[Important Notice Concerning Micromouse Halfsize in All Japan Micromouse Contest]
1. Beforehand information announcement
    The overall size of the maze, the location of the entry point to the finish zone (the x-y 
    coordinates) and time given will be announced two months before the contest. 
2. Operating Micromouse
As a general rule, a person or the group which made the Micromouse has to be the operator.
 3. Limit of the number of Micromouse to register
    In Half-sized Micromouse Contest, the same designer can register only one Micromouse.
    
    However, seeded contestant can register another Micromouse in preliminary
    round. If the 
    Micromouse passes the preliminary round, the person can choose which Micromouse are 
    going to take part in the final round.
4. Preliminary round
    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 an operator (as a 
    general rule, the designer is the operator of the mouse) is allowed to
    operate only one mouse.
5. Exchanging batteries
Contestants are not allowed to change batteries during a contest. 
6. 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 that move 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. 
7. Keeping system in the final round
    For the final round, the secretariat will keep the robots at a designated
    location before the 
    contest. Secretariat will keep the Micromouse until the contest 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.
    8. Automatic entry to the final round of the All Japan Micromouse Contest (Half-sized) from local contests
    
    If 5 or more Micromouse compete in the half-size category in a local or
    student contest etc. 
    held during this fiscal year, 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 15 Micromouse compete, two of them will be seeded.
    After that, one 
    seeded Micromouse is added every 15 Micromouse.