Arena: The general layout of the arena is shown below. It is an 8 foot by 8 foot smooth, flat surface with 12 inch walls on two sides. The floor of the arena is painted flat black (the green floor color in the diagram is for clarity), the inside surface of the walls are white. There will be a non-continuous line of shiny white tape along parts of the floor as well as obstacles and other items to engage your robot during its travel through the arena.

Objective: The principal objective is to have your robot navigate through the arena in the least amount of cumulative time while performing various tasks. I will keep track of a "time score" for each robot and there will be a modest prize for the robot designer/programmer who accumulates the overall least total score in navigating the maze. Each robot will have three "official" runs (or trials) through the arena, and the robot's total score is the sum of the best two of the three trials. Rules for time score accumulation for each trial are described below in the rules.

Rules: Here is a mostly final set of rules for navigation of the arena. Minor changes may be made in the future so keep informed of the most current set of rules.

1. Each robot accumulates a trial time score based on the number of seconds it takes the robot to move through the the arena, performing the tasks described below, with corresponding additions and deductions to its overall time.
2. Each robot must start inside the start area, marked A in the diagram, and end up back inside the start area at the end of its run through the arena. The robot master (that's you) must announce which ball the robot will be attempting to bring home (see below) before the robot leaves the start area. The time score counter starts when any portion of the robot leaves the start area and ends when it returns, subject to the additional rules below.
3. The robot must line follow successfully until it rounds corner B then encounters the solid obstacle denoted C in the arena diagram. Your robot must navigate successfully off the line around the obstacle then return to the line to approach point D on the diagram. The location of obstacle C is approximate and will change slightly from run to run so you cannot predict exactly where it will be located between points B and D. The obstacle will NOT be placed so it prohibits finding the white line toward point D.
4. The robot must now navigate by following the wall to the continuation of the white line at or near point E. The layout of the line will include a left turn as shown at F.
5. Located near the middle of the arena will be a gatekeeper robot, labeled G, waiting for your robot. The gatekeeper will be controlling a thin but solid barrier held across the white line which your robot must approach, detect, then stop before hitting. Immediately to the right of the white line, the gatekeeper robot will be waiting. The robot must beep up to 3 times to signal the gatekeeper robot to raise the barrier. The robot should recognize the barrier is raised and may continue following the line as soon as it does. The barrier will remain raised for 10 seconds..
6. Beyond the gatekeeper, the line will continue through a 90 degree turn and then through a slightly tighter radiused 90 degree turn labeled H, until it finally ends as shown by label I. Time elapsed will be noted when the robot reaches this position in the arena. Beyond point I will be three 1 inch diameter white wooden balls, labeled as 1, 2, and 3. The robot should now attempt to locate and move the announced ball into the start area. The score adjustment in points for moving a ball to the start area is as follows:

   Announced Ball moved to start area	Time score adjustment
   1	Subtract 10 seconds
   2	Subtract 20 seconds
   3	Subtract 30 seconds
   Wrong Ball moved to start area	Add 10 second penalty
   No Ball moved to start area	Add 30 second penalty

   The wooden balls will be loosely attached to the arena floor by a tiny piece of tape or held by indentations so they can be easily moved by simply pushing them. Your robot need not pick up the ball but can simply push it into the start area. The robot must return to the start area in order for a ball moved to the start area to count. (You can't just "bat" the ball over and stop there.)

7. The time elapsed of a robot run is ended whenever any part of the robot enters the start area or 60 seconds after reaching point I. The maximum time added (including actual time, bonus, and penalties) after reaching point I will not exceed 60 seconds.
8. Failures to meet the indicated challenges requiring intervention by the robot owner results in a penalty of 30 seconds for each of the first two interventions. Beyond the first two, each owner intervention adds 60 seconds to the time score. An owner intervention may not move the robot forward on the course. For example, having the robot get lost avoiding the obstacle at point C can be corrected by the owner replacing and perhaps reorienting the robot at the place where the robot became lost, but the clock is not stopped and the intervention adds an extra 30 seconds in time to the run. No interventions will be allowed after completing the turn at point H.
9. Any robot not reaching point I before a score of 300 seconds (including penalties) has been accumulated, or any robot withdrawn from a round by the owner, will receive a score of 300 seconds for that round. The maximum score for any run will not exceed 300 seconds.