2009 RoboCup Junior in Tasmania
The RoboCup Junior Tasmania North Regional event was held in Devonport on Saturday July 11th, 2009, at the Devonport High School Assembly Hall, a site that produces many memories for me! Details of the event and an entrant's kit were available here.
The RoboCup Junior Tasmania State finals were held in Hobart on Friday July 31st July 2009 and Saturday 1st August 2009. The event was held in Stanley Burbury Theatre, University Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart.
In both the Regional and State final events, there were five groups of activities, involving Soccer, Dance, Dance Theatre, Rescue and Premier Rescue. In some of these events the participants were divided into Primary and Secondary School age groups (more information below). The 2009 results can be seen by clicking here.
Primary/Secondary School Divisions
In 2008 and 2009, Tasmanian-only modifications were made to the age groupings of the National Rescue Rules - see the "Rescue" section below.
RoboCup Junior Soccer
The 2009 National RoboCup Soccer rules are available here. In Tasmania in 2009, the National Rules dividing Robot Soccer players into lightweight (up to 1 kg.) and Premier (up to 2.5 kg) were modified so that all soccer Robots competed together.
A guide to Robot Soccer prepared by Robotics Tasmania was also available, but has been deleted from the web.
A link to the Victorian RoboCup Junior web site, which includes programming hints and video of Soccer Robots, can be accessed by clicking here.
RoboCup Junior Dance and Theatre
The Tasmanian RoboCup web site was down until May 2010, and in 2009 the 2009 RoboCup Junior Tasmania Dance guide could be obtained by clicking here. The 2009 National RoboCup Dance rules can be found by clicking here, and 2009 score sheets can be found for dance and dance theatre interview here, dance performance here, and dance theatre performance here.
RoboCup Junior Rescue and Premier Rescue
The 2009 RoboCup Junior Tasmania Rescue Guide can be found by clicking here. The 2009 National Rules for Rescue and Premier Rescue can be seen by clicking here.
In 2008, the Tasmanian RoboCup committee made a local modification to the National RoboCup Rescue rules, the result being to divide the Rescue tournament in Tasmania into two divisions; Junior Rescue (Grade 7 & under) and Senior Rescue (Grades 8 and 9). Students could enter one or the other, but not both. This restriction applies in 2009 also.
In 2008, the age limit for RoboCup Premier Rescue was 18 years of age or Grade 12 or younger. This restriction continues in 2009.
Student can enter both Rescue and Premier Rescue.
Some ideas about preparing for the Tasmanian RoboCup Rescue tournament can be read by clicking here.
Reflections
Regarding teams with whom I was associated with or mentoring, Yaya Lu (RoboKid) received what was apparently an unprecedented second Google Scholarship to assist with her expenses in travelling to the 2009 World RoboCup in Graz Austria; (her results are here).
After returning from Graz, she rebuilt some old Junior Rescue robots and, undecided between two, presented both for scrutineering - both passed. She chose one for competition, and qualified for the finals. Still unsatisfied, she rebuilt this overnight, presented it for scrutineering again, and went on to finish first in the Rescue final on Saturday. Her entry was unusual, as it was the only tracked entry in the Rescue competition - Yaya chose reliability over speed. As in 2008, Yaya had a Premier Rescue Robot almost ready, but it was not quite good enough by her standards, and she did not enter in the Tasmanian Premier Rescue.
Two Princes St. Primary teams finished third (Hato) and fourth (Maja) in the Rescue event - an excellent result for Mrs. Juanita Airey. Maja's effort was especially meritorious, as (like Yaya the previous year) their first run was a complete disaster - their robot refusing to follow the line at all. They made repairs, and courageously made the best possible reply in their second run - finishing the whole course within the 2 minute time limit and pushing out the can as well - a perfect run! Maja was awarded the Highly Commended trophy for their efforts.
Guided by Mrs. Airey, Princes St. student's "Mountaineer's Spooky nightmare" achieved second place in the "Junior Dance Theatre". This was unusual in that, while spooky "spirits" emerged and hid themselves in caves in the base of the mountain, for the first time I can remember in the Tasmanian RoboCup one of their robots left the floor and climbed up a spiral path around the mountain to twirl on the top. It is a commentary on the standard of robotics in Princes St. that this climb was planned and executed by a Grade 3 student!
Tasmania did well in Scholarships in 2009, as the Ogilvie REMWIZ team mentored by Susan Bowler also received a Google Scholarship towards Graz expenses. I mention this last as, of all the teams to which I was "associated", this is the team to which I contributed least. REMWIZ's results are here.
www.DrGraeme.net - Tasmanian RoboCup Junior Dance, Soccer and Rescue contacts for 2009