Congratulations to this year's winners!

Congratulations to the winning team from Chandler-Gilbert Community College.

Student Team Members: Matthew Adamson, Kevin Reed, Levi Randolph-Roble

Faculty Coach: Bassam Matar

The winning team is seen here with Steve Phillips, Chief Information Officer for Avnet, Inc.

Thank you to our 2010 game sponsor:

Using a "standard" LEGO Mindstorm® NXT 2.0 NXT Robot kit with NXT 8547 software, all provided by Avnet, each team will have five hours to build and program a robot to maneuver an tow different course; a maze and an obstacle course and perform example task(s) that will be defined at the start of the event (7:30am). The robot that is best able to complete the tasks with the most points wins.

2-3 Students

1 team per college, 10 teams maximum total in the competition (Max 1 teams per college with additional teams placed on reserve hold - pending open slots based on maximum 10 allowed teams)

Registration Deadline:

February 26, 2010 – Registration is closed.

Disciplines / Skills Recommended:

• No special skills or knowledge required
• Some programming experience is helpful.
• Familiarity with using the "standard" LEGO Mindstorm® 2.0 NXT Robot kit with accompanying NXT 8547 software is necessary (this kit is readily available at many retails stores, including Fry's Electronics for $280)
• The NXT 8547 software will be provided on a CD with the kits for all participating teams to install on their laptops at the start of the event (7:30am) on April 10th.

Event Description:

Students will have 4 hours to build, program and test a mobile robot to maneuver autonomously through an obstacle course (follow a visibly-distinct red or blue (different color than the object to pick up) line on a white surface while avoiding obstacles) and locate, pickup and carry an object like a small plastic red or blue ball or loop (the loop or plastic ball will be provided with the NXT 2.0 kit for practice).

Each team will be provided the following:

• one new LEGO Mindstorm® NXT 2.0 Robot kit including Software CD
• Access to a laptop with Windows with the LEGO software installed, a CD-Rom Drive, a USB port.

Student teams will each be provided a laptop to use during the competition. Each team will be assigned to a table in the competition room where they will build their robot. There is no imposed robot size limit.

Two identical obstacle courses will be available for students to check the navigation programming aspects of their robots. Each robot uses the standard LEGO Mindstorm® NXT 2.0 sensors (touch, sound, light, ultrasonic) to identify the object to retrieve, obstacles, and the path that must be followed. While the sound sensor may be used in the design, Avnet makes no guarantee that the room will be quiet nor will it enforce a no-noise policy from the audience. Using the blue tooth that comes with the kit will not be allowed.

The obstacle course will be designed to fit upon a 4ft- x 8ft-platform with no exterior borders. A path will be comprised of a flat matted painter's tape (different color than the pick up object) on a shiny white board. All obstacles on the course will be taller than the pick up object, wooden, square or rectangular in shape, possibly with rounded corners, and will be secured to the board at several points along the taped path, breaking the continuity of the path.

Expect two types of competition courses, one a maze and the other an obstacle course. Examples of each course will be available for practice, but the course will be modified slightly for competition.

All programming, design, build and testing efforts will cease promptly at the end of the 5-hour build and program phase. At this time, each team will compete one at a time by placing their robot at the starting line of the obstacle course. The order in which teams will compete will be determined by a random drawing of the team names. At "go!" students will press the "RUN" button of the NXT microcomputer to send their robot off to navigate the course. Robots will have to maneuver around obstacles, and identify, grab and retrieve and carry the object to the end of the course in the shortest amount of time.

The winning robot will be determined by the fastest time in seconds that it is able to maneuver the course and accomplish the task(s). Seconds will be added to the total run time for penalties that will be identified prior to the design and build phase. The judging criteria, including seconds added per penalty, will be provided at 7:30am on the day of the event.

Technical Parameters:

• All programs must be written during the allotted time using the LEGO Mindstorm® 2.0 NXT 8547 software provided.
• All aspects of the robot must be constructed only from the LEGO parts supplied.
• Teams may NOT bring any supplies, papers or prewritten programs.
• Teams may not access previously written code in any way, shape or form.
• No equipment can be used except for the equipment provided at the event.
• Students may not consult their professors or other non-team members during the event. All questions must go to the gatekeeper who will then determine how best to address the question.
• Using the blue tooth that comes with the kit will not be allowed.
• A stop watch will start when the robot switch is turned on.

Schedule:

• 7 - 7:30 a.m. - Registration
• 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - Design, build, program and test Robots
• 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. - "On the Go" lunch
• 12:30 - 3:00 p.m. - Robot Race. Limit each team to 5 min. + 5min
  to switch teams; (Judging 10 teams max , with 2 runs each team is 2.5 hr)
• 3:00 - 3:15 p.m. - Judges evaluate robot race times and identify winning team
• 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. - Networking Hour (Student/Faculty/Administration/Industry)
• 12:00 Pre-judging
• 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. - Awards Reception

Awards:

Each team member will win a $1000 scholarship

Equipment Requirements for Students:

• Required to NOT bring anything to the event.
• At event conclusion, pack all components of the LEGO Mindstorm® 2.0 kit, including software CD, back in the original box or container provided.
• At event conclusion, shut down lap tops and turn in to game owner.

Equipment Requirements for Avnet:

• For each team, provide one new "standard" LEGO Mindstorm® 2.0 NXT Robot kit (10 kits plus 2 spare kits) that comes with numerous parts including:
•       two touch sensors
•       one color sensor which can be a color sensor, light sensor, and a lamp. There are no race course plans to identify specific color balls, etc.
•       one ultrasonic sensor
•       three motors
•       one NXT Brick microcomputer
•       one CD containing NXT 8547 software
•       possible other retrieve object (like a loop)
•       72 AA batteries to be distributed 6 per team.

• For each team, provide one laptop with Windows, a CD-Rom Drive, and a USB port.
• Four obstacle course platforms, each 4 ft x 8 ft x ¾ in. thick Melamine that can rest solidly upon a folding table.
• Lay red or blue matted painter's tape onto the board in a random route
• Rim the perimeter of the surface with black duct tape or black paint to delineate the borderless edge
• Equip each course with combinations of 4-inx4-in wood planks all cut into approximately 10-in. lengths that can be nailed onto the red or blue matted tape as obstacles along the course
• Avnet logo might be placed in the center of the platform and the obstacle course.

Equipment Requirements for Venue:

• 10 tables, one for each team to build their robots upon
• Four folding tables, each at least 3ft x 6ft, to support obstacle course platforms.

FAQs:

For more information, e-mail AvnetTechGames@Avnet.com or call (480) 643-7657.

Scholarships and honorariums provided by Carstens Family Funds and administered by the Arizona Technology Council.