THE 20th ALL JAPAN MICROMOUSE CONTEST by 　　　　　　　　　　　 New Technology Foundation 1. Time : November 20 (Sat)　〜 23 (Tue), 1999 2. Place : Yokosuka City Minami Gymnasium, Educational Reserch Institute 　　　　　　 6-14-1, Kurihama, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Pref., Japan 3. Time schedule of the Contest: 　・November 20(Sat) 　 10:30〜 Micromouse Contest(Preliminary race, Expert class) - Institute 　・November 21(Sun) 　　 12:30〜 Microclipper Contest - Gymnasium 　 14:00〜 Micromouse Contest(Final, Expert Class) - Gymnasium 　・November 23(Mon) 　 10:00〜 Micromouse Contest(Freshman class) - Gymnasium 10:00〜 Robotrace Contest(Preliminary race) - Institute 14:00〜 Robotrace Contest(Final) - Gymnasium ※Gymnasium: Yokosuka City Minami Gymnasium Institute: Yokosuka City Educational Reserch Institute 4. Rule of Competition :1999 Japanese Rule A section of the rules for the contest has been revised. This year's contest will be held according to the newly revised rules (revised on January 18, 1999). 5. Deadline Entry for the contest : 15 October, 1999 Robot Registration : 31 October, 1999 5. Commendation: 　 Micromouse Contest(Expert class) 　　　First prize: Certificate,\200,000,etc. 　　　Second prize: Certificate,\100,000,etc. 　Third prize: Certificate,\ 50,000,etc. 　Fourth prize: Certificate,\ 30,000,etc. 　　　Fifth prize: Certificate,\ 20,000,etc. 　　　Sixth prize: Certificate,\ 10,000,etc. Autonomy Prize: Certificate,\ 50,000,etc. European Rule prize: Certificate,\ 20,000,etc. ・This prize is to be awarded to the result in case that the European Rule is applied provisionally to the performance on the maze. Search Prize: Certificate,etc. 　　　N.T.F.　 prize: Certificate,etc. 　　　Superior prize: Certificate,etc. ・This prize is to be awarded to high school student. 　　　NAMCO prize: Certificate,etc. 　　　Special prize: Certificate,etc. 　 Micromouse Contest(Freshman class) 　　　First prize: Certificate,\50,000,etc. 　　　Second prize: Certificate,\30,000,etc. 　Third prize: Certificate,\10,000,etc. 　Fourth prize: Certificate,etc. 　　　Fifth prize: Certificate,etc. 　　　Sixth prize: Certificate,etc. Autonomy Prize: Certificate,\ 10,000,etc. Search Prize: Certificate,etc. 　　　N.T.F.　 prize: Certificate,etc. 　　　Superior prize: Certificate,etc. ・This prize is to be awarded to high school student. 　　　NAMCO prize: Certificate,etc. 　　　Special prize: Certificate,etc. 　 Microclipper Contest 　　　First prize: Certificate,\100,000,etc. 　　　Second prize: Certificate,\ 50,000,etc. 　Third prize: Certificate,\ 30,000,etc. 　　　N.T.F.　 prize: Certificate,etc. 　　　NAMCO prize: Certificate,etc. 　　　Special prize: Certificate,etc. 　 Robotrace Contest 　　　First prize: Certificate,\100,000,etc. 　　　Second prize: Certificate,\ 50,000,etc. 　Third prize: Certificate,\ 30,000,etc. 　Fourth prize: Certificate,\ 10,000,etc. 　　　Fifth prize: Certificate,\ 10,000,etc. 　　　Sixth prize: Certificate,\ 10,000,etc. 　　　N.T.F.　 prize: Certificate,etc. 　　　NAMCO prize: Certificate,etc. 　　　Special prize: Certificate,etc. Notes; 1. Robot registration The principle of one entry per builder(operator) is now also to be applied to the freshman class, the Robotrace, and the Microclipper contest all except the preliminary contest in the expert class. (Before applying for the contest, the contestants should read the rules for the contest, the matters to be noted, and other instructions carefully.) 2. Micromouse Contest(Freshman Class/Expert Class) Micromouse Freshman Class This is a micromouse contest for beginners who have recently joined the program. Anyone who considers himself/herself a beginner can participate in this contest. However, if during the contest the judges determine that the mouse should be entered in the Expert Class, the mouse may be deemed ineligible to win. (In the previous contests, some mice that were entered in the Freshman Class were so outstanding that it was considered suitable for them to be entered in the Expert Class. Contestants who wish to enter such mice are strongly recommended to take up the challenge of competing in the Expert Class) In the Freshman Class, as in previous contests, the contestants will be allowed to change batteries during the contest as long as the batteries are of the same specifications. Micromouse Expert Class This is the main event in the micromouse contest. Both preliminary and final contests will be held. Contestants who pass the preliminary stage (18 mice, in principle) and participants who have been seeded in each district in accordance with their previous results (champions in local contests in Japan, in principle) will be eligible to enter the final contest. For the final contest, each mouse builder is allowed to enter only one mouse, while a group is allowed to enter only one mouse as well, unless the individual mouse builder or the group enters mice that are technically dissimilar. In addition, each operator (the person who built the mouse must operate it, in principle) is allowed to operate only one mouse in the final contest. In the Expert Class, starting this year, the contestants will be prohibited from changing batteries during all preliminary rounds and the finals of the contest. During the final contest, each participant is allotted seven minutes and can make up to five runs. (the preliminary stage of Micromouse Expert Class and Micromouse Freshman Class, each participant is allotted ten minutes and can make up to five runs.) 3. For the freshman class of the Micromouse contest, Robotorace, or Micro clipper contest, if robots produced by a single group are highly similar technologically, only the most superior robot will be eligible to win a prize. 4. Some spectators take photographs or videotape the contest (camera flashes are prohibited during the contest). Infrared rays are often used in the automatic focusing function of cameras and video cameras, and each robot is expected to be able to handle this exposure on its own. 5.This year's contest will be held in a different indoor environment, including lighting, because it will not take place at the Science Museum, the site of the previous contests. In addition, in the contest categories in which preliminaries and finals are held, the preliminaries will take place at a different site from that scheduled for the finals and therefore, the contestants will compete in a different indoor environment, including lighting. The contestants should be careful about these differences. 6. (Robotrace Contest) The course of the robotrace will not be disclosed in advance. The surface of the course is wooden, painted matte black. White vinyl tape is used to mark the lines. The field will be made as level as possible. Complaints about these will not be accepted. After crossing the goal line, a robot must stop for at least two seconds at the start-goal area. Following each run, the robot must stop for at least for two seconds and then start again automatically or after adjustment. In the Robotrace Contest, starting this year, the contestants will compete in preliminary rounds and finals. The contestants will be prohibited from changing batteries during the contest. 7.(Microclipper contest) In the Microclipper Contest, a cutting sheet will be affixed to the cylindrical cans as in last year's contest.