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Winnovation prepares minibots and new recruits for the Flapjack Challenge

11/18/2016

Winnovation FIRST Robotics Team 1625 kicks off the 2016 season with the annual Pancake Breakfast and Flapjack Challenge. The breakfast is on Dec. 3, 2016 at the Winnebago High School cafeteria. The pancake breakfast is from eight o’clock a.m. to four o’clock p.m., and the flapjack challenge is from is from ten o’clock a.m. to four o’clock p.m. The event includes pancakes, the flapjack challenge, which is the mini-bot competition, a bake sale, and a basket raffle; click here for a preview of the baskets that will be available. The basket raffle winners are drawn at noon and do not need be present to win. Tickets are three dollars for children 5 to 12 years of age and five dollars for adults.

The team prepares two minibots to compete with teams from Hononegah, DeKalb, Batavia, Oswego, and Aurora in a game developed by Winnovation's senior members. This year’s challenge, “Sprocket League” requires robots to manipulate soccer balls into a goal.Veteran members lead teams to build minibots, which provides a venue to train new members how to machine, weld, and program a robot.

Sprocket League

11/17/2016

The Objectives

Place Soccer balls (28” circumference) into team specific scoring box
Hang on 1” O/D rod

Scoring

Soccer Balls: Earn points by scoring the regulation soccer balls* into the designated scoring Boxes at the end of the field opposite your driver's station:
Each ball pushed through the scoring hole and completely in the scoring box is worth 10 points
Balls must be scored by going through the hole, and will not be scored if dropped/shot in over the top of the scoring box.
Hole will be ⅜” off the ground
Alliances may score only on the opposing end of the field
Balls will be inbounded by a 2nd member to the of the drive team (the Human Player). The human player will stand in a taped-off 3ft.X3ft. zone on the other side of the field wall from the scoring box.
The human player will return a scored game piece onto the field by removing it from the scoring box and throwing it onto the end of the field in front of their driver’s station - i.e., on the opposite end of the field from the Human Player.
Balls are NOT designated to a certain alliance. As there are 3 balls on the field at a time there will be robot to robot contact as fighting for game pieces occurs.
If a ball leaves the playing field, it may be thrown back onto the field in a random fashion by any spectator.
Hanging: Hanging may be done in the last 20 seconds of the match. The rod is a 1 inch OD metal rod directly above the bump, spanning the width of the field, the center of the bar 20 inches off the ground. The robot must be supported by the bar and only the bar with nothing touching the carpet or the bump,this must be obvious to be scored, for three seconds after the match ends, for a successful hang. A successful hang is worth 50 points. (Will be scored at the end of the game)
Game/Field
- Sprocket League is played on an approximately 141” x 187” carpeted field (FTC Field).
  - Walls are approximately 1 foot tall
  - Playing surface is indoor/outdoor carpet, similar to an FRC field.

In the middle of the field there will be one standard 2X4 “bump” that will span the entire width of the field.
- Made with 2X4; It will lie with a 4 inch face on the carpet
One Driver for each team will line-up in driver stations, which are at either ends of the field. The drivers’ station does not include the Human Player station; drivers should stay out of the Human Player station; they may walk on either side of or behind the Human Player station.
Robots must start contacting the driver station wall and their respective side wall
The scoring zone for each team is opposite the team’s driver station
- The scoring box is 2X2X2 feet, centered left to right, and against the wall opposite the driver station. There is a 1X1 foot scoring hole, contiguous with the playing field, in the wall facing the center of the field. The scoring box is made of plywood.
There will be a total of 3 balls put onto the bump at the center of the field before the robots are placed in the starting zone. The balls will be randomly scattered on the bump. All balls are random color
A single match is 2 minutes and 30 seconds long.
Matches are 2 vs. 2.
Referee calls are final.

The Robots

Robots may not exceed 18 inches x 18 inches x 12 inches tall at the start of the match.
Robots may not exceed a weight of 25 pounds ( this does not include battery).
Robots are not allowed to contain any CIMs, Mini CIM, or 775-PRO motors.
Robots must use a 12V or Vex Battery
Robots may not pose a threat to general safety (generally kids are near field, we want to keep them safe.)
Robots may have extensions that move out an unlimited distance; any extensions must stay within the playing field at all times.
The game piece may not enter more than 3 inches inside the robot mechanisms.

Penalties

Robots may not pin any other robot for more than 5 seconds (10 point penalty).
Robots may not intentionally harm other bots (15 point penalty). After repeated fouls the referees may disqualify the offending robot.
Robots may not damage any part of the field (15 point penalty only if intentionally done)
Team members may not contact field components or robots during the match (75 point penalty).
No extensions of robots may pass outside of the field (15 point penalty). After repeated fouls the referees may disqualify the offending robot.
Robots may extend out of their start configuration but only after match starts
Robots may not intentionally harm game pieces (50 point penalty) After repeated fouls the referees may disqualify the offending robot.
Robots may not linger in front of the opponents’ goal. A robot that blocks their opponents’ goal and prevents them from scoring will receive a 10 point penalty.

* The soccer ball used in professional leagues and in the FIFA World Cup is called “size 5”. The following are the specifications of an official size 5 soccer ball:

Circumference: 27 to 28 inches (69 to 71 cm)

Weight: 14 to 16 oz (400 to 450 grams)

Official pressure: between 8.5 to 15.6 PSI

Diameter: 8.6 to 9 inches (22 to 23 cm)

Radius: 4.3 to 4.5 inches (11 to 11.5 cm)

Questions about the game? Email team1625@gmail.com Questions and responses will be posted to the team website at http://team1625.blogspot.com/p/flapjack-challenge.htmland highlighted on the team’s Twitter and Facebook pages.

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Goal

Sprocket League FAQ

11/14/2016

11/2/16
Q: Would the robot mechanism just be the 18" x 18" body measured at the beginning of the game? Or would it also include extensions, and if so all extensions or just certain ones?
A: Any thing that is designed to manipulate the game piece I.E. a roller on top of the ball would be legal. A net put around the ball is illegal, so is a plow that the ball would go 3" in.

11/3/16
Q: We are requesting a clarification for the following rule: “The game piece may not enter more than 3 inches inside the robot mechanisms.” Originally the rule read “robot perimeter” (which we thought we understood) but the new rule leaves some room for interpretation.
A: The objective of that rule is to prevent one robot from completely controlling the ball IE a net around the ball. Attached is a VERY rough image that i hope will clear any confusion

11/15/16
Q: Can a Human Player use the ball as a defensive element?
A: No, the ball may not be used to interfere with opponents IE rolling the ball to hit an opposing robot or using the ball to knock another ball from opposing robots. Any intentional use of the ball for this reason will be counted as a “intentional harm to robot” or “intentional harm to game piece” foul

2016-2017 Fall Kick-Off

9/4/2016

Thinking of joining Winnovation, FIRST Robotics Team 1625?? Wondering what we do, learn, and compete in? Join us Mon, Sept. 19, at 7pm in the Winnebago High School Cafetorium. We will share stories of our history and our expectations of the coming season. Winnovation is open to all high school aged students who are interested in brainstorming, troubleshooting, drafting, machining, programming, marketing, public speaking, organizing fundraisers, meeting sponsors, the list goes on and on. We run like a small business focusing on building a robot for competition with teams from around the world!!! You will have the opportunity to build international friendships! At our meeting, on Sept 19, we will distribute team handbooks to new members, discuss participation hours requirements, family commitment, our fall training schedule, and upcoming demonstration dates. We look forward to seeing you there!!!! Questions, please email team1625@gmail.com

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Winnovation News & Updates

Winnovation prepares minibots and new recruits for the Flapjack Challenge

Sprocket League

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Sprocket League FAQ

2016-2017 Fall Kick-Off

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