IGVC Rules

From GT RoboJackets

This page endeavors to summarize important sections of the IGVC rules. Be aware that this summary is far from complete.

The IGVC rules can be viewed in both HTML and PDF forms.

Warning: These rules have not yet been updated for the 2008 rules

Contents 1 Obstacle Course 1.1 Course Boundaries 1.2 Terrain 1.3 Obstacles 1.4 Barricades 2 Navigation Challenge 2.1 Objective 2.2 Permitted Sensors 2.3 The Course 2.4 Waypoints 2.5 Obstacles

Obstacle Course

Course Boundaries

• Lines
  • Color
    1. white
    2. yellow
  • Style
    1. continuous
    2. dashed

Lines will be approximately 3 inches wide, painted on the ground.

Track width will be approximately 10 feet wide, with a turning radius not less than 5 feet.

Terrain

We should expect the following basic terrain types:

• Grass
• Pavement
• Simulated Pavement
• or any combination

There may also be inclines that make the course more difficult. These inclines will not exceed a grade of 15%.

• Natural Inclines
• Artifical Inclines

In addition, there may be sand pits (both real and simulated). We are not penalized for driving in sand pits.

• Sand pits
  • 2-3 inches deep
• Simulated sand pits
  • a light beige canvas tarp, covering the entire width of the track
  • 10 ft. long

Obstacles

There will be a minimum of 6 feet of clearance between all obstacles and at least one of the boundary lines.

The basic obstacles are:

• White pails (5-gallon)
• Orange and white construction drums (full size)
• Construction cones
• Construction pedestals

There are also be potholes that make navigation more difficult. We are penalized for driving through potholes.

• Potholes
  • 2 feet in diameter
  • 2 inches in depth
• Simulated Potholes
  • 2 feet in diameter
  • white circles

Barricades

The basic obstacles may be arranged into barricades (traps):

Navigation Challenge

Objective

• Autonomously travel from a starting point to a number of target destinations (waypoints or landmarks) and return to home base, given only a map showing the coordinates of those targets.
  • Coordinates of the targets will be given in latitude and longitude as well as in meters on an x-y grid.
• The run must be completed within 7 minutes.
  • All 275 meters of the course can be covered in the allotted seven minutes of time if the robot moves at a minimum constant speed of 1.5 miles per hour.
• At the conclusion of a run, the vehicle that reaches the Finish Box and can park in a position the closest to a bearing of True North will earn a bonus cash award of $200.

The run will be terminated if the vehicle arrives back at the starting point prematurely or enters the starting box any time after first leaving it.

Permitted Sensors

• GPS
  • differential
    • (examples)
      1. CSI Wireless
      2. Trimble
      3. Thales
      4. Magellan
      5. Garmin
      6. NovAtel
      7. Starlink
    • correction signals are available in the Southeast Michigan area from the U.S. Coast Guard
    • WAAS and other commercial suppliers of corrections are also allowed
  • nondifferential
    • (examples)
      1. Garmin
      2. SkyMap/GPS
      3. Magellan
      4. Earthmate (for Macintosh)
  • Note: There may be a short loss of GPS signal due to obstructed view at some points on the course.

• Dead Reckoning
  • magnetic compass
  • gyros (angular accelerometers)
  • wheel odometers (wheel encoders)

• Obstacle Detection
  • vision systems
  • sonar rangefinders
  • laser rangefinders

The Course

• size: 80 x 80 meters (1.6 acres)
• total travel distance: approximately 275 meters, depending on the route chosen for the vehicles

The run will be terminated if any part of the vehicle leaves the perimeter of the field.

Waypoints

• marked on the grass
• no standup markers

• A vehicle must come within 2 meters of a waypoint in order to be judged to have reached that waypoint.
• A vehicle must reach at least 7 waypoints in order to qualify for standard prize money.
• A vehicle must reach at least 2 waypoints in order to qualify for nominal prize money.

Obstacles

• construction barrels
• fences
• "certain other obstacles"

The run will be terminated if the vehicle strikes and moves ("translates") any obstacle.