The 2006 Game - Aim High

As January approached, Team 694 eagerly awaited the start of our sixth season. This year's game was named "Aim High" and was mainly played by having teams shoot poof balls into the two central eight foot high goals, as well as get them into low goals at the four corners of the field.

The Field and Scoring

The Aim High field consisted of a rectangular arena, with a Player Station, raised platform, and three goals at each end, adding up to a total of six goals. The four corner goals, two for each side, were located at the four corners of the field. The more technically challenging goals, the two eight foot high goals at the opposite sides of the field, were for the more ambitious teams. To aid in the targeting of these goals, the goals had illuminated green lights at the tops to serve as a visual target for robots with camera systems, allowing robots to "aim high" and score. And so far as scoring goes, there was certainly an incentive to score in these goals, as balls scored in the high goal were worth three points each while balls in the corner goals were worth only one point each. Bonus points were awarded to alliances if robots were on their respective raised platforms beneath the high goals at the end of the match.

The Alliance System

The Aim High game pitted two alliances, deemed "Red" and "Blue", against each other in a match. Each alliance was comprised of three robots.

The Match

Each match contained four rounds, which added up to a two minutes and ten seconds. At the beginning of each match, all three robots of an alliance would start in designated zones midfield, to the right of the respective alliance's player station.

The first round was the ten second autonomous period during which either alliance can score in goals of the opposite alliance. However, during this period, other robots are allowed to play defense as well as offense, provided that the only the onboard control system is directing to actions of the robot. Once this round ends, there is a slight pause in which the player stations are activated in preparation of the teleoperated period. After the first round, the alliance that scored the most points is awarded a ten point bonus but placed on defense for the second round.

During the second round, only the offensive alliance is allowed to score in their goal while the defensive alliance must try to stop them. In the third round, the roles were reversed and the alliance that was formerly on offense was then placed on defense, and the other way around. Scoring points in both of these rounds could only be done by the offensive team, and goals scored into the defensive team's goals do not count. Finally, during the fourth round, both teams could play offense or defense, and all goals count. The second, third and fourth rounds were each forty seconds long. At the end of the fourth round, bonus points are awarded to alliances based on the number of robots on their respective raised platforms, ranging from five points for one robot to twenty five for all three.