Calibration: 14th February | 10:00-14:00 Hrs | CLC Lecture Hall 109

Event: 15th February | 09:00-15:00 Hrs | CLC Lecture Hall 109

One of the most widely known robotics competitions is the Line follower, where a chunk of wood or plastic or metal is to do the job of Tracking a line, adhering to it with most sincerity. but of course people, we could not demean you with that sort of a problem statement! Here in Pragyan, we thought we'd provide some "Twist" to this tale. The bot now not only has to traverse a black line on a white background, but has to keep track of the loops and the length of each loop too. At the end of the long sojourn, your erstwhile Marco Polo must be capable of figuring out the largest loop it has traversed and display the corresponding number. Feel mentally challenged??

Registrations open now.

Problem Statement:

Design an autonomous bot that navigates a path with rectangular loops and outputs the number of the largest loop.

Arena specification:

• The track will consist of a main track and subtracks.
• The subtracks will be rectangular in shape.
• The subtracks will intersect the main track always at right angles as shown in the image.
• They will be numbered in ascending order from the starting to the ending of the track.
• The track and the sub tracks are black lines of 3cm thickness.
• The starting of the main track is a line of same thickness drawn perpendicular to the track.
• The finish point of the track is specified by a black square of dimension 20X20cm

Rules:

• The bot will be placed with its back end coinciding with the starting line.
• The bot is expected to stop only when some part of it has crossed into the finishing zone, after which it should display the number or index of the largest loop(subtrack) by any means previously made known to the organizers.
• The loops will be ordered starting from 1 in the order of occurance along the main track.
• The maximum number of loops will be 8.

Judging Criteria:

• The winners wil be decided on the time of the completion of the track.
• The bots which correctly display the number of the largest loop will be ranked above those which dont.

Bot specifications:

• A fully autonomous line-following robot has to be built which will be able to traverse the entire arena.
• The dimensions should not exceed 20X20cm. The height of the bot is immaterial.
• Power supply should be on board. No external supply will be provided. The maximum voltage between any two points on the bot cannot exceed 12 volts.
• Use of Lego kits or other readymade kits is strictly prohibited.
• The organisers reserve the right to disqualify any bot that is found to not adhere to the specifications.

Other Details

• A maximum of 3 members is allowed per team.
• A total of 10 minutes will be allocated per team. Teams may split this time into a maximum of three trials.

Eligibility:

All students with a valid identity card of their respective educational institutes are eligible to participate in this event. 

Certificate Details:

• Certificate of Excellence will be given to the top 3 teams emerging from this competition.
• Certificates of Participation will be given to all the teams whose bot is able to negotiate atleast one loop.

Can the micro-controller development boards be used?

No, the controller circuit should be designed by the participants. The self designed PCB's can be used though a hard copy of the design should be produced to the jury before the bot is to run.

Can a readymade chassis be used?

Yes, chassis or parts from toys or other means are allowed. But lego kits are not allowed.

What will be the minimum size of the loop?

Minimum size > 4 * maximum size of the bot

Is there a prelims for the event?

No, the event will be held on 15^th February. (Sunday) There will be a sample arena for the participants to calibrate their bots but participants coming directly on 15^th will not be given time for calibration apart from the run time given to all participants. The participants have to explain the functioning of their bots to the jury before the event. The jury reserves the right to disqualify the bots that do not seem as made by the concerned participant.

How should I display the loop number? 

There is no fixed means to specify. Participants are free to use any means like sequence of LED's, 7 segment display, LCD etc. Participants have to inform the organizers of their display means prior to their trial on the arena.

Is there any specifics to be followed in between trials?  

There should be a power reset in between each trial. All robots will be collected before the arena is displayed and You will not be allowed to change anything on the bot once your bot's run has begun.

What'll the arena be made of?

Arena will be on a flex banner providing sufficient friction and reflectivity.