RALLY

⚠️ RULE ZERO – Zero Tolerance & Common Sense
In all sports, Rule ZERO applies, which states:

➤ "If you are not sure whether something is allowed, then it is probably NOT allowed."

All rules are based on common sense, the spirit of the sport, and the safety of all participants.

Any deliberate misinterpretation, violation of the meaning of the rules, or attempt to exploit gray areas for unfair advantage will not be tolerated and may lead to team disqualification from the competition.

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🎯 GOAL​

• The goal of Robot Vehicles is  to cover a distance of 10 meters in the shortest possible time.

• As the sport promotes constructions as close to the real world, all Robot Vehicles should replicate realistic rally vehicles as closely as possible. Creators should take this into account during their experimentation.

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👥 TEAM – COACH

1. Participation in the competition is team-based, not individual.

2. Each team may consist of two (2) to three (3) members.

3. Each team must designate up to one (1) Robot VehicleTechnician. Only the Robot Vehicle Technician is allowed in the waiting area or competition area. The rest of the team must remain in the competition venue but cannot wait in line.                 ➤ In other words, they cannot occupy an additional spot. If a team fails to comply with this rule, it will be disqualified.

4. The team is allowed to change the designated Technician before each attempt on the track, to give all members the opportunity to be actively involved in the sport, although this is not mandatory.

5. All team members must be at least 10 years old (equivalent to 4th grade of primary school or above).

6. The team’s coach must be at least 20 years old.

7. To ensure smooth participation in the competition, the coach must have 1 assistant for every 3 teams they register in the competition.

8. Each team is allowed to have only one robot. Changing the robot during the competition is not allowed.                     

9. Teams are not allowed to share the same robot.

10. If a team encounters a serious technical issue with their robot, they are allowed to replace only the microcontroller or the electronic components, after obtaining permission from the Head Judges.

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🤖 ROBOT ATHLETE – ROBOT CATEGORY

The competition is conducted separately based on:

• Age category

• Robot category (Basic / Advanced)

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⚙️ ROBOT ATHLETE REQUIREMENTS – SPECIFICATIONS​​

1. The Robot Vehicle must be autonomous.

2. Its maximum dimensions must be 50 centimeters length, 30 centimeters width and 30 centimeters height.

3. To confirm the specifications listed above, the Robot Vehicle will be weighed and must fit comfortably in a control box.  ➤The control box is 50 centimeters long, 30 centimeters wide and 30 centimeters high plus two (2) mm                   tolerance.

4. The Robot Vehicle must be placed in the control box without applying pressure.

5. The Robot Vehicle must not wear or damage the track or pose a threat to spectators in any way.

6. The Robot Vehicle must have a start and stop button.

7. For the Advanced category, the team may use a controller ONLY for the start.

8. The Robot Vehicle should have a distance sensor on the front.

9. The Robot Vehicle must have four (4) wheels.

10. At least two (2) wheels must be driven (2WD or 4WD).

11. Tracks, leg/walking mechanisms, or propellers are not allowed — wheels only.

12. The wheel contact surface must be non-metallic. Sharp/metal studs, chains, or “teeth” are prohibited.

13. Omni-wheels are permitted, provided no metal elements contact the track and they do not cause wear.

14. Allowed steering types: front/rear steering or differential (skid-steer). In differential steering, the two sides must be driven independently.

15. All wheels must be mounted on an axle (no balls/rollers as the primary rolling method).

16. All four wheels must be in contact with the ground at the start (momentary lifts over obstacles are allowed).

17. Maximum tire width: up to 2 cm per wheel.

18. Only one (1) microprocessor, four (4) motors, and four (4) sensors are allowed for the Basic category.
    ➤ The Advanced category is exempt from the limitation on microprocessors and sensors. Their use is unrestricted.

19. Robot Athletes in the Rally Basic category are built exclusively from educational modular brick/beam kits (LEGO-like or equivalent, indicative examples LEGO® Education EV3/SPIKE/Robot Inventor, ZMROBO, MAKERZOID, ENJOY AI, Makeblock mBot, DFRobot Maqueen and similar) using the official hub/controller and the corresponding motors/sensors. All motor/sensor connections are made directly to the official hub, with official cables/parts of the kit; external microcontrollers, motor drivers/ESCs, non-official adapters/converters, or additional power sources/boosters are not permitted. Interoperability of official components of the same manufacturer is permitted when plug-compatible or via an official adapter (e.g., LEGO SPIKE motor on a LEGO Robot Inventor hub). 3D-printed parts of any kind are not permitted. Robots that do not meet the above are placed in the Rally Advanced category.

20. The use of pneumatic devices/equipment is prohibited in any robot category.

21. The use of turbines is prohibited.

22. In the Basic category, modified batteries, motors, and sensors are prohibited.

23. Pullback motors are strictly prohibited in any robot category, as the sport promotes engineering and experimentation to increase speed.

24. The use of gases (e.g., canisters or any equivalent) to increase speed is prohibited, as they are considered dangerous.

25. The use of a nominal electrical voltage greater than twenty-four (24) volts in any circuit or part of the Robot Athlete is prohibited.

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🧪 TECHNICAL INSPECTION

• The initial technical inspection takes place on the day of the competition, during the Robot Athlete’s first attempt.

• During the initial inspection, the team will be asked questions about the critical parts of the robot's program.
  ➤ The team must have their laptop with the robot’s program open.
  ➤ If it becomes clear from the answers that the team does not understand the program, they will receive a penalty equal to +20% of the time they achieve in the event.

• The technical inspection includes a robot examination based on the specifications described above.
  ➤ If the robot does not meet the requirements, it will not be allowed to compete and will be automatically disqualified from the event.

• After the completion of the initial inspection, the Robot Athlete is assigned its unique ID code.

• If a team is not present at the time of the initial technical inspection, it will result in automatic disqualification from the competition.

• A secondary technical inspection is also conducted before each attempt, performed by the assistant referee.

• If, during the competition procedure, the referee determines that a Robot Athlete is violating or failing to meet the prescribed specifications, the referee has the right to disqualify it immediately.

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🏟️ TRACK

• The track is a white printable tarp.

• The length of the track is 10 meters and the width is 90 centimeters.

• There is a 5 cm thick black line in the center of the track.

• There is a 6 cm high protective wall along the right and left. 

• At the beginning of the track there is a horizontal black line 2 to 5 cm thick, which marks the start. Be careful in your programming as your robot should not stop when it passes over the black start line.

• At the end of the 10 meter distance there is a horizontal black line 2-5 cm thick, which marks the end of the route.

• After the end of 10 meters, there is an additional distance of 5 meters, which is defined as the braking zone. The end of the braking zone is marked by a black line 2-5 cm thick, behind which there is a protective barrier made of soft material.

• The Race is held simultaneously for 2 or more Vehicles (depending on the number of teams), each of them on one racing track.

• The black line in the center of the track may be used for a line sequence but not required by the Sport.

• At the start there is a timing gate, as well as a mechanism that raises and lowers a black flag. Raising the flag after the countdown triggers the robots to start.

• For testing of the Robot Vehicles before the start of the Competition, there will be trial rounds, where the Technicians will have access for a specific time period and according to a schedule that will be announced on the day of the competition.