Competition statute for simple line-following robots

1. AUTHOR OF THE STATUTE

Authors of this competition statute are
RTU, FCSIT student Laura Sudraba
RTU, FCSIT, DSTD lector Agris Nikitenko

2. GOAL OF THE DOCUMENT

Goal of this document is to define rules for the competition of line-following robots. The
statute can be used by:
• organizers to provide the competition process;
• participants to develop their robots according to the section „ROBOT'S
CONSTRAINTS”;
• judges to determine the winner according to the section „ COMPETITION RULES
AND JUDICATURE"

Anyone who wants to testify his technical engineering skills is allowed to participate in this
competition. Participants may be individuals with a single-handedly developed robot and
teams with a collectively developed robot or robots. There is no restriction on the number of
members in a single team. It is advised that there would be no more than five members in a
team.

3. COMPETITION TASK, PROCESS AND CODITIONS

The competition task is to develop a robot, which is able to follow a black line. Each robot
has to accomplish three complete laps. Robots compete individually on the same competition
track (racecourse). The base of the field is white (covered with a white paper or a white mat
paint). The racecourse is drawn on the base as a black 15 mm wide line. Figure 1 shows the
trajectory of the entire racecourse.

Figure 1: The competition racecourse

The racecourse has following features:
1. The area of the racecourse base (mm) - 3060 x 1530.
2. The line of the racecourse is at least in a 100 mm distance from the edge of the base.
3. The racecourse is „infinite”, meaning that robot doesn’t have to find a concrete finish
mark.
4. There is one 90 degree cross on the racecourse.
5. The racecourse line is 15 mm width.
6. The racecourse has an automatic or a semi-automatic time control mechanism.
7. Start position on the racecourse will be determined by the racecourse judge during the
competition and will be the same for every contestant.
The competition will be held indoors under a normal lighting (any possible sensory errors due
to lighting conditions must be anticipated by the robot developers. No objections related to
this kind of errors will be reviewed due to the same condition for every participant).

4. ROBOT CONSTRAINTS

A participant or a team which registers a robot to the competition must be the author(s) of the
robot. The robot must not be controllable on a distance by a human or a computer. Connection
of any type to a computer is not allowed, all of the software code (if there is any) must be
embedded in the robot.
The robot must comply with the following technical parameters:
• Size (breadth x length x height) 25 x 30 x 30 cm;
• Weight- not over 1 kg;
• The energy source suitable to accomplish the whole distance must be attached to the
robot's hull. No objections related to the racecourse being too long or the energy
source being too small will be reviewed.
• The robot must be started by a switch or an infra-red (IR) beam signal. It is not
allowed to start the robot by twisting wires and suchlike.
The robot must not:
• Contain any parts which may injure a human being, like dangerous mechanical parts,
open sources of light which may damage vision, lasers with the power higher than
1mW, dangerous chemical substances etc.;
• Damage the racecourse or any other inventory exposed to provide the competition;
• Block or damage other robots in any way;
• Have voltage higher than 24V (D.C.) in any of its parts;

Participants have to show all of the robot's software code and explain it to the racecourse
judge when demanded.

The robot will not be admitted to the competition if it does not comply with these
constraints. The robot will be disqualified and the results demonstrated by the robot will
be canceled if it will be found to be inadequate with the constraints during the
competition.

5. COMPETITION PROCEDURE

1. A precise competition schedule will be announced after the closure of the application.
2. One hour before the competition the racecourse will be accessible for the participants to
test their robots' behavior on the racecourse and to accomplish final configurations. The
competition organizers reserve their rights to regulate the access to the racecourse.

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3. Before the competition begins all the participants will be introduced to the council of
judges. The council includes:
• A racecourse judge, which ensures access to the racecourse, records the robots' timing
and carries out other tasks related to the racecourse;
• Two or a number of assistants, which carry out other tasks required by the competition
process. Assistants also take part in reviewing any controversial points that may arise.
4. The competition will be carried out by the contestant robots being launched on the
racecourse in turn. The sequence of starts will be determined by the competition schedule.

6. COMPETITION RULES AND JUDICATURE

Before the launch each robot will be examined to establish that the robot complies with
constraints. If the robot does not comply, the council of judges will decide on the bases of the
violation whether the robot will be disqualified or the robot's owner will have time to resolve
the violation.
The robot must accomplish the distance by means of following the line, the trajectory of the
robot's migrations must conform to the shape of the racecourse.

Definition:
It is considered that the robot is following the line while migrating with at least one of its
parts directly above the line. Otherwise it is considered that the robot has deviated from the
line.
!!Attention!!
Due to difficulties of monitoring the line-following according to the definition above, the
council of judges reserves all the rights to review any complaints about the line-following
performance of a particular robot and make decisions on every case separately.

While the robot is on a racecourse carrying out the distance, each lap time will be recorded.
Short deviations off the line are not considered as loses of the line.

The winner will be the participant or the team whose robot will accomplish the whole
distance (three laps) in the shortest period of time.

There are following special rules:

• If a robot goes into a state from which it cannot get out in 20 seconds (for example, if
a robot deviates from the racecourse), it will be removed from the racecourse and the
distance will be considered to be unaccomplished.
• There may be only one robot on the racecourse simultaneously if the robot's timing is
being recorded by the racecourse judge.
• Next participant is allowed to the racecourse only by a call from the racecourse judge.
• The racecourse judge determines the start position on the racecourse.
• Due to the racecourse being "infinite" robots when accomplished the whole distance
shall be removed from the racecourse by the demand of the racecourse judge.
• Participants are not allowed to touch their robot after the start, unless they are allowed
by the racecourse judge.
• If a participant is not satisfied with the robot's three lap timing, it may be launched
repeatedly. Participants are allowed to use the time between the first and the second
starts to modify the robot's configuration. Any configuration must retain the robot's
appliance to the constraints listed above.

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• As mentioned earlier, robots will not be admitted to the competition if not complying
with the constraints.
• Any controversial points' that may arise will be reviewed by the council of judges.
Decisions made by the council are final and shall not be litigated.