The Game for 2006:

AIM HIGH

This year's game, "Aim High," is like a robotic form of Basketball. Six robots (three on three, red vs. blue) will be in a field 26' x 54' (7.9 x 16.4m), trying to get 7" (18cm) diameter balls into one of three goals, located at either end of the field. Balls thrown by robots into the center goal, which is a 30" (.75m) hole in the wall 8-1/2' (2.6m) high, score three points each. (The center goal has a bright green light over the opening, so that the robots can target the goal optically.) There are also two single-point goals, located at floor level in the corners of the field. The balls can be pushed or thrown into these goals by robots, or thrown over the 6-1/2' (2m) safety wall and across the field by the "human players." Up to eighty (80) basketballs are in play during a 2-minute 10-second match.

In the first 10-second period of a match, the robots are autonomous: no human control is allowed. The team that scores the most points this way gets a 10 point bonus and plays "defense" for the next 40-second period, trying to keep the other team from scoring points. The teams then switch roles for the third 40-second period. Complicating this is that only two of the robots on defense can actually block the robots on offense. One of their robots must stay on the other side of the field, collecting balls or setting up shots. In the final 40-second period, all robots are in play. They can score or defend as they wish. Lastly, at either end of the field is a 4' x 11' (1.2 x 3.3m) platform 1' (.3m) high, accessible by a 30-degree slanted ramp. Bonus points are awarded for robots on the ramp or platform, but not on the carpet. 5 points for one robot, 10 for two, and 25 for three or more.

The robots can be no more than 60"h x 28"w x 38"l (1.5 x .7 x 1m) in size, 120lbs (54kg) by weight. They are powered by a single 12v battery. Once a round begins, robots can unfold themselves to become larger, so long as at no time are they larger than a 5' (1.5m) cube. This means that they can NOT place a ball into the center goal with a robotic arm. The robots must somehow throw, or project the balls through the air.

As with all recent FIRST games, a lot of the fun is in the alliances. Teams get randomly assigned alliance partners known as the red team or blue team, and are then pitted against another alliance. Your opponent in one round may be your partner in the next. That means any damage inflicted to other robots may come back to hurt you later. In either case, intentional harm to another team's robot violates one of the fundamental precepts of FIRST, which is "gracious professionalism."

Note: The robots must be shipped, in crates, towards the places of competition (33 regional competitions around the US, Canada, and Israel) no later than midnight on February 21.

What Happens During a Match?

A match is 2 minutes and 10 seconds long. An Autonomous period starts the match, which lasts 10 seconds. Following Autonomous period, there are 2 minutes of tele-operated game play, which are broken up into three 40-second periods. There may be a short pause between Autonomous period and the start of the tele-operated periods as the players stations are activated. The second period and third period are offense/defense, where only one alliance can score. During the final period, both alliances can score.

Scoring

In order for a ball to score, it must enter the goal and exit via the exit chute. A ball that bounces out of the goal is not scored. Once a ball is scored for a particular ALLIANCE, it cannot score again until it is entered onto the field by the opposing alliance's human player.

Point Values:

Center Goal
- A ball scored in the center goal is worth 3 points for the alliance whose driver's station is opposite the goal, when that alliance is designated as playing offense.

Corner Goal
- A ball scored in the either of the corner goals is worth 1 point for the alliance whose driver's station is opposite the goal, when that alliance is designated as playing offense.

Autonomous Period Bonus
- The alliance that has the highest point total at the end of autonomous period will receive a 10 point bonus.

Robots on Alliance Platforms
- Robots score points if they are entirely on an alliance platform at the end of the match. Alliances receive points for robots belonging to either alliance that are on the alliance platform closest to the alliance's driver station. If any part of the robot is touching the carpet, it is not considered on the platform. If a robot is entirely on an alliance platorm and is touching another robot that is not entirely on the alliance platform, it still is considered on the platform. One robot on a platform or ramp is worth 5 points, two robots are worth 10 points, 3 or more robots are worth 25 points.

Definitions

Alliance:
- A set of three FIRST Robotics Competition teams that work together during a match to play AIM HIGH against an opposing alliance. Alliances are identified during the match by alliance color, either red or blue.

Alliance Platform:
- The raised platform at each end of the field directly beneath the center goal. The alliance platform includes the horizontal platform, the ramp between the floor and the platform, and the vertical side walls on each side of the platform and ramp.

Alliance Zone:
- The 26’ x 8’ area behind the Alliance Station Wall at either end of the field, where the alliance team members stand during the match. The alliance zone includes the area behind the starting line.

BackBot:
- The robot that an alliance keeps on their offensive side of the field while their alliance is on defense. The backbot can be any of the three alliance robots, and can change during the match.

Coach:
- A student or adult mentor designated as the team advisor during the match and identified as the person wearing a "coach" pin or button.

Driver:
- A pre-college student team member responsible for operating and controlling the robot.

Human Player:
- A pre-college student team member designated as the only team member permitted to enter balls onto the field.

On-Sides:
- The half of the field farthest from the alliance's driver's stations. This is the offensive half of the field for the alliance on defense. The center line is part of the on sides half of the field.

Robot:
- Anything that has passed robot inspection that a team places on the field prior to the start of a match.

Robot Starting Zone:
- Three 5 by 5 foot areas on each side of the field marked by Blue or Red 2"-wide tape corresponding to the alliance colors.

Starting Line:
- A line 4 feet behind the Alliance Station Wall, indicated by a line of 2" white gaffer's tape on the floor.

Game Periods:

Autonomous Period:
- The 10 second period at the beginning of the match in which the ROBOTS operate and react only to sensor inputs and to commands programmed by the team into the onboard robot control system.

Second Period:
- The first 40-second period after Autonomous Period, following Autonomous Period after a time delay.

Third Period:
- The second 40-second period after Autonomous Period, immediately following the second period.

Final Period:
- The third 40-second period after Autonomous Period, immediately following the third period.