hydro" is short for hydrostatic. Air cylinders can be hydrostatic tested at many local suppliers of air/welding tanks and/or SCUBA tanks. The hydrostatic test date and inspector mark indicate when a cylinder was last tested and who certified the test.


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Q: Do I have to have a pressure gauge if my pneumatic system does not have a regulator in it? 

A: Yes



Q: For a manual shut off valve, do I simply just have to isolate the tank from the rest of the system by disconnecting the air lines, or is there a specific part for this (other than a bleed valve)?

A: You will need a manual shut off valve that isolates the tank from the rest of the system.


Q: My team is building a a vertical spinner for our robot. The weapon itself will stop when contact is made with the wall, however, it would also make a significant impact. We would appreciate a more detailed response concerning the limits of rule 12.1 before we proceed in the process.
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A: This is a difficult question to answer without seeing the robot in person, I’ll try my best to provide some insight. The Combat Robot arena is made from extruded aluminum (www.8020.net) and 1/4” Lexan. The goal of rule 12.1 is to prevent robot designs that would damage the arena to a point where the contest could not continue. As long as there is a reasonable expectation that operation of your robot would not break through the aluminum supports, penetrate the Lexan sheets, or otherwise damage the arena in a way that reduces it’s structural integrity, the judges would allow the robot to operate. 

Micromouse
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Q: In the Micromouse Contest, the contestant or team of contestants design and build a small self-contained robot (Mouse) to negotiate a right/left turn maze in the shortest possible time." We ordered a micromouse kit for this contest and now I am wondering if we would be allowed to use it. The mouse is completely assembled as purchased. Therefore, the only task our members would complete is the actual programming of the mouse. Would we be able to use this mouse or must our members build the mouse from parts?​
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A: Our intent is the students would at least build the robot. Building the micromouse from a kit, would be permissible if the students had evidence of their research in selecting the kit and their construction process (pictures or video). Purchasing a fully assembled unit goes against the intent of the contest and would not be permitted.​

Mini Sumo
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Q: I see the Min Sumo is now limited to plastic robots. We use LEGO kits, and in the past, we would fasten metal to the robots to increase the weight. The rules make it seem like we can not do that for the new mini sumo competition, is that correct? I.e. we cannot tie a horseshoe or other steel weight to the top of the robot?
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A: Yes, that is correct. You can add plastic blocks for weight, but not metal or any other material. PTFE is pretty dense and would be allowable. Also, if you have a 3D printer, PLA can have some weight when printed with 100% infill.

Rescue Robot
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Q: We're unclear on the tie breaker rule. The wording is: "If at the end of 3 minutes both teams have the same number of ping-pong balls in the receiving jigs, then the 1st team that scored is the winner." Could we get a clarification on this?

A: When the match begins, the first team to move a ball into scoring position has the advantage, and if at the end of three minutes there is a tie, that team, the one that scored first in the match, would be declared the winner. 



​Q: The contest manual describes the pick pylons for the Rescue Robot competition as being between 3” and 6” tall. Will the height of each individual pylon be different, or will they be uniformly the same height within that range?

A: The pylons will be at different heights within the range of 3" to 6". ​

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Q: My student are using Vex parts to build their robot for the Rescue Robot Competition. The rules say that they have to use a remote that is capable of 2 channels. The Vex controller has that build in, but doesn't have a channel button to switch manually. Are they able to use that controller for this competition?​
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A: Yes, since the Vex controller has multiple channels and will automatically connect with one that’s free of interference, it meets the requirement of this rule. ​​

Robo Hockey

​Q: What do the hockey bots actually play on? is it the same as the sumo bots?

A: Yes, the surface of the hockey arena is a painted plywood surface.



Q: Can the two robots be the same and if not, what qualifies as different?

A: Yes.



Q: What exactly constitutes 50% of the sides of the puck?

A: Kind of the judges call, but basically half of the puck needs to be visible.



Q: Is it legal to enclose half of the circumference of the puck and the entire height?

A: Yes.



Q: Is it legal to enclose most or all of the circumference but only half of the height?

A: No.



Q: What do you use to measure the speed and PSI stored at the competition?

A: It is the responsibility of the competing team to demonstrate they have followed the PSI requirements. The speed is measured by a judge driving the robot and timing the speed with a stopwatch.

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Q: If the opposing team has the puck in their possession and we push their whole robot with the puck over the goal line does it count as a goal since our robot would not have direct contact with the puck?
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A: This could be possible if the robot and puck were “shot” into the goal from beyond the goals perimeter. See rule 23: A point will only be scored if the puck was shot outside of the goal’s perimeter.

Robot Maze

Q: My students are asking if they can build a contraption that will help them start consistently, the same spot each time.
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A: Yes, a team can build a jig to position the maze robot consistently before their run. However, the jig must be removed from the maze before the robot is activated to begin it's run attempt.​

Sumo Robot

Q: Are students allowed to remote start the Sumo, for example?

1. Sumo is placed on the field.

2. The judge says,  "Go!"

3. Students press a button that starts a remote countdown timer for 5 seconds.

A:  Robot operation must begin automatically no less than five seconds after being started by the user. Robots starting before the five-second mark forfeit the match. The button the student presses should remain on the robot to avoid remote activation. 


Q: Our team is building a 2 wheel sumo bot. I had a question on the 5mm minimum height. I just wanted to verify to make sure we comply with the 5mm ground clearance requirement. The robot has 2 wheels in the back that are in contact with the ground and in front the plan was to put a small plastic slide in the middle front. The slide is to raise it so the surrounding body will be at least 5mm. So the robot will have the wheels and the slide in contact with the ground. Would this meet the 5mm requirement?​

A: The “slide” would need to be a wheel or track to meet the definition in rule 10.​​



Q: Rule 10 in the Sumo Robot states "Excluding wheels/tracks, all robot parts must maintain a minimum 5mm ground clearance from the playing surface." Would a Roller Ball be considered a wheel?Yes. That does count as a wheel.

A: Yes, a roller ball does count as a wheel.


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Q: Would it be permissible to have a leaf spring wedge that would bend slightly below 5mm once impacted in order to get below another robot? It would be non-destructive, and would be back within the 5mm requirement after the robot is off of the wedge. Or do I have to stay within 5mm at all times? Would robots that could potentially bend under 5mm be banned?
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A: ​As long as the robot is not lowering from an actuator or is designed to lower prior to impact, I think this would be within the spirit of the rule. However, without actually seeing the robot, we cannot guarantee this. If a robot has a structure that bends from impact and that structure is below the 5mm clearance, the robot would need to be repaired before the next match.