Hooks and Loops

The Mission

At the start, each team's devices (together a maximum of 20 x 20 x 40 cm in size (about 8 x 8 x 16 inches) and 4.0 kg in mass (about 8.8 pounds)) are positioned within their 20 x 40 cm start zone on opposite sides of a 1.22 x 2.44 m (4 x 8 foot) table. At the start, 9 scorable items (SI's) (four blue cubes, four pink tetrahedra, and one white sphere) are positioned on the table top. During the 30 seconds of electrical power (2 channels controlled by a joystick, plus 2 switch-controlled channels, for each device) each team attempts to attach scorable items to its side of a vertical Velcro wall. Each team's score at the end of each contest is based on the number and location of the SI's on its side of the wall. Cubes are each worth 1 point, tetrahedra are each worth 2 points, and the sphere is worth -4 points. The wall is divided into zones with values ranging from 0 (at the bottom) to 4 (at the top). Each SI's value is determined by multiplying its point value by the value of the zone in which it is attached. The team with the most number of points at the end of 35 seconds wins. An overall winner will be determined in a triple-elimination tournament.