F I R E E XTINGUISHER

Last modified March 4, 1998

Created by Jake Mendelsohn Trinity College Rules adapted for WCRG by Wayne Jones.

OBJECT
To build a computer controlled Robot that can move through a model structure, find a “burning oil derrick” (lit candle) and
then extinguish it in the shortest time subject to a few operating factors (see Scoring section). This is meant to simulate the real-
world operation of a Robot performing a fire extinguishing function in an oilfield.

BACKGROUND
We at the robotgames would like to thank Jake Mendelssohn for permission to use his rules in our event. Those contestants
who have entered our version of the extinguisher are encouraged to take your creation to the International Fire-Fighting Home
Robot Contest at the Trinity College campus in Hartford, CT.. First prize at this Grand Finale is $1000.00 (US)! Please be aware
however that their ruleset and floorplan are different from that of this event
From their own competition instructions:

WHY HAVE A CONTEST?

We originally developed this concept of a contest because we were rather disappointed with the slow progress that we thought
Robotics was making. Twenty years ago Jake started a Robotics company because he really believed that the “Age of Robotics”
was just around the corner. The computer people had had their revolution and he thought that Robotics was next. Well, it
turns out that Robotics is many orders of magnitude more difficult than computers, thus the need for this contest. The goals
we have set for the contest are:
1. Provide an incentive for the Robotics community to develop what we hope will be a practical application for a real-
world Robot. This “Killer App” will be the means by which Robotics will finally break out and become a useful tech-
nology in everyday life.
2. Promote the technology by giving an inducement for Robotists to try new techniques to solve a real- world practical
problem
3. Demonstrate to government, business and the public that this technology is attainable and can have practical appli-
cations and should be encouraged and supported.
4. Encourage younger students to get involved in Robotics because we truly believe that the next breakthrough will not
be made by anyone our age, but by the students still in college and high school. We also believe that building a Robot
is a great educational exercise for a student by giving them hands-on experience in physics, mechanics, hardware,
software, and logic. They will also have to learn how to overcome failure and to plan and organize a long term, mul-
tifaceted project. Robotics is applied everything and there is no better learning tool that building a Robot.
We designed the Fire-Fighting Home Robot Contest, because putting out a fire was something that everyone could relate to
and appreciate the need for. It was an activity that had movement, action and suspense. It could be understood by the lay-
man and yet was intriguing enough to entice the expert.
We believe in incrementalism and do not think that the first practical application of this technology actually be used in a home.
The home environment is too crowded, variable and the average home owner could probably not afford the first units that
were built. Just like the first heavier-then-air airplane built by the Wright brother had no real practical application since it only
flew a 150 feet, the first example of this technology will not look very impressive to the casual observer. But the future belongs
to the person who can look beyond the fog of today and see the horizon of tomorrow.

22 2002 Rules & Resources Western Canadian Robot Games

 F I R E E XTINGUISHER
Thus even though we call this a HOME Robot Contest we believe that the first applications will be used in warehouse situa-
tions. A warehouse usually involves straight wide corridors with only occasional obstacles. The cost of not putting out quickly
a small warehouse fire can run into the millions. Traditional protective fire fighting techniques cost enormous amounts to install
and many can actually do more damage to the stored materials than the average fire might. This provides a great incentive for
the company to invest in this Robotic technology. After a few years of running successfully in warehouses, this technology could
then move into the more complicated office building setting. Finally this technology will be efficient enough, effective enough
and cheap enough to move into the home.
However, the first step is that someone needs to be able to make it work. In the past few years since we have started this con-
test, we have seen tremendous advances in the effectiveness of the Robots in the contest. In the first year, although we had
26 entries, only 3 entries put out fire twice and no Robot put out the fire all three times. This year there were 10 entrees that
put out the fire 2 or more times even when running in the more difficult furniture mode. We believe that is a few years some
Robot will be good enough to win the contest and then go right into production as a commercial unit.

THE FLOOR PLAN STRUCTURE

The official floor plan structure contest area is shown in Figure 1. This is exactly what the contest structure will look like with
the exception of the home area which is not incorporated in the WCRG’s rules. This is not a maze contest where the Robot
has to figure out how to move through the structure. The design of the structure will be known before hand (see Figure 1) and
the goal is to find and extinguish the candle as quickly as possible.
The walls of the structure will be made of wood and will be 1 inch thick and 13 inches high. The walls will be painted with a
white semi-gloss paint. The
floor of the house will be a
smooth (no ridges), high fric-
tion, black surface. As noted in
the floor plan, all hallways and
doorways to room will be 18
inches wide. Doorways consist
of an 18 inch opening with
approximately 1” wide white
line painted on the floor
across each doorway to indi-
cate the entrance to each
room. The Robot will start at
the Home location marked by
the H in a circle (on the floor-
plan only, to on the actual
structure). The floor plan is
level with no ramps or stairs.
The ambient light level in the
contest area is impossible to
determine until the actual day
of the contest. Contestants will
be given time on the contest
day to make ambient light
level readings if necessary to
calibrate their Robot. The
room lighting will be over-
head, but there may be lights
associated with video cameras
recording the contest that may
cast shadows in the structure
area.

Western Canadian Robot Games 2002 Rules & Resources 23

 F I R E E XTINGUISHER
COMPETITION PROCEDURE
Robot Operation
Once turned on the Robot must be self-controlled without any human intervention, that is, these are to be autonomous-
ly controlled and not manually controlled devices.
The Robot can bump into or touch the walls of the house as it travels, but it can not mark or damage the walls in doing
so.
The Robot can not leave anything behind as it travels through the house. It can not make any marks on the floor of the
house as it travels.
The Robot must, in the opinion of the official judges, have found the candle before it attempts to put it out. The Robot
must find the candle before it puts it out. The Robot can not just flood the house structure with CO2 and put it out by
accident.

Extinguishing the Candle

The Robot must not use any destructive or dangerous methods to put out the candle. It can use such items as water, air,
CO2, etc, but any method or material that is dangerous or will damage the house is prohibited. For example, the Robot
can not explode a firecracker and put the candle out with the concussion. The Robot can not knock the candle over to
put it out.
If a Robot accidentally knocks over a candle after it has been put out then it is all right and Robot’s trial run will count.
The candle will be mounted on a weighted base so that it will not be easily knocked over by moving air or water.
Any mess that a Robot makes (water,whipping cream, etc) in its effort to put out the candle will be cleaned up by the
owner of the Robot.

Robot Size and Weight

The maximum size of the Robot shall be 12” by 12” by 12”. The Robot can not look over the walls of the structure and
must never extend itself beyond 12” in height.
There are no restrictions on the weight of the Robot.
There are no restrictions on the type of materials used in the construction of the Robot, except that the Robot must be
designed and constructed by the contestants.
There is no restrictions on the type of sensors that can be used as long they do not violate any of other rules or regula-
tions.
No external cables may be connected to the Robot. For instance, the robot must not to be connected to a external com-
puter system for instructions. The Candle
The lit candle is represents an oil derrick that has caught on fire, which the Robot is attempting to find and extinguish.
The candle will be approximately 8 inches in height. The candle will remain at the same height throughout the event.
As the candle burns a spring mechanism pushes it up to keep it at a consistent height (aka “candle lantern”) The height
and size of the flame is variable. The candle is housed in a framework resembling an oil derrick the base of which meas-
ures 4.5” by 4.5”.
The candle will be placed at random in one of the room in the house. The candle will not be placed in the hallway. The
candle will be put in a different room for each of the 3 trials.

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 F I R E E XTINGUISHER
Beginning Each Trial
This is the procedure for beginning each trial run of the Robot through the house structure. The contestants will have
10 minutes before each trial to get their Robot ready to begin. They can make any modifications to the hardware and
or software within those 10 minutes, but they must begin whether the Robot is actually ready or not. Once the Robot is
ready, the candle is placed in a room. The Robot is turned on and the time clock runs. Each contestant are allowed 3
trials. Only the best one counts.

Scoring
The Robot with the lowest score will be the winner. There are 2 factors which can effect the final score. The Time Score
and Standard Operation.

Standard Operation
1.The Robot operates in the house structure with no obstructions other than the walls. The robot finds the candle and
extinguishes it. Score of 1 points.
2.The Robot operates in the house structure with no obstructions other than the walls. The robot finds the candle but
does not extinguish it, Score of 4 points.
3.The Robot operates in the house structure with no obstructions other than the walls. The robot does not find the can-
dle. Score of 6 points.

Time Score
The Robot’s total time it takes to complete its operation. (Up to a maximum of 30 min.)
The Final Score
Is the Robots best score out of 3 trials. The TimeScore * Standard Operation = Final Score

THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why Does The Arena Have Only 90 Degree Angles?
We agree that having only 90 degree angles in the arena is very artificial and simplistic, but it is also a good representa-
tion of the real world where our buildings are mostly 90 degrees and very artificial. Also remember that we believe that
the first actual use of these sorts of Robots will be in a warehouse situation which are very “90 degree-ish”. Besides, it is
hard enough to get these devices to work in this “easy”, “simplistic” and “artificial” environment, putting in 56 degree
turn would be even harder. When we reach the day when most of the Robots have no trouble with a 90 degree turn,
then we will consider using other turns.
Why is the Arena all on one Level? Why not have Stairs?
Practically the same answers as to the previous question. While houses do have multi-levels, warehouses do not. And
once again it is hard enough to move on one level. Putting in stairs would make it practically impossible.
Why not make it a True Maze with the Rooms and Walls unknown until the Contest Time?
We do not envision that these Robots will first be used to go into unknown areas. These Robots will be permanently sta-
tioned to protect a specific warehouse or later, a specific home. The floor plan of that warehouse or home is a known
quantity and can be put into the Robot’s programming, if necessary. Once again, not every Robots design needs these
kind of a priori knowledge, but many do, and we are trying to get the widest participation possible.

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 F I R E E XTINGUISHER
Why Have a Random Placement of the Candle which results in some Robots having an “Easier” task then Others?
In a real world situation, the location of the fire would be unknown and somewhat “random”. A real fire- fighting Robot
would have to prove its ability to search for the fire, rather then just go to it. If the location of the candle were known
to the Robot before it started, it would be a rather easy task just to go directly to the correct room and flood it with CO2.
The goal of this contest is not to make a Robot that can go to a specific place, but to make a Robot that can find and
extinguish a candle. That is quite a different matter and a much harder one at that. But once you do it you have a real-
ly valuable device.
Yes, there is a bit of unfairness in that some Robots may accidentally get “harder” rooms than others, but we try to even
things out somewhat by taking the 2 best of the 3 trials.
Why Is the Robot Penalized for Hitting the Wall?
In a real world situation, moving through a house by ricocheting off the walls is not a very practical means of locomo-
tion. Yes, it might work in a few situations and yes, it does work in the mostly sterile environment of this contest, but in
the real world, it is very impractical. In a real-world warehouse with its stacks of merchandise, this is not a realistic way
to travel
I See No Mention about the Furniture not Blocking Doorways or how much it Can Constrict Passage within Rooms.
The furniture will NOT block a doorway and a Robot will be able to come into a room at least half way before it encoun-
ters furniture. The furniture will always be placed so that there is at least one path to the candle that is at least 12.25”
wide. However, if your Robot is 12” wide, it may NOT be possible to go around the furniture on either side. On one
side the distance to the wall may be less than 12”. Therefore, for example, if your Robot always moves to the left when-
ever it encounters furniture, it may find that it’s way is blocked and it will have to go around the furniture on the other
side. This is one of the subtle problems that makes the furniture mode so challenging. Why is Dead Reckoning Allowed
since it is not a very Real-World Way to Move?
Yes, this is correct, dead reckoning (the adding of steps and turns to your original position in order to calculate your new
position) is not a very effective way to maneuver in the real world. The reason it is allowed in the contest is because it
is the easiest way for a beginner to maneuver their Robot. If we make the initial contest requirements too high, then
novices would never be able to enter. In the 1998 contest however, there will be a special option which will give advan-
tages to Robots that can truly determine their position in the arena without the use of dead-reckoning.
Larger Robots Would be Easier to See and would be more Fun. Why can’t the Arena be made Bigger?
The goal of this contest is to demonstrate the application of a technology. This is done just as easily with a small Robot
as with a large one. We agree that a larger arena and large Robots would have certain advantages, but it would also dra-
matically increase the cost of building a Robot. It is expensive enough to enter the contest and most people without cor-
porate or university funding would find the cost of a large Robot prohibitive.
We are thinking of building a Robot that has the Ability to Separate into Two Parts and Reconnect itself after a Successful
Extinguishing. The Overall size of the Complete Robot would be in Accordance with the Rules. Would this Strategy be
Allowed?
The real goal of this contest is not to merely put out a candle, but to encourage the Robotics community to build effi-
cient Robots that can function effectively in a real-world situation. The key to operating in the real world is to make an
intelligent Robot that can respond appropriately to its environment.
If it would be legal for a Robot to separate into multiple sections each looking for the candle on its own, then someone
could make 4 small Robots (total dimensions under 12.25”) that would separate and each run to a different room to
search for the candle. Carried to an extreme, what if there were 8 or 12 or 16 very small Robots that just ran around
randomly looking for the candle. These Robots would not have to be very smart and could solve the problem mainly
through shear numbers rather than intelligence. This might work in the sterile contest arena, but would not be a very
practical solution for the real world.
While your proposal does not specifically violate any individual rule (it does, however, bend Rule #6 quite a bit), it does
violate the spirit of the contest and so it can not be allowed. However why don’t you enter it in “The Spirit of an
Inventor” category and win that prize?

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 F I R E E XTINGUISHER
My Robot can do “x” so why can’t the Contest Rules be changed
to Accommodate me and my Robot?
We get this question or some variation of it, all the time. The
“X” in the question is usually some very specific thing like
wanting mirrors hung above the arena so the Robot can look
up to see the reflection of the candle, or wanting each room
painted a different color, or having clear walls in the rooms.
The general answer to all these questions is that it is not a sit-
uation that exists commonly in the real world and we are try-
ing to build Robots that can adapt to the real world and not
visa versa.
Why is Speed a Consideration for Judging the Winning Robot?
Obviously in putting out a fire, speed is important, but it is
even more important in making the Robot contest interest-
ing and fun to watch. It is very painful to watch a Robot take
the full 6 minutes to find and extinguish a candle. However,
reliability is also important and the current rules also encour-
age reliability.

Western Canadian Robot Games 2002 Rules & Resources 27