Botball 2011 competition - 4/9/11- 1:21

To see the time it ends at 1:21. It was Haverhill Robotics against Innovation and it was a seeding round. It was to see who could score most points by either bringing the ping-pong balls into their respective area, stack a cube tower of 4, and or sort the green and pink puff balls. As added points were as followed if you drop paper airplanes in your area. No bot was allowed to go in to another area. Now within 15 seconds of the match, Innovations robot came into our plane and screwed up our match. When brought to the attention of that of the judges there, we were told that they couldn't do anything about it. As clearly the rules state any bot within 15 seconds of a match, ruins another players bot and or their chance to win, is immediatly forfeited from gaining points and or that of the match to be disqualified. With this to our knowledge of looking up the rules there, and video footage in hand, the judges basically told us, that we were suppose to know the rules more then they. Being me i went up and basically called them out because they were letting rules to be broken. In the end nothing was resolved and we lost our chance to win, whilst Innovation got to go further in the competition itself. We see it as fit to bring this attention to that of viewers and fellow botball players to understand that this is something that needs to be fixed. TO add to that, Innovation was allowed to do it to other players 3 more times. NO course of action was looked upon by the judges and the team Innovation. In all we feel as if the way things were handle were poorly and more apporiate actions need to be taken care of. Final verdict we were all pissed off, and upset to see this to happen and to be allowed, and most bluntly be ignored by judges. More comment on this issue later...

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• robotics
• entertainment
• umass lowell
• haverhill

[Textnav2]

You guys need to read the rules. Quoted from the game review:

15 Second No Pass Zone

The 15 Second No Pass Zone is the infinite vertical projection up from the table defined by the inner edges of the PVC pipe and black tape that surrounds the opposing side of the board or the vertical projection of the terminal. Neither team’s entry may enter the volume of the opposing side during the first 15 seconds.

15 SECONDS not 15 MINUTES.

[RockyKate1995]

@Textnav2 ; Thank you for understanding. In my description i did re-read it, and no where did i see it to say 15 minutes. Can you please care to explain what you ment?

[MrHockeyFisch]

@RockyKate1995 It wasnt a seeding round. . In seeding rounds only one team goes at a time

[MrHockeyFisch]

@Rdsxntn07 I was just talking to my friend about programming the little robot to sabotage the other teams side after they got botguy!! XD

[Rdsxntn07]

My school is so smart, who else would have thought of a terrorist bot?

[natedawg1013]

@italyrools Truce, mwaaa ha ha ha

[Rdsxntn07]

This terrorist robot is the bomb! IACS Roolz!!!!!!!

[natedawg1013]

@italyrools "Slightly unsportsmanlike behavior", you smashed our robot and unplugged our serial cable. I wish you realized botball is about making the best robots, not trying to sabotage the other team, during the competition. It is called "The Spirit of Botball". They have an award for that, you know. It's given to the team that best exemplifies teamwork, cooperation, kindness, and fair play.

[Botballers]

According to page 20 of the game review the lights turn on and off as follows:

0 sec: lights turn on.

15 sec: lights turn off.

115 sec: lights blink for five seconds.

120 sec: lights turn off; game over.

At 0:06 in the video, the lights turn off signaling the end of 15 seconds, and the end of the No Pass Zone. Innovation crosses at roughly 0:10, which is well past the time limit.

[Botballers]

While this may seem like an unsportsmanlike strategy at times, it is in fact very common in botball, and is expected by KIPR and veteran teams. I have attended GCER each of the last three years, and a similar strategy was employed by teams in 2008 and 2009, with the wining team in 2009 relying nearly entirely on defense. There was no such strategy last year because it was not possible to do much to the other side.

[Botballers]

If you are going to GCER, I would recommend that you either develop a strategy that can be completed within the now 30 second No Pass Zone time limit, or devote a robot to the purpose of blocking other teams from coming to your side. Either way, it is never fun to have another team come over to your side and mess up your bots. We had someone come through our block at regionals as well, however it is within the scope of the rules.

[italyrools]

@italyrools Also, if it makes you feel any better, our team spent a solid hour discussing this in class and we came to the consensus that it was indeed regrettable that we partook in slightly unsportsmanlike behavior, but that we didn't break any official rules and that we should move on. I hope that your team can come to terms with what happened as well. Botball is about making the best robots, and our re-match after the game proved that you guys scored more points.