Robot Build Contest, Sponsored by Jameco

The Make: Robot Build, Sponsored by Jameco and Make

We here at MAKE are thrilled to have teamed up with the fine folks at Jameco to bring you The Make: Robot Build. Over the course of the contest, we'll be featuring a series of tutorials here on the site about the basics of robot building, from overall design considerations to mechanical construction, electronics, and programming. The information in these tutorials and the build contest are designed so that anyone can participate, even if you don't know anything about electronics or robots!

Update: Submissions are closed, thanks for participating!

The Goal: Build a CoasterBot!
The goal of this series and the contest is to teach you how to build a simple robot and for you to learn all of the various aspects of design and the mechanical and electronic systems used in robots. Contestants will build "CoasterBots," mini robot development platforms, made using CD/DVD media as the main body components ("coaster" being slang for a dead/damaged CD/DVD). Your goal is to create a CoasterBot that can navigate a space on its own, avoiding obstacles, and that is designed so that additional sensor systems (proximity, heat, light, sound, etc.) can be added "on top" of this obstacle-avoidance behavior. Contestants are free to use the CD/DVD media in any way they choose. Extra points will be given for creativity and innovation in the overall design.

Just getting started with the Robot Build? Here's a handy checklist of things to look at:

Robot Build Contest Landing Page (this one!)
MAKE Flickr Pool (tag all images "coasterbot")
MAKE Forums Robot Build Discussion
Jameco Robot Parts Bundle (NOT required to participate in contest. No purchase necessary.)
Final Submission Form. Be sure to submit your final design before ~~May 7~~ May 10, 2010!

Read back issues of the Robot Build Dispatch Newsletter:

And the blog posts about the contest:

The Contest Challenge
Build a "CoasterBot," a mini robot development platform using CD/DVD media as the main body components. Create a robot that has the ability to navigate a space on its own, avoiding obstacles, and that has the ability to have additional sensor systems (proximity, heat, light, sound, etc.) added "on top" of this base behavior. Participants are free to use CD/DVD media in any way they choose and extra points will be given for creativity and innovation in the overall design.

No purchase necessary to enter or to win. A purchase will not increase your chance of winning. Contest open only to legal residents of the 50 united states and district of columbia who are either of the age of majority in their state of residence at the time of entry (19 or older in AL and NE, 18 or older in all other states). Void outside the United States and where otherwise prohibited by law.

This promotion is intended for play and participation in the United States only and shall be construed and evaluated according to the laws of the United States. Please do not participate if you are not a legal resident of the United States and located in the United States at the time of entry.

Important: Please read these rules before entering the Make: Robot Build challenge (the "Contest") sponsored by O'Reilly Media, Inc. (MAKE) and Jameco Electronics ("Jameco") (collectively the "Sponsors"). By signing up for the Make: Robot Build Newsletter and/or by submitting the Contest Entry Form (as defined below), you agree to be bound by these Official Rules.

Official Rules: The Make: Robot Build

1. How to Enter: To enter the Contest, please visit the Contest landing page http://makezine.com/robotbuild/ and sign up for the Make: Robot Build Newsletter. This newsletter will provide participants with background information and walk them through a different part of the robot build with each issue (See Contest Timeline below). Participants will stay informed via this newsletter, and will also receive the link to the final Contest entry web form ("Contest Entry Form") during the Final Build & Entry Phase which they will need to fill out to officially enter their finished project into the Contest.

Contest begins at 12:01 a.m. PDT on March 12, 2010 and will end at 11:59 p.m. PDT on ~~May 7~~ May 10, 2010 (the "Contest Period"). The Contest Period shall consist of three phases; each of the three phases shall be as more particularly described in the timeline below ("Contest Timeline"): (i) a Prep Phase, (ii) a Build Phase; and (iii) a Final Build & Entry Phase.

All Contest Entry Forms must be received during the Final Build & Entry Phase to be eligible. You may enter as many times as you wish, but please do not submit duplicate projects. Should multiple users of the same e-mail account enter the Contest and a dispute thereafter arise regarding the identity of the entrant, the authorized account holder of said e-mail account at the time of entry will the considered the entrant. Sponsors are not responsible for retaining archives of any projects submitted. Email addresses obtained through the Contest will only be used by Sponsors to notify the winners and participants of the contest results, unless participants elect to "opt-in" to a particular use of his/her e-mail address when signing up for the Make: Robert Build Newsletter or submitting the Contest Entry Form. All entries must be in English.

Contest Timeline:

Prep Phase: March 12 - March 26, 2010 ("Prep Phase")

A two week "prep-time" in order to educate and build awareness around the Contest and also allow time for participants to get their parts and supplies together. Make Editors will post a series of articles on Make: Online that introduce all of the subsystems of a robot and what one needs to consider in designing a "coasterbot." During the Prep Phase, Make will create a robot design/build topic in the Make Forums at where participants can ask questions, post their designs, get feedback, discuss needed parts etc.

Build Phase: March 27 - April 23, 2010 ("Build Phase")

Robot Design: March 27 - April 1, 2010: Participants will design their bots and post their drawings to the MAKE Flickr pool with the tag "coasterbot." The "coasterbot" tag will be used during each subsequent phase as progress images are loaded onto the MAKE Flickr pool.

Robot Chassis and Drive Train: April 2 - April 8, 2010: participants will build the main body of the bot and the drive train (gears, motors, power).

Control Systems (Microcontroller and motor controller): April 9 - April 15, 2010: participants will install the control systems of their bots and MCUs, motor controllers, and programming will be discussed in the Make Forums.

Sensor Systems and Robot Behavior: April 16 - April 22, 2010: participants will install the sensor systems on their bots and sensors and sensor programming will be discussed in the Make Forums.

Final build & Entry: April 23 - ~~May 7~~ May 10, 2010 ("Final Build & Entry Phase")

Final two weeks for participants to finalize their bots, get help in troubleshooting any problems, documenting their build, loading them onto Flickr and YouTube, and submitting their bot by filling out the Contest Entry Form). Video documentation of the bot in action, even a simple phonecam video, is strongly encouraged, but is not required to enter.

By signing up for the Make: Robot Build Newsletter and/or by submitting the Contest Entry Form, participants grant Sponsors and their agents the irrevocable and perpetual nonexclusive right to print, publish, reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works from, promote, and provide access to any such Contest Entry Form (including any materials submitted in connection with the Contest, including without limitation bots and documentation), in all media throughout the world, and without consideration to participants. Bots: must be the original work of the entrant; may not have won previous awards; may not have been published previously; must not infringe third-party rights, and must be suitable for publication (i.e., may not be obscene or indecent). By submitting a Contest Entry Form, you represent and warrant: that you are the sole owner of all rights in and to the materials that constitute your entry; that your entry is your original work; and that your entry does not violate laws prohibiting copyright infringement, defamation, misuse of trade secrets, invasion of privacy, or other laws. You agree to confirm in writing your grant of rights to Sponsors and/or the above warranties as a condition to receiving a prize in the event you are eligible to receive a prize.

2. Winners Selection: A Grand Prize Winner, a Second Prize Winner, and Third Prize Winner will be selected by a qualified panel of 3 judges selected by MAKE based upon the following judging criteria:

50% Overall Robot Quality
20% Creative Use of Materials & Innovative Design
20% Project Documentation (including materials list, schematics, diagrams, photos, videos and documents demonstrating the robot is functional
10% Degree of Improvement (from Prep Phase to Build Phase to Final Build Phase)

In the event of a tie, tie-breaker will be based upon the highest score in the first judging criteria, continuing thereafter to each judging criteria in order, as needed, to break the tie. The decisions of the panel will be issued no later than May 14, 2010, and will be final and binding on all matters relating to the Contest. Limit one prize per household.

3. Prizes: One Grand Prize Winner, one Second Prize Winner, and one Third Prize Winner will receive the following:

Grand Prize: $500 Cash (in the form of a pre-paid credit card), a free ticket to Maker Faire Bay Area 2010 held on May 22-23 in San Mateo, CA, and a Jameco jacket. Estimated Retail Value of the Grand Prize is $599.95. Grand Prize Winner may use the $500 credit card towards travel to Maker Faire to present the winning robot which will be featured at Maker Faire. Grand Prize Winner shall be responsible for shipping or transporting the winning Robot to and from the Faire and for all costs associated therewith.
Second Prize: Stingray Robot and a Jameco T-shirt. Total estimated retail value of Second Prize is $314.95.
Third Prize: a $100 Jameco gift certificate along with a Jameco T-shirt. Total estimated retail value of Third Prize is $115.

Every participant who completes and submits a Contest Entry Form will receive a Maker's Notebook from the Maker Shed. Estimated Retail Value is $19.95

Estimated total value of all prizes: US $1,029.90. All prizes amounts are in US dollars. All prizes will be awarded, provided they are properly claimed.

4. Winner Notification: Each prize winner will be notified by email by May 14, 2010. Sponsors are not responsible for any change of participant's email address. Any prize or prize notification returned as undeliverable or otherwise not claimed within seven (7) days after notification of prize award will be forfeited and awarded to an alternate prize winner. Prizes are not transferable. No cash redemptions. No substitutions or exchanges of the prize will be permitted, except that Sponsors reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value for any prize that becomes unavailable. The prizes are awarded "as is" and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, (including, without limitation, any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose). Acceptance or use of prize is at the winner's own risk. Prize winners may be required to execute and return an affidavit of eligibility and publicity, liability and other release within seven (7) days of notification attempt or prize will be forfeited and an alternate prizewinner will be selected.

5. Limitation of Liability: Sponsors and any of their parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, professional advisors, employees, and agencies will not be responsible for (1) any late, lost, or misrouted entries or errors in transmission; (2) any disruptions to Internet connection, injuries, losses, or damages caused by events beyond the control of Sponsors; or (3) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Contest. Sponsors and their agencies are not responsible for technical, hardware, software, or telephone malfunctions of any kind and shall not be liable for failed, incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate, garbled, or delayed electronic communications utilized in this Contest which may limit the ability to participate in the Contest. If for any reason, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other cause beyond the control of Sponsors, which corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, the Contest is not capable of being conducted as described in these rules, Sponsors shall have the right, at their sole discretion, to modify and/or cancel the Contest.

6. Eligibility: Contest open to legal residents of the continental United States who are of the age of majority in their state of residence (19 or older in AL and NE, 18 or older in all other states) at the time of entry. Employees of Sponsors their subsidiaries, divisions, and related companies, and their respective agencies and agents and immediate family members of such are not eligible.

7. Taxes: All federal, state, and local taxes are the responsibility of the Prize Winners.

8. Liability Release: By participating in the Contest or accepting a prize, participants release Sponsors and any of their parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agencies (collectively, the "released parties") from any liability whatsoever, and waive any and all causes of action, for any claims, costs, injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the Contest or acceptance, possession, use and/or misuse of any prize (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries, losses, and damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light, whether intentional or unintentional) whether under a theory of contract, warranty, tort (including negligence, whether active, passive, or imputed), strict liability, product liability, contribution, or any other theory.

9. Winners Permission: Except where prohibited by law, entry into the Contest constitutes permission to use winner's name, likeness, Contest submission materials, and/or prize information, without limitation, for any advertising, promotional, or any other purpose related to the Contest or to use of the entry by Sponsors or their agents, without further compensation to, or permission from, the Prize winner(s).

10. Winner's List: A list of Prize winners will be available at http://makezine.com/robotbuild/ for at least 6 months after all prizes have been awarded.

11. Governing Law: The Contest will be governed, construed, and interpreted under the laws of the United States. Entrants who violate these Official Rules, tamper with the operation of the Contest, or engage in any conduct that is detrimental to Sponsors, the Contest, or any other participant (as determined in Sponsors' sole discretion) are subject to disqualification. By participating in the Contest participants agree that all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, participant's rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsors in connection with the Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of California or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of California. Participants further consent to the jurisdiction and venue of the federal, state and local courts located in San Francisco, California.

12. Sponsors' address: