DPRG Mini-Sumo Robot Rules (draft)

Tournament Guide
Last Update: 06/03/2001

Northwest Sumo Rules are based on Official Rules of the FSI All Japan Robot Sumo Tournament.
Bill Harrison of Sine Robotics is the rules keeper of the Northwest Robot Sumo Tournament.

1. A robot must be of such a size that it can sit entirely within, and without touching the sides of, a square tube of 10 cm (width) x 10 cm (depth) x any (height) -- about 3 15/16" square. The robot can be any shape within this tube.
2. Robot's mass must be 500 grams (about 1.1 lbs) or less including all parts and attachments
3. The robot must be stand-alone and self-controlled and cannot start moving until 5 seconds after Gyoji (referee) announces the start of the round. A 5 second start delay may be initiated by a team member pressing a "start" button or using another method.
4. Give a Shikona (name or number) to your robot, for registration purposes. Display this name or number on your robot to allow spectators and officials to identify your robot.

• Inside the ring Black
• Shikiri (start) lines Brown
• Tawara (edge) line White

Surface Illuminance: 1,000 luxes or less
Shikiri lines Two 1 cm x 10 cm parallel lines, 10 cm apart in ring center
Tawara line 2.5 cm wide, circular line on surface of ring at its outer edge

• The Ring shall be in circular shape with its height being a minimum of 2.5 cm or 1" and its diameter 77 cm (including the Tawara line that divides the inside of the Ring from the outside.) The Ring shall be of black hard rubber adhered on top of aluminum plate or smooth wood like sanded plywood.
• Shikiri lines (where robots stand at the beginning of a round) are the two parallel lines with 10 cm distance between the lines, drawn in the center of the Ring. The Shikiri lines are brown, and each is 1 cm wide and 10 cm long.
• The Ring shall be marked by a white circular (Tawara) line of 2.5 cm thickness. The Ring is considered the surface area within the outside edge of this circular line.

• A robot must be of such a size that it can sit entirely within, and without touching the sides of, a square tube of 10 cm wide and 10 cm deep. A robot can be of any height and shape.
• A robot must not be of such a design that its body will be physically separated into pieces when a round starts. The robot with such a design shall lose the round. The design to stretch a robot's body or its parts shall be allowed, but the robot must remain as a single centralized robot. Screws or nuts or other robot parts, with a mass 5 grams total or less, falling off from a robot's body shall not cause the loss of round.
• The mass of a robot must be 500 grams or less including the attachments and parts.
• A robot must be so designed that the robot starts operating after a 5 second delay after the Gyoji announces the start of the round. A 5 second start delay may be initiated by a team member pressing a "start" button or using another method.
• Microcomputers in a robot can be of any manufacturer and any memory sizes can be used.

• A remote start without a delay is not allowed. There can be no control coming from outside the robot after the start of the round.
• Jamming devices, such as an IR LED intended to saturate the opponent's IR sensor, are not allowed.
• Do not use parts that could break or damage the Ring. Do not use parts that are intended to damage the opponent robot. Normal pushes and bangs are not considered intent to damage.
• Do not put devices into a robot's body that can store liquid, powder, or air that is intended to be used against an opponent.
• Do not use any inflaming devices.
• Do not use devices that throw things at your opponent.
• Do not stick a robot down onto the Ring, using sucking devices or glue, or use any type of sticky tires (such as double sticky foam tape) or any device to assist in adding more down force (such as a vacuum device). A paper pick-up test may be used at the judges' descretion to determine stickiness.

• One match shall consist of up to 3 rounds, within a total time of 3 minutes, unless extended by the Judges.
• The team who wins two rounds or receives two Yuko points first, within the time limit, shall win the match. A team receives a Yuko point when they win a round. If the time limit is reached before one team can get two Yuko points, and one of the teams has received one Yuko point, the team with one Yuko point shall win.
• When the match is not won by either team within the time limit, an extended match shall be allowed during which the team who receives the first Yuko point shall win. However, the winner/loser of the match may be decided by judges, or chosen by lot, or there can be a rematch.
• One Yuko point shall be given to the winner when the judges' decision was called for or lots were employed.

• With the chief judge's instructions, the two teams bow in the Outer Ring Area (facing each other, outside the ring platform or "ring area", with ring between.)
• Each team goes up to the Ring, and places a robot on or behind the Shikiri line or the imaginary extended Shikiri line. The robot that won the previous round or the highest ranked robot should be placed first, then its opponent. A robot or a part of a robot may not be placed beyond the front edge of the Shikiri line toward the opponent. Robots may be placed with any orientation as long as they are on or behind the Shikiri line. Once placed a robot may not move or be moved until after the round starts.
• A round starts when the Gyoji announces the start of the round, then a team member presses a start switch (or employs other start mechanism) to enable the robot.
• A team may halt the start, just once, no closer than 1 second from start of round without penalty. This allows for last moment emergencies like forgetting to plug in a battery. The start can be delayed not longer than 30 seconds.
• After a 5 second delay from the time Gyoji announces the start, the robot is allowed to start operating, before which time team members must clear out of the Ring Area.

• Both robots are in a clinch and stop movements for 5 seconds, or move in the same orbit for 5 seconds with no progress being made. If it is not clear if progress is being made or not, the judge can extend the time limit for clinched or orbiting robots up to 30 seconds.
• Both robots move without making progress, or stop (at the exact same time) and stay stopped for 5 seconds without touching each other. If one robot stops its movement first, after 5 seconds it shall be considered not having the will to compete. If both robots are moving and it isn't clear if progress is being made or not, the Gyoji can extend the time limit up to 30 seconds.
• If both robots touch the outside of the ring at about the same time, and it can not be determined which touched first, a start over is called.

• The time elapsed after the chief judge announces Yuko and before the match resumes. 30 seconds minimum shall be the standard before the match resumes.
• The time elapsed after a judge announces to stop the match and before the match resumes.

• A robot legally forces the opponent robot to touch the space outside the ring, which includes the side of the ring itself.
• An opponent robot touches the space outside the ring on its own.
• If one robot stops its movement, after 5 seconds it shall be considered not having the will to compete, and the opponent shall receive a Yuko, even if after the first robot stops the opponent also stops.
• A robot should actively persue the opponent at all times. If one robot is obviously not persuing the opponent, after 5 seconds the opponent shall receive a Yuko.

• Technical merits in movement and operation of a robot.
• Penalty points during the match.
• Attitude of the team during the match.

• They enter into the ring during the match, except when the team does so to bring the robot out of the ring upon the chief judge's announcement of Yuko or after the match is stopped. To enter into the ring means a part of a team member's body is in or directly above the ring.
• They perform any of the following deeds:

1. Demand to stop the match without appropriate reasons.
2. Halts the start of a round more than the one time allowed for in Article 8.
3. Take more than 30 seconds before resuming the round, unless the chief judge announces a time extension.
4. Start operating robot within 5 seconds after Gyoji announces start of the round.
5. Do or say that which should disgrace the fairness of the match.

• No objections shall be declared against the judge's decisions. However, the team leader may discuss fairness with the Chief Judge briefly. This must be done at the time that the problem occurs. The judge's decisions are binding and final and once the competition continues, no more discussion of that problem is allowed.
• Questions about qualifications or exceptions to the rules should be discussed and resolved before the event with the event organizers.