Day 1 - Foster Day

The first day of the Road2 SoccerBots Initiative, a Saturday, is designed to increase the exposure of STEM education to foster youth within an engaging, risk-free environment. As such, Day 1 will not consist of any competitions or obligated activities, but instead consist of fun games, workshops, and demonstrations all based on science and engineering principles. The primary goal is to increase interest in STEM, with the actual content being secondary.

Day 1 will be open to a wide range of age groups (7 years and above), with a goal of approximately 80 children present on the day of the event. To ensure the care and comfort of these youth, OAF will supply an abundance of their high school members, who have built friendships with these particular children over the past two years. Representatives from OC County Social Services and other programs will also be present to facilitate this process.

This portion of the event will be closed to the general public for the general safety and well-being of all participants. Sponsors, aside from a select few who may provide catering and general donations to the children present, will not be present at this event. The majority of resources will be allocated to Day 2 rather than Day 1; as such, the bulk of this proposal will focus on the planning involved for Day 2.

Day 2 - High School Competition Day

Open to all high schoolers from across the county, Day 2, a Sunday, is a competitive, collaborative effort structured to measure a student's capacity to work in an engineering team, as well as test their skills in robotics, programming, and design. We estimate approximately 100 high school students participating on Day 2. Teams of three will face each other in matches to advance to the next round, attempting to "score goals" with their Soccerbot on the other team's net.

SoccerBot volunteers will be present to monitor the competition, and trained judges will allocate scores to the participants.

Engineering Team: Current Progress and Updates

Competition Structure for Day Two

The Road2 SoccerBots Initiative has developed a well-structured competition with specific rules and mechanics to ensure a fair and engaging experience for all participants.

Attachments: Teams are provided with five different types of attachments for their robots. These attachments can be swapped out before each round, allowing teams to adapt to new strategies and teammates. Robots come equipped with a spring mechanism for passing and shooting, and the power of the mechanism varies based on the chosen attachment for the match.

Preparation: Teams are required to set up their robots two matches in advance to minimize downtime during the competition. This ensures a smooth flow of gameplay.

Scoring: Volunteers use a scoring sheet to record specific actions and assign points to robots during both preliminary and single-elimination rounds. Points are awarded for goals scored, saved goals, completed passes, stolen passes, on-target shots, and assists. Violations, such as holding the ball for over 4 seconds, collisions with other robots, goalies crossing midfield, or disobeying referees, result in score deductions.

Tie-Breaker: In the event of a tie during the tournament bracket, an additional 30-second match extension occurs, with the team accumulating the most points declared the winner.

Engineering Team finalizing Competition Structure
Picture of Ajay Shah, Archit Raul, Stella Lim, Videsh Arivazhagan

CAD Models for Chassis, Arena, and Attachments

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NOTE: Many of these CAD models are just preliminary designs and are not fully realized at the moment.
Goalie: This attachment's primary function is to block shots from going into the goal. It accomplishes this by using two spring-loaded blocks that act as arms to block incoming shots. Each side of the spring can be controlled individually, allowing precise blocking. However, once one side is launched, both sides cannot be launched again for another 3 seconds. This rule prevents players from covering too large an area simultaneously. Goalies are relatively slower and are not allowed to cross midfield.

Striker: The striker attachment is designed for scoring goals. It features a powerful spring attached to a flat rectangular block, enabling fast and accurate shots. The spring mechanism is controlled by a button with a 1.5-second cooldown to prevent rapid shots.

Midfielders: This attachment includes a spring attached to a concave surface, enhancing ball control, dribbling, passing accuracy, and scoring. Midfielders have similar speed to strikers, making them valuable for ball handling and playmaking.

Defender: The defender attachment consists of a wide convex wall that deflects incoming shots. Due to the wall's arc, the ball bounces off in unpredictable directions, thwarting the opposition's offensive efforts. Defenders are relatively slower than midfielders and strikers and utilize a weaker spring mechanism.

Speedster: Speedsters are allowed to modify their code to move at a faster speed. However, the kicking surface is smaller and flatter compared to that of the striker, making ball control more challenging. The spring mechanism is the same as that of the midfielder. Speedsters offer a high-risk, high-reward choice for participants seeking speed advantages.

Milestone: First Robot Working!

Over the past several weekends, the team has consistently met to achieve a significant milestone - the successful development of the first version of a remote-controlled SoccerBot. This accomplishment marks a crucial step forward in realizing the goals of our initiative.

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Day Two Schedule

Building Phase: On Day Two, each team is assigned a table equipped with a robot building kit, building tools, and a 3D components manual detailing the five key attachments. Only registered team members and authorized volunteers may access the building area. Teams have 180 minutes for building and testing, with a 10-minute break at the midpoint.

Inspection Phase: To ensure regulatory compliance, volunteers conduct a one-hour inspection to verify proper robot assembly. During this phase, students have a one-hour lunch break, followed by a 15-minute window for teams to address any robot issues.

Competition Phase: The competition takes place in an enclosed soccer arena, with each match lasting 2 minutes and consisting of a three-on-three soccer match between remote-controlled robots. The competition includes preliminary rounds where robots are randomly sorted into new teams for fairness and accuracy in scoring. After preliminary rounds, permanent teams are organized into a single-elimination bracket based on individual scores, with prizes awarded to the top five teams.

Contestants are divided into three groups based on preliminary competition scores (Group A, Group B, and Group C). Each soccer team consists of one robot from each group to ensure balanced skill levels and an enjoyable competition.

Workshops and Future Plans

We plan to have around 200 students participating. We will be providing 65 robotics kits to these students in teams of four. We also plan to host a three-week workshop prior to the competition to teach them what to do with the kits.

We want to continue this Initiative as an annual competition, with quarterly workshops afterward, so we can have them learn throughout the year and then compete with their skills.

Sponsors and Supporters

We're fortunate to have strong support from great partners. The University of California, Irvine School of Engineering is fully backing this Initiative, and is providing us with full access to their FabWorks Fabrication Space. The Orphan Assistance Fund is co-hosting this Initiative and helping us reach foster youth. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) OC Section and Walmart is sponsoring this competition. We also wanted to give a big thanks to Bots and Bytes for their generous in-kind donations to the Engineering Team to test creative directions with the SoccerBot, and to St. John's Lutheran Church of Orange for providing us with a free venue for our Day One event for foster youth! These supporters make our mission a reality and help us make a positive impact in our community.

Sponsored By

Special Thanks to!

Conclusion

As we embark on this incredible journey to inspire the next generation of STEM enthusiasts, we remain committed to the values of community, inclusivity, and education. The Road2 SoccerBots Initiative is not just an event; it's a step towards a brighter future for the youth of Orange County...