[gblake]

Game Suggestion:

A timed obstacle course with bonus point challenges allong the way. Have a serpentine route through a set of challenges. Have various driving/maneuvering challenges and challenges for manipulating the environment.

The course and challenges would be set up to reward a wide variety or robot designs. Devising a best multi-purpose compromise would be the key to success.

For driving challenges have straights, twists, narrow passes, low tunnels, rough terrain, walls/stairs, hills, ditches, dark tunnels/caves, forests, etc. No one design will be optimal for all of them.

For manipulating the environment, have things to push, pull, twist, lift, carry, place precisely, find in darkness/caves, autonomously recognize color/light, etc. No one design will be able to carry enough sensors, actuators, etc. to accomplish them all.

Completing a challenge will either shave time off of your total course time, or will award you more points, or will open a short cut through the course.

High scores come from either time, or points (earned before time expires) or a wisely computed combination of both.

Stretches of autonomous and operator-controlled operation can be built into the course.

Problems to be overcome: It will be hard to pack enough complexity into a small field. It may be hard to achieve a sense of head-to-head competition and that might reduce the fan-appeal of the game (although downhill slalom skiing seem to do OK during the Olympics).

Blake
PS: I have a longer list of challenges in my notes if this idea gets any traction.