Game Overview
The year is 2231 and the Buy-N-Large corporation has found it too inconvenient dangerous to mine resources, so it has asked it’s 3000+ robot contractors to build a Mine-R prototype. Mine-R robots should be capable of gathering items in the mine and score them in various locations. The best three prototype teams will be produced.
The robots start in the mine, and must gather gemstones and clear away rocks. After their work is done, a robot is lifted out of the mine.
The field is set up with an elevator in the center. Two minecarts for each alliance on the sides, and the alliance station wall, will contain three driver stations. In between driverstations is the mine wall, and several scoring locations.
The mine wall is a transparent container for gemstones, the human player has to toss gemstones into it. The crusher is an opening 18 inches off the ground and is 12 inches tall. The exhaust port is an opening where the human player can safely introduce gemstones and rocks back onto the playing field. The surface conveyor is a trapezoid 7 foot 6 inches off of the ground also 12 inches tall.
The game starts with ten diamonds on the field, thirty emeralds and thiry rocks. The diamonds are at known locations on the field, the emeralds and rocks are equally and randomly scattered on each side of the field.
Each alliance is given three things to preload their robots with, one diamond, one emerald and the TNT. The match starts with a 15 second autonomous period. Robots may place each of these things in scoring locations, see below. The gemstones (diamonds and emeralds) are worth points, however, the TNT causes the game play to be altered. See below
After the 15 seconds drivers can take control of their robots for 2 minutes and 15 seconds. During this period, robots can scoop up elements on the field and score them in various locations. The robots will also gather gemstones out of the mine wall to be played on the field.
During the last 30 seconds of the game the two robots will coordinate to lift a third robot out of the mine. A robot can drive up onto a platform while two other robots pull on chains to raise the platform.
The placement of the TNT and the effects of it:
If the TNT is placed into the mine cart then a button on the alliances driver station area is lit up. Pressing this button during Teleop will double any points played in the mine cart for 30 seconds.
If the TNT is placed in the surface conveyor then a button is lit up to double the points for the surface conveyor for 20 seconds.
If the TNT is placed in the crusher, any rock placed in the crusher has to be returned to the field.
Description of notable field elements.
There are four different scoring elements on the field.
There are a pair of mine carts, on the sides of the field. Since this is a planet with low gravity the gem stones have to be pushed through a pair of flaps to keep the stones from floating away. Once the gem stones are placed into the mine cart a human player on the other alliance will be able remove it safely from the back and toss it back onto the field.
The crusher is the lowest point on the scoring wall. Anything placed into the crusher is worth one point. This is the only place that rocks can be scored. Any rocks put into the crusher are not reintroduced to the field, unless the TNT was used in the crusher during Autonomous.
The high goal, or the conveyor to the surface is the highest scoring zone. Gem stones placed in it are worth the most points, and must be reintroduced to the field afterwards.
The mine wall is a place where gemstones are reintroduced to the field. The human player must quickly put the gemstones into the mine wall, the mine wall can get full however, if there are two diamonds or six emeralds, no more diamonds and emeralds can be introduced respectively. Excess gemstones have to be put into the field using the exhaust port.
At the end of the match the robots will coordinate to lift an alliance partner out of the mines. There is a platform in the center of the field with a chain on either side of it. Pulling on the chains will lift the platform, and lifting a robot using the chain will award points. Gemstones lifted with the robot will award bonus points.
Description of expected robot actions
During the driver controlled period robots will retrieve game pieces from the ground and the mine wall. The mine walls are placed opposite of the goals, encouraging teams to use the full-field once the starting minerals have exhausted. The constant threat of re-introducing diamonds to the opponents due to mine wall limits will help encourage constant cycling rather than exhausting all the minerals from the ground before cycling. The high goal is small, and the minecarts have flaps, which encourages teams to place elements rather than launching them.
The crusher allows for boxbots to score, and due to no limit on the possession of rocks, robots will score many rocks at once.
The dynamite in autonomous creates varied gameplay, changing which game pieces, goals, and strategies are optimal depending on alliance partners. Having the elements scattered at the start will reward teams who adapt their auto routes to the change in distribution rather than using one predetermined path every match.
During the endgame, robots may place game pieces on the lifted robot to get the bonus even if said robot can’t normally score. Defense will be limited, as protected scoring zones along with a mostly open field discourage defense, but the choke points near the lift.
If ELEMENT is used a description of how?
The chain is used in our endgame, General Purpose Grade 80 Chain (McMaster 3587T16). This is used to pull robots in and out of the mineshaft. One robot parks on their alliance-specific platform in the middle of the field. The two other robots on the alliance grab onto then pull on a chain on either side of the platform, lifting the platform with the robot parked bringing it "out of the mineshaft".
A ranking point is awarded to the alliance if one robot is parked on the platform and the two other robots are pulling the platform up with the chain. Points can also be given if not all robots can participate in endgame activities. If two robots can pull an empty platform, one robot can pull a robot parked on the platform by itself, or if one robot can pull on a chain with no robot parked on the platform, the alliance will be awarded some points, with the first option giving the most points.
Our chain use is unique and simple as well as challenging. Teams will have to use interesting and innovative mechanisms to latch on to the chain and pull it without letting go of the chain or losing traction on the carpet. This creates a mechanical challenge is significantly different than climbing challenges from recent years. Robots who cannot pull on the chain can still contribute to the endgame and their team by driving and balancing themselves on the platform so they don't fall off as the platform gets lifted up.