2. Competition Format
2.1 Advancement
All 24 competitors will compete in one of twelve preliminary matches. Each preliminary match will consist of two events. Preliminary match winners will move on to a semi-final match. Each semi-final match will consist of one event. The six competitors who win a final match will advance to the Championship Finals.
2.2 Event Types
There are two events to each preliminary match.
THE GAUNTLET - Robots face the ultimate endurance test in the baseball diamond-shaped track of "The Gauntlet". To begin, the bots must crash head-on through four increasingly difficult walls -- a wall of wood, followed by one of weighted cans, then bricks, and finally a cement wall -- and that's just to get to the halfway point! If all goes as planned, the robots will get to "second base" at roughly the same time, forcing a confrontation. When the bots finally pass each other, they still have to navigate through all the rubble left by their opponent. This is more treacherous than it sounds -- one wayward brick can end the race faster than driving through an entire wall of 'em.
Once they've come full circle (back to the starting line), the robots turn and climb a ramp up to the "Central Killing Zone." Once inside they'll find a forest of glass columns that must be destroyed. When they've completed this task, a final ramp will lead them out of the center area and on to victory. Robots score points for every wall destroyed, every rubble pile successfully navigated, and every glass wall broken. The highest scoring robot takes the game.
THE LABYRINTH - As in Hellenic times, our mechanical gladiators risk life and limb when they enter "The Labyrinth." Robots must navigate tight spaces and treacherous obstacles that lead to six deadly challenges, which in turn guard six glass walls. Their level of difficulty ranges from hard to nearly impossible: a twenty pound box, a shaky suspension bridge, a section of lethal spikes that shoot up from the floor, a hydraulic flip ramp that can send a 200 plus pound robot flying and finally, a sand pit and a set of steel cargo rollers that could put a stop to even the most surefooted robot.
The robots must successfully take on as many challenges as possible, breaking the glass walls. When all six glass walls are broken a door at the end of the track opens, revealing a seventh glass wall. The robot that breaks this final wall ends the game and receives bonus points. But the bot that breaks the most glass overall will get the most points, winning the game. And if things weren't dangerous enough, our competitors are being attacked by our Robotica "Rats." These pint-sized robotic devils carry some very robot-unfriendly buzz saws that are capable of disabling any or all of the competitors. The two highest-scoring robots of each preliminary match will advance to the semi-final round, which consists of one event.
FIGHT TO THE FINISH - What better way to end a competition of brains and brawn than with an old fashioned street fight? The "Fight To The Finish" is just that. The two winners of the earlier games face each other on an eight-foot-high elevated platform. Each tries to send his opponent off the side to his demise in a fiery pit of steel spikes!
For one minute the bots are protected from this horrible fate by a surrounding safety gate. But at the end of that minute, the gate comes tumbling down and it's survival of the fittest. As one bot hits the floor, the last bot standing wins the competition.
There will be six semi-final round winners (one winner for each of the fist six episodes). These six will advance to the Finals. All Robots in the Finals will compete in The Gauntlet. The winner of each round of The Gauntlet, plus the losing robot with the highest point total will advance the Labyrinth. The two winners of the Labyrinth round will advance the Fight to the Finish Finals.
2.3 Scoring of Matches & Declaration of Winner
The impartial judge will have final authority on the assessment of points and penalties, no exceptions.
The Gauntlet - Points are assessed when the body of the robot clears the arch of each obstacle. Robots have gone up the ramp when all wheels are on the upper surface.
Active weapons may not be used in The Gauntlet.
In the case of a 30 second standoff, the judge will stop the game, reset the furthest robot to just before the last obstacle it passed, and the game will resume. Robots will keep any points that they have already accumulated.
If a robot is mechanically unable to continue and the opposing robot cannot pass it in 30 seconds, the stalled robot will be moved back to the nearest open corner. The stalled robot will keep any points that it has already accumulated.
The Gauntlet will have a time limit of five minutes, after which, the game will be called, and the winner will be the robot that accumulated the most points in five minutes.
In the Finals of the Gauntlet, the losing robot must finish the course for time. They will not accumulate any additional points past the buzzer.
The Labyrinth - The robot will receive points when they break the glass strip behind each obstacle. Points will be given to the actual robot that breaks the glass.
Passing through the exit door prior to the signal will result in disqualification. At the sound of the exit signal, robots will have one minute to pass the door and break the glass. The exit signal will sound when:
If one robot becomes fully disabled, blocking access to a fixture, that robot will be penalized for the amount of that fixture. The penalty will be assessed when the game is over.
If both robots are disabled at obstacles for 45 seconds, the game will stop, the robots will be reset to their positions just before the obstacles, and the game will resume.
Point values:
The Robot that has accumulated the most points at the end of both events moves on to the semi-final match. In the case of a tie, both robots will advance.
The Fight to the Finish - There is no scoring for this match. The last Robot left in the arena wins the event and moves on to the Championship Finals. If both robots are pushed off the platform, the robot that was on the platform last will be declared the winner.
2.4 Event Frequency and Eligibility to Compete
All Robot participants must be in good working order to take part in the competition. In order to make this determination robots will be required to successfully complete a qualifying round prior to the program taping. The qualifying round will test robot's basic abilities and readiness to compete for our specific challenges.
The robots that successfully complete the qualifying round advance to a preliminary round. In the event that a robot is unable to compete, a designated alternate robot will fill its slot. The choice of which alternate robot will fill in is at Producer's Discretion.
Each preliminary round is made up of two events. The winner of the preliminary round will compete in a semifinal match.
1. Preliminary Round - After each event, operators and their teams will have fourty-five minutes to make repairs to their Robot. If a Robot is not mobile (able to power up and move in at least two directions), then the operator may take an additional 30 minute repair period, but will forfeit 10 points. Operators can continue to take additional 30-minute repair periods at a forfeiture of 10 points until their Robot is operational. If they opt not to take the extra time, their machine is placed in the Robot impound until the competition resumes. Should both machines be immobile after the initial 30-minute repair period and both require additional time, no point penalty will be assessed. Participants may also use this repair period to make modifications to their Robot in preparation for the next event. Modifications must be approved by the Producers in advance.
2. Semi-Final Match - Participants advancing to the semi-final round will have 90 minutes to make repairs and modifications to their Robot. Show's producers and experts will have the right, at their own discretion, to afford more repair time to ensure an even semi-final match.
The show's producers and experts determine all decisions regarding eligibility, and their decisions are final.
2.5 Competition Arena Specifics
1. The Gauntlet - The course is in the shape of a diamond. Each side is identical, 50' long with a turn in the middle, and contains four increasingly difficult obstacles (ex. Balsa wood, paint cans, bricks, cement tiles). Robots will go all the way around the track, passing each other on the way. Upon reaching the starting point, robots will travel up a 15 degree, 3.5 foot incline to the center of the track. In the center of the track will be a number of glass fixtures, mounted vertically, to be destroyed by driving through them. When all vertical panes of glass are broken, a final, 4'x4' pane of glass will present itself in the corner opposite the entrance ramp. When that pane of glass is broken, the match is over. The surface is painted wood decking.
2. The Labyrinth - The total area of the labyrinth is 38' x 38'. Robots will start in the center, on a rotating platform. The match will start with the platform rotating in a random direction, allowing the robots to "escape" from the center area. Each team will designate a member from their team to control a show-provided "rat" robot. This robot cannot score points for the team, it is used to interfere with the opposing team's primary robot. Robots will navigate obstacles and enter dead-end channels where they will have to break a strip of glass 3' wide, stretched across the width of the channel, approx. 3' from the end wall. Each strip of glass is set at varying heights for each obstacle, measured from the bottom of the glass to the deck: 15', 18', 21', 24', 27', and 30'. The obstacles that must be passed include: Passive conveyor-type rollers with two 35-lb impeding ball-and-chain devices hanging above, a large box that must be pushed, spikes that shoot up from the floor on a timer, a suspension bridge (6' long and - 6' at its lowest point), a sand trap, approx. 6" deep, and a flip ramp that operates on a timed cycle. In addition, in the channels of the Labyrinth, robots will be required to navigate past saloon-type doors, 1.5" high speed bumps (12" wide, set 12" apart), and a jump ramp set at an approx. 8 degree angle, with an 8" gap between the ramps. When all the glass fixtures are broken, the robots must exit through the final door, and break another glass strip, set at 12" off the floor. The match is then over.
3. Fight to the Finish- Arena will be 16' square. The arena will be elevated 8' off the ground. The surface is flat steel covered with traction paint. Guardrails will stand approximately 1 to 2 feet tall on all four sides of the arena. The center of the arena will be a 4' diameter steel grate from which will spew intermittent smoke. Robots will enter the arena from an 8-foot tall raised platform that connects to the raised surface via a 6' wide bridge with guardrails. The bridge will retract once the Robot has entered the arena. The spike pit will be approx. five feet wide.
2.6 Decisions on Scoring, Eligibility, and Declaration of Winners
The decision of show producers, experts and match referees regarding scoring, eligibility and declaration of winners are final. Producers reserve the right to make changes in the event rules and competition specifications at any time at its own discretion.
Participants acknowledge that the Producers are not responsible for costs incurred in the construction of Robots nor are the Producers responsible for costs associated with any damage incurred as a result of their participation in this event.
