財団法人ニューテクノロジー振興財団 NTF -New Technology Foundation-

Micromouse Contest is a contest in which contestants enter their robots to compete for intelligence 
and speed while the robots negotiate a specified maze. A robot participating in this contest is termed 
a micromouse. 

1. Rules for the Classic Micromouse 
1-1. A micromouse shall be selfcontained. A micromouse shall not use an energy source employing a 
combustion process. 
1-2. A micromouse shall not have any hardware or software added, deleted, replaced or modified by the 
operator during the contest. It is however permissible to make minor repairs. In some contests, battery 
changes using batteries of exactly the same specifications may be permitted when deemed necessary. 
1-3. No part of the micromouse should be left in the maze. 
1-4. A micromouse shall not jump over, climb, scratch, damage or destroy the walls that constitute 
the maze. 
1-5. The projection on the floor of the micromouse must be contained within a square each of whose 
sides is 25 cm.The above condition must be satisfied even when the shape of the micromouse changes 
during the course of the run. There are no restrictions on the height of a micromouse. 

2. Rules for the Maze. 
2-1. The sides of the maze walls shall be white, and the top of the walls shall be red. 
The floor shall be black. The track of the maze shall be made of wood finished with non-gloss black paint. 
2-2. The maze shall be composed of multiples of an 18 cm x 18 cm unit square. The maze shall comprise 
16 x 16 unit squares. The walls constituting the maze shall be 5 cm high and 1.2 cm thick. (See Fig.1) 
2-3. The start of the maze shall be located at one of the four corners. The mouse shall begin negotiating 
the course in a clockwise direction. The destination of the maze shall be the 4 unit squares located at the 
center. 
2-4. Small square zones, each 1.2 cm x 1.2 cm, at the four corners of each unit square are called lattice 
points. The maze is so constituted that there is at least one wall at a lattice point, except for the 
destination square. (See Fig.1)
The entire maze will be completely surrounded by exterior walls (see Figs. 1 and 2).


3. Rules for the contest 
3-1. The minimum time required by a micromouse to run from the start to the destination shall be recorded 
as its official time. In a micromouse contest, the contestants are evaluated on the running time as well as 
on the process in which it achieves the shortest running time and its independence. 
3-2. After the maze is disclosed, the operator is not to feed any information on the maze into the micromouse. 
In addition, the operator is not to revise the maze-related information or eliminate it partially by operating 
a switch, etc., during the contest. 
3-3. Each run is to begin from the starting point, and is to end when the micromouse returns to the starting 
point, stops for more than 2 seconds, or is approved to discontinue its run. 
3-4. If a micromouse returns to the starting point and beings another run automatically, the micromouse 
must first stop for at least two seconds at the starting point. 
3-5. The operator shall not touch the micromouse during the run unless instructed by the tournament 
committee chairperson to do so or is given permission to discontinue the run.
The tournament committee chairperson is to accept an operator's request to discontinue a run if an apparent 
malfunction is found in his/her micromouse's run. For cases in which a request to discontinue is made for 
any other reason, permissions shall be granted on the condition that all memory of the maze is erased. 
3-6. Each contesting micromouse shall be subject to a time limit of 10 minutes. Within this time limit, 
the micromouse may try up to 5 runs. For those contests deemed necessary, the time limit may be shortened 
to 7 minutes with 5 runs, or 5 minutes with 5 runs. 
3-7. A micromouse is considered to have completed the maze when the entire lower portion of the body up 
5 cm above the floor level has entered the destination square. The measurement of the running time, however, 
will be from the time the micromouse passes the start sensor until the time it passes the destination sensor. 
3-8. The illumination, temperature and humidity of the room in which the maze is located shall be those of an 
ambient environment. Requests to adjust the illumination shall no be accepted. 
3-9. The tournament committee chairperson reserves the right to ask, as he deems it appropriate, the operator 
for an explanation of his micromouse. The tournament committee chairperson also reserves the right to stop 
a run, declare disqualification, or give instructions as he deems appropriate. 
3-10.Prizes and evaluation criteria will be set forth individually for each competition.

[Appendices] 
1.The contestant is not permitted to load programs or replace ROM during a contest. It is also prohibited to 
give instructions during a competition regarding the execution of a program by connecting a micromouse to a 
development unit or console box that is independent of the main micromouse unit. 
2.The contestant is permitted to remove dust and debris on the tires during a contest using adhesive tape, 
etc.; however, no solvents and the like may be used for the purpose of increasing friction.
3.In each of its runs, a micromouse may continue its probing even after it has reached the destination. 
The running time, in such a case, shall be measured from the starting time until the first time the micromouse 
reaches the destination.
4.If a micromouse returns to the starting point and begins another run within two seconds, it is assumed that 
the next run has begun. However, this run will be considered invalid.   
5.The micromouse may not be placed for adjustment or other purposes in any part of the maze other than 
on the square designated as the starting point except for during an official run. 
6.Dimensions of Micromouse 
The size of the lower structure of a micromouse is constrained by the size of the maze notwithstanding the 
provisions of Article 1-5. 
7.Structure of Maze 
The precision with which the maze is made is that commonly used for similar structures, and there may be an 
element of error in the dimensions. As the maze is designed to be flexible, the design may produce gaps or 
difference in level of approximately 1 mm between sections of the walls or the floor. There are also 
nonuniform color, discoloring and smear. 
8.Type and position of the Sensors 
Type: Transmission infrared sensors with horizontal Optical axis 1 cm above the floor. (See Fig.1) 
Position: Start sensor: At the boundary between the starting unit square and the next unit square. 
Position: Destination sensor: At the entrance of the destination square.(See Fig.2) 
9.There are no walls or posts within the 4 unit squares which constitute the destination square. 

［Important Notice Concerning the Classic Micromouse Contest］

1.Classic Micromouse Contest(Freshman Class/Expert Class)
(1)Classic 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, contestants who have reached the goal at a previous the all japan micromouse contest and the equivalent contest of an overseas, and mice that have reached the goal at such a contest, are ineligible. And, if during the contest the judges determine that the mouse should be entered in the Expert Class, the mice are ineligible to win.
* Requirements for participation in the freshman class of the Micromouse Contest
The freshman class of the Micromouse Contest is for people who consider themselves to be beginners, and who will participate with mice that they produced by themselves.
Therefore, people who have made mice that completed the course at the all japan micromouse contest and the equivalent contest of an overseas in the past are not considered to be "freshman."
Also, if a person is given a mouse that was made by a more experienced person, that mouse will not be considered a mouse made by a beginner.

(2)Classic 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 and participants who have been seeded in each district in accordance with their previous results (nominees from the local contests, 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.

2. Number of mice permitted to register
For the Freshman Class, only one mouse by the same designer (operator) is permitted to be registered. For the preliminary round of the Expert Class, there is no limit to the number of mice that can be registered.

3. Change of batteries
For the Freshman Class, the contestants will be allowed to change batteries during a competition as long as the batteries are of the same specifications. For the Expert Class, no battery change will be allowed during a competition including preliminary and final rounds without exception.

4. Time limit and the number of runs
A micromouse is subject to a time limit of 7 minutes in which 5 runs will be permitted for the Expert Class preliminary round and a time limit of 5 minutes in which 5 runs will be permitted for the Expert Class final round.
For the Freshman Class, there will be a time limit of 7 minutes in which 5 runs will be permitted.

5.Lighting Conditions and the Use of Flashes for Photography in the Arena
The underlying aim of the Foundation in sponsoring this competition is to encourage the development of robots that move in any given condition where humans ordinarily conduct their lives to the maximum extent possible, rather than the development of robots that function only in limited conditions.
(1)Lighting used on premises
In line with the above principle, the competitions will be held under lighting as provided by the arena.
(2)Flash photography
During the final round of the Expert Class Classic Micromouse Contests, the audience seated in the observer section is permitted to use flashes for photography. For all competitions other than the final round of the Expert Class, however, there will be an announcement asking the audience to refrain from using flashes as in the past.
Please take note, however, that some video and camera equipment use infrared rays for their auto-focus function, and participants are expected to come up with measures to successfully cope with infrared rays.  

6. Automatic entry to the final round of the nationwide Expert Class contest
If 10 or more mice compete in a local or student contest, one mouse will be entitled to enter the final round of the nationwide contest upon recommendation, and two mice will be entitled to the same privilege if 30 or more mice compete in a local or student contest.

7. The preliminary round of the Expert Class and the Freshman Class competition may take place on two sets of mazes, depending on the number of mice involved.

8. For the final round of the Expert Class, the secretariat will keep the robots at the designated area before the game begins and until the game is over. Before his/her turn, each operator must receive his/her own robot at the designated area, have the robot complete its runs, and return it to the same place after runs are completed.

Evaluation Criteria for the Classic Micromouse Contest

Prizes for Expert Class
1^st Prize:              　　　　　　　Certificate of award, trophy & research grant of \100,000(JPY)
2^nd Prize:                                   Certificate of award, trophy & research grant of \50,000(JPY)
3^rd Prize:               　　　　　　　Certificate of award, trophy & research grant of \30,000(JPY)
4^th Prize:              　　　　　　　Certificate of award, research grant of \20,000(JPY)
5^th Prize:              　　　　　　　Certificate of award, research grant of \10,000(JPY)
6^th Prize:              　　　　　　　Certificate of award, research grant of \10,000(JPY)
Autonomy Prize:                          Certificate of award, trophy & research grant of \30,000(JPY)
Search Prize:                              Certificate of award
New Technology Prize: 　             Certificate of award
Superior Prize:                            Certificate of award
NAMCO BANDAI Prize:                Certificate of award
Special Prize:                             Certificate of award

* All award recipients will receive special souvenirs. All contestants will receive a prize for participation.