Objective
The objective of this competition is for our robot to sway as many of the three social media sites in our favor as possible. This is achieved by posting more fake news stories (nerf balls) to your opponent’s social media sites (towers) than they post to ours.
the arena
Playing fieldThe Internet (our playing field) will be divided into two separate Echo Chambers, which are placed side-by-side to each other. A 4" tall border surrounds each Echo Chamber. A 3/4” wide non-reflective black tape line runs the length of each half of the Internet, along the centerline. Additional strips of non-reflective tape are perpendicular to the centerline as indicated in the diagram.
Safe spaceEach Echo Chamber has a Safe Space (loading zone) along the left side facing the opponent. The Safe Spaces are at opposite corners of each other with respect to the entire Internet. Info Warriors start at random position and orientation within the Safe Space and can only reload when entirely within the Safe Space.
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social media siteThree Social Media Sites will be located just outside of each Echo Chamber, behind the long edge, placed at 24” intervals from each other. Each site is a tower measuring 26" in height. At 15" above the playing board there is a beacon that emits IR light at 1 kHz whose duty cycle signals who is winning the tower; a 50% duty cycle means you are winning the tower and a 25% duty cycle means you are losing or tied for the tower. At 22" above the playing board is the center of a 6" diameter hole, which is the target for Alternative Facts.
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fact checker
Fact Checker buttons are pressure sensitive pads located on the playing surface in front of each Social Media Site. Each social media site’s Fact Checker button will be separated by a small divider wall. These Fact Checkers are rising edge activated. When pressed, the respective Social Media tower will close entirely for four seconds, blocking your opponent from shooting at that tower, and then reopen slowly over the course of the next eight.
the Robot
The Info Warrior robot must be autonomous and powered by two 7.2V NiMH batteries, which are provided. Each bot must fit within a 12" x 12" x 12" cube at the start of the round and at no point may the info warrior's dimensions more than double in any direction during a round. Each Info Warrior may carry only 12 Alternative Facts at a time. Each team is limited to a expenditure limit of $200.
GAME Rules
- Rounds last for 2 minutes and 10 seconds. The Info Warrior that is favored by the most social media sites at the conclusion of the round wins, and progresses to the next level of the tournament bracket. Ties will be broken by the total number of Alternative Facts delivered to opposing Social Media Sites.
- Info Warriors must automatically freeze all motor functions 2 minutes and 10 seconds after the start of a round. Info Warriors are placed inside their respective Safe Spaces at the start of each 2-minute 10 second round, with up to their full capacity of Alternative Facts. The orientation and the exact position of the Info Warrior inside the Safe Space will be subject to randomization, determined by representatives of the Teaching Team.
- A verbal start command will be issued by a a member of the Teaching Team, at which time the human Info Warrior team members will actuate a button, switch or other simple start indication to their Info Warrior. This is the last human interaction permitted with the Info Warriors until the 2-minute and 10 second round has concluded, except for reloading of Alternative Facts within the Safe Space, and emergencies requiring human intervention as determined by the Teaching Team.
- Info Warriors may enter the Safe Space at any time to be reloaded with up to 12 Alternative Facts, and must be entirely within the Safe Space whilst reloading.
- Info Warriors must neither be in contact with, nor overlapping, any part of the Safe Space whilst launching fake news attacks.
- Info Warriors are not allowed to leave their own Echo Chamber.
- No element or action of an Info Warrior may make contact with an opponent or impede the movement of an opponent, or alter any aspect of the Internet, social media sites, or associated structures in any way. Intentional jamming of your opponent’s sensing abilities is prohibited.
Below is the full 2017 ME210 project spec:
| Full Project Spec |