2023 Game: Charged Up

Lakota Robotics | Game Announcements

2023 Game: Charged Up

Check out this year’s game video!

Robot Name: Nich Knack.

Named after lead mentor Jimmy Nichols

Field and Scoring

Charged Up is played on a 27 feet (8.2 m) by 54 feet (16 m) field covered in grey carpet. The field is surrounded by low polycarbonate walls on the long sides and taller alliance station walls on the short sides. The Single Substations (part of the human player stations) on the long sides also feature a taller wall made of wire mesh panels.

The field is divided in half by a white line, and each half includes one alliance’s Community and the other alliance’s Loading Zone. The primary scoring areas are the two Communities (one per alliance), which are located near the two alliance station walls. Robots begin the match fully contained within their alliance’s Community. Each Community includes a Grid where game pieces can be scored and a Charging Station that robots can drive onto and balance on during the autonomous period and towards the end of the match.

Game Pieces

There are two game pieces in Charged Up: Cones and Cubes. Cones are yellow rubber cones, approximately 1 foot (30 cm) tall with an approximately 8 inches (20 cm) square base. Cubes are cube-like objects made of purple fabric that are inflated to approximately 9.5 inches (24 cm) when measured from face to face. Cubes have rounded corners and may not have flat surfaces.

Player Areas

Alliance Stations

There are two alliance stations on the short sides of the field, one for each alliance. Each station is divided into three smaller stations where the teams that make up the alliance control their robots. The opposing alliance’s Loading Zone is located on the far side of each alliance’s station when viewed from the scoring table.

Loading Zones

The Loading Zones, or human player stations, are used to introduce game pieces onto the field and form a right angle around the two far corners of the field. Each Zone consists of a Single Substation and a Double Substation, with the former located on a long side of the field and the latter located on a short side next to the opposing alliance’s station. Each substation includes a portal that human players can place game pieces into. The Single Substation’s portal is a ramp that drops the game piece onto the field, while the Double Substation’s portal can either be used to drop a piece onto the field or place the piece on a sliding shelf for one of the alliance’s robots to pick up.

Scoring Areas

Grids

The six Grids (three for each alliance) are located in front of their respective alliance station wall. Each set of grids consists of two outer grids and a coopertition (co-op) grid, each of which are divided into three rows (top, middle, and bottom). Within each grid, game pieces can be placed on nine Nodes, with two Nodes reserved for Cubes and four Nodes reserved for Cones. The remaining three Nodes, known as hybrid nodes, can accept either game piece. Alliances earn points for placing game pieces on the Nodes, with more points awarded for pieces scored on Nodes in the top and middle rows of each grid.

Alliances can also earn points by placing game pieces on three adjacent Nodes in the same row, which is known as a Link. Prior to the FIRST Championship, an alliance could earn the Sustainability Bonus ranking point (RP) by creating five links. This threshold could be lowered to four for both alliances if both of the co-op grids had at least three game pieces placed in them. After Week 6, the bonus threshold was increased to six links and can be lowered to five through the co-op grids.

The post-Week 6 modifications also added rules to allow alliances to earn Supercharge points after filling their set of Grids. Once this is accomplished, 3 Supercharge points are earned if an additional game piece is scored on a Node regardless of the Node’s row.

Charging Stations

The two Charging Stations (one for each alliance) are 8 feet (2.4 m) by 6.5 feet (2.0 m) rectangular structures located approximately 8 feet (2.4 m) from the edge of their respective alliance’s Grids and centered on the width of their alliance’s Community. Similar to the bridges in Rebound Rumble, the Charging Stations can be driven onto and balanced by robots in order to earn points in both the autonomous and teleoperated periods. While the stations are large enough to fit all three of an alliance’s robots, only one robot can score points on their alliance’s station during the autonomous period.

In both periods, points can be earned if a robot Docks or Engages with their alliance’s station. A robot is Docked if they are only contacting their Charging Station and/or other objects (ex. other robots) that are directly or transitively supported by the station. A Docked robot is also Engaged if their Charging Station is level and all other robots from their alliance that are contacting the station are Docked. Additionally, alliances can earn the Activation Bonus RP by scoring at least 26 Charging Station points during the match.

Scoring Summary

Action	Autonomous	Teleoperated	Ranking Points(in Qualification)
Robot exits Community	3 points
Game piece on bottom row	3 points	2 points
Game piece on middle row	4 points	3 points
Game piece on top row	6 points	5 points
Supercharge bonus		3 points
Link		5 points
Docked	8 points (Max one robot)	6 points
Docked and Engaged	12 points (Max one robot)	10 points
Park		2 points
Sustainability Bonus			1 RP
Coopertition Bonus			Sustainability Bonus threshold reduced to 5 for both alliances
Activation Bonus			1 RP
Win			2 RP
Tie			1 RP
Foul	5 points to opposing alliance	5 points to opposing alliance
Tech Foul	12 points to opposing alliance	12 points to opposing alliance

2022 Game: Rapid React

Lakota Robotics | Game Announcements

2022 Game: Rapid React

Check out this game reveal video!

Robot Name: Bobarazzi

Field and Scoring

Rapid React is played on a 27 ft. (~823 cm) by 54 ft. (~1646 cm) field covered in grey carpet. The field is surrounded by low polycarbonate walls on the long sides and higher polycarbonate driver station walls on the short sides. The field is divided in half by a white line. The primary scoring area, called the Hub, is surrounded by four taped-off areas known as Tarmacs (two red and two blue) where robots start the match. At the end of the match, robots can climb monkey bars in areas called the Hangars.

Alliance Station

Each alliance has their own alliance station on their end of the field, divided into three smaller stations (one for each team). The alliance stations are flanked by the alliance’s Hangar on one side and a Terminal on the other side.

Terminals

Alliances can use the Terminals to introduce Cargo into the field and return Cargo to their human players. Either alliance can use either Terminal, as opposed to player stations in previous games which were restricted to one alliance. Due to this, human players in the terminals must wear alliance-colored aprons to identify themselves.

Cargo

Cargo is the only game element in Rapid React. Each Cargo is an oversized inflatable tennis ball with a diameter of 9.5 in. (~24 cm). There are 22 Cargo on the field, 11 per alliance.

Scoring Areas

Hub

There is one Hub in the center of the field, and both alliances can score in it. There are two levels, a lower hub 3 ft 5 in (~104 cm) above the field and an upper hub 8 ft. 8 in. (~264 cm) above the field. Robots earn more points by shooting into the upper hub compared to shooting into the lower hub. The upper hub is smaller than the lower hub, which combined with its height makes it harder to score into.

Scoring in the lower hub is worth two points in autonomous mode and one point in teleoperated mode, while scoring in the upper hub is worth four points and two points respectively. Alliances can earn a ranking point by scoring 20 Cargo in the Hub, or 18 Cargo if the alliance scored 5 Cargo in autonomous mode. This is known as the Cargo Bonus.

Hangars

Hangars are large trusses with four legs, similar to the Shield Generator in Infinite Recharge. There are two Hangars, one for each alliance. At the end of the match, robots can climb onto the monkey bars in their alliance’s Hangar to earn climb points. There are four levels, with the lowest bar positioned 4 ft. 3/4 in. (~124 cm) above the field and the highest bar positioned 7 ft. 7 in. (~231 cm) above the field. Robots may not extend to be taller than 5 ft. 6 in. (~168cm) at any point in the match, so reaching higher monkey bars requires a robot to swinging onto one from a lower monkey bar.

Teams earn more points for climbing to higher levels of the monkey bars. The lowest level is worth 4 points, with the other three levels worth 6 points, 10 points, and 15 points respectively. Alliances can earn the Hangar Bonus by scoring at least 16 climb points.

Launch Pads

Each alliance’s Hangar also provides two safe zones called the Launch Pads, which allow that alliance’s robots to shoot Cargo into the Hub without being contacted by opponent robots. The Launch Pads are identified by strips of alliance-colored plastic on the bottom of the two Hub-facing legs of each Hangar, and a team can enter the safe zone by touching one of their alliance’s Launch Pads with their robot’s bumper. A team is assessed a foul if their robot contacts an opponent robot that is touching one of the opponent’s Launch Pads.

Scoring Summary

Action	Autonomous	Teleoperated	Ranking Points(in Qualification)
Robot Exits Tarmac	2 points
Cargo in Lower Hub	2 points	1 point
Cargo in Upper Hub	4 points	2 points
Hangar Climb (Level One)		4 points
Hangar Climb (Level Two)		6 points
Hangar Climb (Level Three)		10 Points
Hangar Climb (Level Four)		15 Points
Cargo Bonus			1 RP
Hangar Bonus			1 RP
Foul	4 points to opposing alliance	4 points to opposing alliance
Tech Foul	8 points to opposing alliance	8 points to opposing alliance
Win			2 RP
Tie			1 RP

In qualification rounds, teams are ranked by their Ranking Score, or their average number of Ranking Points (RP) per match. To ensure high placement, it is not only important to win matches, but to complete the secondary objectives as well, to amass as many Ranking Points as possible.

2020 Game: Infinite Recharge

Lakota Robotics | Game Announcements

2020 Game: Infinite Recharge

Check out this game reveal video!

Robot Name: Bampás

About the robot name

In loving memory of Paul George: a passionate mentor and caring friend.
(June 29, 1954 – January 15, 2020, age 65)

At the beginning of this season, our mentor Paul George passed away after a long battle with cancer, surrounded by family and friends.

Paul was affectionately referred to by the team as “Dad” and was very proud of his greek heritage. In his honor, we have name this year’s robot “Bampás” or μπαμπας which means “Dad” in greek.

You can read more about Paul in this article published by FIRST.

Field

Infinite Recharge is played on a 26 ft 11 1/4 in (~821 cm) by 52 ft 5 1/4 in(~1598 cm) field covered in grey low-pile carpet. The field is bounded by short transparent polycarbonate guardrails on the longer sides and the taller Alliance Station walls on the shorter side. The field features two sectors, with each containing one end for each alliance combined with the rendezvous point (center area). The sector contains robots at the start of each match, while drivers control their robots at the alliance station. The rendezvous point contains the Shield Generator and the Trenches.

Alliance Station

Each team has their own Alliance Station that is positioned at one of the ends of the field. The Alliance Station is where drivers control their robots, human players deliver game pieces to robots, and opposing alliance robots shoot game pieces. Alliance Stations contain three driver’s stations, one for each participating team in the alliance. The center player station is flanked on one side by the loading bay, and on the other side by the opposing alliance’s power port.

Loading Bay

Loading Bays are located in the alliance stations, with one per alliance. The Loading Bays are used by the human player to give game pieces to the robots on the field. There are five places that game pieces can be put into the Loading Bay, with two upper ports, and three ground ports.

Power Cell

Power Cells are the main game piece in Infinite Recharge. The Power Cell is a yellow, 7 in (~18cm) diameter Medium Bounce Dino-Skin foam ball. The FIRST logo is printed in black ink on each Power Cell.

Shield Generator

The Shield Generator is a large box-shaped structure located in the center of the field. It contains both alliances Rendezvous Points, as well as the two Generator Switches.

Trench Run

The Trench Run is an approximately 4 ft by 18 ft rectangular area on each side of the field bounded by alliance-colored tape that contains the alliance’s Control Panel. It is located in the middle of the field, directly adjacent to the Shield Generator.

Scoring Areas

Power Port

There are two Power Ports on the field, with one at each Alliance Station. An alliance’s Power Port is located at the opposing alliance’s Alliance Station, requiring robots that intake from the Loading Bays to drive across the field in order to score Power Cells. There are three levels of scoring on a Power Port. The rectangular Bottom Port is worth two points in autonomous, or one in the teleoperated (or teleop) period. The hexagonal Outer Port is located above the Bottom Port, and is worth four points during the autonomous period, and two points in teleop. The Inner Port is located inside of the Outer Port, and is a much smaller circular hole set in the back of the Outer Port. It is worth six points in autonomous, and three during teleop.

Scoring Power Cells into the Power Port contributes towards reaching Capacity. Upon scoring a Power Cell into any port, one point is credited towards reaching Capacity, regardless of where it is scored. Certain levels of Capacity require additional tasks to be completed. Lights around the Power Cell indicate progression towards reaching a stage’s Capacity, lighting up in a chase pattern when Capacity is reached but the extra condition is yet to be fulfilled. Upon reaching Capacity and completing the stage’s additional task, the stage is said to be Activated.

Stage	Power Cell Capacity	Additional Conditions	Activating Grants
1	9	The teleoperated phasemust have begun.	Unlocks Rotation Control.
2	20	Rotation Control must be complete.	Unlocks Position Control.
3	20	Position Control must be complete.	One Ranking Point.

Control Panel

There are two Control Panels placed on either side of the middle of the field, in each alliance’s Trench. They are large discs, with eight colored wedges (red, yellow, blue, and green, repeated once) printed on both the top and bottom. There is a glass panel on the bottom of the Control Panel, however, its wedges are still visible from underneath. After activating Stage 1 and reaching Stage 2’s capacity, an alliance may may score 10 points by performing Rotation Control on the Control Panel. This entails spinning the Control Panel at least 3 times, but not more than 5. Rotating past a fifth rotation resets this task, and the rotations must be completed again. After activating Stage 2 and reaching Stage 3’s capacity, the alliance may score 20 points by performing Position Control. This entails rotating the Control Panel to a certain color specified by the Field Management System through a message sent to each team’s driver’s station. When complete, this energizes the Shield Generator, gaining the alliance one ranking point.

Rendezvous Point

An alliance’s Rendezvous Point is located underneath the Shield generator, and is marked with each alliance’s color on three sides, with the fourth side being a black line separating the two Rendezvous Points. Alliances gain 5 points for each robot parked there when the game ends or 25 for each robot hanging, which will be explained below.

Generator Switch

A Generator Switch is located above each alliance’s Rendezvous Point, and is attached to the Shield Generator. During the final 30 seconds of a match, robots may extend up and attach to the bar on the bottom of the switch. Each robot attached to the switch and off the ground at the end of the match is worth 25 extra points. The switch is able to swing back and forth when robots attach to it, and there is an additional 15 point bonus for balancing the switch within ~8 degrees of level. An additional ranking point will also be given to an alliance if their endgame score (ie., that of climbing and parking) exceeds 65 points, which makes the Shield Generator operational.

Scoring Summary

Action	Autonomous	Teleop	Ranking Points(in Qualification)
Initiation Line Cross	5 points
Power Cells in Bottom Port	2 points	1 point
Power Cells in Outer Port	4 points	2 point
Power Cells in Inner Port	6 points	3 point
Control Panel Rotation Control		10 points
Control Panel Position Control		20 points
Hang on Shield Generator		25 Points
Park below Shield Generator		5 Points
Generator Switch Level		15 Points
Shield Generator Operational			1 RP
Shield Generator Energized			1 RP
Foul	3 points to opposing alliance	3 points to opposing alliance
Tech Foul	15 points to opposing alliance	15 points to opposing alliance
Win			2 RP
Tie			1 RP

In qualification rounds, teams are ranked by their Ranking Score, or their average number of Ranking Points (RP) per match. To ensure high placement, it is not only important to win matches, but to complete the secondary objectives as well, to amass as many Ranking Points as possible.

2019 Game: Destination Deep Space

Lakota Robotics | Game Announcements

2019 Game: Destination Deep Space

Check out this game reveal video!

Robot Name: Oggsmonaut

Field

Destination: Deep Space is played on a 27 ft (823 cm) by 54 ft (1646 cm) field that is covered in grey carpet. The field is bounded by transparent polycarbonate guardrails on the longer sides and the Alliance Station walls on the shorter side. The field features two types of zones, one for each alliance. The habitat zone contains robots at the start and end of each match, while the alliance station is where drivers control their robots. For the first time, a Google Cardboard headset was included in the kickoff kit to allow teams to view a virtual field.

Alliance Station

Each alliance has their own Alliance Station that is positioned at one of the ends of the field. The Alliance Station is where drivers control their robots, human players deliver game pieces to robots, and coaches give advice to their team members. Each alliance station features two game piece holding areas on the sides of the driver stations.

Depots

Depots are placed on the field next to the alliance stations, with two per alliance. Before the match starts, alliances are permitted to stage cargo in their respective depots for robots to retrieve during the match.

Sandstorm

The sandstorm is installed above each alliance’s alliance station, and is used to obscure the drive team’s vision during the sandstorm period. Once that period ends, the sandstorm retracts in order to allow drivers to see the field for the remainder of the match.

Loading Stations

Each alliance station features two loading stations near the edges of the alliance station. Human players use the loading stations to deliver hatch covers and cargo to robots through a chute, where they can be collected by a waiting robot.

Scoring Areas

Rockets

There are four rockets on the field, two per alliance. Each rocket features three levels, made up of two bays, where game pieces can be scored. Two hatch covers and two pieces of cargo can be scored on each level.

Cargo Ships

There are two cargo ships placed in the middle of the field, one per alliance. As with the rockets, each cargo ship features bays where hatch covers and cargo can be scored. Each cargo ship has eight bays, each capable of holding one hatch cover and one cargo.

Habitat Platforms

Each alliance controls one habitat platform near the alliance station wall. Robots start the match at their alliance’s respective habitat platform, and must return to the same platform at the end of the match. Each habitat platform has three levels, and parking on a higher level at the end of the match earns the alliance more points.

Gameplay and Scoring

Scoring Elements

There are two scoring elements in Destination: Deep Space; hatch covers and cargo. Hatch covers are 19 in. (~48 cm) diameter polycarbonate toroids, and cargo is represented by orange 13 in. (~33 cm) playground balls.

Sandstorm Period

For the 2019 season, the sandstorm period replaced the autonomous period, which had been used in many previous FRC games. Robots start the match at their respective habitat platforms, fully supported by habitat platform level one or two. The first 15 seconds of the match is the sandstorm period, where robots act solely on pre-programmed instructions, therefore acting autonomously, or under control of their drivers with the aid of a vision system mounted on the robot. Robots can earn points in a variety of ways. For each robot that fully crosses the habitat line during the sandstorm period, the alliance earns three points if the robot started on habitat platform level one and six points if the robot started on level two. Robots are also able to earn points for scoring hatch panels and cargo on their alliance’s rockets and cargo ship. As these actions carry the same point value as if they occurred in the teleop period, they will be further discussed in that section.

Teleop Period

After the sandstorm period ends, the teleop (tele-operated) period begins, which lasts for 135 seconds. Drivers control their robot from their Driver Station and human players continue to deliver game pieces to the robots. During this period, as in autonomous, every hatch panel scored on a rocket or cargo ship will earn three points for the alliance. Additionally, scoring cargo into a rocket or cargo ship will earn three points for the alliance.

End Game

The last 30 seconds of the teleop period is called the end game. During this time, robots can earn additional points by climbing back onto their alliance’s habitat platform. A robot ending the match on level one will earn the alliance 3 points, while ending the match on level two will earn 6 points and ending the match on level three will earn 12 points.

Special Scoring

In addition to earning match points, an alliance can earn a ranking point during the qualification rounds by accumulating a total of 15 end game points at the end of the match, which is known as habitat docking. An alliance can also earn a ranking point by completing a rocket, which entails scoring two hatch covers and two pieces of cargo on each level. A foul will result in 3 points being credited to the opposing alliance, and a tech foul will result in 10 points being credited to the opposing alliance.

Scoring Summary

Action	Sandstorm	Teleop	Ranking Points
Sandstorm Bonus (Level One)	3 points
Sandstorm Bonus (Level Two)	6 points
Hatch Panel	2 points	2 points
Cargo	3 points	3 points
Habitat Climb Bonus (Level One)		3 points
Habitat Climb Bonus (Level Two)		6 points
Habitat Climb Bonus (Level Three)		12 points
Habitat Docking			1 RP (in Qualification)
One Complete Rocket			1 RP (in Qualification)
Foul	3 points	3 points
Tech Foul	10 points	10 points
Win			2 RP (in Qualification)
Tie			1 RP (in Qualification)

2018 Game: FIRST Power Up

Lakota Robotics | Game Announcements

2018 Game: FIRST Power Up

Check out this game reveal video!

Robot Name: Power Up Paul George (P-UPG)

Field

FIRST Power Up is played on a 27 ft (823 cm) by 54 ft (1646 cm) field that is covered in grey carpet, called the “Arcade”. The field is bounded by transparent polycarbonate guardrails on the longer sides and the Alliance Station walls on the shorter side. While most of the field is alliance-neutral, including where the scoring areas are located, there are some alliance-specific zones, which are the Null Territory, Platform Zone, Power Cube Zone and Exchange Zone on the field, and the Alliance Station and Portals outside the field. All zones belong to the alliance whose Alliance Station is closest to the zone, with the exception of Null Territory and the Portals.

Power Cube Zone

The Power Cube Zone is an alliance-specific area in front of the Switch that contains 10 power cubes for the alliance that owns the Power Cube Zone to use. Robots of the opposing alliance may not cause Power Cubes that are inside the Power Cube Zone to be removed from the Power Cube Zone. The Power Cube Zone includes the tape used to define the area, but not the Switch that it is adjacent to. The Auto Line runs parallel to the Alliance Station wall, crossing through the centre of the Power Cube Zone, and touching both Guardrails.

Platform Zone

The Platform Zone is an alliance-specific area between the Switch and Scale that protects robots from opposition interference and gives additional freedoms when attempting end game objectives such as climbing. It includes the tape, Switch and Tower walls used to define the area as well as the rung connected to the Tower. It also contains 6 power cubes that are available for both alliances to use.

Null Territory

Null Territory is an alliance-specific area next to the alliance’s Plate on the Scale that protects robots from opposition interference when attempting to place power cubes on the scale. It includes the tape used to define the area but not the Guardrails.

Exchange Zone

The Exchange Zone is an alliance-specific area next to the Alliance Station wall that stops opposing robots blocking access to where the alliance’s robots can give power cubes to their Human Players through the Exchange. It includes the tape used to define the area but not the Alliance Station wall.

Portals

Each alliance owns two Portals at the two corners opposite to its Alliance Station. This is where Human Players can give robots additional power cubes through the walls and each contains 7 power cubes. It includes the tape and the wall used to define the area.

Alliance Station

Each alliance owns an Alliance Station that is at one of the ends of the field. The Alliance Station is where Drivers control their robots at the Driver Stations, Human Players manage power cubes and Coaches give advice to their team members. Technicians must stay outside of the Alliance Station and the Portals at all times. At the beginning of the match, during the Autonomous Period, all alliance members must stay behind the Starting Line in the Alliance Stations.

Exchange

The Exchange is a place in the Alliance Station wall where robots can give power cubes to their Alliance Station for either storage in the Alliance Station, storage in the Vault or return to the field. The Exchange Zone surrounds the Exchange, making it a protected area.

Vault

The Vault is a device at the back of the Alliance Station that Human Players interact with to obtain power ups. Human Players place power cubes, which are collected from the field through the Exchange, inside the Vault to earn Power Ups, with the strength of each Power Up related to how many power cubes are inside the Vault when the power up is played.

Scoring Areas

There are two Switches, one owned by each alliance, and a Scale, which is neutral, located on the field. An alliance’s Switch is located 14ft (427cm) in front of the Alliance Station wall and its Plates are 9in (23cm) above the carpet when level. The Scale is located in the centre of the field and its plates are 5ft (152cm) above the carpet when the match begins. The two rungs connected to the Scale’s Tower are 7ft (213cm) above the carpet, extend 8.25in (21cm) out from the Tower and are 1ft 1in (33cm) across. There are two Plates on each end of the Scales and Switches, one belonging to each alliance. At the beginning of the match, the Plates that each alliance owns are randomised.

Ownership

Switches and Scales begin the match level, with no alliance having ownership. An alliance gains ownership of a Switch or Scale if, by placing power cubes on their Plate, the respective Switch or Scale is tipped by the weight of the power cubes. An alliance also gains ownership of their Switch if the Force Power Up is played at level 1 or 3, and gains ownership of the Scale if the Force Power Up is played at level 2 or 3.

Gameplay and Scoring

Scoring Elements

There is only one scoring element in this game, power cubes. Power cubes are 1ft 1in (33cm) wide, 1ft 1in deep and 11in (27cm) tall milk crates covered in a yellow nylon cover. The FIRST logo covers the open face of the milk crate.

Autonomous Period

Robots start the match contacting their Alliance Station wall, with no part of the robot inside the Exchange Zone, with up to 1 power cube preloaded onto the robot. The first 15 seconds of the match is the Autonomous Period, where robots act solely on pre-programmed instructions, hence acting autonomously. Drivers and Human Players must stay behind the Starting Line throughout this period. Robots can earn points in a variety of ways. If any part of a robot’s bumpers completely cross the Auto Line, they gain 5 points for their alliance. However, they may not pass Null Territory to stop opposing robots completing their Autonomous tasks. If an alliance gains ownership of the Scale or their own Switch, they gain 2 points. For every whole second that an alliance owns the Scale or their Switch in Autonomous, they gain an additional 2 points.

Teleop Period

After the Autonomous Period ends, the Teleop (Tele-operated) Period begins, which lasts for 135 seconds. Drivers control their robot from their Driver Station and Human Players deliver power cubes through the Portals and place power cubes in the Vault. If an alliance gains ownership of their Switch in Teleop, they gain 1 point, or 2 points if the Boost Power Up is active at level 1 or 3. For every whole second that an alliance owns their Switch in Teleop, they gain an additional 1 point, or 2 points if the Boost Power Up is active at level 1 or 3. If an alliance gains ownership of the Scale in Teleop, they gain 1 point, or 2 points if the Boost Power Up is active at level 2 or 3. For every whole second that an alliance owns the Scale in Teleop, they gain an additional 1 point, or 2 points if the Boost Power Up is active at level 2 or 3. For every power cube an alliance places in their Vault, they gain 5 points.

Power Ups

During the Teleop Period, teams have access to three Power Ups: Levitate, Force, and Boost. These Power Ups are activated through placing power cubes that are obtained through the Exchange in the Vault. No two Power Ups can be active simultaneously with the exception of Levitate, which both alliances can activate at any point during the Teleop Period. After a Power Up has been activated by an alliance, it cannot be used again. Except for Levitate, all Power Ups last for 10 seconds, and if another Power Up is activated in this time (except for Levitate) it is placed in a queue. The number of power cubes required and effects of the Power Ups are detailed in the table below.

Power Up	Power Cubes Required (Level)	Effect
Levitate	3	Alliance earns a free Climb (only if 2 or less robots have earned a Climb)
Force	1	Alliance gains Ownership of their Switch
	2	Alliance gains Ownership of the Scale
	3	Alliance gains Ownership of both their Switch and the Scale
Boost	1	Alliance gains double Ownership points from their Switch
	2	Alliance gains double Ownership points from the Scale
	3	Alliance gains double Ownership points from both their Switch and the Scale

End Game

The last 30 seconds of the Teleop Period is called the End Game. During this time, robots can earn additional points by performing tasks in their Platform Zone. If a robot is fully supported by the Scale, fully outside the opponent’s Platform Zone and has its bumpers at least when time runs out, the robot earns a Climb and 30 points. If a robot has met all of the criteria above but does not have its bumpers at least when time runs out, the robot earns a Park and 5 points. If the Levitate Power Up has been activated and no more than 2 robots have Climbed, a Climb is credited to a random robot who has not Parked or Climbed. If all robots have at least Parked, one random robot who has not Climbed will be credited with a Climb.

Special Scoring

In addition to these methods of scoring, alliances can perform special tasks to gain additional points. If an alliance can get all 3 of their robots to complete an Auto-Run and have ownership of their Switch at the end of the Autonomous Period, they have completed the Auto Quest and gain 1 extra Ranking Point in qualification matches. If an alliance has all 3 of their robots credited with a Climb (whether through an actual Climb or the Levitate Power Up), they can Face the Boss and gain 1 extra Ranking Point in qualification matches. If an alliance breaks a rule, they may be penalized. A Foul will result 5 points being credited to the opposing alliance, and a Tech Foul will result in 25 points being credited to the opposing alliance.

Scoring Summary

Action	Autonomous	Teleop	Ranking Points
Auto-Run	5 points
Ownership of Scale	2 points + 2 points/second	1 point + 1 point/second2 points + 2 points/second if Boost level 2 or 3 active
Ownership of Alliance’s Switch	2 points + 2 points/second	1 point + 1 point/second2 points + 2 points/second if Boost level 1 or 3 active
Vault		5 points
Parking		5 points
Climbing		30 points
Face the Boss			1 RP(in Qualification)
Auto Quest			1 RP(in Qualification)
Foul	5 points	5 points
Tech Foul	25 points	25 points
Win			2 RP(in Qualification)
Tie			1 RP(in Qualification)

2017 Game: FIRST Steamworks

Lakota Robotics | Game Announcements

2017 Game: FIRST Steamworks

Robot Name: Double Trouble Dan

In Loving Memory of Dan Deganis (March 13, 1963 – February 8, 2017)

Field

FIRST Steamworks is played on a field 27ft (823cm) by 54ft 4in (1656cm), covered in green carpet and bounded by transparent polycarbonate guardrails on the longer sides and the Alliance Walls on the shorter sides. It is divided into the Neutral Zone, alliance specific Launchpads, Keys and Retrieval Zones. 

Neutral Zone

The Neutral Zone is an area in the middle of the field that contains no major scoring elements, and is neutral to both alliances. It is bounded by the Launchpad Lines, white in color, and the Launchpad Lines are not part of the Neutral Zone.

Launchpad

Each side of the arena is called the Launchpad. The Launchpad is alliance specific, bounded by the Launchpad Lines and the Alliance Wall. Each Launchpad belongs to the alliance that has their Alliance Wall bounding it. Robots start the match contacting the Alliance Wall. The Launchpad contains the Key, Retrieval Zone and the Airship.

Key

The Key is the area in front of the Boiler. It is bounded by alliance-coloured tape and the Boiler and is contained inside the alliance’s own Launchpad. Opposing robots may not stay in the Key for more than 5 seconds, as this would obstruct the alliance from scoring in the Boiler.

Retrieval Zone

The Retrieval Zone is the area in front of the Loading Station. It is inside the opposite alliance’s Launchpad, meaning that the robot must travel to the other side of the field to get to the Loading Station. Robots in the Retrieval Zone normally receive scoring elements through the Loading Stations. Robots may not contact another robot in the opposing Retrieval Zone, regardless of who initiates the contact.

Alliance Station and Loading Lanes

The Alliance Station is the area behind the Alliance Wall where drivers are stationed. They control their robots from the Driver Stations inside the Alliance Station, behind the Alliance Wall. Behind the Alliance Station is the Loading Lane, belonging to the opposite alliance. Human Players are stationed in the Loading Lanes, with a supply of both gears and fuel to deposit through the Loading Stations to the robots, who then score points with them. Both areas are bounded by alliance-colored tape. The Loading Station is the only way to get more gears after the start of the match and one of the two ways to get more fuel, the other being the Hoppers.

Boiler

The Boiler is located at the corner of the field, belonging to the alliance that has its Alliance Wall next to it and their Key in front of it. There are two goals on the Boiler, the Low Efficiency Goal, which is 1ft 6in (46cm) above the ground, and the High Efficiency Goal, which is 8ft 1in (246cm) off the ground. The Low Efficiency Goal is low enough for robots to dump fuel into, though the High Efficiency Goal is too high to do that, so fuel must be launched upwards into it. Fuel may only be launched from an alliance’s own Launchpad.

Hoppers

There are five Hoppers stationed around the field, on the guardrails.There are polycarbonate plates on the guardrails. If these are hit by a robot, 2 containers of fuel (1 Hopper) are released onto the field. There are 50 fuel in each container and 100 fuel in each Hopper. Hoppers are neutral with one in each Launchpad and the rest in the Neutral Zone, so any alliance can use the Hoppers. This is one of the two ways robots can get more fuel after the game starts, with the other being the Loading Station.

Airship

The Airship is located in the centre of the alliance’s Launchpad, is hexagonal in shape and is the main way alliances score points. Two Human Players, known as Pilots, are stationed inside the Airship. On the Airship there are 3 lifts with pegs for robots to deposit gears onto and a cable to let the Pilots pull the gears from the pegs onto the Airship. The lifts are on the 3 faces that are closest to the Alliance Wall. Pegs consist of a plastic spike and a spring that bends, which may cause the gear to fall off the peg while it is being lifted into the Airship. There are bumpers that separate the pegs, with each on the corner of the face. The edge of the bumpers also define the Base Line, a line marked with green tape that is parallel to the Alliance Wall and touching the edge of the bumpers. Also on the Airship are davits, which each hold a rope and a Touchpad. The davits are positioned with one on the side of the hexagon facing the Alliance Wall and the others two faces away. At the end of the game, the robots attempt to climb the ropes connected to the davits, activating the Touchpad. In the middle of the Airship is the Steam Tank, which displays lights for how much fuel has been scored in the Boiler and also where the first gear is placed to activate the first rotor. The other gears must be placed on the sides of the Airship, with an increasing number of gears required for each succeeding rotor. The second rotor requires 2 gears, the third requires 4 gears and the fourth requires 6 gears. There is one reserve “free” gear that is pre-placed on the Airship for the Pilots to use, however it cannot be used in the Autonomous period.

Gameplay and Scoring

Scoring Elements

There are two major scoring elements in the FIRST Steamworks game, namely fuel and gears. Fuel are plastic wiffleballs with 26 holes in them, are “Screamin’ Yellow” in colour, weigh about 2.6oz (75g) each, with a 5in (13cm) diameter. Gears are plastic toothed wheels with 10 teeth, weigh 18.4oz (~500g) each, an 11in (28cm) diameter, a 10in (25cm) pitch diameter and are 2in (5cm) thick. Robots may control as many fuel as they wish, but only 1 gear at a time. Ropes are also regulated.

Autonomous Period

Robots start the match contacting their Alliance Wall, with up to 1 gear and up to 10 fuel preloaded on the robot. The first 15 seconds of the match is called the Autonomous Period. Robots are controlled by pre-programmed commands with no driver input, hence they operate autonomously. Drivers and Human Players must stand behind the white Starting Line during Autonomous to ensure this is the case. Pilots, however, may still operate the lifts and place gears/turn rotors during Autonomous, but may not touch the reserve gear. Each rotor that is activated in Autonomous gives the alliance 60 points, each fuel scored in the High Goal is worth 1 kilopascal and each fuel scored in the Low Goal is worth ⅓ kilopascals. Also, if a robot crosses the Base Line, it earns 5 points. If a rotor is engaged in Autonomous, the yellow stack lights next to it will illuminate.

Teleop Period

After the Autonomous Period ends, the Teleop Period (Tele-operated) begins. It lasts for 135 seconds and robots are controlled by driver inputs. Rotors that are engaged in Teleop earns the alliance 40 points, fuel in the High Goal is worth ⅓ kilopascals and fuel in the Low Goal is worth ⅑ kilopascals. At the end of the match, each whole kilopascal accumulated throughout both periods is worth 1 point.

End Game

The last 30 seconds of the Teleop Period is called the End Game. In the End Game, Pilots deploy the ropes on the Airship to let the robots climb them. Each robot that climbs a rope and activates a Touchpad for at least 1 second and when the game timer reaches 0 earns 50 points for their alliance.

 

2016 Game: FIRST Stronghold

Lakota Robotics | Game Announcements

2016 Game: FIRST Stronghold

Robot Name: Robinhood

Field

The playing field is divided into red and blue alliance sections, separated by a neutral zone that contains boulders. Each section contains a courtyard, an area for opposing teams to shoot boulders at the castle goals, a “secret passage” that allows human players to feed boulders to their robots from the human player station, the “outer works”, and the tower.

Outer works

The outer works is the series of five defensive obstacles that divide the neutral zone from the alliance sections and span the field. Four of the five used obstacles are modular and can be moved, and certain obstacles may or may not be present during a match. Options for defensive obstacles include a cheval de frise, a “moat”, ramparts, a drawbridge, a sally port, a portcullis, a rock wall, and “rough terrain”. The defensive obstacle on the left of each outer works, the “low bar”, is not movable. LED light strips at the base of each obstacle display current obstacle strength.

Three defensive obstacles of the outer works in a particular match are determined by the teams playing the match and one obstacle is chosen by the audience.

There are over 18,000 possible field configurations from the eight defensive options.

After problems with robots and boulders getting stuck in the fabric on the low bar, FIRST made the decision to have it replaced with rubber flaps at some events (including the Championship).

Tower

The tower consists of five scoring goals, three scaling rungs, and a “batter”. Three high goals are 7 feet 1 inch above the playing field, and two low goals are six inches above the playing field. Three rungs for robots to scale the tower are 6 feet 4 inches from the playing field. Colored LED light strips on the front of the tower display the current tower strength. The “batter” is a series of seven 60° ramps at the base of the tower directly in front of the low goals designed to make challenging and scaling the tower difficult. The tower has a health of 8 for regional and district play and a health of 10 at the FIRST Championship.

Boulders

Scoring elements are called boulders, grey foam balls that are 10 inches in diameter. There are 12 boulders present on the field at the beginning of a match and 18 total. Six boulders are staged evenly along the mid line of the field, and three boulders are at each human player station and one in each robot.

Game play and scoring

Stronghold is a medieval tower defense game in which two alliances of up to three teams each compete to score points by breaching the opponent’s outer works and capturing the opponent’s tower. Before the match, teams and the audience select defenses to fortify the alliance’s outer works. Teams receive two ranking points in the competition standings for a win, and one ranking point for a tie.

Each match begins with a 15-second autonomous period where robots act on pre-programmed instructions. The match then transitions to a 2 minute and 15 second teleoperated (tele-op) period, where robots are driven by the drive teams.

Autonomous (auto) period

Robots begin in the neutral zone with the ability to hold one boulder each. However, alliances may assign a “spy” robot to start in the opposing alliance’s courtyard. Alliances earn 2 points for reaching the opposing alliance’s outer works, and earn 10 points for crossing them. Any additional defenses a robot crosses in auto will not decrease a defense’s strength, or give points to the alliance. Once across a defense, a robot in autonomous mode can score a high goal for 10 points or low goal for 5 points.

Tele-operated (tele-op) period

Robots retrieve boulders from either their secret passage or the mid line, overcome opponent defenses, and score goals in their opponent’s courtyard. Robots may transport only one boulder at a time. Each time a robot crosses an undamaged defense, they receive 5 points. Robots earn 5 points for scoring a high goal, and 2 points for a low goal. In the last 20 seconds of the match, robots race to the opposing alliance’s tower to either park on the batter, earning them 5 points for a challenge, or hang from the tower’s rungs, earning them 15 points for a scale.

Special scoring

There are opportunities to score additional points by completing certain tasks in FIRST Stronghold. This can be done through breaching and or capturing, and will award the alliance either ranking points in the qualification matches or regular points in the playoff matches.

Breach

Any time a robot successfully crosses one of the opponent’s defenses (whether in autonomous or tele-op), that defense’s strength is reduced by 1/2. The second time a robot crosses the defense, that defense’s strength is reduced completely and is considered “damaged”. Once four of the five defenses are damaged, the outer works are considered breached. A breach is awarded 1 ranking point in qualifications and 20 points in playoffs.

Capture

As goals are scored in the opposing alliance’s tower, the tower’s strength will be lowered. After 8 goals (high or low), or 10 goals at the World Championships, the tower has no strength and is considered “weakened”. Only a weakened tower can be captured. To capture a tower, all robots in the alliance must either drive onto the opposing team’s batter, or scale the tower. Once the capture has been declared, the tower will turn to the capturing alliance’s color, and their flag will be raised. For capturing, the alliance receives 1 ranking point in qualifications, and 25 points in the playoffs.

2015 Game: Recycle Rush

Lakota Robotics | Game Announcements

2015 Game: Recycle Rush

Robot Name: Relicycle

Game Overview

RECYCLE RUSH is a recycling-themed game designed for the 2015 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). It is played by two Alliances of three Teams each. Alliances compete simultaneously to score points by stacking Totes on Scoring Platforms, capping those stacks with Recycling Containers, and properly disposing of Litter, represented by pool noodles, in designated locations. In keeping with the recycling theme of the game, all scoring elements used are reusable or recyclable by teams in their home locations or by FIRST at the end of the season.

Field

The 27 ft. by 54 ft. playing Field is bisected by a small Step which may not be climbed on or crossed by Robots. Thus each Alliance competes on their respective 26 ft. by 27 ft. side of the Field.

Match

Each RECYCLE RUSH Match begins with a 15-second Autonomous Period in which Robots operate independently of their drivers. During this period, Robots attempt to move themselves, their Yellow Totes, and their Recycling Containers into the area between the scoring platforms, called the Auto Zone. Additional points are awarded if the Yellow Totes are arranged in a single stack.

During the remaining 2 minutes and 15 seconds of the Match, called the Teleop Period, Robots are controlled remotely by student drivers located behind the walls at the ends of the Field. Teams on an Alliance work together to place as many Totes on their Scoring Platforms as possible. Alliances earn additional points for Recycling Containers placed on the scored Totes, with Recycling Containers at greater heights earning more points. Alliances also earn points for disposing of their Litter in either their Landfill Zone (the area next to the Step marked by the white line) or placing Litter in or on scored Recycling Containers. Alliances that leave unscored Litter marked in the other Alliance’s color on their side of the Field at the end of the match add points to the score of the other Alliance, as it is considered unprocessed and not properly disposed.

Alliances have an opportunity to earn “Coopertition Points” by coordinating with the other Alliance in the Match. Coopertition Points are awarded if, at some point in the Match, there are at least four Yellow Totes on the Step simultaneously. Coopertition Points are doubled if the Alliances arrange at least four of those Yellow Totes in a single stack on the Step. Points for the Match are awarded based on the state of the scored objects at the end of the Match (with the exception of Coopertition Points, which can be earned at any point during the Match).