Sumo Bots - B & C Division (1/25/10): Interference Issues - Questions have been received about interference with the bots, especially the interference experienced at both the C Division and the B Division Finals at the State Competitions last year. As a result, we are posting the following clarification:

1. Cell Phones, Digital Cameras, and Camcorders may cause interference with the radio controls for the bots. At the start of each hour, the audience is asked to turn off these devices. If a team experiences interference during a bout, that request is repeated. If the interference persists and the students are using either 27 MHz, 49 MHz, or 75 MHz, they should ask the judges to allow them to change their frequency. The judges should then go to the Event Supervisor for an alternate frequency for the students to use. If the students are using 2.4 GHz, and they experience interference that doesn't go away after the announcement is made, they should ask the judges for permission to reboot their bot. Parents, family members, coaches, and team members should understand that this event needs to be run fairly for all teams, and they should turn off their cell phones, cameras, and camcorders when they are in the area of the competition and they should do their best to insure that other supporters of their team do the same.

2. With the 2.4 GHz controller, there are some possible sources of interference that cannot be controlled or turned off (like WIFI networks). This was pointed out in the web page on Sumo Bots Frequecies when we first agreed to allow this frequency, and students should have known from that web page that they were using 2.4 GHz at their own risk - we cannot ask the school hosting the competition to shut down their wireless network while we are there.

3. The judges can only call what they can see. They can stop a bout because of interference if one of the bots starts moving erratically, but they cannot stop a bout if there is no obvious signs of interference. If the losing team complains of radio interference after they lose, the judges will have the students operate their bot to see if there is any noticible interference - if there is, they will try to remove the interference and the bout will be re-run.

Ornithology - C Division and Birds of a Feather - B Division (1/25/10): Some teams have reported errors in the NY Bird List, based on Peterson's Guide. The National Science Olympiad lists the American Ornithologist' Union (AOU) as the classification guideline, and the New York list follows the AOU.

Mission Possible - C Division (12/10/09): Questions: 1. Rule 4.b: "Activate a photocell which will provide the power to operate a motor"... does this specifically mean a photovoltaic cell that generates electricity, or simply a photo relay that triggers a circuit powered by other means (as in a battery)?

2. Rules 4.c and 4.g: Can the golf ball that must be lifted for task 4.g also be designated as the mass moved for 4.c, effectively completing both tasks, or must these be two different masses moved at different times?

Answers: 1. It has been found that incident light is not sufficient to provide the current to operate a motor. Therefore the second part of your question is the correct one.

2. You may use a golf ball as the mass for 4.c and then re-use the same golf ball for 4.g. You cannot raise a golf ball in 4.c and count that as both 4.c (moving a mass) and for 4.g (lifting a golf ball). Each action can only be counted as completing one of the required actions. While the mass may be the same in both 4.c and 4.g, it must be moved at different times.

Mission Possible - C Division (12/10/09): Questions: 1. Does the golf ball have to be a standard golf ball or will a practice/hollow golf ball work?

2. Is there a specific material that the flag has to consist of?

3. What is meant by "imaginary box"? Can we have sides?

4. Please clarify what is meant by fixed/mobile flag. Is it the pole or the actual flag piece?

Answers: 1. A standard golf ball is not a practice ball.

2. There is no specification as to the material the flag is composed of.

3. The imaginary box referred to defines the dimensions of the device. There is no actual box.

4. The flag is afixed to flag pole. The pole must be long eough to raise the bottom of the flag at least 30 cm. above all the original parts of the device. The pole may flexible or rigid.

Mission Possible - C Division (12/9/09): Question: For the event mission possible, in reference to task 4b, does the current generated from the photocell have to power the motor, or can the photocell current trigger a switch to allow a battery to provide current to power the motor? Answer: "The rule reads; 'Activate a photocell which will provide the power to operate a motor, which leads to the next action.'" This means the photocell must provide the power and some source activated by the cell.

Helicopter - B & C Division (11/8/09): The rules for Helicopter have been revised, and the new rules are now posted on the New York State web site here. All competitions in New York will use the revised rules, which contain the phrase "rev. 9-24-09" in the title.

Road Scholar - B Division (10/27/09): Teams must bring with them a copy of the AAA roadmap for Iowa and Nebraska

Science Crime Busters - B Division (10/13/09): Section 3B of the Forensics event (water testing) will not be used in NY competitions (neither Regionals nor States).

Sumo Bots - B & C Division (10/11/09): Question: Can a team use pneumatics to operate a lift (such as a forklift) to lift their opponent off the ground? Answer: There are really two parts to this question: 1. Can we design a bot that raises our opponent off the ground?; and 2. Can we use a pneumatic device to do so?

1. Nothing in the rules prohibits you from raising your opponent off the ground and then driving their bot out of the ring. You need to keep two things in mind: make sure that all of your opponent's bot leaves the ring before your bot is completely out of the ring; and keep in mind the questions that could arise if you were to raise your opponent, the bot fell from this raised position to the floor, and it was damaged. Now the event supervisor has to determine if this constitutes deliberately damaging your opponent. The answer rests in how high did you raise the other bot? All that is required is to raise the bot high enough so that the wheels are off the floor. Any properly designed bot should be able to fall from this height without damage. However, if you continue to raise the bot beyond what is necessary, so that it is several inches off the ground, then you are deliberately placing your opponent's bot in a position where a fall could cause serious damage.

2. As to the pneumatic device, as long as it doesn't provide power that moves the bot, the rules do not prohibit it. Keep in mind there is always a safety issue with any building event, and you will have to show the event supervisor that this pnuematic device is safe. At the State Competitions, any bot that shows up with a pneumatic device will have to demonstrate the following: that the tube to be pressurized was made to hold pressurized air (homemade tubes will be considered unsafe); the tube will need a pressure gauge so that the judges can be sure that the maximum pressure for the tube is not exceeded; and you will have to be able to pressurize the tube with the equipment allowed in impound (if you plan on using electricity to pressurize the tube, you will have to do so with the batteries that you are allowed to impound).

Forensics - C Division (9/30/09): Section 3B of the Forensics event (water testing) will not be used in NY competitions (neither Regionals nor States).

Sumo Bots - B & C Division (8/6/09): Question: Construction rule #9 states that only "batteries that run the bot" may be impounded. Is the intent of this rule to ban spares for the controller, or battery-powered tools? Answer: The controllers run the bot, and therefore the batteries for the controller are required to run the bot. Teams will be allowed to impound spare batteries for the bot itself and for the controller(s). Battery operated hand tools would be impounded as tools. If competitors make sure the batteries for these tools are fully charged at impound, there should be no need to impound spares.

Sumo Bots - B Division Only (7/18/09): State Tournament Only: To help insure that impound can be completed on the morning of the competition, teams are required to email the State Event Supervisor with the frequencies their bot can operate on prior to the State Competition. These emails should be sent to jboyd@newyorkscioly.org, they must arrive by 4/16/10, and they should contain the following information: name of school, team number, three frequencies (in one of the two standard formats) that the bot can operate on, with the installed frequency listed first.

Sumo Bots - B & C Division (7/18/09): Please remember that the object of the competition is to force your opponent out of the ring - NOT to avoid being pushed out yourself. As a clarification, please view the three diagrams below:

Sumo Bots - B & C Division/Car of Tomorrow - B Division (7/18/09): Students are strongly urged to impound extra batteries for their bot/vehicle. Only batteries that have been impounded will be allowed during competition - students MAY NOT obtain a different battery from any place other than the impound area. There will be NO facilities at the State competition for recharging batteries.

Sumo Bots - B & C Division (8/27/08): If you have questions about the requirement that your bot can be operated on three different frequencies, please click here for a more detailed explanation.

The box/container holding the bot that the students bring to impound for the competition should include the following information: School Name and Team Number, along with the frequencies the bot can operate under.

Competition is a double-elimination tournament. Click here for a sample double elimination grid for 9 teams.

State Tournament Schedule: Teams will be scheduled to compete in groups of 9 every hour. At 3:00 PM, the top two teams from each hour will meet to determine the top 12 places.

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