Rescue Robot Contest Guidelines for Applicants

Nov. 15, 2000

New official recognition game of the International Robot Games Festival

Rescue robot contest guidelines for applicants

Holding day (schedule): Thursday, July 25, 2001, Preliminary contest, Friday, July 26 Final.

Hall (schedule): Grand Cube Osaka (Osaka International Convention Center)

1. Purpose of holding

"Rescue robot contest (Abbreviation: ResCon)" is a robot contest by which lifesaving rescue operation in the large-scale city disaster is assumed to be a theme. This contest includes important technology to achieve the rescue robot as follows.

@ Remote control technology (hybrid technology of automatic control and operation),

@ Technology which easily treats object and

@ Technology of cooperation with two or more robots.

Human's control-skill and teamwork are included in "Technology" mentioned here. This contest also has the motive of giving the chance to bring up the creation as well as a past robot contest.

There are big aims of deepening social understanding of the disaster relief and the rescue technology for a lot of people through this contest. In addition, we are expecting idea of the new rescue technology about which researchers and engineers did not think to result.

2. Outline of contest

This contest competes for an activity by which dummies are rescued by some robots. The contest is held by using experimental fields of 1/8 scale that imitated the city disaster due to the large earthquake designed as an experimental equipment of "International Rescue Engineering Laboratory (note 1)"

In GAREKI (note 2), two dummies with built-in force-sensor are in the disaster accident. However, human cannot approach because there is danger of the secondary disaster, etc. Then, some rescue robots equipped with a wireless camera are used. The robots are controlled in a control room isolated from the experimental fields while observing the reflections of the wireless cameras and an image in the height (the reflection from the helicopter is assumed). This rescue activity by which two dummies are rescued to a safe place is made a score by cooperated work of these robots remotely controlled.

(Note 1) At present, it is an imaginary laboratory.

(Note 2) Wooden square pillars and boards irregularly piled are called GAREKI.

3. Experimental field

Two teams play a game at the same time by setting up two experimental fields in the hall.

In an experimental field, there are a highway and a disaster district. There is a robot base (1,200mm x 1,200mm) in the beginning of the highway. In the disaster district, there are one division of unleveled land block, two divisions of model blocks and six divisions of rescue blocks. These nine divisions are the same sizes of 1,200mm x 1,200mm. Because the model of the collapse house is set up as for the model block, the dummy is not put in the model block. GAREKI that can be removed are set up in the rescue block, and one dummy is put on two divisions of those. Each block is divided with roads (800mm in width) without ruggedness like a lattice. A white centerline is drawn on the road. On the road, GAREKI exist from two places (minimum) to six places (maximum). The situation of this experimental field cannot see even the strategy meeting (Refer to paragraph 6) immediately before the activity of the rescue. Refer to "Drawing of experimental field" for the outline of the size and the material of the experimental field.

4. Rescue robots

The robot assumes a remote control type or an autonomous type. There is no limitation in the size and the number of machines of robots. However, all robots can be arranged in the robot base when beginning to play a game, and the base gate (450mm in height and 1,200mm in width) should be able to be passed. The Executive Committee lends the wireless cameras and the radio control equipments. Do not use to communicate about robots and operators excluding the lending equipments.

5. Team composition

One team is composed of the member within eight people who take charge of the following job.

@ Captain

The captain commands the team.

The restart is declared.

It can be an additional post with speaker operator helitele.

@ Speaker

The speaker introduces presentation and the strategy, and reports on the activity result.

It can be an additional post with captain operator helitele.

@ Operator

The operator controls the robot.

It cannot be an additional post with helitele.

@ Helitele (note 3)

The helitele takes a picture of an experimental field from the height.

It can be an additional post with the captain speaker.

However, it cannot be an additional post with the operator.

Moreover, it is possible not to appoint Helitele.

@ Helper

The helper does the leaving work, etc., of the robot.

It is not possible to enter the control room because the helper is on the field side while playing a game.

In addition, the report to other members is prohibited.

However, the person for the helper can be consigned to the Executive Committee.

Therefore, the participation of one person is also possible. However, four people seem the numbers of standard, minimum compositions from the experience in pre-contest. For example, helitele is one person. Three operators control three robots. The operator serves as the captain speaker concurrently. The helper consigns.

(Note 3) Helitele is a camera that takes a picture of disaster site from the upper side. Because the camera is usually loaded into the helicopter, it is called Helitele.

6. Procedure of game

The time of one game is about 30 minutes. The game is the following procedures.

1) Presentation to introduce features of robots 5 minutes.

2) Strategy meeting based on reflection of experimental field from the helitele about 3 minutes

3) Introduction of strategy planned in the meeting about 1 minute

4) Activity for rescue 15 minutes

5) Report of rescue activity 2 minutes

It is scheduled to give prizes to some teams that pursue excellent results.

7. Philosophy of ResCon

The philosophy of ResCon is separately shown in 'Philosophy of the rescue robot contest'. Please understand well and participate. Here, basic postures and the limitations are shown as follows.

Basic posture 1)Relative victory or defeat with the other party of fighting is not prime like usual robot contests.

Basic posture 2)Neither exact rules nor limitations are scheduled to be set like usual robot contests.

Basic posture 3)As a result of 2), the hesitation in the game might be caused. In that case, the participation team

thinks based on the rescue activity of the reality.

Limitation 1)Secure athletes and spectator's safeties from the viewpoint of contest.

Limitation 2)Avoid the destruction of the stadium.

8. Game regulations

Refer to provided 'Rescue robot contest regulations collection' separately for the game regulations.

9. About lending the equipments

Three wireless cameras and three 6ch radio control equipments are lent from the Executive Committee for the robot manufacture. To manufacture the robots, three wireless cameras (camera with built-in transmitter and special receiver) and three 6ch radio control equipments (the controller, the receiver, and six RC servos are included) are lent from the Executive Committee. Return all the lending equipments original after the contest ends. Make repairs in the participation team when the lending equipments are damaged and lost. Neither material offer other than the lending equipments nor money assistance is done.

10. Schedule after participation application is completed

After the participation application is completed, the schedule is as follows.

・Twelve teams or less which can participate in the contest are selected in the end of December 2000. Then, right or wrong is notified to each team.

・The test drive rally is scheduled on May 3, 2001. As a rule, participation in the test drive rally is a condition of participation in the contest.

・Submitting the confirmation document such as final member is requested in the middle of June 2001. At then, you can change members and job.

11. List of support enterprises and groups

The list of enterprises and groups which has the rescue robot contest supported (As of September 20, 2000) are shown.

Now, arranging.

12. Participation applications and where to make contact

The documents to apply for participation are obtained from the home page of ResCon shown in the following. By Friday, December 1, the team that hopes for participation will send those documents to ResCon's office by FAX, e-mail or letter. As for the size of the attached file, to e-mail, it is within 1Mbyte (It is possible to compress). Make the format of the file Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel.

Acquire 'Philosophy of the rescue robot contest' and 'Rescue robot contest regulations collection' from the ResCon home page. When the ResCon home page cannot be inspected, necessary documents for the office can be claimed with FAX.

The questions concerning the participation of ResCon are accepted with e-mail or FAX.

The URL of the Rescue Robot Contest Home Page >

Confirm the home pages regularly because latest information are placed in the home page at any time.

ResCon's office: E-mail: and FAX: +81-75-315-2899.

17, Chudoji-minami-machi, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Japan. Zip code: 600-8813
Advanced Software Technology and Mechatronics Research Institute of KYOTO (ASTEM RI)
Associate general laboratory manager Dr. Koichi Osuka "Office of Rescue Robot Contest"

Figure of an experimental field (The unit is mm).

Figure of an experimental field (The unit is mm).

GAREKI of the following parts is put on 1/4 divisions of a private each area.
Wooden square pillar 1 (12 x 12 x 600 or less)
Wooden square pillar 2 (24 x 24 x 600 or less)
Wooden board 1 (300 x 300 x 2.3 or less)
Wooden board 2 (150 x 150 x 5.5)

Figure of distribution of personnel

Figure of distribution of personnel