An autonomous robot to follow a line-marked course and finish in the least amount of time.
The robot must be autonomous and can be of any size or weight. The track will be constructed of 12-inch squares so you must size your robot accordingly to stay on the course. Any damage caused by the robot to the course will be a disqualification.
There will be two mirrored tracks. The tracks will be constructed out of approximately 12-inch squares cut out of light brown hardboard. The line will be 3/4” black electrician’s tape. Size of the line may vary + or - 1/8 inch due to stretching or shrinkage of the tape. There may be small gaps between squares. All contestants will have to deal with the normal lighting condition of any public locations. Such as fluorescent lights, sunlight, etc.
Two robots will start each race. If there are an odd number of entrants, the last round will be run solo. Starting lineup will be set by the arrival of the entry form. Each robot will compete in 2 heats. The robots will exchange tracks for each heat. The winner will move on to the next 2 heat elimination rounds. The owner will start the robot when a signal is given. If the robot does not cross the Start line in 30 seconds, it will lose this race. An electronic timer for three laps will then time the robot. If the timer fails, the race will be rerun. Total time will determine the winner.
The official time is when the robot crosses the finish line after three laps. If robot falls off the course, his run is complete and his score is based on the distance the bot traveled. If all wheels leave the 12" by 12" square track you are "off" course. The winning robot is the one with the lowest time of both heats. Any non-sportsmanship behavior will also cause a disqualification. Judges rulings are final. There is no appealing!