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

Micromouse 2014

Language 2014 Contest brochure MM2014 Entry List
    2014 Rules
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    [Important Notice Concerning Micromouse Classic in All Japan Micromouse Contest]

    Operation of micromouse

    1.As a general rule, a person or the group which made the Micromouse has to be the
    operator.


    2.About the Micromouse Classic Contest Freshman Class and Expert Class
    (1) Micromouse Classic Freshman Class(This class will end in All Japan Micromouse
    Contest 2014) is a contest for beginners who have recently started Micromouse. Anyone
    who considers himself/herself a beginner can participate in this
    contest. However, contestants who have reached the goal at a previous All Japan
    Micromouse Contest and the equivalent contest of an overseas, and Micromouse that have
    reached the goal at such contest, are ineligible. During the contest, if the judges determined
    that the Micromouse should be entered in the Expert Class, it will not be awarded.


    * Basically, the freshman class is for people who consider themselves a beginner, made by
    their own. If the entered Micromouse is not an original, the contestants might not be
    considered as a freshman.


    (2)Classic Micromouse Expert Class
    Expert Class is for experienced person who challenges higher assignment and other
    excellent Micromouse. A person who is categorized in Freshman Class can participate in
    the Expart Class, but the same Micromouse cannot be participated in both classes.

    3.Limit of the number of Micromouse to register
    In both of the Micromouse Classic Contest, just one Micromouse by the same designer
    (operator) is permitted to be registered.

    However, seeded contestant can register another Micromouse in preliminary round. If the
    Micromouse passes the preliminary round, the contestant can choose which Micromouse
    are going to take part in the final round.

    4.Preliminary round
    For both classes, in the final round, if more than one Micromouse is registered by the same
    group exhibiting technical similarities, only one of them can enter. It should be noted that
    only one operator (as a general rule, the designer is the operator of the mouse) is allowed to
    operate one Micromouse during the final round.

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

    (1).Freshman Class
    If there are preliminary round, the final round will generally take place in the afternoon of the
    same day. It will take part as following.

    ・The maze used in the preliminary class will be comprised of 8 x 8 unit squares which is
    quarter of general maze(16 x 16 unit), and each Micromouse runs from the four corners at
    the same time.

    ・Each contestant has a time limit of 3 minutes. Within this time limit, Micromouse may try up
    to 3 runs. The fastest lap in 3 runs becomes the record.

    Preliminary and final round will be held. Contestants who pass the preliminary round and
    participants who have been seeded in each local contests will be eligible to enter the final
    contest.

    5. Keeping system in the final round

    For the final round, the secretariat will keep the robots at the designated area before the
    games. Secretariat will keep the Micromouse until the game is over. Before the run, each
    operator must receive his/her own robot at the designated area. After Micromouse complete
    its runs, the operator must return their Micromouse to the designated area.

    6. 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.

    7. Time limit and the number of runs
    For the Expert Class preliminary round, contestant has a time limit of 7 minutes in which 5
    runs will be permitted In Expert Class final round, the time limit is 5 minutes in which 5 runs
    will be permitted.

    For the Freshman Class final, there will be a time limit of 7 minutes in which 5 runs will be
    permitted.

    8.Lighting Conditions and the Use of Flashes for Photography in the Arena
    The basic aim of the foundation in sponsoring this competition is to encourage the
    development of robots which function in any given conditions where humans conduct their
    life to the maximum extent possible, rather than the development of robots that function only
    in controlled environments.

    (1)Lighting conditions
    In line with the above spirit, the competitions will be held under regular lighting as provided
    by the arena.

    (2)Flash photography
    As in the past, there will be an announcement in the arena asking the audience to refrain
    from using flashes for all competitions other than the final round of the Expert Class
    Micromouse Contest. 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
    ideas to successfully cope with these disturbance.

    9. Automatic entry to the final round for All Japan Micromouse Contest (Expert Class) from
    local contests
    If 10 or more Micromouse compete in a local or student contest etc. One Micromouse from
    each such contest will, upon recommendation, be entitled to enter the final round of the All
    Japan Micromouse Contest.

    Moreover, if more than 25 Micromouse compete, two of them will be seeded. After that, one
    seeded Micromouse is added every 25 Micromouse