Within this Competition Manual are the rules that form Mission 2024 Eclipse. They are balanced to promote fair play while encouraging competition. This game is designed to present a challenge, require teamwork, encourage innovation, and be fun. We believe the skills learned and grown in the Aerial Drone Competition will help Students prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.
MISSION 2024 ECLIPSE COMPETITION MANUAL
COMPETITION MANUAL
AERIAL DRONE COMPETITION RECF .ORG VERSION 1.1
FOUNDATION REC
ROBOTICS EDUCATION & COMPETITION FOUNDATION - AERIAL DRONE COMPETITION 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section 1 03 Welcome 04 Note from the GDC 05 Quick Reference Guide
Section 6 57 Piloting Skills Mission 57 Overview 58 Scoring 58 Scoring Definitions 60 Mission Rules Section 7 62 Communications Mission 62 Awards
Section 2 09 Definitions
Section 3 20 General Competition Rules
Section 4 26 Teamwork Mission 26 Overview 27 Scoring 28 Scoring Definitions 37 Mission Rules
Section 8 64 Drone Rules
Section 9 65 Safety Rules
Section 10 66 Teamwork Field Layout
Section 5 46 Autonomous Flight Skills Mission 46 Overview
Section 11 75 Skills Field Layout
47 Scoring 48 Set Up 50 Scoring Definitions 53 Mission Rules
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W E L C O M E Drones are quickly finding their way into our everyday lives. We see them in search and rescue, construction, utility line work, fire fighting, agriculture, and countless other industries. Going beyond the confines of terrestrial airspace, drones are also increasingly used for space exploration. Following in the footsteps of t he su ccessful Ingenuity mission on Mars, NASA’s Dragonfly m ission will send a drone to Titan (Saturn’s largest moon) to look for life in 2026. Careers in drones and drone technology are growing rapidly, and students with early and in-depth experience with drones will have a distinct advantage in future careers that rely on the technology. The REC Foundation Aerial Drone Competition prepares our youth for these vocations now and in the future by strengthening skills they will rely on, both in the field and around the workplace. Through its uniquely engaging combination of teamwork and problem s olving, the competition challenges students to execute a problem-solving process that resembles the same mindset used by professionals in nearly every industry across the globe. During an Aerial Drone Competition, students complete four missions: Teamwork, Piloting Skills, Autonomous Flight, and Communications. Through these missions, students discover opportunities to approach and solve new challenges with confidence. You will find the rules that shape M ission 2024: Eclipse within this manual. They are balanced to promote fair play while encouraging students to challenge themselves and each other. This competition is designed to emphasize teamwork, spur innovation, and, overall, be fun. We believe the skills learned and developed in the Aerial Drone Competition will help students overcome any obstacle presented to them.
Good luck and we will see you in the Flight Zone!
Sincerely,
The Aerial Drone Competition Game Design Committee Members of the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation , NASA, and the Dragonfly Mission
FOUNDATION REC
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About the Game Manual - A note from the GDC
When first reviewing the competition manual, it is natural to have questions about situations which may not be immediately clear. Navigating the competition manual and seeking out answers to these questions is an important part of learning the rules. In many cases, the answer may just be in a different place than you first thought. If there is no rule explicitly prohibiting something, then that usually means it is legal! However, if a team is still unable to find an answer to their question after closely reviewing the relevant rules, then every team has the opportunity to ask for official rules interpretations in the Aerial Drone Competition Question & Answer (Q&A) System. All responses in this Q&A system should be treated as official rulings from the Aerial Drone Competition Game Design Committee, and they represent the correct and official interpretation of the Aerial Drone Competition rules. The Q&A system is the only source besides the competition manual for official rulings and clarifications.
The Aerial Drone Competition Q&A System : https://roboticseducation.org/adc-official-q-and-a
In brief: 1. Read and search the manual before posting. 2. Read and search existing Q&As before posting. 3. Quote the applicable rule from the latest version of the manual in your question. 4. Make a separate post for each question. 5. Use specific and appropriate question titles. 6. Questions will (mostly) be answered in the order they were received. 7. This system is the only source for official rules clarifications.
If there are any conflicts between the competition manual and other supplemental materials, the most current version of the competition manual takes precedence. Similarly, it can never be assumed that definitions, rules, or other materials from previous seasons apply to the current season. Q&A responses from previous seasons are not considered official rulings for the current season. Any relevant clarifications that are needed should always be re-asked in the current season’s Q&A.
GDC GAME DESIGN COMMITTEE
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QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
Section 3: General Competition Rules (page 18)
<G1> <G2> <G3> <G4> <G5> <G6>
Treat everyone with respect.
The Aerial Drone Competition is a student-centered program.
Use common sense.
Piloting and programming skills must represent the skill level of the team.
Drones at the field must be ready to fly.
Flight team members are the only team members allowed at the field.
During any match, flight team members may only touch their own drone if the drone has not moved from its starting position.
<G7>
<G8> <G9>
Be prepared for minor variances. Match replays are allowed, but rare.
<G10> <G11>
No electronic communication devices allowed.
The Q&A system is an extension of this competition manual. Section 3: Additional Competition Rules (pages 22)
The Head Referee has ultimate authority on ruling decisions during the Teamwork Mission, Autonomous Flight Mission, and Piloting Skills Mission.
<T1>
<T2>
Head Referees must be qualified.
The flight team members are permitted to immediately appeal the Head Referee’s ruling.
<T3>
<T4> <T5>
It’s not over until it’s over.
Only registered teams may compete in the Aerial Drone Competition. Section 4: Teamwork Mission (pages 26)
<TM1> <TM2> <TM3> <TM4> <TM5> <TM6> <TM7> <TM8> <TM9> <TM10>
Cleared chamber.
Ball scored in the goal. Ball removed from pillar. Complete total Eclipse.
Partial Eclipse.
Land on landing cube. Land on landing pad. Land on the Bullseye. Drone starting position.
Pilot station.
ROBOTICS EDUCATION & COMPETITION FOUNDATION - AERIAL DRONE COMPETITION 5
Section 4: Teamwork Mission, continued (pages 37)
<TM11>
Visual observer station.
<TM12>
Keep balls in the field.
<TM13>
Balls are randomly loaded in the middle chamber.
<TM14>
Teams must clearly identify their team color during a match.
<TM15>
Teamwork matches will occur according to the official match schedule.
<TM16>
Each team will be scheduled in qualifying matches.
<TM17>
Teams are ranked by their average qualification match scores.
<TM18>
The alliance selection process forms 2-team alliances for the elimination matches.
<TM19>
Send a team representative to alliance selection.
<TM20>
Each team may only be invited once to join an alliance.
<TM21>
Number of alliances for elimination matches.
<TM22>
Elimination matches are played sequentially in rounds.
Section 5: Autonomous Flight Skills Mission (pages 44)
<AM1>
Set up color mats.
<AM2>
Take off.
<AM3>
Under arch gate.
<AM4>
Arch gate loop.
<AM5>
Through keyhole gate.
<AM6>
Keyhole loop.
<AM7>
Identify the color of a color mat.
<AM8>
Landing.
<AM9>
Repeating tasks.
<AM10>
Autonomous means “no humans.”
<AM11>
Drone starting position.
<AM12>
Pilot station.
<AM13>
Visual observer station.
<AM14>
Autonomous Flight Mission Schedule.
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Section 5: Autonomous Flight Skills Mission, continued (pages 51)
<AM15>
Autonomous flight and Piloting Skills M ission rankings.
<AM16>
Autonomous flight and Piloting Skills M ission scores at leagues.
<AM17>
Autonomous flight and Piloting Skills M ission global rankings.
Section 6: Piloting Skills Mission (page 53)
<PM1>
Take off.
<PM2>
Under arch gate.
<PM3>
Arch gate loop.
<PM4>
Through keyhole gate.
<PM5>
Keyhole loop.
<PM6>
Through the cube.
<PM7>
Land on landing pad.
<PM8>
Bullseye bonus.
<PM9>
Flight path.
<PM10>
Drone starting position.
<PM11>
Pilot station.
<PM12>
Visual observer station.
<PM13>
Piloting Skills Mission schedule.
<PM14>
Autonomous flight and Piloting Skills M ission rankings.
<PM15>
Autonomous flight and Piloting Skills M ission scores at leagues.
<PM16>
Autonomous flight and Piloting Skills Global rankings.
Communication Mission Rules (page 59)
<C1>
All teams must receive an interview.
<C2>
No team may earn more than one judged award.
Judges must follow the criteria and award descriptions as presented in the Judges Guide.
<C3>
ROBOTICS EDUCATION & COMPETITION FOUNDATION - AERIAL DRONE COMPETITION 7
Drone Rules (pages 60)
<D1>
Teams must use the Parrot Mambo or CoDrone EDU as their stock drone.
<D2>
Drones must pass inspection.
<D3>
Drones must utilize stock drone electronics.
<D4> <D5>
Drones must be running current firmware.
Protect your props.
<D6>
Decorations are allowed.
Safety Rules (pages 61)
<S1>
No flying of drones except in designated areas.
Stay in the pilot station or visual observer stations and out of the field during a match.
<S2>
<S3>
Stay in control of your drone.
<S4>
Batteries must be charged before launch.
<S5>
Wear safety glasses.
<S6>
Students must be accompanied by an adult.
Changelog
Version 2.0 - November 1, 2023 - Minor typos/formating fixes - Updated <AM6> and <PM6> to clarify that drones need to fly through the keyhole gate - Updated <AM7> to clarify that the drone may identify the color of both mats - Updated figure 25 to clarify the drone on the red cube is a red drone - Updated <AM4> <AM6> <PM3> and <PM5> to clarify that the drone may fly around (rather than just over) the keyhole and arch gates to completed the loop
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SECTION 2: DEFINITIONS
Adult Anyone who is not a student.
All Clear A signal given by the Head Referee that teams may retrieve their drones.
Alliance A pre-assigned grouping of two (2) teams that are paired together during a teamwork match. Alliance Captain A team that has earned the right to choose their alliance partner during alliance selection to play in elimination matches. Alliance Partner A team that is chosen by an alliance captain during alliance selection to play in an alliance during elimination matches. Alliance Selection The period of a tournament that happens after qualification matches. During this period, alliances are created to participate in elimination matches.
Arch Gate A red or blue arched field element. The outer edge of the arch gate measures approximately 102” wide and 74” from the floor. The inner edge of the arch gate measures approximately 60” wide and 63” from the floor. (Figure 1) Autonomous Flight Skills Match A match in which a single team with one drone competes using only pre-programmed commands and no pilots.
Figure 1
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Section 2 General De initions, continued
Ball A spherical game element.
The red and blue ball diameter is approximately 1.5”. The white ball diameter is approximately 2”. (Figure 2) Bean Bags A cloth bag used to hold down the corners of the color mats and programming mats for skills missions. Bean bags measure approx 4.5” x 4.5”. (Figure 3) Chamber An area, bordered on three or more sides by sections of PVC, where balls are placed at the start of the T eamwork M ission. There are 7 chambers on the field. (Figure 4)
Figure 2
Coach See Mentor.
Figure 3
Figure 4
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Section 2 General Definitions, continued
Color Mat A red, blue or green vinyl mat game element that is approximately 24” x 24”. (Figure 5) Co-Pilot A member of the flight team who stands in the pilot station, and who may assist the pilot and/or operate the drone during the match.
Cube A fabric pop up cube game element. The large cube measures approximately 18” on all sides. The small cube measures approximately 12” on all sides. (Figure 6)
Figure 5
Disquali ication A penalty applied to a team for a rule violation. A team that receives a disqualification in a qualification match receives zero points for the match. The other team in their alliance will still receive points for the match. A team that receives a disqualification in a skills match will receive a score of zero for that match. When a team is disqualified in a finals match, the entire alliance is disqualified and both teams receive zero points for the match.
Figure 6
Note: At the Head Referee’s discretion, repeated violations and/or disqualifications for a single team may lead to its disqualification for the entire tournament.
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Section 2 General Definitions, continued
Figure 7
Drone A machine that has passed inspection, designed to execute one or more tasks autonomously or a controller from a flight team member.
Event Staff Any volunteer that helps an E vent P artner run an event.
Event Partner The individual responsible for planning and running an Aerial Drone Competition event. Field Element Includes arch gates, keyhole gates, landing pads, cubes, and screen. (Figure 7) Field Perimeter The PVC boundary of the t eamwork field that acts as the outer boundary of the flight zone for teamwork matches.
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Examples Safe: The pilot is actively interacting with the rollers or balls and is within a few feet of the flight zone. Safe: The pilot flies through the green keyhole gate and momentarily moves outside of the flight zone. The pilot returns quickly to the flight zone and remains in control of the drone at all times. Safe: The pilot is maneuvering the drone to land on the bullseye and momentarily flies outside the flight zone. The pilot returns quickly to the flight zone and remains in control of the drone at all times. Unsafe: The drone is 5 feet away from the flight zone and the pilot is struggling to return to the flight zone. Flight Team Member A student who is a pilot, co-pilot, programmer or visual observer and who stands at the field during a match. Adults are not allowed to be flight team members. Flight Zone An area in which drones are allowed to fly. This area is bordered by the field perimeter on the Teamwork Mission f ield, the outer edges of the field elements on the Skills Field, and has a virtual ceiling of approximately 10 feet high.
Unsafe: The pilot is flying close to the referee or visual observer’s face.
Note : Per Safety rule <S3> we recognize that Mission 2024: Eclipse will involve drones leaving the field for short durations (e.g., interacting with rollers or balls). If a referee determines that there is an immediate safety issue (e.g., team isn’t in control of the drone, or the drone is too close to the audience), grounding will be commanded.
Game Design Committee (GDC) The creators of the Aerial Drone Competition game and the authors of this competition manual.
ROBOTICS EDUCATION & COMPETITION FOUNDATION - AERIAL DRONE COMPETITION 13
Section 2 General Definitions, continued
Game Element Includes balls, pillars, rollers, bean bags, programming mats, and color mats. (Figure 8)
Figure 8
Goal An area, bordered on three sides by sections of PVC, where balls are scored during a match. There is one red goal and one blue goal as shown in Figure 9 below.
Figure 9
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Section 2 General Definitions, continued
Grounding A penalty applied to a team for a rule violation. A team that is grounded is not allowed to operate their drone for the remainder of the match. The pilot will be asked to land their drone, if the drone is not already landed, and place their controller on the floor. Head Referee An impartial volunteer responsible for enforcing the game rules as written. Head Referees are the only individuals who may discuss ruling interpretations or scoring questions with teams at an event.
Keyhole Gate A yellow or green circular field element.
The outer edge of the keyhole gate is approximately 30”. The inner edge of the keyhole gate is approximately 24”. (Figure 10) Landing Pad A circular field element that is approximately 30” in diameter. The bullseye is approximately 10” in diameter. (Figure 11) Match A set time period in which teams play a defined version of Eclipse to earn points. Teams compete in t eamwork, p iloting s kills and a utonomous f light s kills m atches. Mentor An adult who facilitates learning and supports a team. A mentor may not repair, edit, update , or work on the drone or programming code in any capacity without students present who are actively engaged/learning. No-Fly Zone Anywhere in or around a venue that is not a flight zone.
Figure 10
Figure 11
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Section 2 General Definitions, continued
Pillar A cylindrical game element that is approximately 12” tall and 3” diameter. (Figure 12) Pilot A member of the flight team who operates the drone during the match. Programmer A student on the team that programs the drone. Programming Mat A game element, specially designed to be placed on sections of the floor to aid in set up and consistent sensor readings during A utonomous F light M issions. The vinyl mat is approximately 96” x 42”. (Figure 13) Roller A cylindrical game element that is approximately 12” long and 6” diameter. (Figure 14) Teamwork Match A match used to determine rankings for alliance selection. Screen A black arched field element. The screen is approximately 66” tall at the center and 122” at the base. (Figure 15)
Figure 12
Figure 13
Figure 14
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Figure 15
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Section 2 General Definitions, continued
Stock Drone The Parrot Mambo or CoDrone EDU.
Student A person is considered a Student if they meet both of the following criteria:
1. Anyone who is earning or has earned credit toward a high school diploma, certificate, or other equivalent during the six (6) months preceding the Aerial Drone Competition Championship. Courses earning credits leading up to high school would satisfy this requirement. 2. A nyone born after May 1, 2004 (i.e., who will be 19 or younger at the Aerial Drone Competition Championship). Eligibility may also be granted based on a disability that has delayed education by at least one year. Middle School Student – A Student born after May 1, 2008 (i.e., who will be 15 or younger in May 2023). • An Elementary School Student may compete as a middle school student. High School Student – Any eligible Student that is not a Middle School Student. • A Middle School Student may “play up” and compete as a High School Student. Team One or more students make up a team. • A team is made up of pilot(s), co-pilot(s), programmer(s) and visual observer(s). • A student may have more than one role on the team, and can change roles at any time within their own team. • Teams may be associated with schools, community/youth organizations, or a group of neighborhood students. • Teams are either considered middle school or high school. High School Team: A team is classified as a High School team if any of its members are High School students. Middle School Team : A team is classified as a Middle School , if none of its members are High School students.
Team Representative A student who represents a team during alliance selection.
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Section 2 General Definitions, continued
Teamwork Match A match used to determine rankings for alliance selection. Visual Observer A student on the team who helps the pilot navigate the course. Violation The act of breaking a rule in the competition manual.
• Minor Violation - A violation which does not result in a disqualification. Accidental, momentary, or otherwise non affecting violations are usually minor violations. Minor violations usually result in a verbal warning from the Head Referee during the match, which should serve to inform the team that a rule is being violated before it escalates to a major violation. • Major Violation - A violation which results in a disqualification. • Unless otherwise noted in a rule, all affecting violations are major violations. • Multiple minor violations within a match or tournament may escalate to a major violation at the Head Referee’s discretion. • Score Affecting - A violation which improves an alliance’s score at the end of a match. • Multiple violations within a match can cumulatively become score affecting. • When evaluating whether a violation was score affecting, Head Referees will focus primarily on any drone actions that were directly related to the violation. • Determining whether a violation was score affecting can only be done once the match is complete and the score has been calculated.
Volunteer An individual who is assisting an E vent P artner in running an event.
Warning A verbal cue given to a team by a referee to indicate that their actions are in violation or in danger of being in violation of a rule.
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S E C T I O N 3: GENER A L C O M P E T I T I O N R U L E S <G1> Treat everyone with respect. All students and adults associated with a team are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful and positive manner while participating in the Aerial Drone Competition. If team members are disrespectful or uncivil to staff, volunteers, or fellow teams at an event, the team may be disqualified from their current or upcoming match. Judges will also consider team conduct and ethics when determining awards. In all aspects of the Aerial Drone Competition, the students make the decisions and “do the work” with adult mentorship. The REC Foundation community prides itself on being a positive learning environment where no one is bullied, harassed, or berated. Teams should avoid placing unnecessary stress upon students and event volunteers; instead, challenging situations are viewed as teachable moments to model positive behaviors and good sportsmanship. This rule exists alongside the REC Foundation Code of Conduct. Violation of the Code of Conduct can be considered a violatio n and can result in disqualification from a current match, an upcoming match, an entire event, or (in extreme cases) an entire competition season. The Code of Conduct can be found at https://www.roboticseducation.org/codeofconduct. In the Aerial Drone Competition Eclipse, the Teamwork Mission features a two-team alliance working together to solve the challenge of the game. The REC Foundation Code of Conduct, and by extension rule <G1>, requires teams to work together with mutual respect and professionalism. Teams should never tell their Teamwork Mission partners to “sit in a corner” or “stay out of the way” in a match. If this happens, the Head Referee can rule that this is a major violation of <G1>, as it does not exhibit good sportsmanship or support of an alliance partner. Alliance partners must work together to figure out how to cooperatively solve the game. Examples of this type of communication include, “Can you please leave the blue balls for us, because that’s how we score the best?” or “We’re not great at knocking balls off of pillars, can you handle that?” These types of collaborations typically lead to the best competition experience and represent the goal of the Teamwork Mission.
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Section 3 General Competition Rules, continued
<G2> The Aerial Drone Competition is a student-centered program. Adults may assist students in urgent situations, but adults may never repair or program a drone without students on that team being present and actively participating. Students must be prepared to demonstrate an active understanding of their drone and programming to judges or event staff. Some amount of adult mentorship, teaching, and / or guidance is an expected and encouraged facet of competitions. No one is born an expert. However, obstacles should always be viewed as teaching opportunities, not tasks for an adult to solve without students present and actively participating. When a drone fails, it is… • Okay for an adult to help a student investigate why it failed, so it can be repaired. • Not okay for an adult to repair the drone without students present and actively participating. When a team encounters a complex programming concept, it is… • Okay for an adult to guide a student through a flowchart to understand its logic. • Not okay for an adult to write a code for that student to copy / paste. During competition, it is… • Okay for an adult to provide cheerful, positive encouragement as a spectator. • Not okay for an adult to explicitly shout step-by-step commands or instructions from the audience. This rule operates in tandem with the REC Foundation Student Centered Policy, which is available on the REC Foundation website for teams to reference throughout the season. <G3> Use common sense. When reading and applying the rules in this document, please remember that common sense always applies in the Aerial Drone Competition. Some examples may include : If there is an obvious typographical error this does not mean that the error should be taken literally until corrected in a future update. When in doubt, if there is no rule prohibiting an action, it is generally legal. However, if you have to ask whether a given action would violate <S1>, <G1>, or <T1>, then that’s probably a good indication that it is outside the spirit of the competition. In general, teams will be given the “benefit of the doubt” in the case of accidental or edge-case rules infractions. However, there is a limit to this allowance, and repeated or strategic infractions will still be penalized.
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Section 3 General Competition Rules, continued
<G4> Piloting and programming skills must represent the skill level of the team. Piloting and programming skills must represent the skill level of the team. A team is made up of pilot(s), co-pilot(s), programmer(s), and visual observer(s). Students may not fulfill any of these roles for more than one Aerial Drone Competition Team in a given competition season. Students may swap roles or have more than one role on their own team. 1. Team members may move from one team to another for non-strategic reasons outside of the team’s control. a.Examples of permissible moves may include, but are not limited to, illness, changing schools, conflicts within a team, or combining/splitting teams. b.Examples of strategic moves in violation of this rule may include, but are not limited to, one programmer “switching” teams in order to write programs for multiple drones, or one student piloting the drone for multiple teams. c. If a student leaves a team to join another team, <G4> still applies to the students remaining on the previous team. For example, if a programmer leaves a team, then that team’s programming skills must still represent the skill level of the team without that programmer. One way to accomplish this would be to ensure that the programmer teaches or trains a replacement programmer in their absence. 2. When a team qualifies for a Championship event, the students on the team attending the Championship event are expected to be the same students on the team that was awarded the spot. Students can be added as support to the team, but may not be added as pilots or programmers for the team. a. An exception is allowed if one (1) pilot and/or one (1) programmer on the team cannot attend the event. The team can make a single substitution of a pilot or programmer for the Championship event with another student, even if that student has competed on a different team. This student will now be on this new team and may not substitute back to the original team. Violations of this rule will be evaluated on a case by-case basis, in tandem with the REC Foundation Student- Centered Policy as noted in <G2>, and the REC Foundation Code of Conduct as noted in <G1>. Event Partners should bear in mind rule <G3>, and use common sense when enforcing this rule. It is not the intent to punish a team who may have a team member move to another team due to illness, changing schools, conflicts within a team, etc. Event Partners and referees are not expected to keep a roster of any students. This rule is intended to block any instance of loaning or sharing team members to other teams for the sole purpose of gaining a competitive advantage.
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Section 3 General Competition Rules, continued
<G5> Drones at the field must be ready to fly. Teams must be prepared when they bring their drones to the field. For example, teams must ensure that their batteries are charged and their drone controller is paired with their drone before placing the drone on the field. <G6> Flight team members are the only team members allowed at the field. During a match, each team may have up to 3 team members at the field and must remain in the identified pilot and/or visual observer stations. <G7> During a match, f light team members may touch their own drone if the drone has not completed take off. If the drone has not taken off, then students may momentarily reach into the flight zone to retrieve their drone and troubleshoot. Common troubleshooting may include:
a. Turning the drone on or off. b. Plugging in a battery. c. Pairing the drone to the controller. d. Making a quick repair.
Once ready, the team should place the drone back into a legal starting position to re-enter the match.
<G8> Be prepared for minor variances. Field and game element positions and tolerances may vary by ±3” unless otherwise specified.
<G9> Match replays are allowed, but rare. Match replays (i.e., playing a match over again from its start) are at the discretion of the Event Partner and Head Referee, and will only be issued in the most extreme circumstances. An example of an extreme circumstance would be the event venue losing power during a match. <G10> No electronic communication devices allowed. Flight team members may not have/use any sort of electronic communication device in the pilot station or visual observer station. This includes any device that provides camera or video images. Devices with communication features turned off (e.g., a phone in airplane mode) are allowed. <G11> The Q&A system is an extension of this competition manual. All teams must adhere to all Aerial Drone Competition rules as they are written and must abide by the stated intent of the rules. Every team has the opportunity to ask for official rules interpretations in the Aerial Drone Competition Question & Answer system. All responses in this Q&A system should be treated as official rulings from the Aerial Drone Competition
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Section 3 General Competition Rules, continued
Game Design Committee, and they represent the correct and official interpretation of the Aerial Drone Competition rules. The Q&A system is the only source for official rulings and clarifications. The Aerial Drone Competition Question & Answer system can be found at https://roboticseducation.org/adc-official-q-and-a.
Note from the Aerial Drone Competition GDC: The rules contained in this competition manual are written to be enforced by human Head Referees. Many rules have “black-and-white” criteria that can be easily checked. However, some rulings will rely on a judgment call from this human Head Referee. In these cases, Head Referees will make their calls based on what they and the Scorekeeper Referees saw, what guidance is provided by their official support materials (the competition manual and the Q&A), and most crucially, the context of the match in question. The Aerial Drone Competition does not have video replay, our fields do not have absolute sensors to count scores, and events do not have the resources for an extensive review conference between each match. When an ambiguous rule results in a controversial call, there is a natural instinct to wonder what the “right” ruling “should have been,” or what the GDC “would have ruled.” This is ultimately an irrelevant question; our answer is that when a rule specifies “Head Referee’s discretion” (or similar), then the “right” call is the one made by the Head Referee in the moment. The Aerial Drone Competition GDC designs games, and writes rules, with this expectation (constraint) in mind.
GDC GAME DESIGN COMMITTEE
Additional Competition Rules <T1> The Head Referee has ultimate authority on ruling decisions during the Teamwork Mission, Autonomous Flight Mission, and Piloting Skills Mission. 1. Scorekeeper Referees score the match and may serve as observers or advisers for the Head Referees, but may not determine any rules or infractions directly. 2. Violations of the REC Foundation Code of Conduct may involve additional escalation beyond the Head Referee’s initial ruling, including (but not limited to) investigation by an REC Foundation representative. <G1>, <G2>, and <G4> are the only rules for which this escalation is likely to be required. 3. Event P artners may not overrule a Head Referee’s decision. 4. Every match on the Teamwork Mission competition field must be watched by a Head Referee.
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Section 3 General Competition Rules, continued
<T2> Head Referees must be qualified. Head Referees must have the following qualifications :
1. Be at least 18 years of age and not a high school student. 2. Be approved by the Event Partner 3. Complete Aerial Drone Competition referee training 4. Possess the following attributes:
• T horough knowledge of the current missions and rules of play • E ffective decision making • A ttention to detail • A bility to work effectively as a member of a team • A bility to be confident and assertive when necessary • S trong communication and diplomacy skills
Head Referees
• M ay not review any photo or video match recordings to determine a score or ruling • A re the only people permitted to explain a rule, disqualification, or warning to a team • M ust give the rule number of the rule violated when issuing a disqualification or warning to a team <T3> The flight team members are permitted to immediately appeal the Head Referee’s ruling. If the flight team members wish to dispute a score or ruling, the pilot and co-pilot must stay at the field in the pilot station until the Head Referee talks with them; the visual observer may move to the pilot station. The Head Referee may choose to meet with the flight team members at another location and/or at a later time so that the Head Referee has time to reference materials or resources to help with the decision. Once the Head Referee announces that their decision has been made final, the issue is over and no more appeals may be made. The Event Partner may not overrule the Head Referee’s decision. <T4> I t’s not over until it’s over. All scoring statuses are evaluated after the match ends, once all scoring objects on the field come to rest. Pilot inputs and drone motion are expected to cease when the match timer reaches 0:00. Any scoring which takes place after the match due to a drone continuing to fly will not count. Drones must be landed by 0:00 on the match clock in order to be considered landed. <T5> Only registered teams may compete in an Aerial Drone Competition. To participate in an official Aerial Drone Competition event, a team must first register at www.robotevents.com.
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SECTION 4: TEAMWORK MISSION
Figure 15 : Team w ork Mission Field Layout
Overview Teamwork m atches are played on a field approximately 20’ x 20’, set up as illustrated in figures throughout the competition manual. Two drone teams compete as an alliance in 90-second matches, working collaboratively to score points. (Figure 15) The object of the game is to score as many points as possible clearing balls from chambers, moving balls into goals, removing balls off of pillars , and landing. During the last 30 seconds of the match, the Eclipse begins and teams may complete a Total or Partial Eclipse to earn additional points.
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Section 4 Teamwork Mission Rules, continued
Teamwork m atches are played in a tournament style format. Teams will compete in:
1. Teamwork Matches – Matches composed of randomly-paired alliances working together to earn point s. 2. Alliance Selection – After t eamwork matches have concluded, alliance captains will select their alliance partner , for elimination matches. 3. Elimination M atches – A series of matches used to determine the teamwork champions.
SCORING
Task
Point Value
Each cleared chamber
5
Each ball scored in a goal
1
Each ball removed from pillar
8
Completed Total Eclipse
25
Partial Eclipse
5
Drone landed on cube
10
Drone landed on landing pad
5
Drone landed on landing pad bullseye 15
Note: The illustrations in this Competition Manual are intended to provide a general visual understanding of the missions. Teams should refer to official field specifications, found in Section 11, for exact field dimensions and exact details of field construction.
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Section 4 Teamwork Mission Rules, continued
teamwork mission scoring definitions
<TM1> Cleared chamber. A chamber is considered cleared when there are no balls partially or fully in the chamber at the end of the match. The lower edge of each chamber is defined by the outer edge of the PVC pipe(s) at the opening of that chamber, as illustrated by the yellow areas in Figure 16 below. This image highlights two (2) chambers. There are seven (7) chambers on the field.
Figure 16
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Section 4 Teamwork Mission Rules, continued
Example 1
The top two chambers are cleared because there are no balls in lower chamber is not cleared because there are balls in the chamber.
Figure 17
Example 2
The chamber is not cleared because the ball has not cleared the outer edge of the PVC.
Figure 18
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Section 4 Teamwork Mission Rules, continued
<TM2> Ball scored in goal. A ball is considered scored in a goal if it meets the following criteria: a. T he ball is in the correct colored goal (i.e., red ball in red goal or blue ball in blue goal). b. The ball must be partially or fully within the goal AND touching the floor at the end of the match. The lower edge of each goal is defined by the outer edge of the PVC pipe(s) at the opening of that goal, as illustrated by the red and blue areas. (Figure 19)
Figure 19
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Section 4 Teamwork Mission Rules, continued
Example 1
Example 1 is an image of the red goal, therefore the red balls are considered scored because they are in the correct color goal. The blue balls are not scored since they are not in the correct color goal.
Figure 20
Example 2
The top 4 blue balls are considered scored since they are in the blue goal and are partially or fully within the goal. The lower two blue balls are not in the goal, and therefore not scored.
Figure 21
NOTE: Both drones in an alliance are working together to maximize the shared score for the match. Both drones may score balls of either color. The color of your team/drone only indicates where you should land; it does not restrict the scoring to a certain ball color.
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Section 4 Teamwork Mission Rules, continued
Figure 22
<TM3> Ball removed from pillar. A ball is considered removed from a pillar if it meets the following criteria: a. The ball is not on top of the pillar. b. The pillar that the ball was on is still upright, with its base flat on the floor.
<TM4> Completed total Eclipse. A Total Eclipse is considered completed when a drone has completed all 5 phases of the Eclipse during the final 30 seconds of the match. The drone must complete the following tasks in the order and direction listed below.
Phase 1: Fly through the yellow keyhole gate (front to back) Phase 2: Fly through the green keyhole gate (left to right) Phase 3: Fly over the screen (back to front) Phase 4: Fly under the red arch gate (left to right) Phase 5: Fly over the blue arch gate (back to front)
The drone is considered to be through, over, or under an obstacle once the entire drone has cleared the gate or screen. Each drone is allowed to complete one Total Eclipse per match.
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Section 4 Teamwork Mission Rules, continued
Figure 23
Figure 24
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Section 4 Teamwork Mission Rules, continued
<TM5> Partial Eclipse. A Partial Eclipse is when a drone completes at least phase 1 of a Total Eclipse <TM4> . A drone that completes a Total Eclipse may not also earn points for a Partial Eclipse in the same match.
<TM6> Land on landing cube. A drone is considered to be landed on the landing cube if at the end of the match:
a. The drone is touching the cube of its color b. The drone is not touching the floor c. The drone has landed before the match timer reaches zero
Figure 25
Figure 26
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Section 4 Teamwork Mission Rules, continued
<TM7> Land on landing pad. A drone is considered to be landed on a landing pad if at the end of the match: a. The drone is only contacting the landing pad of the team’s color (i.e., red drone on red landing pad, blue drone on blue landing pad) . b. The drone is not touching the floor or PVC field perimeter. c. The drone is upright. d. The drone has landed before the match timer reaches zero.
Figure 27
Figure 28
Figure 29
<TM8> Land on the bullseye. A drone is considered landed on the bullseye if at the end of the match: a. The drone is landed as per rule <TM7> . b. The drone is landed in the center ring of the landing pad. c. The drone is not contacting any portion of the landing pad beyond the red or blue line of the center ring. The line of the ring is considered part of the bullseye.
Note: In cases where a drone’s position is “too close to call,” teams will be given the “benefit of the doubt,” and the higher of the two possible s coring statuses should be assigned. Head Referees will not be expected or required to check imperceptibly small measurements.
ROBOTICS EDUCATION & COMPETITION FOUNDATION - AERIAL DRONE COMPETITION 35
Figure 30
Figure 31
Figure 32
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Section 4 Teamwork Mission Rules, continued
TEAMWORK MISSION RULES
<TM9> Drone starting position. Prior to the start of each match, place the drone so that it is: a.C ontacting the floor inside the field perimeter adjacent to the pilot station, in the area between the blue arch gate and the first PVC intersection (marked on Figure 33).
b. Within arm’s reach of the pilot. c. Not touching another drone.
Figure 33
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Section 4 Teamwork Mission Rules, continued
<TM10> Pilot station. During a match, the pilot and co-pilot must remain in the pilot station, which is approximately 10 feet long and 2 feet wide as shown below. (Figure 34)
Figure 34
Note: The black/white referee shirts are suggested locations for referees to stand during t eamwork matches. These are only suggestions as referees are free to walk around the field as needed during matches.
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Section 4 Teamwork Mission Rules, continued
<TM11> Visual observer station. During a match, the visual observer must stay in the visual observer station, which is approximately 20 feet long and 2 feet wide as shown below. (Figure 35)
Figure 35
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Section 4 Teamwork Mission Rules, continued
<TM12> Keep balls in the field. Balls that leave the field will not be returned.
<TM13> Balls are randomly loaded in the middle chamber. Prior to each match, the middle chamber will be filled randomly with twelve (12) red balls and twelve (12) blue balls. 1. Balls will be randomly mixed by a field reset volunteer and/or a r eferee. 2. Balls must be positioned toward the back edge of the chamber.
Figure 36
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Section 4 Teamwork Mission Rules, continued
Figure 37
Figure 38
The above two images are examples of a correctly loaded middle chamber.
Figure 39
Figure 40
The above two images are examples of an incorrectly loaded middle chamber.
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Section 4 Teamwork Mission Rules, continued
<TM14> Teams must clearly identify their team color during a match. Teams must identify their team color on their drone for each match using the following methods: CoDrone EDU - Teams must change the light on the top of the drone to red or blue to represent their team color for the match. Parrot Mambo - Teams can use a snap-on building block or piece of red/blue tape on the top of the drone that is visible to referees. <TM15> Teamwork matches will occur according to the official match schedule. Teamwork matches follow the match schedule that is provided to teams the day of the competition. This schedule will indicate alliance partners, qualifying match times, assigned team/drone colors, and which field the match will be played on. The match schedule is subject to change at the Event Partner’s discretion.
<TM16> Each team will be scheduled for t eamwork matches.
a. When in a tournament, the tournament must have a minimum of four (4) qualifying matches per team at local qualifying events and a minimum of eight (8) qualifying matches for a championship event. • W e recommend 6 - 8 matches for local qualifying tournaments. • We recommend 10 matches for a championship event. b.W hen in a league, there must be at least three (3) ranking sessions with at least one (1) week between sessions. Each session must have a minimum of two (2) qualification matches per team . <TM17> Teams are ranked by their average qualification match scores. a.When in a tournament, every team will be ranked based on the same number of qualification matches. b.W hen in a league, every team will be ranked based on the number of matches played. Teams that participate in less than 60% of the total matches available will be ranked below teams that participate in at least 60% of the total matches available (e.g., if the league offers 3 ranking sessions with 4 qualification matches per team, teams that participate in 8 or more matches will be ranked higher than teams who participate in 7 or fewer matches). Being a no-show to a match that a team is scheduled in still constitutes participation for these calculations. c.In some cases, a team will be asked to play an additional qualification match. The extra match will be identified on the match schedule with an asterisk and will not impact the team’s ranking (or participation for leagues). Teams are reminded that <G1> is always in effect and teams are expected to behave as if the additional qualification match counts.
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