2019 Cal Games Challenges - Basic Rules

Below are the rules for the 3 challenges at the 2019 California State Games.

UPDATE: Challenges will be available for teams to participate via queuing.  It is important to attempt the challenges at your earliest convenience due to the following guidelines:

1) Teams in queue that have not had their first attempt at a challenge will take priority over those who have but are queued for their second attempt.
2) Challenges will occur only during the qualifying rounds. The challenges will be closed at the end of the last qualifying matches.

As a reminder, participation in the Challenges is optional but any team wishing to compete in the Challenges must participate in the Tournament. Teams can choose to participate in 1, 2 or all 3 of the challenges. Teams will be asked which challenges, if any, they plan to participate in during check in.

Send any questions to: [email protected]

Challenge 1: Programmer's Heaven - Auto Rover

Field Set up:  
Same as Rover Ruckus, Elements are randomized.  Teams may chose an opMode AFTER randomization.
Basic Game Play Rules:
  • These rules are in addition to the standard FTC and Rover Ruckus Rules.  Where in conflict, these rules take precedence.
  • Each team gets 2 tries.  Highest score counts for standings.
  • Time: Up to 2 Minutes
  • 1 Robot/Team at a time.  A Team may bring up to 6 operators to the field and take up positions anywhere around the perimeter of the field.  Operators may move to any position around the field during game play but must not obstruct the work of the referee.
  • All points must be scored by a robot acting autonomously.  There are no gamepads allowed at the field for this game.
  • Robots can be launched from IN either depot or supported by a lander latch on any side of the lander.  There is no minimum height requirement for a latched launch but it must be evident to the referee that the robot is not in contact with the field (your robot does not need to be 4" off of the field).
  • Robot handling and Interruption:
  • No team members may enter the field area while an op mode is running.
  • Robots can be handled by the team at any point during the game AFTER the currently running op mode has finished or been disabled from the driver station phone.  
  • If a robot that is not IN a depot is handled by a team member, an interruption penalty will be incurred and the robot must be returned to a position IN either depot BEFORE an op mode is run again.
  • Team members must be clear of the field area before running any op mode.
  • Team members may not run at any time during the game.
  • Team members must wear closed toed shoes to participate
  • Field Elements (retrieved by a robot and brought IN either depot) may be handled or stored by team members when no autonomous mode is running.  These Elements may be returned to a robot that is IN the depot at any time during the game when no autonomous mode is running.  Field Elements that are NOT IN a depot may NOT be handled by a team member at any time.  If those elements are moved by a team member, accidentally or not, they are removed from the field of play and do not score.  Field Elements that are IN either depot may be manually removed from a robot when no autonomous mode is running.
  • There is no limit on the number of field elements a robot may control at one time.
  • A team may end the match at any point (and stop the clock) by letting the referee know they are DONE.

Scoring: 
  • Based on Events during the match:
    • Each successful landing 10 points  (can only score once per side of the lander for a total potential of 40 points)
    • Each successful latching: 10 points (can only score once per side of the lander for a total potential of 40 points, robot must be visibly clear of the field mat for at least one second.)
    • Interruption Penalty: -10 points.
  • Scoring Based on conditions at the end of the match:
    • Each mineral deposited into the corresponding Cargo Hold: 5 points
    • Each mineral deposited into the incorrect Cargo Hold: -5 points
    • Each mineral IN either depot or stored by team members: 2 points
    • Each second left on the clock when the game is over: 0.25 points
  • Scores cannot be lower than 0.
Challenge 1 Q&A
  • 1.1
    • Q: If a robot is in the Depot at the end of an OPP Mode cycle, can a team member move the robot to one of the 4 latches on the lander?
    • A: No.  Robots can only be latched and launched from the lander at the start of the challenge.  All subsequent runs must originate from a position IN either depot.  The intent of this rule is to prevent students from rushing to set the robot up on the lander while the challenge timer is running.
  • 1.2
    • Q: If the robot is in the Depot and the Opp mode is stopped, can the operator reposition the robot within the Depot and restart it without incurring a 10 point penalty?
    • A: Yes.  This is loosely modeled after First Lego League where the depots serve as "bases".  We would also like to point out that a permitted re-launch from either depot only requires the robot to be IN the depot where IN is defined by the FTC game manual.
  • 1.3
    • Q: Clarification: While the robot is in a Depot and the Opp mode is stopped, the operators can place minerals previously removed from a Depot (or currently in a Depot) onto the robot to potentially be scored in the Cargo Hold (5 points ea.). However, only the minerals in the Depots or held by the operators at the end of the time period will be scored (2 points ea.)
    • A: There are a set of criteria for scoring for conditions that occur during the match (landing, latching, interruption) and a separate set of criteria for conditions that must be true at the end of the match (minerals, time).  All points for minerals are tallied at the end of the match.  The location of a mineral during the match does not affect scoring.  Thus, any particular mineral can only be scored once, at the end of the match, as 0, 2, 5, or -5 points.
  • 1.4
    • Q: It would be helpful to clarify that the only points will be for latching, de-latching and correctly scoring minerals in the lander.  It appears that the intent is that all other scoring opportunities that were available in Rover Ruckus such as gold mineral detection and depot claim will not be available?
    • A: That is not entirely correct.  Please see the specific scoring conditions in the rules and the clarification in 1.3 above for how points may be scored (and lost) in this specific challenge.  In particular, in this challenge, points may be scored, among other ways, by programming your robot to bring minerals back to either depot.  Points may also be lost by physically moving (or interrupting) the robot.
Challenge 2: Speed Racer

​Goal:
Complete 5 laps driving your robot around the lander in the shortest amount of time

Rules:
  • All GM1 and GM2 rules apply
  • Challenge is to be run in driver controlled mode only
  • All teams will have 2 attempts at the Speed Racer challenge
  • Robots will be setup entirely behind the starting line as indicated in Figure 1
  • Teams will initialize their robots and have a traditional 3 - 2 - 1 - Go! Start
  • Teams will drive clockwise around the lander and will have to avoid obstacles while driving
  • Timer stops when the entire robot has crossed the starting line after completing 5 laps or 2 minutes, whichever occurs first
Challenge 2 Q&A
  • 2.1
    • Q: Are the 3 minerals placed in the standard “sampling” positions?  Will there be any penalty points deducted for hitting these objects?
    • A: The 3 minerals will be placed in the sampling zone but will not be randomized.  The yellow cube will always be in the middle.  No penalty will be given for hitting the "sampling" scoring elements.
  • 2.2
    • Q: Are the drive team operators able to move around the perimeter of the field (along with their robot) or do they need to stay in a designated drive team box?
    • A: The drive team will be allowed to move within either drive team box (or in the space between the two boxes on the side of the playing field with the starting line.  The drive team will not be allowed to move beyond those two boxes.
Challenge 3: Hang Time!

Goal:
Latch onto each of the 4 lander latch positions in the shortest amount of time

Rules:
  • All GM1 and GM2 rules apply
  • Challenge is to be run in driver controlled mode only
  • All teams will have 2 attempts at the Hang Time! challenge
  • Robots will be setup per GM2 in the landed position in the position directly opposed to crater
  • Teams will initialize their robots and have a traditional 3 - 2 - 1 - Go! Start
  • To be considered latched, robots must be entirely supported by the lander and completely off the playing field floor for a minimum of 1 second
  • Timer stops when the robot has latched onto all 4 sides of the lander or 2 minutes, whichever occurs first
Challenge 3 Q&A
  • 3.1
    • Q: Are the 3 minerals placed in the standard “sampling” positions?  Will there be any penalty points deducted for hitting these objects?
    • A: The 3 minerals will be placed in the sampling zone but will not be randomized.  The yellow cube will always be in the middle.  No penalty will be given for hitting the "sampling" scoring elements.
  • 3.2
    • Q: Will the referee give a signal to indicate that the robot has hung for one second or is it a reasonable estimate?
    • A: Referees will signal the team (and scorekeeper) that the hang is valid by raising their arm in the air.
  • 3.3
    • Q: Are the drive team operators able to move around the perimeter of the field (along with their robot) or do they need to stay in a designated drive team box?
    • A: The drive team will be allowed to move within either drive team box (or in the space between the two boxes on one side of the playing field.  The team may choose which side of the field to operate from.  The drive team will not be allowed to move beyond those two boxes.