Tipping Point Premise

Tipping Point is a VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) in which Teams compete to earn points by scoring Rings on Mobile Goals, Elevating Robots, and Elevating Mobile Goals.

At tournaments, Matches are played between two Alliances of two Teams each. The goal of a Match to score more points than the opposing Alliance during a 15 second Autonomous Period and a one minute and 45 second Driver Control Period. Qualifying Matches are played with randomized Alliances to determine Rankings based on Win Points (WPs), Autonomous Points (APs), and strength of schedule points (SPs). Alliances are then selected by Teams based on the qualifying Ranking order to continue into the Elimination Tournament.

In Robot Skills, Teams attempt to score as many points as possible with one Robot on the field during a one minute Programming Skills run and a one minute Driver Skills run. The goal of Robot Skills is to score more points than other Teams.

Note: in addition to in-person tournaments and Robot Skills, there will still be Live Remote Tournaments in the Tipping Point Season. However, everyone on our team will be fully vaccinated before school starts, and pandemic restrictions are lifting. Because of this, we are not going to consider Live Remote Tournament rules or strategy until we decide it becomes necessary to compete in LRT. Focusing only on the other two competition types will give us more time to prepare.

Match Scoring

Teams earn points from:

• Alliance Mobile Goals or Neutral Mobile Goals contacting their Alliance Home Zone for 20 points per Goal.
• Alliance Mobile Goals or Neutral Mobile Goals Elevated on their Alliance’s Balanced Platform for 40 points per Goal.
• Robots Balanced on their Alliance’s Platform for 30 points per Robot.
• Rings in the “bowls” of their Alliance Mobile Goals or Neutral Mobile Goals for 1 point per Ring.
• Rings on the High Branches of the tall Neutral Mobile Goal for 10 points per Ring.
• Rings on any other Mobile Goal Branches for 3 points per Ring.
• Winning the Autonomous Bonus for 20 points or 10 points in the event of a tie.

Scoring Notes:

• Rings Scored on Neutral Mobile Goals only count towards the Alliance whose Home Zone the Mobile Goal is in.
• Rings Scored on Alliance Mobile Goals always count towards the Mobile Goal’s corresponding Alliance.
• Rings are considered “Scored” in the Mobile Goal base if they are at least partially within the vertical projection of the rims of the “bowl.”

Scorable Game Elements: In every Match, there will be:

• 2 of our Alliance Mobile Goals.
• 2 opposing Alliance Mobile Goals.
• 2 short Neutral Goals.
• 1 tall Neutral Goal.
• 72 Rings in total.
  • 42 Rings that start on the field.
  • 15 Rings our Alliance can choose to enter into the field.
  • 15 Rings the opposing Alliance can choose to enter into the field.

Skills Scoring

Robot Skills scores are calculated by combining the scores that each Alliance would have gotten in a normal head-to-head Match. Additionally, Teams can earn points by Elevating Robots and Neutral Mobile Goals on either platform.

Note: There appears to be a contradiction in the Robot Skills scoring rules. According to the Game Manual, “Rings which are Scored on / in an Alliance Mobile Goal are worth points for that color Alliance, regardless of where the Alliance Mobile Goal ends the Match.” However, Appendix B gives the following example: “A blue Alliance Mobile Goal that ends the Match in the red Alliance Home Zone, and any Rings which are Scored on it, are not worth any points.” We will wait for official confirmation from the VEX Game Design Committee as to which interpretation is correct.

Important Rules

This is a list of important rules and nuances thereto.

• An additional Win Point (the Autonomous Win Point or AWP) can be earned by each Alliance if they score at least one Ring on each of their Alliance Mobile Goals during Autonomous, and Clear the AWP line.
• The Alliance Home Zones do not include the three dimensional volume above the tiles, so for goals to be Scored in them, they cannot simply be in a robot that is on that side.
• The tape and Platform are included as part of the Alliance Home Zone. This means Mobile Goals can be Scored from touching the tape or a tipped Platform.
• The Platform is considered “Balanced” if it is roughly parallel and both flat surfaces of the hinges are contacting the base.
• The Platform is not considered “Balanced” if something on it is transitively touching the ground or Field Perimeter.
• A Mobile Goal is considered “Cleared” if it is touching neither the AWP line nor the Neutral Zone.
• A Robot is considered “Possessing” a goal if it is carrying, holding, controlling the movement of (not just pushing), or actively blocking access to a Mobile Goal.
• There is no Possession limit.
• A Robot is considered “Hoarding” if it is in possession of any Mobile Goal within roughly 1 field tile of the corners in its Alliance Home Zone.
• A Robot may Hoard only one Mobile Goal.
• Unlike any past season, if a V5 Robot Brain screen turns completely white and becomes unresponsive to controller input, the Match may be replayed if it can be considered “Match Affecting.”
• When starting a Match, a Robot can only touch the field tiles closest to its Alliance’s side, and up to three Preloads.
• A Team may choose use its three Preloads as as Match Loads.
• A Team cannot interfere with the opposing Alliance Platform in the last 30 seconds of a Match. Doing so—even though transitive contact—will result in a disqualification regardless of if it was Match Affecting or not.
• Touching the opposing Alliance Home Zone during Autonomous gives the opposing Alliance the AWP and the Autonomous Bonus.
• A Robot may not cause the Rings
• Up to nine (18 in Skills Matches) Match Loads per Alliance may be placed gently at any point during a Match onto the field tiles coincident with the wall by the Alliance’s Station.

Robot Constraints and Inspection Rules Changes

• Robots must be able to fit into an 18” cube before the start of every Match.
• Robots may never exceed 36” horizontally.
• Robots may use non-shattering plastic cut from up to one 12” by 24” sheet up to 0.070” thick.
• Robots must use a V5 Robot Brain.
• 5.5W Workcell motors are not allowed.
• Robots may use up to eight V5 Motors. Unlike past seasons, Robots may also use pneumatic components with up to two reservoirs charged to a maximum of 100psi.
• Modifications to electronics are not allowed.
• Only VEX EDR parts are allowed for competition, unless otherwise noted.
• Secondary power sources are allowed for non-functional decorations like LEDs.
• Decorative lights that give feedback to the Driver are allowed, as long as they do not interfere with other Robots.
• Commercially available screws and spacers are now allowed up to 2.5”.

Important Field Specifications and Set Up Notes

• Alliance Mobile Goals are ~3.35 lbs.
• Short Neutral Mobile Goals are ~3.44 lbs.
• Tall Neutral Mobile Goals are ~3.99 lbs.
• Rings are 0.08 lbs.
• All Mobile Goal Bases have the following dimensions:
  
• Alliance Mobile Goals have the following dimensions:
  

• Tall Neutral Mobile Goals have the following dimensions, with the shorter ones having identical dimensions to the low branches:
  

• For head-to-head Matches, the field is set up as follows:
  
• For Robot Skills Matches, the field is set up with the Alliance Mobile Goals on opposite sides:
  
• Rings should be oriented so that the “raised” portions are not the sides closest to the Alliance stations: