Placing and appearance of the track

For a layout of the track, see the figure below.

The track has been designed on the assumption that the vehicle can follow a black tape line on the floor. If you keep to the right on this line, you will reach the goal, but you will only obtain relatively few points.

• Flooring
  The flooring under the track consists of a fibreglass material painted in a light grey colour (white areas on the figure) and tiles of a slightly darker colour (marked with grey on the figure). The width of each row of tiles is 45 cm. The areas where two rows of tiles cross each other will probably be impassable as the crosses are covered by a metal plate (cable pit). 
  
  
• Line tape
  The line consists of tape - 38 mm wide black linen tape (of the type Tesa-4651). The tape will be placed more or less as shown on the figure. No curve will be sharper than a circle with a radius of 50 cm. The black tape is visible both on the light floor and the tiles.
  
  
• Gates
  The gates are all 45 cm wide (+/-2 cm) with a free height of 47-50 cm (the yellow gate). The thickness of the gates is approx 16 mm. This is not applicable to the tunnel and the racetrack.
  
  
• Start
  The starting point is a plate (bottom left corner of the figure - see also photo). Leaving the plate, the countdown to the closure of the guillotine gate (1) starts. The timing and distance to the guillotine are fixed, so that an average speed of 25 cm/s will be sufficient to pass. The passing of the gate gives one point.
  
  
• Ramp
  The ramp (2) leads to a plateau at a height of approx 55 cm. The ramp starts at least 3.5 m before the plateau (horizontal distance) and with the same gradient all the way. The width is 60 cm. A gate placed on the ramp gives one point. Just like the plateau, the stairs and the descending ramp are made of wood and painted in a light grey colour. Besides, the surface of the ramp is rough for increased friction during ascend. A seesaw (3) is mounted on the left side of the ramp's highest part. The seesaw's normal position is horizontal, and it is supported at the end of the ramp. This means that the seesaw will remain horizontal when a vehicle is driving from the ramp down to the seesaw until the vehicle is passing the supporting point. This will require approx 200 g effect 20 cm from the supporting point before the seesaw tilts. A yellow gate is placed on the uttermost end of the seesaw. When driving from the ramp to the seesaw, the difference of height will be up to 6 cm. (See photo 1 and photo 2).
  
  
• Red winter golf ball 
  At the positions (4) 30 cm from the seesaw's supporting point and (5) on the ramp's plateau, both marked with a red circle on the figure, you will find a golf ball. The robot has to move the golf balls and place them in the hole on the plateau to obtain points. The diameter of the ball is standard 42.7mm, but considering vision-based solutions red winter golf balls are used. To ensure a uniform placement of the ball each time, a small metal ring (key ring) will be mounted under the tape on which the ball will be placed.
  
  
• Golf hole
  At (6) you will find the previously mentioned hole in which the golf balls must be placed to obtain points. Each ball gives a point (maximum 2 points). The diameter of the hole is 52 mm. see photo of the golf hole.
  
  
• Plateau (decent ramp)
  There are two alternatives in connection with the descent of the plateau. The width of the descending ramp is 60 cm; the ramp ends at least 2 m from the plateau (horizontal distance). There is a gate on the ramp, and you receive one point for passing it.
  
  
• Plateau (decent stairs)
  The other possibility of descending is the stairs consisting of four steps and thus five levels of approx 11 cm each. The size of each step is approx 40 cm by 60 cm. There are two gates on the stairs, and you receive one point for passing each gate.
  
  
• Racetrack
  The racetrack (7) starts and ends with an electronic gate. The gates consist of an aluminium frame, the gate opening correspond to the other gates. When a beam of light is broken in the start gate, the time measurement is started, and it stops when a corresponding beam is broken in the end gate. The light rays are placed approx 7.5 cm above the floor. A yellow gate (8) is placed on the line between the start and end gates. This yellow gate has to be passed after the start gate and before the end gate to obtain points on the racetrack. The yellow gate gives one point. You may obtain further zero, one, two or three points for speed. The time limits are not fixed, but it will require an average speed of more than 1m/s to obtain maximum points at this challenge. NB! The gate is in new design compared to the photo, as the entry and exit gate now are separated.
  
  
• Hump track
  The hump track (9) is an area of 120 by 240 cm with humps and holes. The hump track is raised approx 2 cm above the floor level. The approach ramp has approx the same gradient as the ramp at (2). The holes are approx 12 cm in diameter and approx 2 cm deep (the thickness of the plate). The size of the humps will vary from 0 at the edge to max approx 8 cm. There will be a black tape line - more or less as shown - with a hump free area of minimum 10 cm along the tape line. The hump track is made of wood. The bottom plate, holes and humps are painted in the same light colour as the ramp (2). There will not be any humps or holes directly under a gate, but the position of holes and humps may vary from the picture. There are two gates on the hump track, and you may therefore obtain two points. See photo1 and photo2 of the hump track.
  
  
• Flowers
  At (10) there is 6 positions marked with stars, on two of these positions there will be placed a (plastic) pot plant. The flower (and its flowerpot) about 30-40 cm high, with a weight of approximately 250 g. The flowerpot is 7 cm in diameter at the bottom and 8cm at the top.
  To ensure a uniform position of the flowers at each drive, a small piece of white tape will mark the position on which the flowers will be placed. The flowers will be placed at random on two of these positions after start. One of the flowers is a red begonia in a reddish pot pot and the other a blueish veronica in a black pot. If you bring the blueish flower (veronica) to the goal, you obtain one point. If you bring the reddish begonia to the goal, you are deducted one point (penalty point).
  The flowers are purchased at  http://www.lomax.dk - search for the name of the flower to get a picture.
  
  
• Tunnel
  The tunnel (11) is mounted with an outward opening door at each end as sketched here. Note: the height of the doors is 25 cm. The front door is the broadest door - so that it can be pushed open. You obtain one point for passing each of the doors. The doorways have the same dimensions as a gate, but they will not be yellow.
  
  
• Bowling alley
  The bowling alley (12) consists of nine skittles, the dimensions of which are basal area 30 cm by 30 cm by height 50 cm. The bowling alley is placed abreast of a red gate (giving 1 penalty point) and in between two side lines placed 1 m apart. Two yellow gates are placed opposite the two side lines 40 cm from the main line. In a system of co-ordinates with origo in the middle of the red gate, the x-axis along the goal and the y-axis towards the skittles, the coordinates of the skittles' midpoints are:* (0, 55), (0, 100), (0, 150), (0, 205), (-50, 205), (50, 205), (125, 150), (110, 100), (95 ,55). (See photo 1 and photo 2 of the skittles - please note that the bowling alley is laterally reversed and that the tape lines are different from the photo). An area (13) marked with white tape to the left of the red gate is forbidden and must thus not be used by the robot. If just one wheel of the robot touches this area, you obtain one penalty point.
  
  
• Penalty gate
  The penalty gate will be one of the gates at (13). They consist of ordinary yellow gates, and on each of them a light indication is mounted consisting of four read stoplight arrays (three on the front side and one on the back side, out of consideration for the audience). The code number of the stoplights from the supplier http://www.thansen.dk is 40651, and the price DKK 79 per item. On one side of the gates (randomly chosen at the beginning of the run), the light indication will flash approx once a second (switched on 0.5s, switched off 0.5s). Passing this gate, you are deducted one point (penalty point), while passing the other gate (with the light indication switched off), you receive one point. The gates will be placed at a distance of approx 1m. The power supply to the gates will be delivered from a cable fixed to the floor by tape on the left side of the track (seen from the track direction). Therefore, it is recommended to pass the penalty gate on the right.
  
  
• Goal siren
  The goal siren (15) is activated by pressing the front plate (which activates a switch mechanically). The width of the front plate is approx 15 cm, the height 10 cm, and it is lowered approx 1 cm in proportion to the frame. Reaching the goal (from the front side), you obtain two points.
  
  
• Obstacles
  Apart from the guillotine (1) and the goal (14), the sequence of the obstacles may be chosen at your preference. You are not required to overcome all obstacles.