Finals Specifications

See this page for details of how the Finals will be run.

Competition management

How many trials will be run?

The competition will be made up of 15 trial runs. Each trial run will use a unique competition scenario configuration, including any combination of the released agility challenges.

Will there be a time limit for each trial run?

Yes, 500 simulation seconds. With a real-time factor of 1.0, this equates to 500 real seconds. With a real-time factor of 0.5, this equates to 1000 real seconds. Teams can listen to the /clock ROS topic to know the simulation time (see 'Using Simulation Time from the /clock Topic'). The trial will automatically end once the time limit is reached; only shipments that have been submitted by that time will be counted.

Can each trial run be done with different solutions? E.g., using a scanner over the belt in one trial, but using a logical camera over the belt in another trial?

One sensor configuration file is to be used for all trials. Teams must provide a single "system" that will be used for all trials: the same system will be run multiple times in exactly the same way. The system will not have access to the trial number or other information about the trial configuration at startup time.

Are re-runs ever permitted?

The only circumstance in which re-runs will be warranted are if a bug in the simulation impacts the competitor's performance in a trial. If you believe you have been impacted by a bug in the simulation, please open an issue here to the competition controllers are aware of it.

Is control of the arm permitted before the competition has started?

No, control of anything in the environment is not permitted before the start_competition service has been called, including the arm and the AGVs. Behavior counter to this will be detected on review of trials.

Products

Which storage bins will be used to store products?

The same storage bins used in the Qualifiers will be used in the Finals. In a given trial, some storage bins may be empty. There will be at most one type of product per bin.

Which products will be used in the competition?

The five models used in Qualifiers will be used in the Finals; no additional products will be added.

Will storage bins ever contain more than one type of product?

No, there will be at most one type of product per bin.

How can we know the starting configuration of products in the bins?

The number of products that are stored in a given bin and their configuration will vary with each trial run. Sensors should be used to detect the product types and their configurations; the information will not be communicated to teams through other means. Within a storage bin, the product type and origination are homogeneous. Product IDs (reported by logical cameras) will be randomized. All products will start in the storage bins un-flipped.

Orders

How many orders per trial run can be expected?

There will be at most two orders per trial run. If two orders are received, the second of those is the high priority order.

How do we know the priority of an incoming order?

The most recently received order is the highest priority.

What are the limitations of the orders?

Orders may be made up of products available from the bins. Each order may have up to 2 shipments. No shipment will have more than 8 products. The only product that will be requested to be flipped is the pulley product.

Will there always be enough products to fulfill the required orders?

No. It is not guaranteed that sufficiently many non-faulty products of each type will be available to complete the requested orders.

Topics and services

Which of the services can be used during the Finals?

The topics/services listed in in the ARIAC interface page that are not labelled as "cheats" will be available during the finals. All other interfaces with the simulation will be blocked, and attempts to use them will not be permitted.

Sensors

Is there a minimum/maximum number of sensors?

A minimum of one sensor is required, no maximum.

Are there restrictions on the placement of sensors?

Sensors can be placed in any free space in the workcell, they do not need to be mounted such that they are touching the conveyor belt/support frame of the storage bin. Sensors must be used in a realistic manner and must not exploit any simulation technicalities such as the logical camera seeing through obstructions.

Where will the quality control sensors be positioned?

The quality control sensors will be positioned above the AGVs in the same location as the qualifiers, for all trials.

Scoring

What properties must be satisfied for a product to be scored correctly?

Products must be placed on the base of the tray to be scored. Products balancing on top of other products will not be counted.

The tolerance of the position/orientation scoring is listed on the scoring metrics page.

How will the judges' scoring work?

In addition to the automated metrics, judges will score teams' systems based on real-world feasibility and agility. The challenge.gov page details how the judges' scoring will work, and how it will be combined with the automated scoring results.