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AERO GOLF PRO SHOP (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS) TASC 2008 (Updated 12/4/2008) |
Don’t get caught in a trap and
get penalty strokes on your game. If
you’re having trouble reading the green on the Aero-Golf course, tee up a
question for King Putt to address!
King Putt will drive those questions and answers onto the FAQ fairway so
all TASC golfers can approach the pin without penalty strokes.
Q Uphill Challenge: what human interaction is allowed with
the device during the 5 minutes?
Q Uphill Challenge: May the device be
manually moved from the Energy Storage Area to the Tee Box?
Q Uphill Challenge: May a manual
adjustment be made to switch the device from storage to usage mode?
Q Uphill Challenge: Any other allowed
interactions (other than from the previous questions)?
Q All Challenges: please define the
nature of the course surfaces.
Q Uphill Challenge: please define amount of rise for the
ramp and the weight of the golf balls.
Q Is there an entry fee for each team we
submit?
Q Is there a limit to the number of
teams I can have represent our school?
Q For courses 1 and 3, does the puttbot
have to move, or just the balls?
Q How big is the tee-box for the Driving
Range course?
Q Must all balls stay on the Driving
Range course? What is the WIDTH of the course?
Q Must the puttbot carry a servo and
receiver for driving range?
Q For course one (Uphill), does the
energy capture device count as part of the puttbot?
Q Does the vehicle have to travel up the
ramp or can it stay at the bottom?
Q Can we connect directly to the fan we
are using to store our wind energy?
Q How many balls will be available for
the Driving Range challenge?
Q What are the dimensions for the energy
storage area for the Uphill challenge?
Q For the Uphill, does the cargo need to
be unloaded from the bot between runs?
Q For the Uphill, does all of the device
need to start in the energy storage area?
Q When does the five minutes start: when the fan starts or when the box top
comes off?
Q Can we use the stamp program bots?
Q Is the puttbot like a car that
transports the golf balls (the cargo)?
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Q
Uphill Challenge: what
human interaction is allowed with the device during the 5 minutes??
A
Only moving the puttbot from
the Energy Harvest area to the tee box, moving the puttbot from the top back to
the bottom or energy harvest area, and flipping a single switch. No other
interaction or adjustments are allowed.
Q Uphill
Challenge: May the device be manually moved from the Energy Storage Area to the
Tee Box?
A
Yes
Q Uphill
Challenge: After the device reaches the flagstick may it be manually moved back
to the Energy Storage Area for another run?
A
Yes
Q Uphill
Challenge: May a manual adjustment be made to switch the device from storage to
usage mode?
A
Yes
Q Uphill
Challenge: Any other allowed interactions (other than from the previous
questions)?
A
No
Q Uphill
Challenge: are there curbs at the
edge of the course? If the device
hits a curb is it disqualified?
A
The course will have curbs
(similar to last year) approx 2 inches high. For uphill, there will be no penalty if the puttbot hits the
curb. However, hitting the curb may affect how well the puttbot makes it up the
hill. We feel this is penalty
enough.
Q Driving Range
Challenge: please clarify whether there are curbs at the edge of the course. If
so, what is the height? If the
device hits a curb is it disqualified?
If no curbs, and the device strays off the course, may it drive back on?
A
The
Q All
Challenges: please define the nature of the course surfaces.
A
Driving Range and Chutes &
Ladders: gymnasium floor; Uphill: Plywood
(For Chutes & Ladders, we may place colored cardboard/poster board
on the floor to have the track be a different color from the floor.
Q Uphill
Challenge: please define amount of
rise for the ramp and the weight of the golf balls.
A
Ramp: 3 Foot rise. TASC Weighted Golf Balls: 110 grams each.
A regular golf ball weighs 45 grams.
Q Is there an
entry fee for each team we submit?
A
We are not charging
"greens fees" for this event.
(In other words, no entry fee...)
Q Is there a
limit to the number of teams I can have represent our school?
A
You may register as many teams
as you wish. Depending on the
number of teams/schools that register, we may limit, as we have in the past,
the number of teams that compete on Sat. Dec. 6, 2008. We will know the number of teams
registered in October, and will determine if we need to limit the number of
teams at that time. If we need to
limit the teams, schools will be asked to do run-offs to determine which teams
compete at UVM on Dec. 6th.
Q For courses 1
and 3, does the puttbot have to move, or just the balls?
A
For courses 1(Uphill) and 3 (
Q Do all of the
puttbot options from one team have to fit in the paper box, or each option -
say you have a different design for each course - do both designs have to fit
in one box, or each design fit in one box?
A
Each puttbot can be placed in
its own box. Section B
Requirements and Regulations:
Puttbots – assembled or disassembled – must fit completely
inside one or two standard paper boxes (11”x17.5”x10”), depending on the course. These are the boxes in which reams of
paper are shipped. When a team
arrives at each course, their device and all its components must be inside the
box(es) in any orientation with the lid in place on the box. Components that are folded, collapsed,
or removable are allowed.
The intent of the "one or two paper boxes" requirement is to
accommodate two puttbot designs if a team uses two different designs for two
different courses; each puttbot design would go into its own box. Last year we required that all designs
fit into one box. This year we
feel that the courses are different enough to pose unique design
challenges. So, we are allowing
each design to fit into its own box.
(No, the "one or two boxes" does not mean that one design can
fit into two boxes...)
Q For the
A
Yes, the puttbot needs to be
in the tee box behind the line marked with the tee blocks.
Q How big is the
tee-box for the
A
The tee box will be 4 ft x 4
ft.
Q Must all balls
stay on the
A
The width of the course is 4
ft. Everything must stay on the
course. The puttbot should carry
the golf balls as cargo (e.g. golf balls not thrown, not rolled). Teams may
choose to leave energy harvesting element(s) of the machine in the harvest
area, with only the puttbot portion carrying cargo down the driving range.
Q
Must the puttbot carry a servo and receiver for driving range?
A Yes. The
puttbot must be designed so that the receiver and at least one servo travel
with the cargo.
Q
For course one (Uphill), does the energy capture device count as part
of the puttbot?
A The energy capture device can count as part of the
puttbot if the team chooses. Or
teams may choose to leave energy harvesting element(s) of the machine in the
harvest area, with only the puttbot portion carrying cargo. The puttbot must be designed so that the
receiver and at least one servo travel with the cargo (i.e. carry the cargo).
Q
For the 3rd course (
A The puttbot must be designed so that the receiver and
at least one servo travel with the cargo.
There is no "finish line" in the
Q
For the uphill course, are we allowed to remove balls from the hole if
they do not fit? How is the hole set up?
A You don't have to drop the balls into a hole at the
top of the Uphill course. There
will not be a hole, although the diagram shows something there for effect (to
look like a golf green). The
puttbot must pass the flagstick (finish line) at the top.
Q
For the uphill course, does the servo and receiver have to return back
down the hill for every load? Does the vehicle have to travel up the ramp or
can it stay at the bottom?
A The device carrying the cargo (one ball or many
balls) up the hill must have the receiver and at least one servo. Any time, or as many times as you carry
cargo up the hill, you must use the device with the receiver and one servo.
Q
For the uphill course, when we transport the golf balls, does there
need to be a mechanism for dropping off and picking up the golf balls, or do we
physically put them in and take them out at the tee box and the flagstick?
A For the Uphill course, you can manually take the golf
balls out and put them in the puttbot.
You don't have to have a mechanism for dropping them off. Or if you want to use the same number
of balls, leave them in when you get to the top and pick up your puttbot to
place it back at the tee box.
Q
In the DRIVING RANGE, are we allowed to drive our vehicle as far as it will
go, and catapult the balls from that distance even further?
A The intent of the driving range is to
"carry" the balls as far as you can. So, no, you can't drive as far as you can go then catapult
the ball(s). You just need to
drive as far as you can go with as many balls as you can. The scoring is based on distance
travelled multiplied by number of balls moved.
Q
If we were to use rechargeable batteries can we have them with a
partial charge, because of most rechargeable batteries chemistry they need to
have some voltage to accept a charge, and if some batteries drop below a
certain voltage catastrophic failure is probable. Can we have the batteries
charged to a preset voltage, that wouldn't provide enough power to do much with
yet allow the batteries to accept a charge?
A We require the batteries to be discharged or
empty. "Discharged" or
"empty" is defined as less than or equal to10 percent of the nominal
voltage. (For a 9 Volt battery,
that would be less than or equal to 9/10 V (.9 V)).
Q
Can we connect directly to the fan we are using to store our wind
energy?
A No, the puttbots should not attach to the fan. The puttbot/wind harvesting portion of
the puttbot should be free-standing.
Q
When gathering wind energy for the course, are we allowed to attach and
detach the device we are using to charge our battery, as part of one of the
minor adjustments made during the course?
A If this is for the Uphill course, yes, you can
manually attach and detach from the wind harvesting portion of your device. Just remember, the receiver and at
least one servo must be in the part of the puttbot that is carrying the cargo
up the hill. If this is for the
Q
How many balls will be available for the
A We should have about 100 golf balls available at each
of the
Q
The rules say no baffles may be used to divert air flow. Our device itself includes baffles to
divert flow as part of the device.
Is that allowed?
A The intent is for the puttbot to carry the cargo up
the hill using energy it stored from the wind in the energy harvest area. The puttbot cannot divert the wind to
help push the cargo up the hill.
If your baffles are used to help store the energy, then that is
allowed. If they are
designed to use the wind as you climb the hill, that is not allowed.
Q
The rules say that bots must fit into "one or two standard boxes,
depending on the course." But
then there is nothing further about this for the different courses. Please clarify.
A This means that the puttbot you use at each course
must fit into one box. If you have
another design for a second course, it does not have to fit into the same box;
it can go into its own box.
Q
On the uphill course, is the bottom or the ramp tapered to provide a
smooth transition to the floor? Or
must the bot climb over the thickness of the plywood?
A It will be a smooth transition, no step. The tee box will also be plywood.
Q
What are the dimensions for the energy storage area for the Uphill
challenge?
A 4 ft x 4 ft
Q
The rules say that the receiver and servo must travel with the
cargo. For one of the challenges
we do not think we need to steer.
Do we have to include the receiver and servo anyway?
A Yes
Q
For the Uphill, does the cargo need to be unloaded from the bot between
runs?
A No, you don't need to unload it between runs. You can unload if you want or need
to. At the top of the hill (or when
you load at the bottom), be sure you know how many balls you have for each run
so the judges may record that to compute your score.
Q
For the Driving range, the rules say the fans have to be switched
off. Does it have to come to a
complete stop before the bot starts driving?
A No. You
can switch off and go.
Q
For the Uphill, does all of the device need to start in the energy
storage area?
A No, as long as the entire puttbot setup fits into
your box you can place part of it in the tee box.
Q
For the Uphill, the rules now say that part of the device may remain in
the energy storage area. May part
of the device also remain in the tee box?
A Yes, as long as you are not using this setup to
divert airflow up the hill. (See
answer above.)
Q
For the uphill, must the energy storage phase and the usage phase be
separate? In other words, may the
device start it's climb while energy storage is on-going? May one "module" make
its climb while another module is being charged up? May any energy go directly to the climbing device without
being stored first? (We realize
that for the
A The phases do not have to be separate for
Uphill. Energy may go directly to
the climbing device.
Q
For the
A Your team needs to determine how to switch from
"energy harvest" mode to "energy use" mode. This is part of your design
effort. You can use one of your
servos as the means to make the transition. So, you would be using your remote control to activate that
change-over. Same answer for use
of batteries. You can use energy
from harvesting if you choose. If
you go with regular batteries for switching modes, they must not be tied to the
propulsion in any way. Propulsion
must be only from energy harvested from the fans.
Q
When does the five minutes start:
when the fan starts or when the box top comes off?
A The 5 minutes starts when the cover comes off the
box.
Q
Can we use the stamp program bots?
A You cannot use the stamp program bots in place of the
basic kit called out in the rules. However, you may use the stamp program bots
in addition to the basic kit as defined in the rules. The stamp program bot would be in addition to the basic
kit. Remember, the part of the
puttbot carrying the cargo must have the receiver and at least one servo from
the original kit. And the servos
in the original kit cannot be replaced with different servos. The chip with the specific frequency
for that course will be provided as well as the controller matched to that
chip. We require this in order to
control the frequencies used during the competition.
Q
Once we generate the power can we use the power in servos for
propulsion and steering with a controller?
A Once you generate power, yes, you can use that power
to run the servos and for propulsion. For propulsion, you are required to use only the
energy you generate from the wind.
Q
On the uphill course, can we have multiple puttbots going up the hill
consecutively? And if so, do they all need to have servos attached to them?
A In the rules Section B Requirements and Regulations,
it states: "A team may only
deploy one puttbot per course.
Every vehicle design will be based on the same radio control kit, but it
is expected that different courses may require different specialized structures
and/or different ways of deploying a single set of structures, and different
ways of using the control channels. " Also, the part of the puttbot carrying the cargo must have
the receiver and at least one servo travelling with the cargo, not just a
servo. In short, no, you can only
have one puttbot going up the hill at a time.
Q
Is the puttbot like a car that transports the golf balls (the cargo)?
A The puttbot is the device that you design to carry
your golf ball cargo up the hill…
car or otherwise.
Q
What is considered part of our vehicle? If we have a track to lay down on the ramp to guide our
vehicle is that considered part of the vehicle and is wind power required to
raise the track, or can we use a servo/previously stored energy?
A To answer your questions, let me provide some
guidance on the requirements for the design of the puttbot.
▪ Requirement: "All of the energy used to move
the puttbot must come from wind generated by the box fans. Power from the batteries that are built
into the RC receiver cannot be used for propulsion." Any power required to move the puttbot
and the cargo has to be power harvested from the wind. This would include moving a track into
place in order for the device to move on the track. You can use the servos, but the energy to run those servos
must be from the energy stored/obtained from the wind.
▪ Requirement: "Manual placement of any separate
parts outside the designated placement area (the tee box) is not
permitted." Teams
cannot place the track on the course area for the puttbot to go up. Your puttbot/device must fit within the
tee box area or within in the wind harvest and tee box areas if you plan on
keeping the wind harvesting part of the device in the wind harvest area.
Q
On the "chutes and ladders" course, could you describe the
nature of the hill in the course?
(Is it a dip that goes uphill again, what is the angle?)
A The hill is just a smooth sloping hill 1 ft high in
the center. There are no dips before or after. Nothing fancy.
Q
For the
A The fan must be turned off when switching from energy
harvesting to energy use. We
specifically require the fan be turned off so teams design a puttbot that will
STORE the energy and not rely on the fan to maintain its motion or energy flow.
Q
General Question: Are the wind generator fans placed on the ground or
raised a 3-4 inches above the surface?
A raised fan increases the volume of wind a turbine can capture and
harvest. This extra volume of wind is lost to the ground when the fan is placed
directly on the ground.
A The fans will be placed on the ground. Think of it as an opportunity to be
creative about harvesting the wind energy.
Q
For the uphill challenge we would like to release, using wind power, a
puttbot guide which would be stored vertically in the tee off area and then
fall onto the ramp. Is this ok?
A If you are raising this guide using wind energy, then
allowing it to fall, then yes, you may use the guide. However, if you are just setting up the guide in the tee box
area and letting it "fall" in, this is considered to be assisting the
puttbot up the hill with something other than energy generated from the
wind. Setting up the guide is a
manual effort (human power) even though the guide falls into place. This will not be allowed. Consider the tee box and wind
harvesting areas to also have a vertical component: 3 feet, the height of the uphill rise. When the components are removed from
the paper box and set up to begin competition, they must stay within the tee
box and wind harvest area as well as stay within the 3 ft height. After competition begins, the wind
energy can raise the components higher or move them where they need to go.
Q
The rules state that for the Chutes and Ladders course "puttbots
must be able to sail..." Does
this mean that puttbots are required to use sails, or can we still harness wind
energy and convert it into electricity?
A The goal of this course is speed using the fans
available all around the course to provide the wind energy. The rules say the
puttbot must be able to "steer and sail". So, your vehicle should make some use of the direct
aerodynamic force of the wind to move the vehicle along the course. If the vehicle does not make some use
of the direct aerodynamic force of the wind to move the vehicle along the
course, the vehicle will be disqualified.
For this course, we are trying to avoid just "driving" through
the course.
Q
For the uphill, must the energy storage phase and the usage phase be
separate? In other words, may the
device start it's climb while energy storage is on-going? May one "module" make
its climb while another module is being charged up? May any energy go directly to the climbing device without
being stored first? (We realize
that for the
A Yes, you are allowed to have a direct line from your
energy harvesting device to your puttbot.
As a reminder, you may not use baffles to deflect the wind up the
hill. Energy "storage"
is not the main focus for this course; "harvesting" the wind energy
and converting it for use instead of directly using the aerodynamic force of
the wind for propulsion is the focus.
Q
Can you clarify which performance runs include set up times within the
5 min run time and which don’t? In other words does the 5 min start when the
box is open or when the puttbot is in place for each event?
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A For all three courses, the 5-minute clock starts when
the puttbot comes out of the box.
The team will nod "ready" and the judge will say "go". For Chutes & Ladders: Teams have 5 minutes to complete 2
runs. The 5 minutes starts when
the bot comes out of the box.
However, the "run time" starts when the team lets go of the
puttbot in the tee box (as stated in the rules). Scores are based on the specific "run time." For the
Q
Can two different groups use one component in common? Specifically, can 2 groups share the
same energy harvesting system?
A The intent is for each team to come up with their own
design. So no, we are not going to
allow the two teams to share components.
If you sandbaggers need to
address a question to King Putt about the TASC project, swing here for a
chip shot to the “Contact
Us” page.
Remember to replace your divots!