[JAlbertz]

Everyone, I figured here's some information that you all might be VERY VERY interested in!

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Jim-

I figured that you'd want the low down on this year's game. I'll give you some heads up though- there are TONS of changes. Prof. Flowers and all of us in his 2.973 independent study class realized that the last few games were too complicated for the general spectator to understand, so we broke tons of rules and went back to basics, literally- basketball! (With some neat twists!)

For some reason on the CD forums, everyone is thinking football… which wasn't even really considered. Anyway, I'll just to run by some of the info.

4 robots on the field, 2 on each team, same size playing field (taller, see below), same robot dimensions, weight increased to 140 lbs., Due to change over to 24 volt batteries which are considerably heavier than the batteries used in the past. This is probably going to be a permanent change. Carpeting is the same, but there is no longer metal-carpet interaction allowed for drive systems (such as, but not limited to, using file cards for traction like a few teams did last year.)

Player's stations start with 8 foam volleyballs of their color, (either blue or red)

8 foam volleyballs of each color are on the field, and 1 white / red soccerball, and 1 white / blue soccerball.

In the center is one goal with a 10" wide opening, hexagon shape, 4' tall. 7 points for your color ball on the bottom, 6 points if your color is 2nd from bottom, etc. If the double colored (white-red, white-blue) ball is on top of any of the color below, you get all of the potential points from the balls below. Most bottom part of the ball wins. (Hint: They can be squished inside this goal, because of the material of the ball!) Email me if that isn't clear.

There are two large basketball hoops over the players stations with a 24" inch hoops, and a 4ft by 3ft inwardly curved backboard, TEN FOOT RIM (Rim and backboard will be shipped and supplied to each team free as part of the kit). There are Plexiglas shields 16' tall across the far ends of the playing field, (we're not sure if this is going to be enough to block all the wild shots.) You get 3 points for each ball that you score on the close half of the playing field, (one point for hitting the backboard) and 8 points for each basket you score when your robot is COMPLETELY over the halfway line (2 points for hitting the backboard).

That's basically it. LMK if you want any other info. See you Saturday.

Seth
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