Rebound Rumble

REBOUND RUMBLE ™ Basics

Rebound Rumble ™ is very similar to a game of basketball, but has some variations within the rules and ways of winning the game.

Rebound Rumble is played on a 27 by 54 foot court. Alliances of three teams each operate their robots from behind alliance walls at the ends of the court. Four scoring hoops are located at each alliance wall, positioned at three different heights. A low barrier extends across the middle of the field. Three bridges cross over the barrier; each bridge has three positions, tilted toward either end of the field or balanced level and stable on the central barrier.

Rebound Rumble ™ is played with compact, foam basketballs. The objective is to score as many basketballs as possible in the hoops at the far end of the court. The higher the hoop, the more points it's worth. Robots can track the reflective vision targets above each hoop. This allows them to target hoops from anywhere in the court.

The match begins with each robot touching their key at the far end of the court. Robots can be preloaded with one or two basketballs each. A 15-second hybrid period starts the match; during hybrid, robots can score basketballs using preprogramed instructions. Every basket scored during this period gets a three point bonus. During the hybrid period, one alliance member can command their robot by signaling to their Kinect™ Motion Sensor.

At the end of this period, human driver step foward to take the controls. As the tele-operated period starts, teams command their robots to score as quickly as they can. Balls can be scored from anywhere on the court. The top of the key is a safe zone. Robots shooting from here are protected from interference by their opponents, but robots not touching the safe zone have to deal with defending opponent robots. As balls are scored, they are returned by players at the corners of the court. Robots can only hold three balls at a time. Once full, they drive the length of the court to score. They can use the bridge or cross the barrier to get there.

Near the end of the match, robots drive on to their bridge and balance it for bonus points. Two robots on their own bridge will get even more points. Each bridge can fit up to three robots, but it will be a tight squeeze to get them all on there. In qualification matches, both alliances earn Coopertition™ points if they work together to have red and blue robots balance on the center bridge. This is critical for the team's tournament seating position. Cooperating will be just as important as winning if you want to be successful.

- The Flux Core :D