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Hitchhikers Guide to the Robotgames 2007

< forced British accent > Welcome to the Hitchhikers guide to the robotgames, the definitive resource for everything competitors need to know about their day at the Western Canadian Robot Games.  Copies of this guide may be obtained at your nearest planning department on Alpha Centauri.  We, at the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation, have arranged for Marvin, the paranoid android, to explain what you should expect on games day. 

Chapter 1:  Finding your way there.

Hello...  It's all so depressingly simple, really, a child could do it!  I've got pain running down all the diodes in my left side, and here I am, stating the obvious to... oh well:  may as well get on with it.

Let's say it's games morning at about 8am.  You should be arriving at the Calgary Aerospace Museum and come to the main hangar area.  Make your way to the bullpen area and find yourself a table.

Calgary Aerospace Museum

If you get lost, just ask your poor robot you've got buried in that hot toolbox of yours, or phone that depressing organizer, Craig, at 819-2314...

Chapter 2:  Registering your robot

Oh... are you still here?  Most people wander off by now.  It must be something I said.

Right, you should notice the registration table with all those people sitting there looking at you.  Go there and they will give you a pile of paper which you will take to the "bullpen" area.  Find a chair and table, unpack your wet towel and wrap it around your head. 

You should find the following forms in your package...  Better yet, download the forms from these links and fill them out at home!

LIABILITY WAIVER      ENVELOPE for FEE's        REGISTRATION FORM

1. Waiver form for the Golgafrincham lawyers
2. Registration form where you enter your name, contact information, and the robotics events you wish to compete in.  If you've registered on line with all the information, you won't need to do this. The registrar should have it on line.
3. An envelope with an area for your name, competitions, and a check box if you've build a SAMbot in one of our 2005 workshops.  Put your registration fee into the envelope

Fill out these forms and take them to Chapter 3

Chapter 3:  Take the completed registration forms and payment to the registration desk.

That's right... Do I really need to say it again?  Take the completed registration forms and payment to the registration desk.  There... I've said it.  I've got a brain the size of a planet and you want ME to pick up your paper??!

If everything's in order, the human there will give you your stuff including...

1. Your name tag and tags for your robot with the RID ( Robot ID ).
2. Your lunch token for the courtesy SAIT luncheon ( one per TEAM member )
3. Your goody-bag token. ( One per TEAM )
4. Your t-shirt token. ( One per TEAM member )

Sometime during the day, visit the societies table and claim your gifts with the goody-bag token and your t-shirt with the t-shirt token.  It doesn't have to be right away, you know.

Chapter 4:   Hey, when do I weigh in??

You might have noticed that you didn't weigh or size your sumo robot during registration.  Well it occurred to the enlightened minds at the Magrethea robotics society that even if your robot WAS the right weight at registration, that doesn't mean you can't drop a Kilo of depleted uranium in it before the event.  SO, they've left the onus on you to make sure your robot is within specs and there will be a scale in the staging area to use to verify your robots weight and size.

If, after a bout, it's discovered that your robot is over weight or size, you will automatically lose that bout and will not compete again until your back in specs... Depressing, isn't it...

There are official Weight Watchers lurking about the staging area's.

Chapter 5:  Registering as a TEAM or with multiple robots

Some people like to huddle together and compete as a team ( Misery loves company, you know), and some enter as individuals ( so lonely ):  What's that all about?

Paid-up TEAM members each get a T-shirt and Lunch Ticket, put each TEAM only gets one goody bag ( gift bag ).  Other team members would have to buy the stuff themselves if they'd like their own. 

Also...  Each team may only place once in each event.  If your team has 3 mini sumo robots, they can't compete against each other in the final bout and collect first second and third prize.  They may only win one award:  say, 1st place in Minisumo.  So, your robots will not all be in the final knockout:  only your best robot.  You can, however, compete against yourself in the round robins, where you earn placement in the final tree.

If you find yourself in a situation where your team is about compete with itself in the finals, please let the judges know so we can sort it out.

Depressing... isn't it!

Chapter 6:  Why did I come here again??

Oh, yes...  you've come to compete.  The competition schedules are displayed on our information website which you can view yourself at http://www.robotgames.com/WCRG_live during the event. 

When your competition is about begin, you and your competition should move directly to the "staging area" for your competition where the judges will arrange your competitions.

Chapter 7:  Competition Times

Chapter 8:  Finals

Full Size Sumo: 11:00 am
Adv. Mini Sumo: 11:30 am
Line Followers: 1:15 pm
Mine Sweepers: 1:40 pm
Beginner Mini Sumo: 2:10 pm

Competitors:
You need to report to the ring area judge at the above times. They will get your match under way as soon as they can. Priority will go to competitors with robots in more than 1 event so be sure to inform the ring judge when you arrive. If you fail to show up on time you may be forced to forfeit your match.

If you have a problem with your robot, talk to the judge, they will do their best to help you so you don't miss a round. If your robot is Non-functional report to the ring judge AND the head judge so you can be properly withdrawn from further matches.

Competitors with robots in more than 1 event:
Here is the sequence you should follow to prevent missing a match.
    1) Go to the Full size sumo event first but inform the Mini sumo judge you are doing that
    2) Next go to the mini-sumo match if you have one.
    3) Be sure to report to the mini sumo judges as close to the times indicated as possible,     and inform them you have robots in other events.
    4) NOTE: Round 2 judges may not be the same ones as round 1 judges so report for each round.
    5) After you have competed in the mini sumo and full size sumo, report to either the line following judge or the mine sweeper judge. Be sure to inform them you have full or mini sumo robots so they can accommodate you.
 

Remember  We are scheduling things so you have at least three bouts... don't leave after you've lost your first bout... there are many to come!

Each robot will be given a colour token which matches the competition that the robot has entered ( ie RED token for Minisumo Beginners )  These must be attached to your robot in a visible location.