NATIONAL ENGINEERING ROBOTICS
CONTEST 2016
NERC 16
PARTICIPATION GUIDE
For
Teams and Contest Staff
National Engineering Robotics Contest 2016
A joint venture of NUST and STEM Careers Programme (HEC)
Organized by:
Department of Mechatronics Engineering College
of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering
National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan
Contents
EME college guide Map ...................................................................................................... 1
FOREWORD ........................................................................................................................ 2
Contest Outline .................................................................................................................. 3
Scheduled Timetable.......................................................................................................... 4
Contest Theme and Rules, Floor-plan &FAQs.................................................................... 6
Reception/ Desk Registration ............................................................................................ 6
Participating Teams& Conducting Students ...................................................................... 6
Pit Area ............................................................................................................................... 6
Practice Day........................................................................................................................ 7
Robot measurement and weighing / Robot Inspection .................................................... 7
Draws & Heats.................................................................................................................... 7
During the Contest ............................................................................................................. 8
Contest Administration ...................................................................................................... 8
Directions ........................................................................................................................... 9
Contact Us .......................................................................................................................... 9
EME college guide Map
FOREWORD
The National Engineering Robotics Contest 2016is just around the corner.
We hope that each participating team is in the final phase of work on their
robots.
This Participation Guide is distributed among all teams and Judges/ Contest
Staff for information and directions. It contains detailed information about
the event. We request you to read it very carefully.
It is hoped that all participating teams will be able to sufficiently use all the
skills that they have developed to this point. We are eagerly waiting for an
exciting and spectacular contest.
2
General Information
Contest Outline
a. Title
National Engineering Robotics Contest 2016
b. Organizer
Department of Mechatronics Engineering,
College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering,
National University of Sciences and Technology.
c. Sponsors
National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)
STEM Careers programme (HEC)
d. Contest Dates
24 Aug-27 Aug 2016
3
Scheduled Timetable
18th to 22th Aug 2016 (Thursday - Monday)
a. Preparation of arena in auditorium
-
0800-2200 hrs
-
1300-1900 hrs
-
1500-1900 hrs
-
0900-1200 hrs
-
0900-1500 hrs
0900-1800 hrs
-
0800-1600 hrs
-
1600 hrs
1600 hrs
25th Aug 2016 (Thursday)
a. Entrance opens for guests
b. Recitation from Holy Quran
c. Heats start
d. Lunch Break
e. Heats continue
f. NERC Robo Wars (Social Event)
-
0730 hrs
0830 hrs
0900-1315 hrs
1315-1415 hrs
1415 – 1700 hrs
1800 hrs
26th Aug 2016 (Friday)
a. Heats Continue
b. Lunch Break and Jumma Prayers Break
c. Announcement of results of heats
d. Game of Drones-Final Match (Chief Guest Arrival)
e Prize distribution ceremony at Pool side
f. Dinner for participants (Lawn in front of Cadet Bn)
-
0900 – 1315 hrs
1315 – 1500 hrs
1500 hrs
1930 hrs
2000 hrs
2100 hrs
23th Aug 2016 (Tuesday)
a. Practice session for NUST and local teams in
auditorium (Rawalpindi&Islamabad) First Come Basis
b. Reception for outstation teams at podium and ante
room
24th Aug 2016 (Wednesday)
a. Reception of outstation teams at podium and ante
room
b. Desk registration of all teams at podium and ante room
c. Practice session for all teams in auditorium
(Less NUST and local teams) First come basis
d. Measurement and Inspection of Robots by judges in
ante room
e. Draws of Heats (1st Round) in auditorium
f. NERC Game of Drones (Social Event)
4
Final Day (27thAug 2016)
S/No
Event
Time
1.
Entrance Open for Guests
0745 hrs
2.
Guests to be seated
0925 hrs
3.
Contest 1 Session starts
0930 hrs
4.
Formal Opening
1055 hrs
5.
Contest 2
6.
Arrival of Chief Guest
1300 hrs
7.
Robotics Show
1305 hrs
8.
Welcome address by Comdt
1315 hrs
9.
Theme of contest will be presented for chief guest
1325 hrs
10.
Introductory video of NERC will be shown
1335 hrs
11.
Final of NERC – 2016
1345 hrs
12.
Remarks by the Chief Judge
1415 hrs
13.
Departmental Projects Videos
1420 hrs
14.
Concluding remarks by Chief Guest
1430 hrs
15.
Prize distribution(By HoD)
1440 hrs
16.
Display of Projects/Robots
1500 hrs
17.
Lunch (Cadet’s Mess)
1500 hrs
18.
Departure of Chief guest
1530 hrs
st
nd
Session starts
1115 hrs
5
Note
a. It is compulsory for all the participants and accompanying faculty members/ guests
to bring their ORIGINAL CNIC before coming to E&ME College.
b. Minimum one member per team along with the robot MUST reach Registration
Desk, EME College before 1400 hrs on 24th Aug 2016. Any team reaching after 1400
hrs (without any legitimate reason) would not be included in the contest.
c. Minimum one team member per team MUST be present in the auditorium during
draws on 24th Aug 2016.
Contest Theme and Rules, Floor-plan &FAQs
(Attached as Annex – A)
Reception/ Desk Registration
Desk Registration of all teams will be done on 24th Aug 2016 between 0900-1500 hrs on
their arrival. Desk registration is compulsory for all teams. The teams will be allotted
space in the pit area and will be informed about the accommodation plan.
Participating Teams& Conducting Students
About 181 teams are participating in the contest. Conducting students from NUST are
marked with the teams of each institute. The conducting students will manage
Accommodation/ Timings etc. of the teams from each institute. These students will be
responsible for bringing teams to the venue on time and coordinating the team
activities (including measuring and inspection by judges). All teams are requested to
please follow the directions of their respective conducting students. The teams are
further requested to reach contest administration through the Conducting Students. For
queries regarding accommodation etc. please contact the conducting students at their
numbers.
The detail of teams along with conducting students& contact numbers of conducting
students is attached as Annex – B. Please view your team details and contact the
organizing committee in case of any discrepancy.
Pit Area
All teams will keep their robots in the pit area and proceed to the contest arena as per
the instructions of their respective conducting students. Each team will be provided with
a table and necessary electrical connections in the pit area. All teams must bring their
own PCs, tools, power supplies etc. which they will need for their robots.
6
Practice Day
Each team will be given 6-8 minutes to test/ calibrate their robots in the actual contest
arena on 22nd and 23rd of Aug 2016 as per program. Time will be allocated on first come
basis.. The teams will only be allowed to practice on their designated day. Any team
trying to damage the contest arena will be disqualified.
Robot measurement and weighing / Robot Inspection
The Robot measurement and weighing and Robot inspection will be conducted on 24th
Aug 2016. The time for measurement/ inspection is attached as Annex – B. Break for
lunch and prayers would be from 1315 hrs – 1415 hrs. It is obligatory for all teams to get
their robots measured/ inspected on 24th Aug 2016 in their designated time slot
(attached as Annex – B). The teams not getting their robots measured and inspected on
this day will NOT be allowed to participate.
Draws & Heats
Heats (1st Round) for the contest will be conducted on 25th Aug –26thAug 2016. All
participating teams will be divided into leagues. The league of each team will be decided
th
on the basis of a DRAW which will be held on 24 Aug 2016 at 1600 hrs in College of
EME (NUST) Auditorium. It is necessary that at least one member from each
teamparticipates in the draw. 32 teams will be selected for the final round on the basis
of task completion and time taken to complete the task. The selected teams will contest
in the knockout league in head to head competition. It is must for a team to participate
in heats if it wants to participate in the final contest.
th
The timings for Heats on 25 Aug 2016 are as under:
a. Heats start
b. Lunch Break
c. Heats continue
-
0900-1315 hrs
1315-1415 hrs
1415 – 1700 hrs
th
Heats will continue on 26 Aug2016. The timings are as under:
th
26 Aug 2016 (Friday)
a. Heats Continue
b. Lunch Break and Jumma Prayers Break
c. Announcement of results of heats
-
0900 – 1315 hrs
1315 – 1500 hrs
1500 hrs
Important:
th
There will be a dinner for all participants on 26 Aug after the results of heats and
NERC Game of Drones (Plan is tentative)
7
During the Contest
a. All the participants must be appropriately dressed.
b. Contest will be held according to the order decided in the draws. Please
follow the instruction of the conducting students / contest administration
and proceed to the start point when instructed.
c. Maximum of two team members may enter the arena.
d. The match conducting staff will announce the name of the team and give
one minute for preparation / alignment of the robot at start point.
e. At the start signal one team member will start the machine by pressing a
button etc. After that the contestant is not allowed to touch the machine
unless he/she asks for a retry. The time will start as soon as robot crosses
point A on the floor-plan.
f. After each team’s performance the team leader/ member will comment on
the design and performance of their robot for maximum of one minute.
(The whole team must come forward at this time.
g. Retry:To request for a “Retry”, the operator must make the request to the
referee. If the referee accepts the request, then team members are allowed
to touch the robot, move it back to the start zone, fix or maintain the robot,
and start the robot.
h. Penalties:The referee will warn the team for any violation of the rules.
Thejudges will note down the penalties.
i. After the performance, the team will move its robot and accessories to the
respective pit area allocated to them.
Contest Administration
Overall In charge
Brig Dr Javaid Iqbal
Dr. Umar Shahbaz Khan
Overall In charge Measurement/ Inspection
Lec Tayyab Zafar
03226012719
Overall In charge of Practice sessions
Lec Hammad Aziz
03454878338
Overall In charge Conducting Students
Lec Aqeela Mir
03319628033
8
Reception Desk
LE Adnan Shuja
03349655122
Accommodation
Demo Qasim
03455183770
Contest Coordinator
Lec. KanwalNaveed
0336-0551969
Directions
Contact Us
Department of Mechatronics Engineering
College of E&ME, Peshawar Road, Rawalpindi
Phone: 051-9247544
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.nerc.com.pk
Good Luck

9
ANNEX-A
National Engineering Robotics Contest 2016
Call for Participation
1 Introduction
The National Engineering Robotics Contest is a joint project of the National University of
Sciences and Technology, STEM Careers Programme HEC and Pakistan Science
Foundation, to promote research in robotics and its related fields in Pakistan. We, from
the Department of Mechatronics Engineering welcome you all to participate in 14th
National Engineering Robotics Contest (NERC 2016). This competition will provide a
common platform for the integration and evaluation of various electromechanical
designs, control and path planning algorithms, and agent architectures. Over the years,
NERC has grown increasingly popular among students as well as engineering
departments across the country. Engineering students from all over Pakistan participate
in this competition. This not only adds value to the competition but also resolves our
pledge to bring exciting new challenges every year for the advancement of robotics
community at an increasingly wider scale. Robotics is a buzz word at today’s technology
forefronts. Due to exponential advancements in fields like high performance computing,
computer vision, computer networks, material sciences and power electronics, the
growth experienced by robotics in past few years is unprecedented. Robotics is the only
field which can add precision while replacing the slow manual labor in the
contemporary industrial world. Thus, this field faces enormous pressure from industry
to produce all-purpose mobile manipulator robots which can perform simple tasks like
grab, navigate and place objects at desired locations autonomously. The future of
Pakistan relies heavily on advancement in the fields of engineering and science and
events of this nature will encourage and motivate students to improve their technical
skills in leaps and bounds.
Given the high demand of robots in search and rescue operations, this year’s theme has
been designed to bring together major aspects of robotic search and rescue to the
forefront. We hope this theme will not only raise awareness about the use of robots in
search and rescue but also propel major universities to come up with innovative
solutions to help when calamities such as natural disasters strike our country
1.1
Category 1 - Indigenous Robots
Indigenous category includes robots that are constructed from scratch. Their
mechanical structure, controls etc. are designed and fabricated by the teams
themselves. The electronic control modules (including all electronic boards and
motor drivers etc) should be designed and manufactured by the students.
1.2
Category 2 - Modular Robots
Modular/Lego category includes robots that are developed using ready-made kits
for example Lego or Vex Robotics kits.
Category 1-Indigenous Robots
2 Contest Arena
2.1
The Contest arena shown in figure 1 consists of two sub arenas, both the sides
are identical to each other and their scientists and safe zone locations are similar
2.2
Laminated wooden sheets (lasani) are used for the construction of arena. White,
red and blue sheets are used for walls, red floor and blue floor respectively.
2.3
The walls have a height of 5 inches throughout the arena.
2.4
Each sub arena has 3 different colored rooms and a fourth shared room. Each
robot will be placed at identical start locations, respective to their arena. These
locations will be random and anywhere on the map
2.5
Each room (other than the shared room) will have two entry and exit gates. Both
of these gates will be open at all times. The robot can enter and exit from any
gate it chooses
2.6
Two safe zones will be placed in both the arenas. One of the safe zones (and
orientation) is fixed and in the shared room (green room) accessible by both
teams. The other safe zone can be anywhere on the map. The respective grid
coordinates and orientations for each safe zone will be provided to each robot
before the start of the match. The dimensions and structure of the safe zones
are provided in Annexure ‘E’ in the Theme .
2.7
Two scientists will be placed at random locations and in random orientations on
the map. Their dimensions and structure are provided in Annexure ‘C’ in Theme
document.
2.8
The locations of the scientists will be provided by the json file.
2.9
There are various lines on the arena floor which will be used for reference. These
lines re unreadable by the robot.
Figure 1
3 Robot Operation
The qualifying teams (those which qualify for the final rounds) will compete with each
other in a knockout format. In each match two teams will be pitted against each other,
running their robots side by side in the contest arena. Teams will be declared as Team A
or Team B based on the coin toss before every match. Team A will run their robot in the
left side and Team B will run their robot right side. Once turned on, the robot must be
self-controlled without any human intervention. Remote-control of any sort (wired or
wireless) CANNOT be used. Contestants are NOT allowed to touch their robots or enter
the Contest Arena after startup. After the blow of whistle, the robot will have 3 minutes
to complete the task. The robot will be placed in an unknown location from where it will
have to localize itself autonomously. The robot will be provided with the grid
coordinates of the scientists and safe zones. After localizing itself the robot must plan
the path to each scientist and its safe zone. The location and orientation of the safe
zone and scientists will be announced at the start of the match. During a retry the
layout of the arena shall remain SAME however the point scoring will restart from zero.
The scientists will be placed back at their locations and the robot will have to return to
its starting position on the grid. The robot may navigate through the arena using any
suitable technique. The robot may not displace any scientist or safe zone. Displacing any
item inside the arena will result in a retry. If the participating team sees that their robot
has lost track of its location and is facing trouble localizing itself, the team can ask for a
retry. During its motion, the robot may touch the walls of the arena without damaging
them but it is not allowed to use any sort of tactile sensor to sense the walls or
obstacles. This will result in disqualification. In case of a tie, the contestant may be
required to run a rematch on the discretion of the judges. -9- For a particular match,
both teams will face the same layout of the arena, i.e. the same type, location and
orientation of its starting point, scientists and safe zones. Winning will depend on smart
decisions and swift execution of the task.
3.1
Any team that damages the arena will be disqualified.
3.2
The robot must not use any harmful substances such as oil, petrol etc. in its
operation that can damage the arena.
3.3
The Robot CANNOT split after the start of the game, only one Robot is allowed
to compete at a time.
3.4
The robot must reach any open grid unit surrounding the scientist in order to
pick it up.
3.5
The robot must reach any open grid unit surrounding the safe zone and then
place the scientist.
3.6
The robot must not use any destructive or dangerous methods to displace any
obstacle or box.
3.7
The robot must reach the opening in front of the scientist or the safe zone to
pick or place it.
3.8
The task will be completed when the robot picks the first scientist, places it on
the randomly located safe zone, then picks up the second scientist and places it
on the shared safe zone.
4 The Map
Before the start of each match the competing teams will be provided with the grid
coordinates and orientations of both the scientists and their safe zones. This will be
provided in the form of a JSON file in a micro SD card. By reading this data, the robot
should be able to complete both the tasks with ease.
5 Robot Size and Weight
The robot must fit within 12 in X 12 in square at the time of the measurement. If the
area of the robot base is more than a 12 by 12 in square, but less than a 14 by 14 in
square, then points will be deducted. The maximum permissible height of the robot is
12 in. Any robot which does not fit in 14 in X 14 in square or exceeds a height of 12 in
will be disqualified. All robots will be carefully measured. All sensors mounted on the
robot will be counted as part of the robot’s total dimensions. If contestants -10- want to
add a flag, hat or other purely decorative, non-functional items to the robot, they may
do so. The decorations may be removed for measurement purposes. The weight of the
robot excluding decorations must not exceed 9 kg. Penalties as detailed in Section 16
below will be levied if the robot does not fulfill the size and/or weight criteria.
6 Sensors
6.1
Robot is not allowed to use tactile sensor of any type for sensing the walls.
6.2
Ultra-Sonic Range detectors (SONARs) or IR based proximity sensors (models
specified in the components’ list attached) must be used for sensing walls.
6.3
The team may use any off-the-shelf encoders if they feel the necessity. Selfmade encoders from discrete components are also allowed.
7 Electronics
7.1
All electronic circuitry must be designed and fabricated completely by the
participants themselves. Circuits should not be fabricated by the help of any
professional developers. Only the modules specified in the components list may
be bought directly.
7.2
Microcontrollers specified in the component list must be used for controlling
your robots. You can also use Microcontroller development boards specified in
the list only. Microprocessors and Single Board Computers are not allowed.
7.3
Motor drive circuits should be designed and fabricated by participants
themselves and made from discrete components like Transistors and logic
circuitry. H-bridge IC’s like L297 or L298 are not allowed. However you may use
Gate driver IC’s e.g. IR2101/IR2110 etc. These restrictions apply only to the drive
circuits and not those used to control the mechanism.
8
Duration of Match
8.1
Each match will be of maximum 3 minutes.
8.2
Teams will be given 1 minute for setting up the Robot at the start.
8.3
Robot can start at the instant when the start signal is given and a whistle is
blown. Robot must be constructed so that it can be started in minimum possible
steps.
8.4
Once the Robot moves, team members will not be allowed to touch the Robot or
enter the Contest Arena.
8.5
Timing shall start once the start signal is given and the whistle is blown.
8.6
Time would be stopped as soon as robot places the final scientist on its safe
zone. If a robot is not able to successfully complete the task then the time when
team will call it off will be recorded as the finish time. The team must leave their
robot as it is on its current grid location when time stop is called by them. They
may NOT pick their robot up till the referee announces the -12- end of the
match. The team is not allowed to take a retry after the time has stopped.
8.7
The team which places the final scientist in the shared safe zone first will be
declared the winner of the match.
8.8
If both teams have scored the same points, have the same time and are at the same
distance from the finish point, a coin toss will be used to decide the winner.
8.9
If any team wants to launch a protest (of any kind), they must do so within 15
minutes of the end of their match. The procedure is outlined in section 16. Of
Theme.
9
Points
The point scoring is shown below in table 1:
Table 1
1.
*Reaching first scientist
20 Points
2.
**Picking first scientist
10 Points
3.
*Reaching first safe zone
10 Points
4.
**Placing first scientist
10 Points
5.
*Reaching second scientist
10 Points
6
**Picking second scientist
10 Points
7
*Reaching final safe zone which is the green room
10 Points
(after reaching second scientist).
8
**Placing second scientist (after placing first scientist)
20 Points
*Reaching means reaching and stopping at the opening of the housing of the
scientist and safe zone
**Robot is only allowed to pick and place from a maximum distance of 1 grid
unit, however, scientist must be placed within the housing. Picking scientist over the
housing wall is not allowed
10
Deduction of Points
The deduction of points is described in table 2 below:
Table 2
1. The robot fits in an area of 12 in X 12 in square
No Penalty
2.
Oversize Robot (14 in X 14 in square)
5 Points
3.
Oversize Robot (exceeding 14 in X 14 in square)
Disqualification
4.
Robot height exceeding limit (12 in)
Disqualification
5.
Robot weighs less than 10 kg
No Penalty
6.
Overweight Robot (Weight between 10 and 12 kg)
5 Points
7.
Overweight Robot (Weight exceeding 12 kg)
Disqualification
8.
Damaging the arena/wall/signals
Disqualification
11
Rules
11.1
The Contest judges may stop any robot at any time if they feel that it is
performing, or is about to perform, any action that is dangerous or hazardous to
people or equipment.
11.2
All Electronic Circuitry must be designed and fabricated by the Contestants
themselves.
11.3
Maximum effort in the design and fabrication of the robot should be generated
by contestants themselves.
11.4
Contestants are allowed to use only certain electronic components, list for which
is attached at the end.
11.5
Additional information regarding the contest rules and regulations may be found
in the FAQs and will be considered as part of the theme and rules. New FAQs are
uploaded frequently so keep watching the FAQ corner for new information.
11.6
Any correspondence with the NERC officials via e-mail telephone or any other
means will not be considered as part of the rules.
11.7
You cannot pick or place any object over the walls.
11.8
In all matters of interpreting the rules before and during the Contest and in any
issues not covered by these rules, the decisions of the Contest Judging
Committee will be final.
12 Disqualification
The following behavior shall be considered for disqualification by the referee and the
team could possibly be disqualified:
12.1 Attempting to damage the game field.
12.2 Performing any act that fails to comply with the spirit of Fair Play
13
Test Run
Contestants will be given time for trial run one day before the contest to calibrate their
robot/sensors on the actual arena/game field.
14
Qualifying Round
14.1 Each robot will participate in the qualifying rounds (heats). The placement for
scientists will be fixed in the heats and announced at least 2 days prior to the
start of the heats. There will be no head to head matches in heats. For qualifying
rounds following rules will be observed:
14.2 There will be NO head to head matches. Each team will individually run their
robots.
14.3 For all the teams participating in qualifying rounds, maze will be fixed and same
for all. The complete task for qualifying rounds would be uploaded two weeks
before the start of competition. Arena for Team A Arena for Team B
14.4
If the points of both teams are equal, decision will be made on the distance
from the next objective, on the shortest path.
14.5
Each team will be provided maximum of 3 minutes to run their robots.
14.6
A team can take as many retries as it want within 3 minutes without any penalty
but only the total time taken by the team will be recorded.
14.7 When the team is ready and the whistle is blown, time will be started. 5.7 If a
robot is not able to successfully complete the task in time then the time when
team will call it off will be recorded as the finish time.
Component List
Component List
1) IR Sensors: Sharp GP2Dxx & GP2Y0xx series sensor
Wall Sensor
(Proximity Sensors)
2) Sonars: Maxbotix Maxsonar Range Finder series (XL,LV)
Parallax PING))) Ultrasonic sensor, HC-SR04
3) Self-made from discrete components
Color Sensor
Other Sensors
Any off the shelf sensor or self-made using discrete
components such as :1) ADJD-S371-QR99 RGB sensor
2) TCS230 or TCS3200
1) Compass/Magnetometer: HMC5883L 2) IMU: MinIMU-9
v3 Gyro Accelerometer and Compass (L3GD20H and
LSM303D), MPU-6050 Accelerometer + Gyro 3)
Accelerometer : ADXL345 4) Gyro: LPR550AL Dual-Axis
(Pitch and Roll or XY) Gyro ,
1) PIC16F/PIC18F family
Microcontroller
2) AVR ATTiny, ATMega,
3) 8051, 8052, 8055
Development Boards
1) Arduino Mega, Uno, Nano, mini, Pro Series, Leonardo,
Esplora, Due
2) Pinguino 26j50
3) Amicus 18
External Shields
Motor driver
Only SD card shield allowed
Self-made from discrete components
Maximum 2 motors are allowed for the drive purpose
Motor
There is no limitation of number of motors in mechanism.
Encoders may be attached externally.
Battery
Any type(Power Banks are allowed)
Wheels
Meccanum/Omni wheels are not allowed
Category 2- Modular Robots (Schools/Colleges)
15 Contest Arena
15.1
The Contest arena, figure 1, consists of two identical sub-arenas for both the
teams.
15.2
The maze is made of wooden walls of height 5 inches. All the walls will be white.
The floor of the maze is a wooden surface and will be of the color shown in the
figure.
15.3
The door/entrance is one grid unit wide (shown by dark brown line in the figure).
15.4
The boxes shown in the figure 1, which represent the books will be a 3 x 3 x 2
inch cuboid. Annexure A in the Theme document gives more insight about the
boxes representing the books.
15.5
The robot will always be placed facing the door (entrance/exit of the room).The
blue strip showing the entrance of the robot will be on the right side of the
robot. The books will always be placed on the sides (left and right)of the book
shelf. The color of boxes representing the books is yellow.
15.6
The robot has to place one book on the upper rack, the other on the lower rack.
It can do it in any order. After placing both books on the shelf, the robot will
then make an exit through the door.
15.7
The team which exits the arena first and has completed all the tasks will win the
match.
16 Robot Operation
Once started, the robot must be self-controlled without any human intervention.
Remote-control of any sort (wired or wireless) CANNOT be used. Contestants are NOT
allowed to touch their robots or enter the Contest Arena after startup. The robot must
have only one program preloaded. Contestants are NOT allowed to switch the program
on the robot after the coin toss
17 Object picking and placing techniques
17.1
The books should be placed on the upper and lower rack of the shelf. They can
be placed in any order.
17.2
When picking up or placing an object the robot can be at a maximum distance of
one grid unit away from the object.
17.3
When placing an object, the robot cannot throw/shoot the object.
17.4
Any team that damages the box or the arena will be disqualified.
17.5
The Robot must not use any destructive or dangerous methods for picking up or
placing the objects.
17.6
The robot must not use any harmful substances such as oil, petrol etc. in its
operation that can damage the arena. The Robot CANNOT split after the start of
the game, only one Robot is allowed to compete at a time.
18 Points
The point scoring is shown below in table 1:
Table 1
1.
Entering the arena
10 Points
2.
Successfully picking up first book
15 Points
3.
Placing a on the lower rack
25 Points
4.
Successfully picking up second book
15 Points
5.
Placing a on the upper rack
20 Points
6
Exiting the arena
15 Points
*Reaching means reaching and stopping at the opening of the housing of the
scientist and safe zone
**Robot is only allowed to pick and place from a maximum distance of 1 grid
unit, however, scientist must be placed within the housing. Picking scientist over the
housing wall is not allowed
Category 2- Modular Robots (University)
19 The Contest Arena
19.1
The Contest arena, figure 1, consists of two identical sub-arenas for both the teams.
19.2
The arena is made of wooden walls of height 5 inches. All the walls will be white.
The floor of the arena is a wooden surface and will be of the color shown in the
figure.
19.3
The boxes shown in the figure 1, which represent the books will be a 3 x 3 x 2 inch
cuboid. Annexure A gives more insight about the boxes representing the books.
19.4
The boxes will be placed with the wall, and the opening NOT in front of the robot
motion.
19.5
The door/entrance is one grid unit wide (shown by dark brown line in the figure).
19.6
The robot will always be placed facing the door (entrance/exit) of the room. A blue
color strip will be on the right side of the robot indicating entrance. There is only
one door to move in/out from.
19.7
The books will always be placed on arbitrary locations inside the room. The colors
of boxes representing the books are yellow and blue.
19.8
The robot may place the books on the shelf in any order, meaning it may place the
blue book first or the yellow book first.
19.9
The blue book should be placed on the upper shelf.
19.10 The yellow book must be placed on the bottom shelf.
19.11 It will then exit the arena.
19.12 The team which exits the arena first and has completed all the tasks will win the
match.
20 Robot Operation
Once started, the robot must be self-controlled without any human intervention. Remotecontrol of any sort (wired or wireless) CANNOT be used. Contestants are NOT allowed to
touch their robots or enter the Contest Arena after startup. The robot must have only one
program preloaded. Contestants are NOT allowed to switch the program on the robot after
the coin toss. The robot must pick up the books and place them on the shelf and finally exit
the arena autonomously.
21 Navigating through the arena
The robot should navigate through the arena using any suitable technique. During its
motion robot might touch the walls of the arena without displacing or damaging them but it
is not allowed to use any sort of tactile sensor to sense the wall.
22 Object picking and placing techniques
22.1
The books have to be placed on separate shelves. Blue book should be placed on the
upper rack of the shelf while the yellow book is to be placed on the lower rack of the
shelf.
22.2
When picking up or placing an object the robot can be at a maximum distance of one
grid unit away from the object.
22.3
When placing an object, the robot cannot throw/shoot the object.
22.4
Any team that damages the box or the arena will be disqualified.
22.5
The Robot must not use any destructive or dangerous methods for picking up or
placing the objects.
22.6
The robot must not use any harmful substances such as oil, petrol etc. in its
operation that can damage the arena. The Robot CANNOT split after the start of the
game, only one Robot is allowed to compete at a time.
23 Points
Table 1 Points Scoring
Entering the arena
10 Points
Successfully picking up first book
20 Points
Placing blue book on the uppershelf *
15points
Successfully picking up second book
15 points
Placing the yellow book on the lower shelf **
30 points
Exiting the arena
10 points
Total:
100 points
*Placing the yellow book on the upper shelf will result in a reduction of 5 points. This means
that placing the yellow book on the upper shelf will give the participants 10 points.
**Placing the blue book on the lower shelf will result in a reduction of 10 points. This means
that placing the blue book on the lower shelf will give the participants 20 points.
24 Disqualification
The following behavior shall be considered for disqualification by the referee and the team
could possibly be disqualified:
1.1
Attempting to damage the game field.
1.2
Performing any act that fails to comply with the spirit of fair play.
1.3
Performing any act that fails to comply with the rules of the contest
25 Qualifying Round
For qualifying rounds following rules will be observed,
25.1
There will be NO head to head matches each team will individually run their
robot.
25.2
For all the teams participating in qualifying rounds maze will be same i.e. same
gate will be opened.
25.3
If the scores are equal decision will be made on time.
25.4
Each team will be provided maximum of 3 minutes to run their robots.
25.5
A team can take as many retries as it want(s) within 3 minutes without any
penalty on points but only the total time taken by the team will be recorded.
25.6
When the team is ready and the whistle is blown, time will be started.
25.7
If a robot is not able to successfully complete the task then, the time when team
will call it off, will be recorded as the finish time.
Registration- Method & Deadline
Fill the registration form available on our website and send it to us with a non-refundable
registration fee of Rs. 2500/- for each Robot entering into the Contest. Any individual or
group can enter more than one Robot, but a registration fee must accompany each entry.
The same physical Robot CANNOT be entered twice even if two entry fees are paid
Please register as soon as possible so that you may be informed about all the updates on
the competition via e-mail.
Criteria for Best Engineering Design Award
1- Mechanism for potting throwing
2- Mechanical design features such as stability of platform, ruggedness of mechanism.
3- Complexity vs. simplicity of Mechanical Fabrication
4- Electrical design features, e.g. modular design, use of PCB vs. Vero/breadboard, placement of
components on boards, placement/fixing of modules on the base, layout of cables and their routing,
use of appropriate connectors for cable terminations on boards
5- Artistic design of the rob
National Engineering Robotics Competition 2016
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1.Can the HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor be used?
Yes.
Q2. Will accommodation be available for out of city participants?
Accommodation will be available on a first come, first serve basis only for members of
participating teams.
Q3. At what time before the start of the match will we be provided the sd card?
You will be provided sufficient time to set up your robot after you are given the sd card
however you will not be allowed to switch your microcontroller.
Q4. Can we connect our controller to pc after receiving the card? Will there be alteast
10 min?
You may be allowed to check whether the SD card works or not but you will not be
allowed to change the code on your controller.
Q5. Would we be given an SD card, or a MicroSD card?
We have used a MicroSD card in our testing
Q6. Is the floor going to be glossy or dull?
The floor is made up of laminated wooden sheets (lasani) ,and white blue and red
sheets are used for making white walls, blue floor and red floor respectively. The floor is
neither too glossy nor very dull.
Q7. Can omni-wheels be used as free wheels?
Any and all types of omni-wheels cannot be used.
Q8 On website you say that off the shelf color sensors are allowed, but components
list contradicts this.
The component list is updated , you can use any of the sensor mentioned in the list or
can make your own color sensor by using the discrete components mentioned in the
list..
Q9. Can we change our microcontroller for retry?
According to the Theme and Rules•under heading Retry : When a team takes a retry it
is only allowed to restart the robot. Changing the microcontroller or reprogramming the
robot is not allowed.
Q 10.Please provide details about the large map (bitmap)
The size of the bitmap will be below 1Kb and the dimensions will be approximately 56 x
96 pixels.
Q 11.Would we be given an SD card, or a MicroSD card?
We have used a MicroSD card in our testing
Q 12. Can we include a switch for the red and blue arenas as that would be decided by
a toss.
You may include a switch for deciding between the two arenas.
Q13. What is the age limit for participation in the Modular Category?
The participant can be students from grade 6 to grade 12 and first year university
students.
Q14. Can we use H-Bridge IC for bowling purpose (not for motor driving purpose)?
No you cannot use any motor driving IC even for the bowling mechanism. The theme
clearly states that the components mentioned only in the component list provided can
be used in the manufacturing of your robot. The list clearly states that H-bridges should
be made from discrete components thus automatically ruling out the use of such ICs.
Any robot using these kinds of ICs will be disqualified and will not be allowed to
compete.
Q15. Can we use gate driver IC and/or other logic ICs?
You may use extensions for picking/placing, however, bear in mind that picking/placing
can only be done from a maximum distance of 1 grid unit from the obstacle/target.( 1
grid unit = 18 inches)
Q16. Will the object always be placed at the far end of the housing? How can we
access it?
Yes. The object will always be at the far end of the housing. The robot may enter the
housing to reach the object or extend extensions (refer to FAQ # XX). There are lines to
assist the robot for alignment purposes inside the housing. Refer to annex B of the
theme for further information.
Q17. Should we care about the spacing in the JSON file? How can we read the JSON
file?
No you should not. The whitespaces in the file are for presentation purposes.
Instead of focusing on the whitespaces you should focus on the format of the file itself.
The opening curly brace is followed by text (which is a label for the upcoming array).
The beginning of the array is denoted by a square brace. Each element in the array is
enclosed within curly braces and separated by a comma. Each element is structured as
follows: <br>
"tag" : value </br>
If the value is text, it is within quotes otherwise it is not. The tag is always within codes.
Once the array ends there is a comma followed by another name/tag which denotes the
start of another array.
You
can
read
more
about
the
JSON
format
here:
<a
href="http://www.w3schools.com/json/">
W3Schools
JSON</a>
or
<a
href="http://www.json.org/"> json.org </a>.
Q18. Can the scientist be in the same room as the robot's starting point?
If the scientist is in a room, the starting point will not be in the same room.
Q19. What is the orientation in the arena? Is the North for one side actual magnetic
north?
The orientations (NSEW) described in the theme are with respect to the coordinates.
The cornermost red grid unit is (4,0). The cornermost blue grid unit is (4,10). The
direction of north (N) is towards increasing y coordinates, i.e as you move from (0,0) to
(0,1) you are moving north. Similarly the direction of south (S) is towards decreasing y
coordinates. The direction of east (E) is towards increasing x coordinates, whereas the
direction of west (W) is towards decreasing x coordinates.
The map does not care about actual magnetic north and the orientations defined have
no relation to actual magnetic north of the earth.
Q20. Can you please explain what orientation means?
The orientation means the direction of the opening of the housing. The orientations are
with reference to the coordinate system. South means the housing will be open from
the decreasing Y side. North means the housing will be open from the increasing Y side.
East means the housing will be open from the increasing X side. West means the
housing will be open from the decreasing X side.
Q21. Is the position of the books always fixed or it can be moved as well. If the
position is fixed, is it the exact middle between the shelf and the wall?
For the Schools category the position of the books is always fixed. The position is in the
corner towards the wall as illustrated in the image below, the yellow boxes represent
the books.
For the University category the position of the books is random.
Q22. Is there a specific order in which the scientists need to be placed? The json file
has a scientist associated with each safezone. Do we need to care about that?
No there is no specific order in which the scientists need to be placed. You can disregard the
names of the safezones and scientists. They are simply labels.
Details of teams
Following table gives the information of the Conducting students assigned to the
Participating teams.
Name of Conducting Student
Hamza Tariq(03215891154)
Hamza Tariq(03215891154)
Team ID
18
70
City
Hassan Abdal
Karachi
Hamza Tariq(03215891154)
Hamza Tariq(03215891154)
40
61
Karachi
Topi
Hamza Tariq(03215891154)
Hamza Tariq(03215891154)
170
145
Lahore
Lahore
Hamza Tariq(03215891154)
159
Lahore
Hamza Tariq(03215891154)
162
Lahore
Hamza Tariq(03215891154)
110
Karachi
Hamza Tariq(03215891154)
111
Karachi
Hamza Tariq(03215891154)
151
Karachi
Hamza Tariq(03215891154)
88
`
Muhammad Ali
Zakria(03135283861)
Muhammad Ali
Zakria(03135283861)
Muhammad Ali
Zakria(03135283861)
Muhammad Ali
Zakria(03135283861)
Muhammad Ali
Zakria(03135283861)
Muhammad Ali
Zakria(03135283861)
Muhammad Ali
Zakria(03135283861)
Muhammad Ali
Zakria(03135283861)
Muhammad Ali
Zakria(03135283861)
Muhammad Ali
83
Karachi
86
Karachi
91
Karachi
99
Karachi
131
Karachi
138
Karachi
143
Karachi
153
Karachi
154
Karachi
157
Karachi
Institution
Cadet College
Dawood University of
Engineering and Technology
DHA Suffa University x3
Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute
of Engineering Sciences and
Technology
Lahore Garrison University
Lahore University of
Management Sciences
Lahore University of
Management Sciences
Lahore University of
Management Sciences
NED University of
Engineering and Technology
NED University of
Engineering and Technology
NED University of
Engineering and Technology
PUNJAB UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
Sir Syed University of
Engineering and Technology
Sir Syed University of
Engineering and Technology
Sir Syed University of
Engineering and Technology
Sir Syed University of
Engineering and Technology
Sir Syed University of
Engineering and Technology
Sir Syed University of
Engineering and Technology
Sir Syed University of
Engineering and Technology
Sir Syed University of
Engineering and Technology
Sir Syed University of
Engineering and Technology
Sir Syed University of
Team Name
Kittashi Returns
Team MEGATRON
Team DSU Renovate
Technobolt-Aplha
Mechavolution
Falcons
Black Mamba
Basheera
Robozilla
Singularity
Tech-No-Logic
ZARMUF
UBTech
The Shield
Team Flame
destructors
Pikachu
quad tech 1
Captain Karachi
Aviators
Robo Squad
FURY
Zakria(03135283861)
Muhammad Ali
Zakria(03135283861)
Suleman Tahir(03046636678)
161
Karachi
168
Karachi
Suleman Tahir(03046636678)
907
Karachi
Suleman Tahir(03046636678)
Suleman Tahir(03046636678)
Suleman Tahir(03046636678)
Suleman Tahir(03046636678)
Suleman Tahir(03046636678)
96
100
114
174
174
Karachi
Chakwal
Chakwal
Chakwal
Chakwal
Suleman Tahir(03046636678)
114
Chakwal
Suleman Tahir(03046636678)
98
Faisalabad
Suleman Tahir(03046636678)
158
Faisalabad
Suleman Tahir(03046636678)
142
Lahore
Ali Hassan
Khalid(03366966940)
907 Karachi
Ali Hassan
Khalid(03366966940)
Ali Hassan
Khalid(03366966940)
Ali Hassan
Khalid(03366966940)
Ali Hassan
Khalid(03366966940)
Ali Hassan
Khalid(03366966940)
Ali Hassan
Khalid(03366966940)
Engineering and Technology
Sir Syed University of
Engineering and Technology
Sir Syed University of
Engineering and Technology
Sir Syed University of
Engineering and
Technology
The City School
UET Taxila (Sub Campus)
UET Taxila (Sub Campus)
UET Taxila (Sub Campus)
UET Taxila, Sub-Campus
Chakwal
UET Taxila, Sub-Campus
Chakwal
University of Engineering and
Technology
University of Engineering and
Technology
University of Engineering and
Technology
Shaheen
TEAM Robotics
CRAZY DRONES
Robo Knights
Super Squad
DIGIMINDS
Nexus
Nexus
Aurora Minds
ERRORS
Maze Runner
The INVINCIBLES
CRAZY DRONES
908 Lahore
Sir Syed University of
Engineering and
Technology
FAST NU LAHORE
909 Islamabad
CEME (APS Collage)
MECHATRON
910 Islamabad
CEME (APS Collage)
APS Qalander
903 Risalpur
College of
Aeronautical
Engineering
Allah karay chal
jaye
911 KARACHI
Generation's School
GENROBOT1
912 KARACHI
Generation's School
GENROBOT2
DECEPTOR
Name of Volunteer
Tahir Mahmood
(03035143983)
Tahir Mahmood
(03035143983)
Tahir Mahmood
(03035143983)
Tahir Mahmood
(03035143983)
Tahir Mahmood
(03035143983)
Tahir Mahmood
(03035143983)
Tahir Mahmood
(03035143983)
Tahir Mahmood
(03035143983)
Tahir Mahmood
(03035143983)
Tahir Mahmood
(03035143983)
Tahir Mahmood
(03035143983)
Tahir Mahmood
(03035143983)
M
Saifullah(03348421383)
M
Saifullah(03348421383)
M
Saifullah(03348421383)
M
Saifullah(03348421383)
M
Saifullah(03348421383)
M
Saifullah(03348421383)
M
Saifullah(03348421383)
M
Saifullah(03348421383)
M
Saifullah(03348421383)
M
Saifullah(03348421383)
M
Saifullah(03348421383)
Team ID
City
Institution
Team Name
95
Islamabad
Air University
A3
132
Islamabad
Air University
The Alpha Team
546
Islamabad
Air University
Alpha Team
172
Islamabad
Air University
Alpha Team
103
Islamabad
ARCANUM
21
Islamabad
106
Islamabad
129
Islamabad
52
Islamabad
Capital University of Science &
Technology
Centre of Advanced Study in
Engineering
Centre of Advanced Study in
Engineering
Centre of Advanced Study in
Engineering
COMSATS
116
Islamabad
COMSATS
Sociality
155
Islamabad
FAST
LUCIFER
19
Rawalpindi
Foundation University
Task Force 141
26
Rawalpindi
Foundation University
THE DREADNOUGHT
160
Islamabad
HAMDARD UNIVERSITY
HERT
101
Islamabad
International Islamic University
berserk
39
Islamabad
Roots IVY x5
Roots IVY
173
Rawalpindi
Roots School System
Cyber Wizards
175
Islamabad
Roots School System
Giga Hurtz
176
Rawalpindi
Roots School System
TeamRocket
25
Taxila
sameed raheel
43
Taxila
82
Taxila
97
Taxila
University of Engineering and
Technology
University of Engineering and
Technology
University of Engineering and
Technology
University of Engineering and
Technology
TEAM BANANATRON
Mola Jutt
Malangi Avengers
Comsians
Technoriders
Lucifer
EngiNERDs
Protest Form
Team Name:
Team ID:
Team University:
Team Members:
Match finish time (to be filled by
Head Jury)
Launch time of Protest (to be
filled by the head jury)
Protest fee Payment (to be filled
by head jury)
Reason of Protest:
Signature of Team Leader
Signature of Head Jury
Decision of Judges:
Signature of Head Judge