Coaches and Team Members
Send an email to doug.rcx@gmail.com if you have any questions. I will post your question and my responses on this page. By using my email, I should be able to reply the same day.
When emailing a question, please follow this outline:
Subject Line: Mission Horizon Question
Comments: "Mission #"
Identify the Mission, then outline your question or concern.
or
Comments: "General Rule"
Identify the General Rules, then outline your question or concern.
Q&A posted on this page will be used to clarify General Rules and Mission Horizon:Headed to the Moon Missions and Rules questions. Sometimes the combination of the General Rules, Mission Horizon documents and videos may create a conflict. Things may need to be clarified. Post your question so that a member of the RCX Team can provide an answer to clarify your question. The responses from the RCX Team will establish conditions your team will need to follow to prepare for this year's challenge.
We will try to get back with you ASAP.
At the TournamentQuestion from Mellisa What can a Coach do at the Tournament? This question is a little early, but actually as a coach, we should be working toward this answer from the first day of practice. Make sure to review the RCX General Rules, RCX Tournament Policy, and RCX Run Efficient Tournament documents, plus other documents on the RCX General Rules and Other Support Documents page.. Ultimately, there is a balance we ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question from Melissa At the tournament, if a team has 2 members, and one teammate is sick, how does the team compete? Answer from Doug General Rules 1-5 & 1-8 A Team may have 1 to 10 members. Also, in the spirit of good sportsmanship. if a coach has a team with only 1 or 2 members and one of them are sick, the coach should notify the Regional Host. The Coach may substitute a teammember from another team to participate on the team of the sick/absent team member. The Team member from another team may still participate on their original team. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Question from Melissa If during the Match, the robot from one table goes to another table, what should we do? Answer from Doug The RCX Competition is a non combative tournament. Meaning, if Robot 1 impacts the table of Robot 2,(3 or 4), the referee will make a judgement call to "benefit" the teams on table 2, (3 or4). The benefit could be as simple as the referee awards points for disrupted Mission Objects, or potentially allowing teams from table 2, (3 or 4) to rerun the entire Match. Robot 1 would not be provided a benefit of points or the abiity to rerun the Match. Also, if multiple robots attempt to climb onto the Quad Platform in the same Match, follow the document "Scoring the Quad Platform", page 2, multiple robots section. |
Safe ZoneQuestion from Janet We know that the robot itself cannot touch the mat outside of the safe zone or hang over safe zone, but can attachments hang over the black line of the safe zone as long as they don’t touch the mat? Answer from Doug Let me clarify. Review the General Rules: Safe Zone, Rule 5-4 through 5-7. In short, non touching parts of the robot can hang over the Black Line &/or outside of the Safe Zone. Attachments are considered part of the robot once they are attached. Make sure to review all of the General Rules for the Safe Zone. |
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Mission 1, The Habitat Question from Amanda If I have multiple teams how do we do the habitat airlock? Answer from Doug Review the document for the Habitat Design found on the Mission webpage. There are instructions on how to build a Habitat for additional teams. Tournaments will provide an Airlock for each Mat. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question form Angel What direction should the Airlock door be facing? Answer from Doug The Coaches Meeting Video states that the Airlock Door should be facing the North Wall. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question from Melissa Does the Habitat have to have multiple floors and a roof? Answer from Doug The only things the Habitat has to have are the LEGO pieces for the Airlock Door. The rest of the Habitat is based on the design of the students. Multiple rooms, Multiple floors, Inhabitants, and so on are at the descretion of the students. The students should be able to explain in detail their creation to the referee. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question from Daniel The Habitat document has conflicting pictures of how to construct and place the Airlock Door at the Start of the Match. Answer from Doug Great Catch Daniel, brain fart by me. In the Habitat Document, point 7. Scoring. The Airlock should placed as shown in Step 7 of the Incorporate the Airlock Base into the Habitat at the Start of the Match. Then scored as pictured in point 7. Scoring. |
Mission 3Question from Melissa For the mission object, how far is the axle pushed into the square LEGO base? Answer from Doug Construct the Generator as described in the Mission Object Construction video. After constructed, use your finger and flick the ornge LEGO so that the top spins. The top should spin easily with minimal friction. If the top has a hard time spinning, raise the axle out of the square LEGO base a little to allow the top to spin easily. |
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Mission 6 Question from Anna Does the Exploration Vehicle have to be touching the mat completely touching, or partially? Answer from Doug The Exploration Vehicle can score either "Completely, or Partially". The vehicle must be under the Quad Platform "Completely, or Partially". As long as the vehicle crosses(Completely, or Partially) the diagonal Black Line on the Mat, under the Quad. Also, any part of the vehicle must be touching the Mat to receive a score of 45 Points. If the vehicle is elevated, not touching the Mat, your team will receive 0 Points. |
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Mission 7 Question from Janet What happens if the Cargo that is delivered to the top of the Quad lands on part of the Quad for another table? Does the team still get points for it even though it is on another team’s section of the Quad? Answer by Doug The Quad Platform is a Common Area, meaning ALL teams share the area equally. Should Cargo 2 be placed on the Quad Platform and another team inpacts Cargo 2, the Referee should follow the Scoring on the Quad Platform document, section "If multiple robots climb on top of the Quad Platform". The wording applies to both the robot and any scoring object for that year's challenge. Also, remember Mission 7 state "Touch". Cargo 2 must Touch the Quad Platform to score. |
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Mission 10 Question from Janet Where (What location are) do the IRON pieces at start? Answer by Doug At the start of the Match, the Iron pieces are located in the Iron Hopper. |
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Mission 11 Question from Janet Before the CARGO is taken to the crater, where does the CARGO start? What do we do with the truck? Answer by Doug At the start of the Match, the Truck Cargo is located in the bed of the Truck. The Truck has "0" value, ONLY the cargo has value. Do with the truck what you wish to accomplish the mission of delivering the Cargo to Shackleton Crater. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question from Melissa Does the Cargo have to "Touch" the mat to score? Answer from Doug No. The Cargo must be "Partially or Completely" in the ring of Shackleton Crater to score. It may "touch" or "not touch" the mat to score. |
