Rule Changes for 2025

[snoato]

This PR includes a set of suggested rule changes for the 2025 season.

Changes:

• general update of release date, summary of TC work, minor proofreading
• lifting of platform restrictions, update hardware rules to derive constraints from robotino
• update to navigation challenge, alternative mode with machine sides instead of zones
• update to regulations regarding machine failure to account for technical malfunction
• removing marker less detection challenge, should be re-introduced with major changes in 2026
• rephrasing motivation for open challenge
• update list of TC, OC, Exec Committee Members

[snoato]

@TarikViehmann, thanks for your input, I addressed all of it in this recent change.

[TarikViehmann]

i would restructure this whole topic of machine malfunctioning and recoveries.

I think we should first describe the intended interaction fully, then make a paragraph of how deviations from this are dealt with.
In particular, I would do it like this:
Distinguish between

1. faulty instruction or usage (e.g., instruct without putting something at input) -> should cause broken state
2. technical machine difficulties -> are resolved by referee and field refs in timely manner and will end up with the desired effects. These are no grounds for complaints, as these things can happen equally likely to each team. I would also do not put a fixed time on this (e..g, the previous 20/40 sec deadlines), as it is entirely situation dependent.

[TarikViehmann]

this also probably should be merged with the broken machine subsection, as it is kinda redundant.

[snoato]

makes sense in general to rewrite it like this, however it's a bit difficult given that the operations on different machines vary a lot. I'll try to come up with something

[TarikViehmann]

i mean yea the happy case varies a bit, but the failure cases are the same across machines

[snoato]

not really, but yeah I'll try my best

[TarikViehmann]

the 30 seconds are redundant here.
Also I do not get the part about inflicted damage as this paragraph is talking about improper usage.
If you imply physical damage, I think this is kinda separate from this and not directly related to state handling from machines.
IMO this rather belongs in the same parts of the rulebook that talk about penalties such as pushing machines away (basically, every alteration or damage you cause to your own production machine should not be dealt with in-game IMO, physical damage probably also constitutes a disqualification of the causing robot I presume)

[snoato]

inflicted damage was originally part of this section, so I just kept it. If you think we should remove it then that's okay. However, it doesn't make sense to talk about how damage on machines is resolved in the penalties section.

[TarikViehmann]

actually, you are right and I see the paragraph was also part of the old broken state. So basically in case of physical damage the referees can easily just invoke the machine to break and it should be fine.

[TarikViehmann]

we never really specify consequences of damage to machines explicitly I think (given noone managed to actually do this yet I guess it is fine, but it is kind of a hole atm). There is one sentence mentioning it in the context of referee complaints and aborting games:
"The procedure
is also automatically invoked if a referee decides to abort a game for any reason (e.g., field damage,
lighting failures, burning robots)."

[TarikViehmann]

Edit: actually, we do in the punishment section:
Theoretical damage to the real factory equipment as a result of
collisions and negligent actions. This behavior will be punished as
a minor rule break.

[jana-koehler]

Hi Everybody,

• removing marker less detection challenge, should be re-introduced with major changes in 2026

Can we please leave the marker less detection challenge in for this year? We have a very motivated student in the team who prepared it and would like to test his solution on the challenge data.

thanks a lot in advance

Jana Koehler, Team Solidus

[snoato]

Hi Everybody,

• removing marker less detection challenge, should be re-introduced with major changes in 2026

Can we please leave the marker less detection challenge in for this year? We have a very motivated student in the team who prepared it and would like to test his solution on the challenge data.

thanks a lot in advance

Jana Koehler, Team Solidus

We can keep it for this year due to these circumstances but I really want to move away from the challenge as it is from the following year on. In the past years it often had very low participation rate, low quality in the solutions, and it didn't really push the league the way it was envisioned. It's also quite a lot of work to prepare it wich usually falls onto either Matteo, Tarik, or myself as other committee members don't feel responsible.

So I guess, keep for 2025. Replace for 2026.

[Svenson-Maximus]

So I guess, keep for 2025. Replace for 2026.

Thank you, I appreciate it!

[jana-koehler]

Dear Daniel,
thanks a lot for keeping it for this year. I agree, it is a challenge that is cool for evaluating ML algorithms, but less useful for the league. Together with Sven, we can discuss in Nürnberg hoq we can contribute to a modified challenge for next year to support you.

see you

Jana