MicroMouse rules vary for different contests (different areas, age groups, etc), but the basic framework remains the same for all sets of rules. Below are the Region 6 rules from 2004. You can download these rules in .pdf format by clicking here.
MICROMOUSE CONTEST RULES
REGION 6
These rules were revised November 30,
2001 and are valid
for the
Spring 2004 contest. The
2001 revisions are: (1) The MicroMouse competition is
intended to be a design contest, culminating the aggregate
knowledge earned in a typical undergraduate degree. To
support this, the participants will submit a report
including a summary of the project, schematics, layout,
Bill of Materials (with costs), and software code. The
participants will present their design for review and
answer questions from the judges prior to competing on the
maze. The following rules were adapted from 1986 OFFICIAL
RULES for NORTH AMERICAN MICROMOUSE CONTEST.
1. OBJECTIVE
1.1. In this
contest the contestant or team of contestants design and
build small self-contained robots (micromice) to negotiate
a maze in the shortest possible time.
2. CONTEST
ELIGIBILITY
2.1. All
contestants must be an undergraduate IEEE student member at
a Region 6 school from within the Area of Region 6 in which
contest they will compete at the time of entry in the
MicroMouse contest. Any student who graduates anytime
during the Fall-Spring academic year in which the contest
is held is eligible to enter the contest. A student
graduating after competing in the contest still remains
eligible to compete in succeeding Area, Region, and higher
contests as an undergraduate student. Up to two graduate
students per team are also allowed as stated in Rule A.4
below, providing they meet all other requirements.
2.2. All
contestants must be an IEEE Student Members or must have
submitted an application for membership (and have it
accepted by their Student Branch Counselor) prior to entry
in the Student Branch and/or Chapter Contest.
2.3. The contestant(s) will submit their design in a
document that will include a summary description of their
mouse, schematics, layout, Bill of Materials (with
associated costs) and code prior to the competition. This
information will be presented, in five minutes or less, and
the contestant(s) will answer any questions posed by the
judges of their design.
2.4. The MicroMouse entry may be the effort of an
individual or a team. In the case of a team it should be
possible to demonstrate that each individual made a
significant contribution and that they are all IEEE
members.
2.5. A team may consist of up to five people. A team of
four or five people may include no more than two graduate
students. A team of two or three people may have no more
than one graduate student. A team consisting of a single
graduate student is not allowed.
2.6. All entrants to the Student Branch Area contests must
declare their intention to enter the contest at least 2
weeks before the date of the Area contest. This notice must
be submitted to the current Student Activities Coordinator,
appropriate Area, Region 6, by mail, email, or phone (see
the names and addresses at the end of this document).
2.7. If the total number of declared mice, from all
schools, is less than the number of eligible schools to
compete in that Area, all shall be eligible to compete in
the area contest. Two or more mice of near identical design
from the same school are not allowed. If more mice than the
number of eligible schools to compete are entered in the
contest (ie., four mice from the same school), a qualifying
competition will be held in the morning. A qualifying
contest might involve, for example, having the mice
transverse a specific numbers of cells.
3. RULES FOR THE MicroMouse
3.1. A MicroMouse shall be self-contained (no remote
controls). A MicroMouse shall not use an energy source
employing a combustion process.
3.2. A MicroMouse shall not leave any part of its body
behind while negotiating the maze.
3.3. A MicroMouse shall not jump over, fly over, climb,
scratch, cut, burn, mark, damage, or destroy the walls of
the maze.
3.4. A MicroMouse shall not be larger either in length or
in width, than 25 centimeters. The dimensions of a
MicroMouse that changes its geometry during a run shall not
be greater than 25 cm x 25 cm. There are no restrictions on
the height of a MicroMouse.
3.5. The total cost of the mouse (in materials, labor is
assumed to be free) may not exceed $500.00. This is judged
on actual cost and market value of any donated materials
used in the mouse. Contestants should be prepared to
present a list of materials and their market values to the
judges upon request. Since market values may vary from
source to source, contestants should be prepared with
catalogs or quotes to confirm unusual prices. The judge's
decision shall be final in these matters.
3.6. Any violation of these rules will constitute immediate
disqualification from the contest and ineligibility for the
associated prizes.
4. RULES FOR THE MAZE
4.1. The maze is composed of multiples of an 18 cm x 18 cm
unit square. The maze comprises 16 x 16 unit squares. The
walls of the maze are 5 cm high and 1.2 cm thick (assume 5%
tolerance for mazes). The outside wall encloses the entire
maze.
4.2. The sides of the maze walls are white, the tops of the
walls are red, and the floor is black. The maze is made of
wood, finished with non-gloss paint.
4.2.1. WARNING: Do not assume the walls are consistently
white, or that the tops of the walls are consistently red,
or that the floor is consistently black. Fading may occur;
parts from different mazes may be used. Do not assume the
floor provides a given amount of friction. It is simply
painted plywood and may be quite slick. The maze floor may
be constructed using multiple sheets of plywood. Therefore
there may be a seam between the two sheets on which any
low-hanging parts of a mouse may snag.
4.3. The start of the maze is located at one of the four
corners. The start square is bounded on three sides by
walls. The start line is located between the first and
second squares. That is, as the mouse exits the corner
square, the time starts. The destination goal is the four
cells at the center of the maze. At the center of this zone
is a post, 20 cm high and each side 2.5 cm. (This post may
be removed if requested.) The destination square has only
one entrance.
4.4. Small square zones (posts), each 1.2 cm x 1.2 cm, at
the four corners of each unit square are called lattice
points. The maze is so constituted that there is at least
one wall at each lattice point.
4.5. Multiple paths to the destination square are allowed
and are to be expected. The destination square will be
positioned so that a wall-hugging mouse will NOT be able to
find it.
5. RULES FOR THE CONTEST
5.1. Each contesting MicroMouse is allocated a total of 10
minutes of access to the maze from the moment the contest
administrator acknowledges the contestant(s) and grants
access to the maze. Any time used to adjust a mouse between
runs is included in the 10 minutes. Each run (from the
start cell to the center zone) in which a mouse
successfully reaches the destination square is given a run
time. The minimum run time shall be the mouse’s official
time. First prize goes to the mouse with the shortest
official time. Second prize to the next shortest, and so
on. NOTE, again, that the 10-minute timer continues even
between runs. Mice that do not enter the center square will
be ranked by the maximum number of cells they consecutively
transverse without being touched. All mice whom enter the
center square within their 10 minute allotment are ranked
higher than those who do not enter the center square.
5.2. Each run shall be made from the starting square. The
operator may abort a run at any time. If an operator
touches the MicroMouse during a run, it is deemed aborted,
and the mouse must be removed from the maze. If a mouse has
already crossed the finish line, it may be removed at any
time without affecting the run time of that run. If a mouse
is placed back in the maze for another run, a one-time
penalty of 30 seconds will be added to the mouse’s best
time.
5.3. After the maze is disclosed, the operator shall not
feed information on the maze into the MicroMouse however,
switch positions may be changed. See Rule D.1.
5.4. The illumination, temperature, and humidity of the
room shall be those of an ambient environment. (40 to 120
degrees F, 0% to 95% humidity, non-condensing).
5.4.1. BEWARE: Do not make any assumptions about the amount
of sunlight, incandescent light, or fluorescent light that
may be present at the contest site.
5.5. The run timer will start when front edge of the mouse
crosses the start line and stops when the front edge of the
mouse crosses the finish line. The start line is at the
boundary between the starting unit square and the next unit
square clockwise. The finish line is at the entrance to the
destination square.
5.6. Every time the mouse leaves the start square, a new
run begins. If the mouse has not entered the destination
square, the previous run is aborted. For example, if a
mouse re-enters the start square (before entering the
destination square) on a run, that run is aborted, and a
new run will be deemed begun, with a new time that starts
when the starting square is exited.
5.7. The mouse may, after reaching the destination square,
continue to navigate the maze, for as long as their total
maze time allows.
5.8. If a mouse continues to navigate the maze after
reaching the destination square, the time taken will not
count toward any run. Of course, the 10-minute timer
continues to run. When the mouse next leaves the start
square, a new run will start. Thus, a mouse may and should
make several runs without being touched by the operator. It
should make its own way back to the beginning to do so.
5.9. The judges reserve the right to ask the operator for
an explanation of the MicroMouse. The judges also reserve
the right to stop a run, declare disqualification, or give
instructions as appropriate (e.g., if the structure of the
maze is jeopardized by continuing operation of the mouse).
5.10. A contestant may not feed information on the maze to
the MicroMouse. Therefore, changing ROMs or downloading
programs is NOT allowed once the maze is revealed. However,
contestants are allowed to:
5.11. Change switch settings (e.g. to select algorithms)
5.12. Replace batteries between runs
5.13. Adjust sensors
5.14. Change speed settings
5.15. Make repairs
5.16. However, a contestant may not alter a mouse in a
manner that alters its weight (e.g. removal of a bulky
sensor array or switching to lighter batteries to get
better speed after mapping the maze is not allowed). The
judges shall arbitrate.
5.17. There is only one official IEEE MicroMouse contest
each year in each Area or Region. All mice, whether or not
they have competed in previous contests, compete on an
equal basis. All mice must be presented to the judges by
the original design team, which must meet all other
qualifications. First prize will go to that mouse which
travels from the start square to the destination square in
the least amount of time. Second and third prizes will be
awarded to the second and third fastest respectively. As
stated in Rule 4.1, mice that do not enter the center
square will be ranked by the maximum number of cells they
consecutively transverse without being touched.
5.18. A rotating trophy is awarded to the first place
mouse. Verbal recognition and certificates will be given to
the top three mice among those who are competing for the
first time. If you and your mouse are first-time
contestants, be sure to so stipulate when you register for
the contest and notify the contest judge at the time of the
contest.
5.19. If requested, a break will be provided for a mouse
after any run if another mouse is waiting to compete. The
10-minute timer will stop. When the mouse is re-entered,
the 10-minute timer will continue. The judges shall
arbitrate on the granting of such breaks.