FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Why does the arena have only 90 degree angles?
2. Why is the arena all on one level? Why not have stairs?
3. Why not make it a true maze with the rooms and walls unknown until the contest time?
4. Why have a random placement of the candle which results in some robots having an "easier" task then others?
5. Why is the robot penalized for hitting the wall?
6. I see no mention about the furniture not blocking doorways or how much it can constrict passage within rooms.
7. Why is dead reckoning allowed since it is not a very real-world way to move?
8. Larger robots would be easier to see and would be more fun. Why can't the arena be made bigger?
9. We are thinking of building a robot that has the ability to separate into two parts and reconnect itself after a successful extinguishing. The overall size of the complete robot would be in accordance with the rules. Would this strategy be allowed?
10. My robot can do "X" so why can't the contest rules be changed to accommodate me and my robot?
11. Why is speed a consideration for judging the winning robot?
12. What changes and modifications are planned for the future?
13. In the carpet pictures there are blue, pink and brown areas, what are they? What things will be in the areas?
14. Would there ever be mirrors on both sides of the hallway that are parallel to each other?
15. Is there a reason for limiting the height of a robot that goes to the second floor? Is this based on a wall height of 21 cm?
16. In the statement "The EL in the High-School Division encourages first-time participation and is open only to students and instructors from schools (including home schools) that have not previously competed in the TCFFHRC." how do you define "compete"?
17. Do you limit the number of robots in a swarm? Are there any more specifications?
18. What does "non-destructive" mean in regards to the clutter mode?
19. Can you give some examples of what you mean by "clutter"?
20. Is clutter mode optional?
21. Can my robot use pressurized C02 to extinguish the flame? Will it count towards the bonus?
22. Is there a podium structure (with the 2 cm tall steps) in the expert division? The rules show a diagram for this as being present in the standard arena, but does this apply to expert as well?
23. Will the color and location of carpets be consistent throughout the contest weekend?
24. Would we be penalized if the strong flow of carbon dioxide from our robot's spray knocks over the candle, even when the robot itself does not touch it?
25. How big are the mirrors in the arena?
26. What are the criteria for choosing High School Entry or Standard level divisions?
27. Can my walking robot have wheels?

1. Why does the arena have only 90 degree angles?

We agree that having only 90 degree angles in the arena is very artificial and simplistic, but it is also a good representation of the real world where our buildings are mostly 90 degrees and very artificial. Also remember that we believe that the first actual use of these sorts of Robots will be in a warehouse situation which are very "90 degree-ish". Besides, it is hard enough to get these devices to work in this "easy", "simplistic" and "artificial" environment, putting in 56 degree turn would be even harder. When we reach the day when most of the Robots have no trouble with a 90 degree turn, then we will consider using other turns.

2. Why is the arena all on one level? Why not have stairs?

Practically the same answers as to the previous question. While houses do have multi-levels, warehouses do not. And once again it is hard enough to move on one level. Putting in stairs would make it practically impossible. However you will see that in the Expert Division there is now a second floor with a ramp going up to it.

3. Why not make it a true maze with the rooms and walls unknown until the contest time?

We do not envision that these Robots will first be used to go into unknown areas. These Robots will be permanently stationed to protect a specific warehouse or later, a specific home. The floor plan of that warehouse or home is a known quantity and can be put into the Robot's programming, if necessary. Once again, not every Robots design needs these kind of a priori knowledge, but many do, and we are trying to get the widest participation possible. However in the Expert Division where the very "best of the best" Robots compete, the arena has moveable walls and there will be a different configuration for each trial.

4. WHy have a random placement of the candle which results in some robots having an "easier" task then others?

In a real world situation, the location of the fire would be unknown and somewhat "random". A real fire-fighting Robot would have to prove its ability to search for the fire, rather then just go to it. If the location of the candle were known to the Robot before it started, it would be a rather easy task just to go directly to the correct room and flood it with CO2. The goal of this contest is not to make a Robot that can go to a specific place, but to make a Robot that can find and extinguish a candle. That is quite a different matter and a much harder one at that. But once you do it you have a really valuable device.

Yes, there is a bit of unfairness in that some Robots may accidentally get "harder" rooms than others, but we try to even things out somewhat by taking the 2 best of the 3 trials.

5. Why is the robot penalized for hitting the wall?

In a real world situation, moving through a house by ricocheting off the walls is not a very practical means of locomotion. Yes, it might work in a few situations and yes, it does work in the mostly sterile environment of this contest, but in the real world, it is very impractical. In a real-world warehouse with its stacks of merchandise, this is not a realistic way to travel.

6. I see no mention about the furniture not blocking doorways or how much it can constrict passage within rooms.

The furniture will NOT block a doorway and a Robot will be able to come into a room at least half way before it encounters furniture. The furniture will always be placed so that there is at least one path to the candle that is at least 12.25" wide. However, if your Robot is 12" wide, it may NOT be possible to go around the furniture on either side. On one side the distance to the wall may be less than 12". Therefore, for example, if your Robot always moves to the left whenever it encounters furniture, it may find that it's way is blocked and it will have to go around the furniture on the other side. This is one of the subtle problems that makes the furniture mode so challenging.

7. Why is dead reckoning allowed since it is not a very real-world way to move?

Yes, this is correct, dead reckoning (the adding of steps and turns to your original position in order to calculate your new position) is not a very effective way to maneuver in the real world. The reason it is allowed in the contest is because it is the easiest way for a beginner to maneuver their Robot. If we make the initial contest requirements too high, then novices would never be able to enter. However, the rules do give an advantage to Robots operating without the use of dead-reckoning.

8. Larger robots would be easier to see and would be more fun. Why can't the arena be made bigger?

The goal of this contest is to demonstrate the application of a technology. This is done just as easily with a small Robot as with a large one. We agree that a larger arena and large Robots would have certain advantages, but it would also dramatically increase the cost of building a Robot. It is expensive enough to enter the contest and most people without corporate or university funding would find the cost of a large Robot prohibitive.

9. We are thinking of building a robot that has the ability to separate into two parts and reconnect itself after a successful extinguishing. The overall size of the complete robot would be in accordance with the rules. Would this strategy be allowed?

The real goal of this contest is not to merely put out a candle, but to encourage the Robotics community to build efficient Robots that can function effectively in a real-world situation. The key to operating in the real world is to make an intelligent Robot that can respond appropriately to its environment.

If it would be legal for a Robot to separate into multiple sections each looking for the candle on its own, then someone could make 4 small Robots (total dimensions under 12.25") that would separate and each run to a different room to search for the candle. Carried to an extreme, what if there were 8 or 12 or 16 very small Robots that just ran around randomly looking for the candle. These Robots would not have to be very smart and could solve the problem mainly through shear numbers rather than intelligence. This might work in the sterile contest arena, but would not be a very practical solution for the real world.

While your proposal does not specifically violate any individual rule (it does, however, bend Rule #6 quite a bit), it does violate the spirit of the contest and so it can not be allowed. However why don't you enter it in "The Spirit of an Inventor" category and win that prize?

10. My robot can do "X" so why can't the contest rules be changed to accommodate me and my robot?

We get this question or some variation of it, all the time. The "X" in the question is usually some very specific thing like wanting mirrors hung above the arena so the Robot can look up to see the reflection of the candle, or wanting each room painted a different color, or having clear walls in the rooms. The general answer to all these questions is that it is not a situation that exists commonly in the real world and we are trying to build Robots that can adapt to the real world and not visa versa.

11. Why is speed a consideration for judging the winning robot?

Obviously in putting out a fire, speed is important, but it is even more important in making the Robot contest interesting and fun to watch. It is very painful to watch a Robot take the full 5 minutes to find and extinguish a candle. However, reliability is also important and the current rules also encourage reliability.

12. What changes and modifications are planned for the future?

We are working on that right now. In spite of what you may think, we really appreciate and depend on all of your comments and suggestions. The contest has evolved and changed for the better each and every year because of the feedback we have gotten from all of you. Thank you and keep up the good work!

13. In the carpet pictures there are blue, pink and brown areas, what are they ? What things will be in the areas?

The colored areas are examples of where carpets might be placed. We have shown carpets of different colors. The layout will not be exactly as shown.

14. Would there ever be mirrors on both sides of the hallway that are parallel to each other?

It is possible but not likely.

15. Is there a reason for limiting the height of a robot that goes to the second floor? Is this based on a wall height of 21 cm?

The is no staircase in the expert divison--just a ramp. The height limitation in the expert division does not depend on the ramp height--just the wall height, which is 27-34 cm.

Concept arena aside, a staircase is in the SL arena only. The 21cm robot height limitation is the worst-case (smallest) allowable robot height in the SL division for robots that go over the staircase. This 21 cm figure takes into account (1) the height of the staircase, (2) the minimum wall height, and (3) the rule that the robot can't look over the wall--which we interpret as no part of the robot higher than the top of the wall.

16. In the statement "The EL in the High-School Division encourages first-time participation and is open only to students and instructors from schools (including home schools) that have not previously competed in the TCFFHRC." how do you define "compete"?

We have posted a change regarding the entry level that makes things more clear:
"The EL in the High-School Division is designed to encourage first-time participation. Still we encourage everyone, especially students and instructors from schools that have previously qualified for the competition, to attempt the SL event."

17. Do you limit the number of robots in a swarm? Are there any more specifications?

The specifications on the swarms are deliberately loose so you have design leeway. The swarm is not limited in size. Remember that the robots will be lined up by the judges at the start. In the concept arena, all robots must fit on the home circle.

18. What does "non-destructive" mean in regards to the clutter mode?

We will have non-destructable clutter. There will be a rules modification addressing this.

19. Can you give some examples of what you mean by "clutter"?

The clutter items might be a variety of small objects that meet the size spec on the web. These might include small pieces of hardware, wooden items, golf tees, toy animals, etc.

Our interior decorator (just kidding) will hang such things as parts of curtains, small mirrors, patterned contact paper, and cloth material on the walls. The carpeting will be short-nap carpet typically used in indoor/outdoor applications or storm entry areas.

20. Is clutter mode optional?

Cluttter is an option that you may choose. If you do not choose this option, there will be no clutter and consequently no score reduction.

21. Can my robot use pressurized C02 to extinguish the flame? Will it count towards the bonus?

CO2 is good, it doesn't fan the flame. Yes it would count towards the bonus.

22. Is there a podium structure (with the 2 cm tall steps) in the expert division? The rules show a diagram for this as being present in the standard arena, but does this apply to expert as well?

Clutter and stairs apply only to standard level. They are not present in the Expert Division.

23. Will the color and location of carpets be consistent throughout the contest weekend?

You won't be able to count on the carpet colors; they will change through the weekend.

24. Would we be penalized if the strong flow of carbon dioxide from our robot's spray knocks over the candle, even when the robot itself does not touch it?

You would not be penalized.

25. How big are the mirrors in the arena?

They will be as small as 5cm on of side and as large as 15cm on any side.

26. What are the criteria for choosing High School Entry or Standard level divisions?

You may choose to enter either of the high school divisions (Entry or Standard). The high school division applies to grades 9 - 12 in the US system. The team can freely choose either one of the levels to participate in the competition.

27. Can my walking robot have wheels?

The judges would decide that a robot with wheels that roll along during the robot's progress is not eligible for the walking division.  If the robot had wheels at the end of  its legs so that the wheels acted something like shoes, or contact points, it would be ok as a walker.