[UPDATE 3/10/08] - Full site update. Dates and times have changed. New rules for 2008 posted and update. Please check them against your designs and plans. Training dates updated.

[UPDATE 3/3/08] - The Sonoma County Lego Robot Challenge for 2008 for students in grades 4 through 8 is quickly approaching! This year there are five different challenge events aimed at beginning through advanced robotic enthusiasts. Below you'll find all the necessary documents to ensure your school's participation.

Every school team must submit a registration form that lists team members and the events the team plans to compete in.

All individual team members need to submit the following forms:
• Registration Form
• Permission Slip
• Consent for Publication of Photographs
• Waiver of Liability and Consent for Treatment

ALL forms need to be submitted to me by Monday, April 7th, 2008 to ensure your team's participation. Forms can be faxed to 578-3246 or mailed through the U.S. mail service (SCOE, 5340 Skylane Blvd, Santa Rosa, CA 95403 Attn: Francine Merlonghi). Upon receipt of all necessary forms, you and your team(s) will receive a confirmation letter.

Volunteers are needed! If you know of anyone that would like to have a great experience as a volunteer for this event, please let Rick Phelan know by email: rphelan@scoe.org or by phone at 707-524-2847.

• Free Form (.pdf) --> 2008 Theme: Going Green!
• DragRacing (.pdf)
• Sumo (.pdf)
• Shotput
• Bull in a China Shop (.pdf)

Each team must register prior the morning of the Challenge. Each team must provide a team Roster with the name of the school, supervising teacher, any adult mentors, and students who will be participating. The team must also indicate which Challenge(s) they will be attempting. Each team will be assigned a team number at the registration. All team members need to complete a parent permission form.

Sonoma County Robot Challenge 2008
Sonoma County Office of Education
Attention: Francine Merlonghi
5340 Skylane Blvd.
Santa Rosa, CA 95403

FAX: (707) 524-2793  Attention: Francine Merlonghi

A number of training activities have been planned to help your team prepare for the LEGO Robotics Challenge Event. To register for a training activity, contact Francine Merlonghi at the Sonoma County Office of Education at fmerlonghi@scoe.org. Training activities are designed for teams. Students, instructors, and mentors are all welcome. Due to the popularity of these events, we ask that no more than 3 students attend per school.

Sonoma Country Day Scrimmage
Will this idea work? How much do I really have left to do before the challenge event? If you find your asking yourself questions like these you might want to consider participating in the Sonoma Country Day Scrimmage Event.

April 5th from 9:00AM-1:00PM at Sonoma Country Day School

Registration Deadline: March 31st, 2008
Contact Tina.Souza@scds.org to sign up for this event.

Challenge Event Clinics
Get ready for the 2008 Sonoma County Robotics Competition. Learn about the Challenge events and develop your ideas for winning designs and programs.

March 12 from 3:30PM-5:30PM at SCOE

April 2 from 3:30PM-5:30PM at SCOE

April 10 from 3:30PM-5:30PM at SCOE

Challenge Event Clinic for Volunteers and Judges
All volunteers interested in judging at this year's LEGO Robotics Challenge Event are required to attend this session. Challenge events, rules, and regulations will all be covered.

April 25 from 4-5:30PM at Creekside Middle School

Immediately following Registration, a team member must take the robot to the Inspection Table. Inspectors will be looking for any "unauthorized" pieces or building aids such as adhesives or tape. If any pieces or fabrication techniques are found which are not allowed, the team must remove them from the robot or be disqualified from the event. Remember please only use LEGO. If you are questioning whether something will be allowed chances are others will too. Please submit any questions about parts to:
James Isom   

The robot will then be photographed by an inspector. This is merely for a record of the event. The team will not be restricted from changing the configuration of the robot during the course of the event.

After the inspection, the team is to report to a work table with their team number on it to prepare for the challenges. The challenges will begin immediately after the opening ceremony.

• Garage - Used to keep your robot covered during downloads to protect other robots from "picking up" your program and vice versa. It also serves as a container to carry your robot in, accidents can happen in the hustle and bustle of a tournament.
• A printout of your programs to show the judges
• A backup of your programs on disk or CD
• Extra batteries (AA or battery pack) and or NXT battery charger
• Extra LEGO pieces
• Practice course, if one was built
• Infrared programming tower and/ or USB cable connection cable supplied with the Kit
• Any other hand tools that the team may need.
• emergency contact numbers for team members
• Note paper and a writing utensil
• Camera
• Trinkets to share with other teams (buttons, stickers, etc.)
• Pit decorations
• Lunch or lunch $
• Student Participation Forms (see above)

The Challenge Event will be held on Saturday, April 26th, 2007 at Creekside Middle School’s Gymnasium. Registration begins at 7:30 AM, the Challenge begins at 9:00 AM and will finish at 3:00 PM.

Spectators will be limited to the assigned seating areas. Only those participants involved in a challenge will be allowed on the challenge field. A maximum of two team members will be allowed to represent the team for each challenge

An Awards Ceremony will be conducted at the end of the challenge. Remember, if you participate, everyone is a WINNER.

You may only use LEGO ROBOLAB™ Release 2.0+ or NXT - G software to program your robot. Your robot must be built entirely of LEGO brand parts. LEGO like parts from other companies will not be accepted.

Safety is first in everything that we do. Please consider that part of a successful design is the component of safe operation. Robots judged to be unsafe to either the operator or the observers will be disqualified. Any sharp device, projectile, or potentially harmful device, such as a pincher, will be judged unsafe and need to be removed.

Adhesives are not permitted. The category of adhesives includes glue, tape, Velcro. Tape or any material, which through its use, will enhance the structural strength of the assembly through the bonding of two surfaces. This rule is intended to test the team’s ability to work within the structural limits of the LEGO system.

See event documents for rules specific to each Challenge Event.

Teams are eligible for the following awards:

Golden Propeller Head Award - Judge's Award
The Golden Propeller Head Trophy is given to the team that the judges feel best represents the spirit of the games by demonstrating excellence in teamwork, mechanical design, programming, and performance. The trophy is kept at their school until the following year's competition where it is handed off to the new team. The team's success is memorialized by having their name engraved into the a plaque on the side of the trophy.

The MacGyver Award for Design Innovation
Awarded to the team whose robot demonstrates the best functional practicality and aesthetic appeal.

The Grand Gear Head Award for Mechanical Design
Awarded to the team whose robot best demonstrates solid mechanical design and function.

The Genius Programmer Award:
Awarded to the team that demonstrates the best use of programming

Team Spirit Award
This award goes to the team who most enthusiastically demonstrates a commitment to getting others to see how accessible, fun, and rewarding science and technology can be, especially when you’re part of a great team. A display chronicling your outreach efforts is encouraged.

Teamwork Award
This award is presented to the team that best demonstrates extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit, exceptional partnership, the utmost respect to their own teammates, and support and encouragement of fellow teams.

Best Overall Robot Performance Award
When your robot is performing ahead of the pack and the high scores are racking up you are destined to receive this award for top performance.

Against All Odds Award
Walked to the tournament in the rain, barefoot through a jungle of angry robot hating gorillas? This award may be for you. This award goes to the team that has come from the back of the pack to demonstrate grace under pressure while improvising and adapting to overcome any obstacles that have been thrown their way.

Awards for individual events Awards will be given to the highest achiever in each event.