[Kevin Kolodziej]

Update #1

Hello everyone!

We have some news for you.

If you have been trying to access the challenge or registration today at http://www.msoe.edu/st_orgs/mfso/mentorchallenge/ you are no doubt aware that we are having website issues. Our site host changed the location of our website without alerting us, and when it looked like a solution was found, the entire site disappeared. The situation is currently being worked on, but it is out of our control. As soon as the problem has been resolved, we will let you know.

Until then, please send all registration inquiries to milwaukeevex@gmail.com. We will take care of you that way for the time being and then get you settled with proper registration once the website is back up and running.

Keep sending your questions to mentor.vex.qa@gmail.com. Attached is the first batch of answers, which will be available on the website as well as soon as we can post it. Instructions for creating a bean bag are also coming this weekend.

A few of quick updates regarding the competition on the 29th:

-Whether or not your team has mentors competing, please come and check out the competition and bring a small display about your team. When we release more details about the tournament, we'll give you details about what kind of space you'll have, but try to limit it to a table's worth. Use this display to inform attendees about what your team has done and where you are headed. What kind of innovations have you made? What kind of community activities have you participated in? What are the strengths of your team? This kind of information will give potential mentors a broader sense of what FIRST is all about and will help to encourage them to join.

-Have you ever wondered if the creators of Vex can build a decent robot? Not only should you check out what they've done at http://www.vexlabs.com/vex-robot-photos.shtml , but you should come to the 2007 Milwaukee Vex Mentor Challenge. That's right, Innovation FIRST (IFI), the creators of Vex, have entered the fray and will be participating in this competition !

-Prizes! Need more incentive? The teams that make up the winning alliance of the 2007 Milwaukee Vex Mentor Challenge will receive a brand new Vexplorer kit, courtesy of IFI, for their team's use this fall and beyond. Check out http://www.revell.com/VEXplorer.275.0.html for more information.

Good luck teams, and keep looking for more information soon!

-Milwaukee Vex League

Q/A:

Q1. What is the “Home zone”? Is it the “End zone”, the “Starting zone” or something else?

A1. The "Home Zone" is the same as the "End Zone" which is the area behind the walls on your side of the field.


Q2. What is the “Goal box”? (Is it the same thing as the “Starting zone”?)

A2. The "Goal box" is the same as the "Starting Zone" but any removal of beanbags from the field results in a 10 point penalty.


Q3. Can you give us a ball source and/or specification (4” or 5”, type?), so that we may come up with a ball for tryout/practice?

A3. It is a 5 inch diameter ball. We actually obtained these balls at Summerfest as a giveaway. They are red and made of lightweight, hard plastic, but are not so hard that you couldn't (permanently) deform them by crushing them with your hand or stepping on them. I wouldn't expect that they would weigh more than a few ounces. It really does feel like you're holding a feather. I will have a more specific figure by the weekend.


Q4. Is de-scoring of bean bags or balls allowed?

A4. De-scoring of the ball is allowed, but not of the beanbags, or a 10 point penalty will result. There is no restriction on how many beanbags you may have in your possession at one time.


Q5. Can opponents’ bean bags or ball be removed from the field?

A5. Removing things from the field purposefully will result in a 10 point penalty, however clear accidents will be overlooked, but please remember that doing this is not in the spirit of gracious professionalism.


Q6. Can you provide more details about the scoring tiers (i.e. number of chains, attachment points, doughnut material and finish, etc.)? Do the radii given refer to the outermost edge of each doughnut?

A6. There are 8 chain locations spaced evenly around the tower. each connection point is half an inch in from the closest border. in other words, the inner rim of the bottom tier is connected to the outer rim of the second tier. The connections were made by drilling holes through the material and feeding through a loop of braided cable through which the chain is hooked. The only difference is that the connections made on the outer edge of the second tier are done with multiple passes of string covered by electrical tape (to create a better playing surface for ya'll) the radii refer to the outer edge of the higher tier AND the inner edge of the lower, so 6.5 is the outer edge of the second tier and the inner edge of the bottom one. The bottom tier is made of 1/4in thick blood red acrylic with a matte finish (NOTE: any matte finish will do, as blood red is rather expensive) the second is made of 1/4in thick black expanded PVC foam, and the rest of the structure is acrylic.


Q7. If a human player unintentionally hits a robot with a bean bag, will he/she be removed?

A7. No, but again, purposefully doing so would not be in the spirit of gracious professionalism.


Q8. What can the human player do with the robot during the match? The rules state the human player can repair the robot - can they pick it up? What makes it "broken?"

A8. What we intended with this rule is to give you a buffer, in case you forgot to attach your wires after a modification or something minor of that nature. (We hate when that happens to us). This doesn't mean you can bring in a large toolkit and do a full rebuild during a match, just the tools from the VEX kit. The most we might expect in actual physical fixing would be tightening or replacing a key screw, otherwise, we shouldn't see much of this. It should also be expected that this be done directly in front of the boundaries or nearby. Picking it up is fine, just don't move away from the field. Pick it up, fix what's wrong, and set it down again.