A Hillsborough County Robotics Competition

 Intial Q&A Session – 9 AM-11 AM – October 17th, Plant High School  RoboFlag Preview – 10 AM – 2 PM – December 12th, Lennard High School  RoboFlag 1v1 Tournament – January 16 th, Wharton High School  RoboFlag 2v2 Competition – TBA

 Each round lasts 10 minutes or until one team scores 3 points  Each round will start with the robots in their respective “robot pit” and play will begin when the referee blows his whistle.  In the event that a robot needs to be moved to the pit by a referee a whistle will be blown and the clock will stop until the referee has blown the whistle to resume play. Controllers will be disabled by the referee.

 Points are scored by returning the enemy flag to your own base  Points will not be awarded unless the scoring team’s flag is in their base  A flag will be deemed “captured” when a robot carrying the enemy flag enters the “no robot zone” of its own base while their own flag secured in their 1’x1’ flag holder.  After a flag capture each robot will be placed back in their robot pit and play will restart when the referee blows his whistle.

 Any time a robot is incapacitated it will be placed into the pit for 1 minute and any flags they were holding will be returned to the correct base by a referee.  Robots that have lost control, flipped over, gone out of bounds, or entered a no robot zone without fulfilling the proper criteria to be in that zone are said to be incapacitated.  If a flag falls, or is knocked out of a robot it will be a “dead flag” and a new flag will be immediately placed in the flag holder. ▪ Dead flags will be removed from the course during the next break.  Team members (other than the driver and spotter) may work on the robot while it is in the pit. If the robot is still incapacitated after the 1 minute pit time students may continue to work on the robot in the pit until it is ready to return to the battle. ▪ Robots may enter the pit under their own power at any time to be worked on, but will immediately “drop” their flag upon entering.

 The driver must not leave the drivers box, spotters must not leave the spotting box.  Only students designated as the “pit crew” are allowed to work on the robot during the match.  Talking between team members is permitted at all times. Please remember school appropriate language.

Course is 30’ long and 10’ wide Platforms are 4’ long and 8’ wide, raised 2’ off the ground Each team will be assigned a color at the beginning of the match.

Each team has a Pit, this is where the robots will start, and where they will be placed when disabled. The Pit Crew (team members other than the driver and spotter) are permitted to work on their robot once it enters the pit. Robots may enter the pit under their own power at any time to fix a problem, but will lose the flag immediately upon entering.

Drivers must stay in the driver box at all times. A spotter is located behind the enemy’s flag to assist the driver in capturing the flag.

 The “No Robot Zone” is an area where robots are protected while they try to pick up the enemy flag.  The other robot may not enter this zone unless it is already carrying its opponent’s flag.

Ramp #1 Rise: 2’ Run: 8’ Angle: 14° Ramp #2 Rise: 2’ Run: 2’ Angle: 45°

 Robots must be constructed using the VEX robotics kit provided by the district.  Each team will have a p-card stipend of $200 to buy non-electrical parts from district vendors  Tentative List of Approved Vendors: Home Depot, Target, Fastenal, Total Plastics, Allied Electronics, Tractor Supply and Arlo Metals.  Prefabricated robotics parts may not be used with the following exceptions: ▪ Wheels may be purchased ▪ Gear sets may be purchased  Robots must fit in a 20 ″ x20 ″ x20 ″ cube, extendible arms may be used, but must be motorized to be able to retract on their own to fit within the box. ▪ Please note that if the wheel base is 20” it will be too wide to drive up the long ramp.  Robot weight must not exceed 15lbs including battery  The ONLY permitted offensive mechanisms in this event are ramps, lifts, or ramp lift combinations. ▪ Spinning mechanisms are absolutely not permitted ▪ All offensive mechanisms will be inspected by judges prior to the event, teams with unsafe mechanisms will be asked to disable or remove that portion of their robot.

BEST VEX Control System: Control Components: (1) Cortex Microcontroller (1) VEXnet Joystick (2) VEXnet Key 2.0Cortex MicrocontrollerVEXnet JoystickVEXnet Key 2.0 Motion Components: (2) BEST Large Motors* (2) BEST Small Motors* (4) Motor Controller 29BEST Large Motors*BEST Small Motors*Motor Controller 29 Power Components: (2) 7.2V NiMH Robot Batteries (3000 mAh) (1) Smart Charger with North American Power Cord (1) 8-Bay AA/AAA Smart Battery Charger (1) AAA NiMH Rechargeable Battery 6-pack (1) VEXnet Backup Battery Holder (1) Servo Power Adapter (4-pack)7.2V NiMH Robot Batteries (3000 mAh)Smart Charger with North American Power Cord8-Bay AA/AAA Smart Battery ChargerAAA NiMH Rechargeable Battery 6-packVEXnet Backup Battery HolderServo Power Adapter (4-pack) Cables: (1) Screw Terminal Motor Interface Cable (4-pack)* (2) Screw Terminal Sensor Interface Cable 3 pin (4-pack)* (1) USB A-A Tether CableScrew Terminal Motor Interface Cable (4-pack)*Screw Terminal Sensor Interface Cable 3 pin (4-pack)*USB A-A Tether Cable BEST Servo Kit (4) Servos (Futaba) (4) Servo Horn Screws (4) Large Round Servo Horns (8) 4-Arm Servo Horns (4) 6-Arm Servo Horns (2) 24 ″ Servo Extension Wires (2) 36 ″ Servo Extension Wires (16) Rubber Grommets (16) Brass Spacers (16) Servo Mounting Screws Game Specific Parts (for testing and robot building purposes): (1) 1’x1’ acrylic flag holder (1) 60 Dram “Flag” Container

 3D Printing  Many schools have 3D printers and would be more than happy to extend our facilities to you.  RobotC for VEX Cortex  The current license for RobotC is about to run out, Dan is ordering us a new one.  Sketchup  Sketchup is a free, intuitive, 3D modeling program that is compatible with 3D printing.

 Please send any questions or suggestions to I will respond to them as quickly as possible.