Filter by All Administration Chute Packages Planes Ramp Robot Scoring Pending Sort By Q# Date Topic School

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A1	University of North Florida 07-09-2005 Is it allowable to change out battery packs during a run? What is the penalty for exchanging battery packs?
	No. The entire run ("sort/load session") must be completed without touching the robot. See contest description.

A2	University of Alabama (Birmingham) 08-02-2005 Will there be a specific mechanism to start the game. i.e a IR device etc.
	The mechanism will be one of us saying, "Go."

A3	University of Alabama (Birmingham) 08-02-2005 When the plane is leaving will there be a mechanism to inform the robot about the delivery. In essence this is a timing and interrupt question!
	No. There is no instrumentation provided by us that will confirm the delivery of a package. When the plane leaves, it is simply removed from the board. See also question S6.

A4	Southern Polytechnic State University 08-30-2005 We were just wondering where the competition would take place as in indoor or outdoor. What kind of lighting will be in the immediate area of the competition. If the competition is held indoors will the building be air conditioned and finally will flash photography be allowed during the competition. Thanks.
	The competition is indoors and air conditioned. The lighting is a mixture of fluorescent and incandescent lighting. No, flash photography will not be permitted during a team's timed run.

A5	Arkansas State University 10-07-2005 Can you clarify the rules about charging the robot in between rounds? Such as: What type of power supply will be availible? How can we connect the charging device to the robot? How long will we have to charge the robot? How much time is in between rounds?
	1. standard 110V power will be provided. please provide your own charger for your specific robot. 2. The administration team will plug them in for charging under the supervision of the teams. 3. a specific time frame will not be given for charging in between rounds. 4. due to uncertainties a specific time between rounds can not be given.

A6	Florida A & M University 10-11-2005 Where will the barcode be located on the box designated for the plane? Will it be located on one side or more then one side?
	see question P9 There are no barcodes located on the planes themselves, they have a designated area on the board that they are positioned.

A7	University of Louisville 10-12-2005 Is this competition for graduate and undergraduates? Will schools be allowed to send two teams: one graduate and one undergraduate?
	The competition is for 1 team per school, graduate, undergraduate or both.

A8	Tennessee Technological University 10-13-2005 The rules state the robot can't move the planes. If the boxes actually move the planes as they are being loaded is this okay?
	if the box is still attached to the robot and moves the plane it will be a penalty.

A9	Mercer University 10-16-2005 What happens in the unlikely event that the blocks get jammed in the chute and a either doesn't fall down or the chute is loaded improperly and a block falls down in such a way the it can not be extracted from the chute? Will the round be started over?
	If the blocks get stuck in the chute, it\'s a malfunction on our end, and the round will be restarted. If a fix for this problem is found and something changes it will be posted and an email will be sent.

A10	Tennessee Technological University 10-20-2005 I have a question that I need to ask, but I don't want it posted here. Can someone give me the contact information of someone I can get in contact with. Thanks.
	all questions concerning the competition should be posted here. if you do have an additional question there is a committee section that has email addresses for the specific sections.

A11	University of Louisville 10-31-2005 Is it allowable to change out battery packs in between rounds?
	battery packs are not allowed to be changed. there is power provided for you to charge your robot or it has the option to sit in the holding area off.

A12	Tennessee Technological University 11-04-2005 Pardon me if this has already been asked and I have missed it, but how can we go about getting bar codes? Could you post them on the website or email them to us? Thank you in advance.
	I will mail out another set of Barcodes to the address listed for your university. please update your email address with this site i tried to send an email to it but it was returned to me. thank you.

A13	North Carolina A & T State University 11-14-2005 Could you just post the bar codes on this site?
	We are working on getting the barcodes posted to the website, once we do an email will be sent out to let the teams know of the update.

A14

Mississippi State University 12-01-2005 I would like to respectively ask the competition committee to elaborate on the reasoning behind the "hands-off" rule for robots between competition rounds. It appears from the rules that teams are only allowed to touch their robot for recharging purposes, or for moving their robot from the holding area to the starting square. This has not been the case in previous SECON competitions as teams were allowed to work on their robot between rounds. Granted, there is not much in the way a team can do in terms of programming or electrical systems if something goes wrong between rounds, but these robots are typically mechanically fragile and may require adjusting between rounds. What if a robot runs off a board and damages something on the undercarriage ? would a team be allowed to repair the robot? If a robot stops working during a round, perhaps because a cable has become unseated, it will require some debugging by the team to figure out exactly what has caused the failure. This "hands-off" rule is somewhat akin to a NASCAR race not allowing pit crews to work on cars during pit stops, but only allow refueling. Under the current rules, there is not much incentive for a school to send more than one team member to the competition, as it only takes one team member to handle recharging and initial positioning duties ? the other team members cannot contribute anything. If this "hands-off" rule is carried to its logical conclusion, then teams might as well just turn in their robots in the morning, let the competition committee exercise the robots, and then inform the teams at the end of the day who won. Exactly what is the competition committee trying to prevent by this "hands-off" rule? It could be that I have misunderstood the currently posted rules, and that this clarification request is moot. Thank you, Dr. Robert Reese, SECON Advisor, MSU.

I sincerely apologize for the amount of time it took to answer this question. It is allowable to change out battery packs, as well as making physical adjustments to the robot (i.e. a part comes loose,a tire tread comes off, or a minor electrical adjustment needs to be made.) between rounds. It is during the round that the robot may not be touched or no adjustments may be made.

A15

University of Tennessee - Knoxville 12-07-2005 Are we not allowed to touch the robot at all between rounds? For instance what if there is a trap door of some sort that takes just a minute to manually reset between rounds. This does not involve any programming of any sort, it is just a manual mechanism reset that is needed after each round that will allow the robot to operate correctly during the next round. Thanks

Please see question A14. It is allowable to change out battery packs, as well as making physical adjustments to the robot (i.e. a part comes loose,a tire tread comes off, or a minor electrical adjustment needs to be made.) between rounds. It is during the round that the robot may not be touched or no adjustments may be made.

A16	University of Tennessee - Knoxville 12-07-2005 I see that a lot of schools are having multiple teams. Is a school allowed to bring more than one team, therefore, more than one robot to the competition? OR, do the schools need to have there own internal competition to decide which robot will come to Memphis? Thanks.
	There is only one team/robot per school allowed, if the school has more than one robot it is up to them to decide which one comes to the competition.

A17

University of Tennessee - Knoxville 12-07-2005 Please excuse me if I have missed this information elsewhere. How many rounds will there be? Use of the phrase "after each round" implies that there will be multiple times the robot must perform the required task. The winner will essentially complete the most rounds of competition, so, what is the max # of rounds the winner will have to complete? This is in regards to the fact that the robot's power supply must be able to handle multiple rounds with minimal recharging, due to the fact that time between rounds is "unknown" as you have stated in other responses. Thanks.

There will be three rounds that the robots will compete in, at the end of the third round the point will be tabulated and the top three robots will be named. The third robot will get third place with the top two scoring robots facing off in a final round to see which one will win first or second place.

A18	Georgia Institute of Technology 02-12-2006 Will the order the packages in the chute be random (pulled out of a hat), or will the competition administrators determine it?
	The order of the packages will be ramdomly chosen ahead of time by the competition administrators.

A19	Arkansas State University 02-16-2006 When, date and time will registration for the hardware compettion begin? When, date and time, will the qualifying rounds begin? When, date and time will the competitive rounds begin. This information is needed in order to secure funding and purchase plane tickets.
	duplicate question

A20	University of North Florida 02-16-2006 Are there prizes for winning?
	yes there will be prizes for the winning teams.

A21	University of North Florida 02-16-2006 When, date and time will registration for the hardware compettion begin? When, date and time, will the qualifying rounds begin? When, date and time will the competitive rounds begin? This information is needed in order to secure funding and purchase plane tickets. Sorry Wrong school last time
	Duplicate Question

A22	University of North Florida 02-16-2006 When, date and time will registration for the hardware compettion begin? When, date and time, will the qualifying rounds begin? When, date and time will the competitive rounds begin? This information is needed in order to secure funding and purchase plane tickets. Sorry Wrong school last time
	Registration testing and trials for the hardware competition will begin between 8:00am - 9:00am on friday morning , with a break for lunch around noon and will run the rest of the day. The competetive rounds will begin the following day on Saturday between 8:00am - 9:00am

A23	University of North Florida 02-16-2006 Is their an Itineraty for the entire Conference? Where is this posted?
	There is not itinerary posted at this time, when one is available the teams will be notified.

A24

University of North Florida 02-21-2006 Can we eliminate erroneous FAQ postings? When trying to finalize all requirements and options for the competition, it is disorienting to read the following in one post (A11): "battery packs are not allowed to be changed. there is power provided for you to charge your robot or it has the option to sit in the holding area off." And read this in another (A14): "I sincerely apologize for the amount of time it took to answer this question. It is allowable to change out battery packs, as well as making physical adjustments to the robot (i.e. a part comes loose,a tire tread comes off, or a minor electrical adjustment needs to be made.) between rounds. It is during the round that the robot may not be touched or no adjustments may be made." Thank you

If you need clarification on a question please refer to the most recent answer. If there is still confusion then please email the committee chair for clarification, or post a question to the FAQ section.

A25	University of North Florida 02-21-2006 What is the logic behind the "face-off"? In the instance that a point differential of 200 points exists between the 1st and 2nd place, what would this serve?
	where is this \"face-off\" you are refering to so that we may more accurately answer your question.

A26	University of Louisville 02-24-2006 Will there be a test board for us to test our robot on before the competition to test light and other environment conditions?
	yes there will be test boards for the schools to use

A27

Arkansas State University 03-05-2006 A17 "There will be three rounds that the robots will compete in, at the end of the third round the point will be tabulated and the top three robots will be named. The third robot will get third place with the top two scoring robots facing off in a final round to see which one will win first or second place." "This seems to be in contradiction to the rules subsection scoring" "Each robot will compete in three rounds." "The maximum number of obtainable points for all three rounds is 300. " "The total time elapsed for each of a robot?s three rounds will be used in the event of a tie, with the faster robot winning." There is no mention of a face off between second and third place, in fact their is explicit statement of "Each robot will compete in three rounds". Further, if a tie exists time will decide the winner not the robots who advance to the finals. Lastly the question is what is the point of this face of between first and second place? If a robot accumulates the most points it has beaten all the other robots and in accordance with the rules clearly wins. If a significant point differential exists what is the point of a face off?

Unfortunately I do not know who answered that question, but I can assure you that there are three rounds of scoring in the competition at the end of the third round the top three robots will be named. and as the rules state in case of a tie the time will be used to determine the winner. good luck in qualifying and we hope to see you in the finals.

A28

Mississippi State University 03-17-2006 After a meeting today, the team asked me to submit these questions relating to chute jamming: a. If a chute jams, can a team elect to continue on without restarting a round? This might be desireable if a team has already delivered a majority of the blocks, and due to power concerns, do not want to restart the round and will just accept the consequences of the chute jam. b. Our team is still seeing occassional chute jamming, especially on the last block as it does not have any weight on it. A simple solution is to place one or two non-barcoded blocks on top of this to maintain some pressure on this block as it falls into place. Would a team have the option of requesting one or two dummy blocks as the last blocks for this purpose( stack would have 13-14 blocks). Thanks, R. Reese, MSU SECON Team Advisor

No additional modifications will be made to the chutes for the competition, However If during a round of competition a block jams in the chute the team will have a choice to make IMMEDIATELY as to restart the round of competition, or to let a competition administrator try to reseat the blocks in the chute. The reseating of the blocks will only be the responsibility of the competition administrator at the board. (this policy is only for fairness of the competition and no other reason).

A29	University of North Florida 03-19-2006 If a plane is taken out of play is it legal to drive over the spot it used to occupy. A6 "When the plane leaves, it is simply removed from the board."
	Yes, but the planes have to be loaded from the loading zone side of the plane.

A30

Mississippi State University 03-23-2006 This is a only suggestion, and not a question. After watching the MSU team practice these last couple of weeks, I would like to make a constructive suggestion relating to chute jamming that would address both C9 and A28, and is more proactive than just restarting a round and hoping that the chute does not jam again. Simply allow a team member to adjust a block once it falls into place. The team member could not touch the robot, only the block, and the block would have to be in the white delivery square. This is a simple solution, does not require any chute modifications, and preserves the difficulty level of the competition while removing some of the current randomness of block delivery. I have watched our team do this when they are trying to get through all of the blocks, and it seems straightforward. This also addresses the problem where a block bounces in strange way when it falls into place, such that the block can't be retrieved because it is far off-center, but the chute is not jammed. Lets be honest, cardboard and wood are not exactly precision building materials :). Having multiple competition boards will mean some variation in chute implementations, and I am concerned that there will be a degree of luck involved in terms of getting a chute that does not deliver blocks as well as another chute. Allowing a team member to adjust a block (center the block or fix a chute jam), would remove this luck element. In watching our team practice, I see variations in block delivery even using the same chute - it might perform well a couple of times, then jam the next time, at a random block (more likely near the end, but can happen anywhere). A round could be restarted if the chute jammed so badly that the team member could not adjust a block before the next grab. You could also specify that a block could only be adjusted "a single time" after it has fallen into place; if the robot lost its grip on the block for some reason then the block could not be readjusted. Our team is ready to compete under the current conditions, but I think a couple of team members will be bringing along a lucky four-leaf clover or something equivalent :). See you next weekend! Thanks, Dr. R. Reese, SECON Team Advisor

Please see the answer to question A28.

A31	University of North Florida 03-28-2006 As I understand from the FAQ, no programming is allowed once the order of packages for a round has been revealed. However, does this imply that there will still be opportunities to program in between rounds? Or is the only opportunity available before the revealing for the first round?
	please see the answer to questins A14 and A15.

A32

Clemson University 03-28-2006 Hello, We have a question regarding the qualifying rounds. The Administratin Rules state: To qualify for the contest, a robot must extract one package from the loading chute, allowing the next package to fall from the shoot onto the ramp. A team will be given up to three rounds to qualify, with each round lasting two minutes. Our question is: When will qualifying take place? We noticed on the schedule of events that there is an early-morning "Hardware Competition Testing and Trials" that is separated from the afternoon session by two hours. Is that when qualifying will take place? We need to know so we can arrange appropriately when to leave. Thanks, Clemson University

the testing and qualifying rounds will start at 8:00am on friday and run until 8:00am on saturday morning, 8:00 am saturday morning is the cutoff time for the hardware competition though if you do not have your robot there by then you will not be able to enter the competition.

A33	University of North Florida 03-29-2006 Please give us a straight answer to this question instead of this, "Please see answer X99" stuff. Is programming between rounds considered minor electrical work? All we are looking for is a yes or no, if it is allowed to program in between rounds.
	NO

A34	Chattahoochee Technical College 06-05-2006 just a test message
	it does work ya know.

A35	Chattahoochee Technical College 09-28-2006 hahahaha...test question
	Yes it still works. -Chris

C1	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 Will the chute containing the packages be colored in white?
	The package loading chute will be printed in several colors.

C2	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 Will the chute containing the packages be stationary or will it change positions for each game?
	It will be stationary.

C3	University of North Florida 07-09-2005 Are the boxes preloaded in the chute like a pez dispenser or are they released individually? Will the box be oriented the same every time?
	Like a Pez dispenser. See also question K5.

C4	University of West Florida 07-20-2005 What color is the fedex shipping carton?
	The stacking device will be whatever color the vendor uses. See contest description.

C5	Chattahoochee Technical College 07-22-2005 How high is the triangular stacker? Will our 12inch robot be able to run under it?
	See contest description. (No, your 12" robot will not be able to run under it.)

C6	Florida State University 07-26-2005 How are the boxes set to be picked up?
	See question C3 & contest description.

C7

Mississippi State University 10-25-2005 As other schools have noted, the current chute design is prone to jamming if the next block tips over when it falls down. One factor that affects this is how the chute is loaded, which is beyond a school's control. One solution is to allow a team to manually adjust a 'tipped' block without stopping the contest. Can we expect some action to be taken during the contest in the case of a "tipped" block that jams the chute? Having "finished" blocks instead of "unfinished" blocks also helps to alleviate the frequency of this problem.

please await an answer to question A9, this will also answer your question as well.

C8

Mississippi State University 10-26-2005 There is a problem with the current chute design with a package "tipping backwards" when it falls into position, jamming the chute. To reduce the chances of this occurring, a package has to be extracted at a very high rate of speed, and even then it can still happen depending on how the chute is loaded, friction between blocks, etc. A low tech addition to the chute that greatly improves reliability is to simply place a "2 3/4" x "3/4" x 24" board inside the tube behind the blocks. This provides a backing for the blocks, making the tube easier to load and greatly reducing the frequency of the tipping problem because a block's backside now has support as it drops into place. The problem is still not totally eliminated if the package is extracted at a very slow speed; but it does allow for a wider range of extraction speeds. You can obtain a 4" x 1" x ??Length slat (actual dimensions 3 3/4" x 3/4") from any hardware store, and cut it down to size. Can we expect this simple modification to the chute design to improve the reliability of package delivery and allow for a wider range of extraction speeds?

thank you very much for the design modification idea. at this time please wait for an answer to question A9 or an update to come out on any modification that may be made. please do not assume that we are going to use your idea for this may not be the case and we would not want you to be testing improperly.

C9

Union University 03-08-2006 There have not been any recent updates on the chute problem. Can we assume that the packages will be flat on the board (not leaning in chute) and centered in the chute EVERY time a package is unloaded? Also, another school stated, "The rules state the robot can't move the planes. If the boxes actually move the planes as they are being loaded is this okay?" The answer was, "if the box is still attached to the robot and moves the plane it will be a penalty." I want to confirm this and ask if the package does move the plane upon delivery, will the plane be recentered without any penalty?

we have extremely minimized any problems with the chutes and the packages not falling correctly. Please see Question A28 for answer to second part.

K1	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 What is the maximum weight of each package?
	Weight of untreated pine lumber under ambient conditions.

K2	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 What color/material will the packages be?
	Natural pine lumber.

K3	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 What is the maximum height of each package?
	The packages are made by cutting a piece of untreated dimensioned pine lumber (nominally 2" x 4") into 2-1/8" lengths.

K4	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 What is the width and length of the packages?
	See question K3.

K5	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 Will the position of the barcode on the packages be random, or will the barcode always be on the same side facing the same direction out of the carton?
	The barcodes will be in the same position on each package. See question C3 and contest description.

K6	University of North Florida 06-07-2005 What are the dimensions and weights of the packages to be delivered?
	See questions K1 & K3.

K7	University of North Florida 06-07-2005 What height are the barcodes placed and are they uniform in placement (i.e. all horizontal, same side on each box)?
	See question K5 and contest description.

K8	University of North Florida 06-07-2005 Is there a specific barcode format to be followed (i.e., EAN 128)?
	The barcode will be the Codabar format.

K9	University of North Florida 07-06-2005 Is it possible to immediately acquire sample bar codes of the said bar codes that will be used in the competition?
	Each team submitting their contact information to us will be sent an actual sheet of barcodes labels. They will also be posted to this website. See also question K17.

K10	University of South Carolina 07-08-2005 Will the packages have any handles or holes that can be grabbed?
	No.

K11	University of South Carolina 07-08-2005 Max/min package weights/sizes would be useful information.
	See questions K1 & K3.

K12	University of South Carolina 07-08-2005 Will barcodes appear on all sides of a package, just one side, just the top? Will packages be arranged so that barcodes are all on the same side, or randomly arranged?
	See question K5 and contest description.

K13	University of North Florida 07-09-2005 Can you please send the barcodes to be used at the competition?
	See question K9.

K14	University of North Florida 07-09-2005 What is the maximum height and weight of the packages being delivered?
	See questions K1 & K3.

K15	University of North Florida 07-09-2005 What is the material of the packages? (i.e. wood, cardboard, etc.)
	See question K2.

K16	University of North Florida 07-09-2005 Where are the barcodes located at on the package? Is the barcode facing the same direction every time?
	See question K5 and contest description.

K17	University of North Florida 07-12-2005 What is the standard used for the barcodes? Or is the barcode a basic arbitrary black and white pattern? Specifically, what will the barcodes for each plane look like?
	The barcode will be black printing on a white background. See also questions K8 & K9.

K18	University of West Florida 07-20-2005 What color are the packages?
	See question K2.

K19	Chattahoochee Technical College 07-22-2005 What are the dimensions of the packages? We know the heights will vary but what about the length and width?
	See question K3 and contest description.

K20	Chattahoochee Technical College 07-22-2005 What type of bar code (standard twelve number?) will be displayed and is there a certain height off the ground they will be? Can we see a sample?
	See questions K8 & K9.

K21	Florida State University 07-26-2005 How big are the boxes we need to pick up? (l, w, max ht) Is there a maximum height we can expect?
	See question K3 and contest description.

K22	Florida State University 07-26-2005 What is the approximate weight of the boxes?
	See question K1.

K23	Florida State University 07-26-2005 How much grabbing pressure can the boxes withstand?
	As long as you do not damage the package so it can not be reused. See also questions K2 & S1.

K24	Florida State University 07-26-2005 What type of barcode is used?
	See questions K8 & K9.

K25	University of Alabama at Birmingham 08-02-2005 Is the bar code going to be the old 1-dimensional or the latest 2-dimensional?
	One dimensional.

K26	University of Alabama at Birmingham 08-02-2005 If a pre-sorting approach is used will the barcode be alpha-numeric or numeric only to determine where to send the package?
	Numeric only

K27	Mississippi State University 08-15-2005 If you have barcodes on the front and top, you might also want to place barcodes on the bottom and back, to protect the teams against the unlikely event that if a block tips over when it comes out of the chute, a bar code should still be visible.
	The design and dimensions of the loading chute were chosen so carefully-loaded blocks will not tip in the chute. However, if one does tip, our experience is that it is unlikely to fall in any orientation that you could still extract it (i.e., the chute is jammed).

K28	University of North Florida 08-30-2005 Are the FedEx packages cut from a carpenter's 2x4 you would find at, say, Home Depot?
	Yes

K29	Virginia Military Institute 09-01-2005 The standard size of a 2"x4" is: 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" x 2 1/8". The size in the rules say: 1 3/4" x 3 3/4" x 2 1/8". Which dimensions are we to use?
	You are correct. We have revised the rules to reflect this.

K30	Florida State University 09-02-2005 Has there been a decision about what type of barcode reader will be needed? There was a note about a universal barcode everyone could purchase, has that been determined yet?
	Yes. This information has been posted to the website.

K31	Mississippi State University 09-12-2005 When can we expect the barcodes to be sent out to the respective universities and posted on the site?
	We are currently in the process of getting the barcodes printed. Once printed, we will send the barcodes out to registered schools and post them on the website. Please check the Updates Page for when barcodes are ready to be shipped.

K32	University of Tennessee at Martin 09-30-2005 I was just wondering where are the barcodes? It has been over 1.5 months since you guys said that you were going to send them out to the registered teams.
	The barcodes will be mailed out by week ending October 7, 2005. You will receive an email upon mailing. Please let us know if you have not received the barcodes within an appropriate time table.

K33	Mercer University 10-16-2005 Do blocks have to remain on the playing surface (within the 4'x4' playing field)?
	the robot can not leave the playing field or the 4\' x 4\' area, so if the box is outside of that area the robot could not pick it up.

K34	University of Louisville 10-21-2005 What are the dimensions for the "front" and the "top" of the package? (to specify which sides are front and top)
	Packages are cut from #2 pine lumber 2? x 4? (approximately 1-1/2? x 3-1/2?) cut into twelve blocks each 2-1/8? long top and bottom are the 4 x 2-1/8? section front and sides are the 2 x 2-1/8\"

K35	University of Louisville 10-21-2005 What is the placement of the barcode on the face of the package(is it centered vertically and horizontally on the face)?
	please see the pictures section for how the barcodes will be placed on the block.

K36	University of Evansville 10-26-2005 I was told a long time ago that we would have lables mailed to us. I have not received these please send them to me ASAP. If it is possible please email me a copy of them so I can print it out. Thanks Mark Randall
	your barcodes are on the way

K37	Chattahoochee Technical College 11-01-2005 Will the packages have their edges sanded or beveled in any way to help facilitate loading?
	the packages will be lightly sanded, but the edges will not be beveled.

K38	North Carolina A & T State University 11-14-2005 Hi, My school has several teams working on robot designs for your competition. Somehow, the sheets with the barcode labels have been misplaced and more are needed. Is it possible to order more sheets of the labels? Thanks.
	Please see question A13 We are working on getting the barcodes posted to the website, once we do an email will be sent out to let the teams know of the update.

K39	Western Kentucky University 11-18-2005 Can packages be sorted out on the playing surface and then picked up at a later time?
	The rules do not state that you have to load the packages one at a time onto the plane.

K40	University of Southern Indiana 11-18-2005 Can the packages be loaded into a sack or other holding container that can be deposited into each plane? If this were a real life situation the concept of palletizing a group of packages is not uncommon.
	The robot must be a single autonomous device. It may not separate into multiple units. If these holding containers are part of the robot initially and seperate from the robot, then this would violate the rules stated above.

K41

University of Evansville 02-09-2006 If during the process of pulling out a package the package above it falls out of position(i.e. the package lands in a position not square with the front of the white triangle) will the robot need to have the ability to deal with such a situation? Obviously some deviation from exactly square must be tolerated but to what extent must we be prepared to deal with this issue? Please contact me if any clarification on my question is required. Kevin Claycomb

No the robot will not need to be able to unjam the chute if the package is stuck inside of it. We had already decided that the round would be restarted.

K42

University of Louisville 02-13-2006 I believe it has already been determined that there is a possibility of the packages getting jammed (not due to the robot). You said that in such a case, the round would be started over. 1. If, for example, a package gets jammed 4 minutes into the round, will the next round be started immediately, or will the teams have time to change batteries on the robot? Some batteries might last for only 7 minutes, and if 4 minutes of running were wasted, will the teams have time to put new batteries into the robot? 2. Are all the ?rounds? going to be in one day, or spread over few days? (winning two robots would have to compete in 4 rounds). 3. While another robot is doing it?s task (in it?s round), can the other robots be charging while waiting?

To answer the questions in order, 1. The robot would be allowed to change its batteries in a situation like the one described. 2. After qualifications are done all competition rounds will be on saturday. 3. The other robots will be in a holding pen, if the team so choses to yes it can be charging at that time.

K43	North Carolina A&T State University 02-22-2006 What is the finish of paper that the barcodes are printed on; glossy, semi-gloss, regular inkjet paper...? Also, how are the barcode labels afixed to the packages? Thanks.
	the barcodes will be identical to the ones mailed out to each of the schools for testing. they will be adhered to the packages like a sticker.

K44	North Carolina A&T State University 02-23-2006 Are the barcode labels printed with an inkjet or laser printer? Thanks.
	the barcodes are printed using a laser printer.

K45	University of South Carolina 03-02-2006 The barcodes that we recieved are different from the barcodes that are online. The barcode online only contain one digit, and the barcodes we recieved contian 7 digits. Could it be possible to email or send us some more copies of the barcodes.
	the barcodes that are online are just a scanned copy of the ones that were mailed to each team. I will try and scan some more this weekend and email them to you as well as mail out a new set.

K46	Clemson University 03-07-2006 We are currently still waiting on barcode labels and was wondering if we could get those sent ASAP. Please email me if you still need a mailing address. Thanks.
	I mailed out barcodes to you this morning.

K47	North Carolina State University 03-08-2006 What are the dimensions of the barcode image that will be used on the package?
	I mailed out barcodes to you this morning

K48	Mercer University 03-20-2006 Hey folks, My question is in regard to the positioning of the barcode labels on the packages. Will the labels be consistently placed on all packages (can all labels be expected to be placed in the center of the packages, for example), or will the position be somewhat random (i.e, up in a corner or tilted)?
	the barcode position will be consistently placed in the center of the packages.

K49	Georgia Institute of Technology 03-25-2006 Please confirm whether the blocks will be painted. the rule states that they may be painted, and the FAQ K2 response implies that they will be left as their natural color.
	the blocks will be there natural wood finish with a light sanding.

K50

University of Florida 03-27-2006 We have been corresponding with another school and have both found that the bar codes sent to us do not scan very well with the POS-X scanner. We believe that it has to do with the reflective paper they are printed on. This may show as a problem to both our schools because we may have similar lighting situtations. We have tried to photocopy the barcodes shipped to us and the photocopies work 100% of the time. If at the competition the barcodes are not reading into scanners- will there be alternate packages with non-reflective barcodes?

The barcodes for the competition will be the exact same as the ones mailed to the schools. There will be no alternative barcodes available.

P1	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 Will the three "planes" be colored in white?
	The color of the boxes is not being specified by the contest committee.

P2	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 What are the approximate dimensions (length, width, height) of the "plane" boxes?
	The planes are formed from cutting a cardboard box of nominally 6" wide x 12" long x 6" high in half to make a box nominally 6" wide x 12" long x 3" high.

P3	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 Will planes A, B, and C be stationary or will the interchange spots?
	The parking spots for each plane will be stationery. The placement of the planes will be the same for each round. However, the planes will be physically removed from the ramp as each "takes off."

P4	University of North Florida 06-07-2005 How tall are the openings to the cardboard "planes"?
	The boxes are open on the top. See question P2.

P5	University of South Carolina 07-08-2005 Will each plane be marked with a barcode corresponding to the barcodes appearing on the blocks?
	No.

P6	University of South Carolina 07-08-2005 How much force is estimated to move an airplane? I.e. can a contact bumper (like a microswitch) be used to decide when a robot is "there", or would that likely move the box and hence incur the "significant penalty".
	The plane is a small cardboard box sitting on a smooth sheet of plywood. If it is moved, there will be a penalty. See contest description. (This question is also included in the "Robot" section.) See also question S7.

P7	University of West Florida 07-20-2005 What color are the planes (inside and out)?
	See question K1.

P8	Chattahoochee Technical College 07-22-2005 How high will the sides of the airplane boxes be?
	See question K2.

P9	Florida A & M University 10-11-2005 Where will the barcode be located on the plane? Will it be on one side or more than one?
	There are no barcodes located on the planes themselves, they have a designated area on the board that they are positioned. rules section planes states. The airplanes are numbered 1, 2, and 3 and will be positioned over their corresponding rectangles painted on the ramp. The planes will not be identified in any way with their number.

P10	Mercer University 10-13-2005 The rules imply that once a robot has bumped the plane, and has left the area (but the round is not complete) the plane will be moved back in place. If this is the case, and the robot bumps the same plane again, will it be penalized twice? (Suppose it bumps plane 1, plane 2, and plane 1 in that order. It the robot penalized 24 points or 36?)
	you will be penalized for every time the robot bumps the plane. the robot will be penalized 36 points.

P11	University of Louisville 10-23-2005 Does the robot have to load each plane in it's designated "loading zone"?
	Planes must be loaded from the ?loading zone? side of the plane. This is the side of the plane closest to the starting square side of the board. (This is depicted in the drawing showing the board layout but is not painted on the actual ramp.)

P12

North Carolina A & T State University 11-11-2005 Are the planes going to be moved for the different rounds of the competition? I know that they will be removed from the ramp during the competition rounds (3 minutes, 4 minutes, and 5 minutes respectively for planes 1, 2, and 3). But, for example, on the AutoCAD drawing, you labeled the spaces for planes 1, 2, and 3, with plane 1 being located to the right of the home position, plane 2 located to the right of plane 1, and plane 3 opposite to plane 2. Will plane 1 (the cardboard box) always be located where it is specified in the schematic? And the same for planes 2 and 3? Do you ever put plane 1 (cardboard box) in the position that is labeled 2 or 3 in the schematic?

No. The position of the planes is fixed throughout the competition. Only the order of the packages changes with each round.

P13	Arkansas State University 11-17-2005 If the packages stacked in the plane go above the 3" height is that still considered in the plane?
	Yes, this is still considered in the plane.

P14

University of Tennessee - Knoxville 01-20-2006 I understand that bumping the planes to the point that the white square is visible is a penalty. There is no where, however, in which the rules state that the plane CANNOT be physically held in postion while loading. Our design holds the plane in position, without damage, while loading. Would we be pentalized for this? If yes, please provide quote from rules where this is stated. Thank You.

Contestant\'s robot may touch planes. It may also rest a lip over the edge of the plane. However, it shall not grasp, clamp, or otherwise constrain the movement of the plane. The point deduction for visible white space still applies.

P15

University of Louisville 02-24-2006 No instructions are given on the construction (taping) of the planes. After constructing the planes, it is noticed that the bottom of the boxes will bow and the inside flaps stick up if not taped down well enough (causing the plane to easily wobble and move). How thoroughly will the bottom flaps be taped down (completely flat bottom or bowed bottom of the box)? Will the interior flaps be taped down inside of the plane?

the boxes will be as flat on the bottom as possible, since you are cutting the box in half there will not be any inside flaps left (if I am understanding your question right).

M1	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 Is the starting position stationary - always bottom left corner.
	The starting position will be stationary, per the contest description.

M2	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 Will each plane always be in the same location within the parking space (same distance from the lines each time)?
	Yes.

M3	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 Basically, will the board always be exactly the same to where only the box order in the chute will change?
	The ramp layout will not change to the extent that humans exercising reasonable effort can reset it between rounds.

M4	Virginia Tech 06-06-2005 Will the triangular FedEx mailing carton have a line directed to the center of the carton? Or will the carton be in a specific area of the playing field?
	See contest description.

M5	University of North Florida 06-07-2005 When can we expect the exact dimensions of the playing field?
	An AutoCAD drawing depicting the layout has been posted to this web site and will be supplemented by photographs.

M6	University of South Carolina 07-08-2005 It could be helpful to have the turnouts to the three planes marked somehow to indicate which one the robot is at. Of course it could also be your intent for the robot to keep track of its own position. But experience suggests that a little bit of help here will make more of the teams more successful.
	See contest description.

M7	University of North Florida 07-09-2005 When will an exact model of the playing field be made available?
	See question M5.

M8	University of Alabama 07-14-2005 On the depicted playing area, will the black lines leading to each "airplane" be painted on the surface where they could be used for position tracking or are these for illustration purposes only. If these lines will be available, will there also be tracking lines to the package pickup station?
	See contest description. The ramp is black with white painted lines.

M9	Chattahoochee Technical College 07-22-2005 Will the packages be sitting on the floor to be picked up?
	Yes, but positioned by the stacking device with succeeding packages sitting on top. As each package is removed, another drops by gravity into place. See contest description.

M10	Florida State University 07-26-2005 Are the lines, edges, and holding areas designated by different color or width stripes?
	See questions M5, M6, and contest description.

M11	Florida State University 07-26-2005 Where is the carton holding area located?
	See contest description.

M12	Mercer University 08-22-2005 What is the name, brand, and number of the black and white paint used on the ramp?
	Black Paint: Glidden "Evermore" Interior Latex Flat (HD 9034 Black). White Paint: Glidden "America's Finest" Latex Flat (HM 1224 White). We bought ours at Home Depot.

M13

Guilford Tech 08-25-2005 There is no picture of the entire ramp on the 'pictures' page, but what is shown of it conflicts with the autocad drawing at the opposite end of the starting point and chute. Could you please provide a picture of the entire ramp and a simple black and white diagram that do not conflict?

When our prototype board was photographed, we had not yet sawed it in half, so some extraneous board may have caused some confusion in the picture titled "Overview of ramp layout." In an effort to post photographs as soon as possible, we had not yet repainted the other half with the latest layout, either. When another completely clean, sawed-in-half board is available, we will replace this photograph. Our disclaimer on the "Board Layout Pictures" page states, "These photographs of our prototypes are for illustrative purposes only to assist teams in constructing their own layouts for testing.... The contest description is the official document describing the construction of the contest."

M13	Southern Polytechnic State University 08-31-2005 What kind of black paint is use for the ramp?
	See answer to M12.

M15	University of Louisville 10-23-2005 The word "ramp" is confusing. If the plane of the board is smooth and flat everywhere, then is the 4'x4' board itself tilted in anyway?
	the board will not be tilted the word \"ramp\" is just a title given to the specific spot on the board.

M16	The University of Alabama in Huntsville 10-25-2005 A lot of options are available when it comes to buying plywood. But we wanted to recreate the same ramp that you have therefore could you plesae let us know the exact part number that you have used to create the ramp. (please include the store that you bought it from and the manufacturer specification of the plywood.) Best regards
	The answer to the following question is ?Grade BC or AC (smooth on one side-no knot holes) three quarter inch thick plywood (23/32 will also work). Can be purchased at any lumber yard, Lowe?s or Home Depot.

M17	University of Louisville 02-24-2006 Will the competition board have any walls or objects close to the edge of the board or can we request that nothing be within 4 feet away from the board?
	there will be a \"velvet rope\" around the boards during the competition, no the boards will not have any walls or objects close to it. I do believe that we do have a 4 foot barrier.

R1	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 What are the maximum dimensions to which our robot can expand?
	14" wide x 14" deep x 20" high

R2	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 Can the robot separate into multiple units?
	No.

R3	Mississippi State University 06-08-2005 Can the robot split into multiple units as long as it fits into the specified square?
	See Question R2.

R4	University of North Florida 07-09-2005 Is the machine allowed to carry more than one box at a time?
	Yes.

R5	Florida State University 07-26-2005 How far, if at all, can we extend past the robot with mobile parts.
	See question R1.

R6	University of South Carolina 07-08-2005 How much force is estimated to move an airplane? I.e. can a contact bumper (like a microswitch) be used to decide when a robot is "there", or would that likely move the box and hence incur the "significant penalty".
	The plane is a small cardboard box sitting on a smooth sheet of plywood. If it is moved, there will be a penalty. See contest description. (This question is also included in the "Planes" section.) See also question S7.

R7	North Carolina A&T State University 09-28-2005 Is a robot allowed to carry all 12 packages at a time if it is capable of doing so?
	Nowhere in the rules does it state that you have to only carry one box at a time. Refer to question R4.

R8	North Carolina State University 10-11-2005 You have said that the Codabar format is what you intend to use for the barcodes. There are different Codabar settings which are Codabar 1, 2, 3 and 4. Codabar-2 is twice as wide as Codabar-1, Codabar-3 is three times as large as Codabar-1 and so on. Which setting do you intend to use for the competition?
	per paritech the company providing the barcodes they used an A start and stop bit which is codabar-1 if you are having problems with the sample barcodes sent out please email the committee contact for hardware to remedy the problem.

R9	University of Louisville 10-21-2005 Does the robot have to return to the initial starting position (corner of the board) at the end of the round or just stop anywhere on the board?
	no where in the rules does it state that the robot has to return to the initial starting square.

R10	University of Louisville 10-21-2005 When the robot returns to the start space at the end of the round, how accurately must the robot fit within the 8" x 8" space?
	no where in the rules does it state that the robot has to return to the starting square.

R11	University of Louisville 10-21-2005 Can the robot have multiple switches or buttons to allow the user to decide between different programs for the robot to run at the start of each round?
	No programming of the robot will be permitted once the order of the packages has been revealed for a round.

R12

University of Tennessee - Knoxville 12-07-2005 Pertaining to the size constraints of the robot, if there is cloth connected to the top of the robot, but not at the bottom, it may be hanging outside of the size constraints. However, since it is only the cloth exceeding the size as the "size test" box is placed over the top it pushes the cloth in and therefore the box still touches the board on all sides, will this result in a penalty?

As long as the box may fit over the robot, it will be deemed to meet the size constraints. The Hardware Competition Committee will not be responsible for damage to the robot (cloth or otherwise) by being squeezed or snagged during the measuring process. The robot must meet all contest guidelines for each round of the competition. At any time prior to the start of a run, the Committee may elect to reconfirm the robot\'s dimensions or any other facet of the rules.

R14	The University of Alabama in Huntsville 02-03-2006 The rules state "The maximum starting and ENDING size of the robot is 8? wide by 8? long by 12? high." Will the robot be measured at the end of the match? If the robot measures greater than the start size, will it be scored at max time or disqualified? Thanks.
	The robot will be disqualified for that round if it does not return to the ending size.

R13	Tennessee Technological University 01-31-2006 Our robot never extends past 14 inches while in motion, however, if the arm is stretched completely out, it will exceed 14 inches. Will that pose a problem? When measuring our robot, will you specifically extend the arm to its fullest capacity? Again, it NEVER will go to that position. THANKS!
	The rules state Upon starting, the robot may expand to a maximum size of 14? wide by 14? long by 20? high. also The maximum starting and ending size of the robot is 8? wide by 8? long by 12? high. As long as your robot does not exceed these meausrements upon start up or completion.

R15	The University of Alabama in Huntsville 02-03-2006 The rules state "The maximum starting and ENDING size of the robot is 8? wide by 8? long by 12? high." Will the robot be measured at the end of the match? If the robot measures greater than the start size, will it be scored at max time or disqualified? Thanks.
	dupicate question

R16	Florida Institute of Technology 02-06-2006 Are the robots allowed to use devices that are caple of using bluetooth for programming purposes and to start the robot when the signal is given to go?
	Wireless devices are not allowed for the robots, the robots are to be a self contained, autonomous unit.

R17	Florida Institute of Technology 02-09-2006 Are teams allowed to use their own navigation devices that takes advantage of other references apart from the lines, such as wireless emitters on the perimeter of the board or at the Start/Finish area?
	See Question R16, Wireless devices are not allowed for the robots, the robots are to be a self contained, autonomous unit.

R18	The University of Alabama in Huntsville 02-10-2006 Although the rules do not state that the robot must return to the end zone, the AutoCAD file clearly labels the start zone as the "Start/END" zone. Is the robot required to return to the end zone to be scored? Please answer yes or no for clarity on this subject. Thanks!
	No the robot is not required to end in the \"end\" square, once it has completed its round it may stop anywhere on the board.

R19

University of Louisville 02-17-2006 A question has been asked whether or not the robot is allowed to have multiple switches on it. The answer was that there can?t be any additional programming after the order of packages has been established. This still did not answer the question whether or not the robot can have multiple switches. The robot has to be manually started: Is it ok to have multiple switches for powering up the robot?

why would you need multiple switches to power up the robot? I need clarification on this question please.

R20

Mississippi State University 03-03-2006 In response to question R19: On our almost competed robot we have a completed PCB that contains multiple switches. Because we utilize multiple power rails on the PCB, each rail has an On/Off switch. When the round is begun all power switches will be in the ON position In other words, all switches will have the same orientation. Also, there is a GO switch that is to be toggled when the command is given. This is the reason OUR team needs multiple switches.

as long as all switches are on at the start of the competition and are not touched until the end of the round when the teams can touch there robot again, this should not pose a problem.

R21	University of Louisville 03-03-2006 This is in addition to R19 and R20. The reason one would need multiple switches would be for turning on the different power busses. What if a robot is using different power supplies, for example a 6V power supply and a 20V supply. Would it be ok to have multiple switches to start those two?
	as long as all switches are on at the start of the competition and are not touched until the end of the round when the teams can there robot again, this should not pose a problem. There will be no togging of switches or touching the robot during the rounds though.

R22	Clemson University 03-05-2006 We understand that the dimensions of the robot cannot exceed 14x14x20 once the round has started. If a block (box) were to slightly hang off the robot and extend beyond the 14x14x20 diemnsions of the robot, would that new extension of the block be considered part of the robot, thus meriting disqualification or point dedcutions?
	I may not fully understand the question but if the concern is that while the round is underway then the answer is no it does not matter. As long as at the beginning and end of the round the robot fits within the given measurements you will be fine. if this does not answer your question please post another or email the conference administrator

R23

North Carolina A&T State University 03-06-2006 In reference to R19, R20, R21: Are you saying the robot must be powered on FULLY while a round is in progress? Why can't we power up the robot when we put it on the playing surface? This will give a distinct advantage (power consumption wise) to the robots that run first. We are using multiple battery packs that all recharge on ONE recharger (due to the expense of the charger, we cannot buy multiple chargers) and the batteries cannot be charged in circuit. We plan to put our code into flash rom, so we will not have to reprogram the robot if the power is turned off.

what was meant by the answers to questions R19, R20, R21 is that when the robot hits the board for its run in qualifying or the competition it has to be ready to go, whether you turn it on a split second before you put it on the board or you leave it on in the holding pen that choice is up to you. but when you set it on the board it must be ready to go.

R24

University of North Florida 03-20-2006 In Reference to R22: "We understand that the dimensions of the robot cannot exceed 14x14x20 once the round has started. If a block (box) were to slightly hang off the robot and extend beyond the 14x14x20 diemnsions of the robot, would that new extension of the block be considered part of the robot, thus meriting disqualification or point dedcutions? I may not fully understand the question but if the concern is that while the round is underway then the answer is no it does not matter. As long as at the beginning and end of the round the robot fits within the given measurements you will be fine. if this does not answer your question please post another or email the conference administrator" How does the size during a round "not matter?"(R22 Response) We have spent a good deal of time conforming to size constraints. Does this mean that the robot may expand to any size, since it does not matter, "As long as at the beginning and end of the round the robot fits within the given measurements?" (R22 Response) So then, the 14"x14"x20" size- if during a round it "doesn't matter," (R22 Response) then what are the secondary expandable dimensions stated for? The Contest Description States: ->The maximum starting and ending size of the robot is 8? wide by 8? long by 12? high. ->2Upon starting, the robot may expand to a maximum size of 14? wide by 14? long by 20? high. ->Upon completion of the round, the robot must again be no larger than 8? wide by 8? long by 12? high Engineers should never take on projects that do not have specific design requirements in some form. These requirements were given to us in the Contest Description, and to say they now "do not matter"(R22 Response) brings the question of which requirements actually DO MATTER. This is similar to the issue of the "face-off", where the following is the response to A27: "Unfortunately I do not know who answered that question, but I can assure you that there are three rounds of scoring in the competition at the end of the third round the top three robots will be named. and as the rules state in case of a tie the time will be used to determine the winner. good luck in qualifying and we hope to see you in the finals." So is this person that mysteriously answers questions (As pointed out in A27) in opposition to the the Contest Description going to have the ruling reversed after somebody else answers a similar question? Stated in a different way, can the robot be larger than 14"x14"x20"? The obvious answer (I thought) was NO. Those are maximum dimensions and teams will be disqualified for not complying with specified design criteria. But is the answer "while the round is underway then the answer is no it does not matter" (R22 Response) sufficient to say that the size does not matter?

the blocks that are attached to the robot during the round do not count as physical size for the constraints given in the problem. the ROBOT still may not exceed the 14\" by 14\" by 20\" size requirements in round. Also may not exceed the 8\" by 8\" by 12\" beginning and end size requirements. I am confused as to if the part about A27 is a question, if it is a question then the answer is: A small group of well trained people will be the only ones that have a say during the competition and the person that answered the question in concern is not in that group. Good Luck and we hope to see you in the finals.

S1	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 Will there be a penalty for any damage caused to the packages?
	No, unless you deform them to the extent we cannot re-use them, in which case we will be upset. See also question K23 and the contest rules.

S2	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 Is each box worth the same number of points, regardless of size or plane assignment?
	Yes.

S3	Mississippi State University 04-17-2005 What is meant by "Points will be awarded for timeliness."? Does this mean that additional points are given for loading a plane so many seconds before it leaves? Or does this mean that a package loaded on Plan A in 1 minutes is worth more than a package loaded on Plane A after 2 minutes?
	Time to complete all rounds will only be used to break ties. (See contest description.)

S4	University of North Florida 06-07-2005 Is there a penalty for the packages to come in contact with the planes?
	Only if the planes are moved.

S5	University of North Florida 06-07-2005 Does the robot display to be scored after each successful delivery or after returning to the starting square?
	Robot will signal when to be scored. See contest description.

S6	University of Alabama at Birmingham 08-02-2005 What kind of calculations if any will be required to confirm the delivery of the package to the appropriate plane?
	If this question is about how the contest committee will know if the right package was loaded, we will know by the human-readable characters printed with the barcode. See also question A3.

S7	Contest Committee 08-12-2005 How much may a plane be bumped before a penalty is incurred?
	The parking space for the plane is 1/2" smaller on three sides than the plane. If the plane is moved enough that the Contest Committee can see the white paint of the parking space protruding from under the box, the penalty will be incurred. See contest description.

S8	University of Tennessee - Knoxville 09-01-2005 In scoring, the rules state that if the robot leaves the board, its round ends. Does "leaving the board" imply losing all contact with the surface of the board or breaking the plane of the outer boundaries?
	Leaving the board means the robot has traveled off the ramp surface and cannot (or does not) return. It does not mean that you cannot overhang the edge as you run the course.

S9	University of Louisville 10-21-2005 The rules state that 300 points are available. But the only awarded points come from successfully delivered packages (8 pts each, 12 packages), which would total 288 points for 3 rounds. Where do the other 12 points come from?
	4 points per round will be awarded for successfully pulling all of the packages out.

S10	University of Louisville 10-31-2005 Are there any point deductions for packages that are not delivered (left in the chute or set aside if plane has left) at the end of the round?
	packages not on a plane are considered left on the ramp and are not scored.

S11	University of Southern Mississippi 11-09-2005 Must we track the lines during competiton to recieve full points for delivering packages?
	The rules do not state that you need to track the lines of the board to receive full points. However you must load the plane from the \"Loading Zone\" side of the plane.

S12	University of Southern Mississippi 11-09-2005 Must we track the lines during competiton to recieve full points for delivering packages?
	Please see answer to question S11, when it is answered.

S13	University of Louisville 11-17-2005 If the force of the package falling (after the bots release) moves the box, does the 12 point penalty apply?
	The packages must be loaded with enough care that the plane is not moved enough to incur a penalty.

S14

University of North Florida 03-05-2006 A17 "There will be three rounds that the robots will compete in, at the end of the third round the point will be tabulated and the top three robots will be named. The third robot will get third place with the top two scoring robots facing off in a final round to see which one will win first or second place." "This seems to be in contradiction to the rules subsection scoring" "Each robot will compete in three rounds." "The maximum number of obtainable points for all three rounds is 300. " "The total time elapsed for each of a robot?s three rounds will be used in the event of a tie, with the faster robot winning." There is no mention of a face off between second and third place, in fact their is explicit statement of "Each robot will compete in three rounds". Further, if a tie exists time will decide the winner not the robots who advance to the finals. Lastly the question is what is the point of this face of between first and second place? If a robot accumulates the most points it has beaten all the other robots and in accordance with the rules clearly wins. If a significant point differential exists what is the point of a face off?

please see answer to question A27.

S15

University of North Florida 03-05-2006 A17 "There will be three rounds that the robots will compete in, at the end of the third round the point will be tabulated and the top three robots will be named. The third robot will get third place with the top two scoring robots facing off in a final round to see which one will win first or second place." "This seems to be in contradiction to the rules subsection scoring" "Each robot will compete in three rounds." "The maximum number of obtainable points for all three rounds is 300. " "The total time elapsed for each of a robot?s three rounds will be used in the event of a tie, with the faster robot winning." There is no mention of a face off between second and third place, in fact their is explicit statement of "Each robot will compete in three rounds". Further, if a tie exists time will decide the winner not the robots who advance to the finals. Lastly the question is what is the point of this face of between first and second place? If a robot accumulates the most points it has beaten all the other robots and in accordance with the rules clearly wins. If a significant point differential exists what is the point of a face off?

points for originality but i think the question only needed to be asked once maybe twice. see answer to question A27

S16	Florida State University 03-28-2006 In the rules it states 8 ponts will be awarded for every correct delivery of a block and a 2 point penalty for an incorrect delivery. Does this mean 8 points will be awarded with a 2 point penalty (6 points total) for an incorrect delivery? Or is there a -2 scored for the block?
	if the robot loads the package in the wrong plane it is a -2 score for that package.