On December 12, 2020, 
Dallas Personal Robotics Group (DPRG) will conduct its 1st virtual / simulation based competition in response to the covid-19 pandemic. The competition allows hobbyist roboticists from around the world to compete. There are two contests: Free Style / Open Style, and Virtual Line Following.
Free Style / Open Style Contest
Contestants share a 2 to 4 minute video of their autonomous robot performing its function. The video should include a pitch about the features / sensors / actuators / architecture of the robot and what makes it interesting. A link to the video must be submitted before the competition using the contest registration form (https://www.dprg.org/virtual-competition-registration/). Robots must be family friendly and non-political. DPRG reserves the right to not show inappropriate videos. Online attendees will watch the video and vote. Prizes will go to the top scorers.
Line Following Simulation Contest
Contestants run virtual robots using a line following simulator created by DPRG member Ron Grant. To use the simulator download Processing and the LFS simulator from the links below:
Processing (v3.5 or higher): https://processing.org/
LFS (V1.64 / distribution: lineFollowerSim-18): https://github.com/ron-grant/LFS/distribution
LFS documentation: https://github.com/ron-grant/LFS/blob/master/LFS%20Users%20Guide%201.6.pdf
Getting started video for LFS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taVdlYcWUxY
During the competition each contestant will load the simulator on their computer and stream their robot’s run. There are 3 levels of course complexity: Simple, Advanced, Challenge. All virtual courses are based on courses used by DPRG during their normal competitions.
Contestants need to complete the contest registration form at https://www.dprg.org/virtual-competition-registration/.
Prizes:
Prizes are rewarded to the contestants that place in the top 3 positions in the Free Style / Open Style contest and each level of the Line Following Simulation contest. A competitor may win or place in multiple contests or levels, however only one prize will be rewarded per contestant (based on their best performance) for the competition.
Who:
The contests are open to the public. Anyone can compete (DPRG membership not required) and all are welcome to watch.
Where:
The competition is held virtually and can be reached by joining Hangouts Meet at https://meet.google.com/hey-jxuo-esf.
(Or join by phone +1 405-586-5598 PIN: 682 931 335 #)
When:
The competition is on December 12, 2020 starting at 1:00 CT.
Rules:
- Free Style / Open Style free_style-open_style_v20201120
- Virtual Line Following virtual_line_following_v20201120
See rule clarifications and rules for additional information.
Registration:
- Free for all contestants
- Registration – https://www.dprg.org/contest-pre-registration/
Note: DPRG will record a video of this competition and post it on the DPRG YouTube channel. By joining the meeting or competing, you are giving consent to be included in the recording, along with all competition runs and videos.