On Saturday, 15 June 2024, the InTech Cup took place at Copernicus-Gymnasium Löningen! Many thanks to all those involved who made this robotics festival possible: the team from Copernicus-Gymnasium, the many helpers and judges, the coaches and above all: the participating students who built and programmed robots. THANK YOU!

The results lists can be found in the side menu.

See you at the InTech Cup 2025!

The organising team!

The rules document for the InTech Cup 2024 is now available for download. We wish you every success with your preparations.

"Download the rules document"

Questions about the rules can be sent to intechcup@uol.de. These FAQs will be published here at regular intervals. Additions since the previous update (version 4, 07.05.2024, 20:00) are shown in bold.

You should therefore check here regularly.

General questions

Question: If a team attaches a pressure sensor to start (in the disciplines "Deliver lab samples" and "Get lab order"), does this sensor already count towards the limit on the number of sensors?

Answer: If the sensor is used solely for the start function, then it can be used in addition to the maximum number of sensors.

Question: Do the rotation sensors installed in the NXT, EV3 or Spike motors count when limiting the number of sensors?

Answer: Rotation sensors are excluded from such restrictions for all Lego systems. However, original Lego rotation sensors must be used. If the number of sensors is restricted, this applies to all other types of sensors.

Question: Does changing the undercarriage between disciplines still count as a permitted change or is this considered different base constructions?

Answer: Changing the chassis between disciplines is possible as long as the motors are not also changed. The basic construction includes the brick and the drive motors as well as the brackets for the various attachments and their connecting construction.

Question: Is a second battery pack permitted as a weight?

Answer: The restriction to an RCX, NXT, EV3 or Spike brick also applies to the associated power supply. Either only one battery pack or one set of AA batteries or AA rechargeable batteries are permitted in the brick used. Beyond that, no rechargeable batteries or batteries of any kind may be installed. The use of other original Lego parts remains permitted.

Question: What are all prohibited adhesives?

Answer: All substances that hold two Lego parts together, either by means of an adhesive bond between the parts or by gluing the parts together from the outside using adhesive strips or stickers, are prohibited. This also applies to original Lego stickers. These may only be used if they are not stuck over several parts, but only on the brick, for example.

Question: Are alternative rubber rings allowed (e.g. household rubbers)?

Answer: Even with rubber rings, only original Lego parts are permitted. As rubber rings do not have a Lego label for checking purposes, we decide whether it is credible that it is an original Lego rubber ring depending on its appearance and colour.

Questions on the discipline "Cleaning the laboratory"

Question: Why is the width of the black line in this discipline 19mm and not 15mm?

Answer: The width specification of 19 mm is not actually intended. The difference to 15 mm should not be noticeable when performing a robot run. At the competition, we will use a width of 15 mm, in deviation from the task specification, as this corresponds to the width usually available in DIY stores.

Question: Are there any exceptions to the general size restrictions for the robot?

Answer: At the beginning, the robot may not protrude beyond the limits of the starting field (see rules document), i.e. it may not be wider than 17 cm at the beginning. Later on, the general restrictions apply, i.e. the robot may not exceed a length and height of 25 cm under the cover. It is therefore not possible to lift the box.

Question: What do the individual bacteria look like?

Answer: The bacteria are represented by a black square of lines containing a coloured sketch of a bacterium. The decisive factor for scoring is whether the square is completely covered.
The bacteria are stuck flat on a sticker on the competition plate so that the robot or the cover does not stick to it. A template for printing on suitable (removable) stickers can be downloaded here.

Question: What is the maximum distance between the bacteria?

Answer: If two bacteria lie at the same point on the line on the right and left, the maximum distances (across the direction of travel) add up to a total of 19 cm. The bacteria are located in this corridor. There are no specifications for the distance between two bacteria in the direction of travel.

Question: Do the bacteria that are swabbed only count once on the outward and return journey?

Answer: The bacteria count both in the outward and return directions if they are completely covered. A maximum of 24 points is therefore possible.

Question: Do the points scored also count if the robot does not turn, e.g. at the wall?

Answer: The points scored up to that point are counted if the team clearly signals that the journey has been aborted or the maximum time has been reached. If the team resets the robot to restart, the points scored up to that point are always reset to 0 and a new scoring period begins (with the time still running).

Question: Can anything protrude from under the robot's hull?

Answer: The robot must be completely under the cover for the entire duration of the journey; nothing may protrude from under the cover.

Question: What happens if the robot cover gets stuck on a bacteria sticker or a stick-on line?

Answer: We assume that this cannot actually happen, so the felt glides under the corners of the cover are also rounded off at the edges. Should such a situation nevertheless arise, the referees on site will find a solution that allows a fair assessment.

Question: How exactly can you imagine or build the robot cover yourself?

Answer: For the preparation, use a cardboard box for copy paper, reinforced with adhesive tape if necessary so that it does not fall apart and weighted down slightly to achieve the required weight. If you still want to build the robot shell or would like to see the prototype, you can access the instructions for the robot shell.

Questions on the discipline "Deliver laboratory sample"

Question: Can the robot be reset during a journey?

Answer: As long as the robot has not yet touched the laboratory sample, the robot can also be reset to the start position. It is then not possible to change the programme; the previously used programme can be restarted. The time measurement continues when resetting.
After touching the laboratory sample, resetting is no longer possible without consequences.

Question: When is the transport of a laboratory sample completed?

Answer: A transport is normally completed when the laboratory sample has been released and the laboratory sample has stopped moving. The time is then stopped and the robot can be moved back to the start manually for the next lab sample. If the robot is reset by the team beforehand, the time is stopped and the points scored up to that point (e.g. for picking up the laboratory sample) are counted for this laboratory sample.

Question: Is there a maximum delivery time for a laboratory sample?

Answer: In order to guarantee the smooth running of the entire competition, the transport time for a laboratory sample must unfortunately be limited. The journey is completed and analysed after 50 seconds at the latest.

Questions on the discipline "Obtaining a laboratory order"

Question: Is the robot allowed to drive into the award field?

Answer: The robot is not allowed to drive into the allocation field. It must reach for the paper from its gripping field in order to pull it to its side. The "gripping" devices must not extend beyond the centre line of the allocation field.

Question: What is the nature of the allocation field and its boundary?

Answer: In addition to the rules and regulations, the award area is a white area that is raised approx. 4 mm above the competition board. In the competition, this contains a curved profile on the sides bordering the two gripping fields, so that it is ensured that a drawn laboratory order also crosses the wooden strips (3 cm x 3 cm) as a boundary to the gripping fields. (See also the following photo.) For scoring purposes, a duel counts as won if a small part of the laboratory order is above its own boundary side, i.e. if a part of it has left the white area in the allocation field.
This smooth surface in the centre is not absolutely necessary for trading purposes. If required, the thickness of this surface can be simulated using a simple hard fibre board of the appropriate thickness and size. A 3D print template can be downloaded under "For Makers" if you are interested.

Please note that no competition board can be seen in the photo, there are no other markings and the long boundary strip as a boundary to the starting fields is also missing.

Question: What is the nature of the award field? (Part 2)

Answer: As the above addition to the rules may be seen by teams as a complication (which was not the intention of the modification!), a team can decide before the start whether to replace its side with a thin flat plate (approx. 4 mm thick). In both cases, it is relevant for the scoring whether one corner or side of the laboratory order is at or above the boundary bar when viewed from above. The term overcomes from the rules may be misleading here, as it does not mean completely overcoming.

Question: Are the boundaries of the allocation field black?

In the rules document, the boundaries of the award field or the long separation that must be bypassed are shown as wide black lines. These wide lines are all synonymous with the wooden strips with a cross-section of approx. 3.0 cm x 3.0 cm. These wooden slats are not black, but natural! The picture above also shows the boundaries between the allocation field and the gripping field.