MechMania Robotics Competition

• MechMania is a local robotics competition run by the WCI Robotics Team.
• The competition aims to make engineering and robotics accessible to students in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.
• MechMania strives to offer competitions for clubs emerging post-COVID, pushing high school robotics standards.
• The goal is to introduce high-level, cutting-edge robotics to high school students.
• MechMania is an annual robotics competition hosted by and for high school students.
• The Waterloo C.I.'s Robotics Team manages the competition.
• MechMania aims to provide materials and a thrilling tournament experience at the lowest cost.
• It is one of the largest youth-led robotics tournaments in the Tri-city area.
• The competition offers students their first opportunity to experience competitive robotics.
• MechMania aims to establish a tradition of equitable access to STEM in the community.
• The competition will be located at the E7 event space
• It will begin on May 12, 2025
• Kits/materials will be released 2 months prior.

The Competition

• The competition operates on a point system.
• Teams earn points through various challenges.
• The team with the most points wins.

Challenge 1: Soccer Challenge

• Objective: The goal is to score as many points as possible by guiding balls and boxes into the team's net.
• Two teams compete simultaneously in the same arena.
• Arena dimensions are 4 meters by 2.8 meters.
• Net Dimensions: width is 25 cm, height is 12 cm, and the top of the elevated second stage is 15 cm above the ground.
• Equipment: Wiffle balls with a radius of 3.6cm and lightweight plastic or wood boxes with dimensions of 3cm³ (cube).
• Robots: Maximum pushing area of 40 cm² and can be controlled by any wireless transmission device.
• Scoring: 3 points per ball scored and 5 points per box scored.
• Robot Control: The robot must be remotely controlled by a driver on each team.
• Starting Arrangement: 6 balls and 3 boxes in the middle, 3 balls and 1 box near each competitor's net.
• Robots Maximum pushing area of 30 cm.
• There is a second stage to the net 10 cm above the ground.
• The challenge ends 30 seconds after every ball has entered a net or when the 5-minute limit is reached.

Challenge 2: Sumo Bot

• Objective: Push the opponent's robot out of the ring to win the match.
• Ring Dimensions: Diameter of 1.5 meters.
• Robot Specifications: Maximum weight of 3 kg.
• Motors: Standard yellow gearbox motors provided in the kits.
• Gameplay Rules: Robots start on opposite sides of the ring.
• Robots may use any non-destructive methods to push opponents out of the ring.
• Intentional damage to opposing robots is prohibited.
• The robot must weigh less than the 3 kg limit to participate.

Point System

• Points are distributed based on challenge performance, with additional bonuses for specific criteria.
• The team with the highest points wins.

Challenge 1 Scoring

• Ball Scored is +3 points
• Cube Scored is +5 points
• Placed on Net is multiplied by 2 points.

Other Point Factors

• Fouls will deduct 3 points
• Handball deducts 1 to 5 points
• Pit Stops deduct 3 points
• A successful Backflip adds 20 points
• A foul is applied to the opposing force where time is given to the faulted robot's team to repair damages in a 15 second grace period
• A unanimous decision by the team must be made to activate a pit stop for robot repair.
• Teams get 10 minutes which will continue as is when the 10 minutes are over with only one pit stop allowed
• Completing a successful backflip awards +20 points.

Challenge 3 Scoring

• Win is +4 points
• Loss is +0 points
• Draw (time cutoff) is +1 point

Other Points

• Fastest Time is +10 points
• Second Fastest Time is +7 points
• Third Fastest Time is +5 points
• Interference deducts 3 points
• Each retry deducts 5 points
• An offline robot deducts 0 points
• A backflip adds 20 points

Challenge Constraints and Rules

• Teams in First, Second, or Third will not receive the highest score protection.
• Trial runs after their highest attempt may be lost if they fail during their retry.
• Interference from opposing teams results in a penalty to the said team.
• Robots must be reset to the nearest checkpoint when offline.
• The backflip must be done during the time of the challenge

General Rules

• Misconduct results in a deduction of 1 to 8 points, or disqualification
• Criteria: For the most creative solution, best design award, most innovative, and inclusion of a user interface there is a +5 point bonus each

Starter Kit Contents

• ESP-32 with camera
• NRF24Lol modules/breakout boards
• Stepper/Micro motors
• Colour/Bluetooth sensors
• Arduino Unos
• DC motors
• Led's
• AA/9v battery clips
• Toggle switch
• Wheels
• Buckboost converter
• Larger yellow geared motors/Stepper Motor Driver Module
• IR Sensors, Breadboards, Resistors, Motor controllers, 9g stepper motors
• USB programming cable, Joystick
• Omni -Wheels, Big Black Servos, IR Remote and Sensor, Wire, Chaises (2 wheel or 4 wheel), Threaded rod and nut, Assorted screw and nuts, LCD, and Pin extender

Main Body

• Teams can use their own resources, like cardboard, wood, plastic, bristol board, or 3D-printed parts to build the body of the robot
• The robot must stay within the 50cm x 50cm x 50cm box
• It is recommended to build your own base
• Submit a Google Part Request Form for any other parts you want to use

More Information

• Teams can send 3D printing files to [email protected]
• Teams should have at least 3 people, but no more than 10
• Each team needs one kit
• One school can enter more than one team
• To register, visit https://www.mechmania.ca/ and join the mailing list
• There is a $16 event fee per person to help give better service and parts compared to last year
• MechMania GX is the university/workplace level robotics competition to be introduced after MechMania
• More information will be released on it when available, contact [email protected] for help