FAQ
From RoboticonWiki
General FAQ
What is Roboticon?
Roboticon is an event held each year by the Computing and Information Science Department at the University of Guelph and the Society of Computing and Information Science (SOCIS). The event entails assembling teams from various high schools across Ontario and having them build robots out of Lego Mindstorms NXT to complete challenges and compete with one another. Roboticon is a fun event and well worth participating in.
Why should I come to Roboticon?
You should come to Roboticon because it's fun and a great learning experience. You can experiment with ideas and tools that are new and fascinating. There's really no reason not to come to Roboticon.
Can I have more than four students on a team?
Unfortunately there is a maximum of four students per team in order to make the contest as fair as possible.
What will this cost me?
Roboticon is 100% free for all participants, and we even provide you with meals and loan a kit to schools (by request, First come, first serve basis). Your only cost will be transportation to Roboticon and an overnight stay should you need to stay the night in Guelph.
What kind of accommodations are available?
The cheapest accommodations available to you will be at Days Inn. Days Inn is walking distance from our campus. You will need to mention that you are with the University of Guelph attending an event to get our special pricing.
Should I book accommodations now or when I get there?
Book now. The event is held during college royal which means there will be a lot of people looking for rooms in Guelph during that time.
What do I need to do to register?
Email roboticon@socis.cato register.
What kit are we using?
This year we will be using the Lego Mindstorms NXT kits.
How far is the greyhound bus stop from the competition?
Greyhound has a stop at the University Center loop which is on campus and quite convenient. If you take the train it will drop you downtown and its about a half an hour walk.
Challenge One FAQ
Are the dots sticky?
No, the dots are not sticky. They do however have a bit of texturing with one half having more texturing than the other. To give you an idea of how easy they are to move when I place them gently on a smooth flat surface they roll around a bit.
Will all the dots be exactly identical?
All of the dots will be of the same brand and type but will have slight manufacturing differences between each of them.
With regards to the playing field in the PDF, I notice that some of the walls are green, but there is no mention of green walls in this years description of Challenge 1. Can I assume that all of the walls (except for the stash) will be white or will there be some green walls?
The image in the specifications for Challenge 1 was of the track we used last year. We will be using a very similar setup, but not identical. All of the walls will be black or white.
Can the team determine the starting orientation of the robot in the stash square (i.e can the front of the robot be pointing towards the opening of the stash square)?
The team can orient the robot in any manner they want as long as it begins entirely within the stash square.
The rules mention that there are two heats for Challenge 1. Can I assume that the field will not be changed between heats?
A new maze will be placed on the field for each heat as well as during practice time.
