Print version

MAGIC 2010: Super-smart robots wanted for international challenge

In cases of discrepancy, the Challenge Rules takes precedence over this information.

12.1 Preparation

Teams will receive warning calls of 30 minutes, 10 minutes and 5 minutes to start. They will then be notified when the challenge has commenced. The challenge clock will then run for 3 hours and 30 minutes or until the team leader states that the team has ceased to compete.

12.2 Servicing, Repairs, DSL and DSZ

A UGV may only enter the challenge for the first time from the DSL. Once it has crossed the DSL the UGV will be deemed to have entered the phase, although it may enter subsequent phases from either the DSL or DSZ to which the team has earned access. To enter the challenge from a DSZ, the UGV must first have exited the phase area at this DSZ. When a team earns the right to access a DSZ from the phase area obstacles blocking its access will be removed. Vehicles may only be serviced within these zones. Servicing is defined as powering up or powering down the UGV and/or re-fuelling, replacing or re-charging batteries, etc.

Teams may also affect minor repairs such as electronic re-booting, cable re-attachment and/or the replacement of damaged or ineffective external payload modules. As a guide, minor repairs are defined as those that are quick to enact (< 60 seconds of manipulation), require no specialist equipment, and may easily be performed by untrained staff. “Opening up” or modifying a UGV or its configuration for any reason
constitutes a major repair and is not permitted. All servicing and repair activities must be conducted in consultation with and under the direct supervision of the judges, who must be notified in advance and agree to any procedures being carried out.

Transferring data between UGVs entering and leaving the DSZ is also permitted, but both UGVs and their software systems must be configured to allow automatic pre-processing of any data without the need for human inspection of the data. The data may be copied to/from a flash drive onto the incoming UGV or via a communications protocol such as 802.11g or Bluetooth immediately prior to its entrance into the competition. No software may be transferred and no computer or other diagnostic hardware may be connected to either UGV until the challenge is declared complete. Other than that specified above or
expressly permitted by the judges, UGV hardware and software may not be repaired or modified during the challenge.

12.3 Challenge Data

An approximate layout of the challenge area, including topography, nature of accessible areas, streets, the number and size of buildings, entry/exit points, etc will be provided to teams prior to the challenge. Precise data and coordinates will be delivered to teams during their pre-brief on a USB 2.0 flash drive in formats previously described to teams. The individual vehicles, cooperative, and software systems must be configured to allow automatic pre-processing of any data without the need for human-inspection of the data. The data may be copied from the flash drive onto team computers and/or disseminated among the vehicles. The data must not be removed from the challenge site. Most data (challenge area information, required data formats, the signatures of OOI, etc) will be released to teams in or around December 2009.

12.4 UAV Imagery and Metadata

A static, geo-registered aerial image of the challenge area will be provided to teams at the pre-brief in a format previously released to teams.

During the challenge the location of mobile OOI and non-combatants that are visible to the UAV will also be provided to teams in real time in WGS84 coordinates at an update rate of approximately 1Hz. The feed may be unintentionally interrupted for short periods and teams should have the capacity to cope with these outages and adjust their schemes when the signal is reacquired. Longer interruptions, for example that might result from equipment failure, are not anticipated, but should they occur the challenge will be suspended until the metadata feeds are restored. Penalties will not be imposed for such outages.

12.5 Ground Truth

The ground truth data will be superimposed by the organisers onto an accurately georegistered map display and used by the judges for the purposes of adjudication, spectatordisplay and safety. Teams will not have access to the ground truth information. Interruptions in the flow of ground truth data caused by teams or their UGVs may result in penalties or operations being suspended for safety reasons.

12.6 UGV Identification

UGV Identification Teams must provide a simple UGV identification scheme that visually, uniquely, clearly and continuously identifies each UGV and its class to the judges in the challenge area and
observing the situational awareness displays. Teams will be expected to demonstrate this during the mid-term review in June 2010. The scheme must be consistent across any situational awareness and ground truth displays.

12.7 UGV Endurance

The target endurance of any single UGV (i.e. the duration of the longest phase) should be about 90 minutes, but may be less. UGVs with longer endurance will obviously provide teams with a potential time advantage.

12.8 End of Phase

To complete a phase of the challenge a team must declare that it has accurately and completely explored and mapped the entire phase area and correctly located, classified, recognised and neutralised** all OOI in the area.

Teams may also use their discretion and declare that they are moving onto the next phase before they complete the current phase. However, teams may not return to an earlier phase at a later stage of the challenge. For instance, a team may declare phase end when all UGVs have broken down or been damaged.

Once a phase is declared complete, all OOI within that phase are considered inert and they do not impact on the next phase.

At the end of each phase, teams may elect to service their UGVs at the DSL (or within the DSZ that they have just achieved), to continue with the next phase without stopping, or some combination of the above. At this point, all UGVs will also be un-frozen. These UGVs must be returned to the DSL or a DSZ. It is permissible for teams to use teleoperation for this muster process without penalty or to request that facilitators collect any broken or frozen UGVs and bring them to the DSZ’s, whereupon they may be serviced.

However, teams may not enter the course themselves. Challenge time will continue to run during this period.
Organisers will lift and transport the UGVs out of the challenge area using four-wheel push carts. All attempts will be made to ensure that the UGVs are not damaged in any way, but ultimate responsibility for the design of a UGV that is robust to this process rests with teams.

12.9 Speed Limits

Maximum speed limits are imposed for safety reasons. Minor and inadvertent excursions may be tolerated (i.e. < 10% for periods of 5sec or less and twice per phase), but major or repeated excursions (i.e. > 10%, periods longer than 5sec or more than twice per phase) will result in a UGV being “frozen” or disqualified. Judges will use ground truth data to determine this information. Judges will inform teams of any speeding violations. Teams are able to complete the challenge without exceeding the speed limit.

12.10 Obstacles and Collision Avoidance

Effective navigation while avoiding collisions with obstacles and other UGVs is one of the primary guiding principles for this challenge. UGVs are expected to continuously monitor the path ahead and surrounding area for OOI, other UGVs and obstacles.

Vehicles should not assume that either the UGV ahead or the mobile OOI are entirely predictable. Collision with an obstacle is defined as the main body of a UGV contacting an obstacle. “Feelers” that sense and make contact with an obstacle do not constitute a collision.

12.11 GPS and DGPS

GPS is expected to be continuously available within the DSL and DSZ. GPS will also be available within the challenge area, but subject to the naturally occurring physical restrictions and environmental conditions imposed by buildings, trees, etc. No GPS signals will be relayed inside buildings.

Teams are permitted to set up their own DGPS service or use a commercially available one, but must declare to organisers that they intend to do so in their proposals and provide details of the service, any spectrum allocation requirements, etc. DGPS ground stations may only be set up during the set-up and rehearsal phases and in the OCS. Once the challenge has commenced teams may not interact with their DGPS infrastructure.

Sufficient GPS waypoints will be provided to allow UVS to uniquely identify key aspects of the challenge area (boundaries, buildings, etc). However, UGVs should also use perception-based navigation to negotiate obstacles and the inside of buildings, to traverse areas where the waypoints are not dense, and to detect variations in ground conditions.

12.12 GPS/DGPS & Outages

Vehicles should not exhibit excessive delays or erratically vary their direction of travel due to the intermittent loss of GPS/DGPS signals. Operation with degraded GPS/DGPS due to foliage or buildings is a requirement of the challenge. An inertial navigation system or another technique should be used to “fly-wheel” the UGVs safely and effectively through any such outages. A vehicle should attempt to re-acquire GPS rather than allow its map or derived situational awareness picture to “drift” or become distorted.

12.13 UGV Mobility

It will not be necessary for the UGVs to negotiate obstacles such as steps or doors, but it may be an advantage for them to be able to mount small discontinuous obstacles (e.g. 10cm curbs) as this may provide teams with a time advantage. Similarly, UGVs that cannot demonstrate adequate mobility across the different types of terrain (which will include tarmac roads, gravel paths, sandy areas and grass) may be disadvantaged.

12.14 Disruptor and Sensor UGVs

The sensor and disruptor UGVs must be easily identifiable to judges. For example, they might be discriminated electronically through the use of colour coding on the situational awareness display and physically using clearly visible different coloured flags on top of the different classes of UGV. The discrimination technique must be demonstrated to the TAP during the relevant site visits.

Disruptor UGVs must carry an eye-safe laser pointer for designating static OOI in order to simulate their neutralisation. This payload may be manually controlled by operators through tele-operation, but more points will be awarded if the process is automated.

12.15 Narrow or Restricted Access

Access to all buildings and other challenge areas will be through entrances that are at least 0.9m wide. For safety reasons UGVs should not touch the sides of doorways with the main body of the UGV and will be penalised if they do so.

During the pre-brief all potential access points to buildings will be identified. However, not all of the doors will necessarily be open or be able to be opened. Similarly, a number of obstacles will be put in place prior to the commencement of the challenge. These obstacles will not be moved or altered dynamically during the challenge.

12.16 Queueing

If multiple UGVs need to pass through a narrow gap they should demonstrate sufficient collaborative behaviour to form a physical or virtual queue. UGVs should not collide with one another while negotiating the gap.

12.17 Objects of Interest (OOI) and Signatures

High resolution images of all classes of OOI and organizer obstacles will be provided to the teams well in advance of the challenge (date).

Static OOI will be placed on the ground throughout the challenge area, both inside and outside buildings. They will not be reported in the simulated UAV feed, but are expected to be detectable by the UGVs using commercially available software and electro-optic sensors. For example, they may be represented by a backpack or a 15cm coloured disk that is readily distinguishable from its background.

Mobile OOI and non-combatants will manoeuvre throughout the outdoor challenge area. Where their position will be captured and transmitted by the simulated UAV feed(i.e. subject to building eave or tree-canopy occlusion) Mobile OOI and non-combatants will be detectable, classifiable and recognisable from a ground perspective using commercially available software and electro-optic sensors. Distinctive colour and pattern markings will distinguish mobile OOI from non-combatants and human inside buildings. Judges and safety officers will also wear distinctive attire. OOI and non-combatants may be located inside buildings, but they will not be mobile. Humans inside buildings may not be neutralised**, but must be located and positively
identified.

During the neutralisation process for mobile OOI, UGVs are themselves vulnerable to detection and damage. If one or both UGVs taking part in the process are damaged during the 15 sec neutralisation process, the neutralisation process must be re-started.

12.18 Sniper Action

At some point during the challenge at least one UGV will be lost to enemy “sniper” fire. Teams will know that their UGVs have been damaged when a judge declares that “UGV X has been damaged by sniper fire. Freeze UGV X.” This UGV must then immediately be frozen and may take no further part in the phase.
The performance of the UGV cooperative within the phase will then be evaluated from this point forward. Snipers cannot be detected by UAVs or UGVs.

12.19 Operator-to-Vehicle Interaction

Teams may not tele-operate any UGV in regard to their key low-level or moment-tomoment control tasks such as navigation or collision avoidance unless they first request permission from the judges that they be allowed to perform such actions. Significant point penalties will be applied for any such intervention.
Once judges have acceded to a tele-op request, operators are permitted to tele-operate their UGV. However, it is anticipated that such requests will only be to extract a UGV from a difficult or ambiguous situation and/or to assist it in resolving some conflict. Any such actions must be performed remotely (i.e. through the use of tele-operation as team members are not permitted to leave or enter the challenge area). UGVs that are unresponsive to operator commands and cannot be extracted by tele-operation must remain in situ until the end of the phase.

Teams are permitted to manually control the payloads and sensors onboard their UGVs and may assist UGVs with higher-order tasks such as mission allocation, multi-UGV coordination, trajectory optimisation, route/path deconfliction, and OOI detection and recognition. However, they will not score as highly as teams that carry out the challenge fully autonomously.

Human-UGV interaction on the higher-order tasks is expected to be limited to an operator selecting from or confirming a number of alternative strategies presented to him. At a physical level, such interactions are expected to take place (for example) through map-based interfaces in a “point-and-click” fashion, through interactive voice commands, or other modalities. The effectiveness of the modality of this interaction will be assessedin the judging criteria.

12.20 Automatic Target Detection/Recognition

Operators may assist UGVs in regard to initiating or confirming their detection, recognition and classification of OOI offered by automatic target detection/recognition (ATD/ATR) software. The aim of the challenge is not to test the detection or processing capabilities of the sensors per se, but ATD/ATR will be rewarded as this will reduce the cognitive load on the operators and allow superior autonomous tracking of static and
mobile OOI.

12.21 Tracking and Locating Objects of Interest

Tracking an OOI is defined as keeping a sensor oriented on it for a continuous period of time and performing feature extraction and registration processing sufficient to continuously locate the OOI. It does not imply a need to control a vehicle’s sensor head in a pan-tilt sense. It does, however, mean that the relevant features of an OOI are recognised and tracked within the field of view of the sensor; panning and tilting the sensor is optional. Teams will be expected to explain and demonstrate their detection, location and tracking strategies during the site visits. Tracking an OOI is not expected to involve operator interaction beyond any initial detection or confirmation that detection has taken place. Automatic target re-acquisition
will be rewarded relative to manual re-acquisition. OOI must be located, recorded and identified to judges using WGS84 coordinates.

12.22 In-Brief, Setup and Rehearsal

Teams will be required to give a technical presentation to judges outlining their technology development and mission plans. They will then receive a detailed in-brief and the UGVs will be weighed. The following morning, teams will set up and test their equipment at the challenge site. During this period, in addition to their own system tests, teams will be expected to perform a number of safety, “freeze” and ground truth tests for judges. There will also be a period set aside for a rehearsal, followed by a short period of “reset” where teams may re-fuel, replace energy sources, etc. The trial run will then commence.

Day	Time	Team 1	Team 2	Teams 3
Sun	06:30-08:00 08:00-09:00 09:00-09:30 09:30-13:00 13:00-13:30 13:30-15:30 15:30-17:30 17:30-19:00	Tech presentation In-brief/weigh-in
Mon	06:30-08:00 08:00-09:00 09:00-09:30 09:30-13:00 13:00-13:30 13:30-15:30 15:30-17:30 17:30-19:00	Setup/system test Trial run/rehearsal Final reset period Challenge run Rest break & lunch After action review	Tech presentation In-brief/weigh-in
Tues	06:30-08:00 08:00-09:00 09:00-09:30 09:30-13:00 13:00-13:30 13:30-15:30 15:30-17:30 17:30-19:00		Setup/system test Prelim. rehearsal Final reset period Challenge run Rest break & lunch After action review	Tech presentation In-brief/weigh-in
Wed	06:30-08:00 08:00-09:00 09:00-09:30 09:30-13:00 13:00-13:30 13:30-15:30 15:30-17:30 17:30-19:00			Setup/system test Prelim. rehearsal Final reset period Challenge run Rest break & lunch After action review
Thurs	Etc – Team 4 & 5
Sat/Sun	Reserved as Contingency Days

12.23 Sacrificial Use of UGVs

The use of UGVs to intentionally or sacrificially detonate mines is permitted, but risks killing non-combatants, which will be penalised.

12.24 Indoor Lighting and Infrastructure

Lighting conditions inside buildings are expected to be brighter than 100lux [TBC], whereas lighting conditions outside buildings are expected no brighter than 75klux [TBC]. Buildings may be expected to contain a range of internal infrastructure such as walls and other fixed obstacles, but no doors that require opening. All OOI will be placed on the ground, not on walls or on or under any infrastructure.

12.25 Cognitive Loads on Operators

Systems with autonomous navigation capabilities that coordinate and evenly distribute their mapping and OOI servicing tasks within the UGV cooperative and that impose low physical and cognitive demands on their operators will generate most points in this evaluation area.

12.26 Classified Data

No classified data or devices may be used in preparation for or during the challenge.

12.27 Vehicle Safety

RF safety standards, laser safety standards, acoustic safety standards and wireless E-stop units will be assessed by the TAP during down selection in June 2010. The TAP may suggest safety improvements that must be made in order to compete.

12.28 Autonomous Vehicle Configuration

All vehicles must be unmanned and no animals are permitted onboard. Only independent, untethered ground vehicles are eligible to participate in the challenge. The ground vehicles must be propelled and steered principally by traction with the ground. The type of ground contact (e.g. tyres, tracks, legs, etc or hovercraft) is not restricted. If hovercraft are used the maximum hover height is less than or equal to 1 “effective” rotor disk off the ground. Additional rules with regard to the safety of jumping and hovering UGV will be
developed in the event that a team using this technology is selected.

The vehicles must not damage the environment or infrastructure in the challenge area and vehicle operation must conform to any regulations or restrictions imposed by the applicable land-use authority. The vehicle must be able to travel on asphalt, concrete and paved surfaces without damaging these surfaces.

A system comprising UGVs and one or more sub-systems that are not physically tethered to the UGVs is permitted provided the sub-systems are not propelled or manoeuvred independently of the UGVs (as would be the case with a UAV). For safety reasons, the maximum height of any UGV (including any tethered or extending sub-system) must not extend more than 2m above the surface.

Any aspect of vehicle activity or operation that has an unacceptable impact on the environment is prohibited. Such activities might include destructive vehicle behaviour, the use of abnormally hazardous materials, and/or generally reckless operation. All potentially hazardous equipment or activities must be identified to organisers for review during site visits and the pre-mission-brief.

12.29 Team Disqualification and Technology Demonstration

In the event that a team is disqualified or the rules forbid it from meaningfully continuing to compete (e.g. equipment failure precipitating a major repair or modification) the team leader may request permission to be allowed to repair/modify its equipment and compete against the phase/challenge tasks. However, the team will not be eligible for any of the cash awards.

** Please note: Neutralise - does not imply weaponise