Pragyan '15 - Hydro

Hydro

The event aims at making a hydraulically actuated arm, which can pick and place objects and complete the given task in the shortest possible time without the use of electronics.

Prizes worth INR 22,000

Please post your queries related to this event at http://discuss.pragyan.org/t/hydro-event/62

The event has two rounds and a bonus round.

Round 1:

It is an eliminating round.

In this round the participants will be given a set of five normal size paper cups with words embedded on it in a jumbled form. The task is to arrange the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word in the shortest possible time.

The top eight teams who have finished the word in the shortest time will be selected for the second round.

Round 2:

This round will decide the winners of the event from those eight teams selected in round 1. It has three stages. Winner of each stage will go to the next stage, in the form of knockouts.

The task is to create a given formation from the given set of coloured blocks with dimensions approx. 2.5*2.5*2.5 inches. Two teams will be given the same formation and the team which finishes the task first wins. First place goes to the finalist, second place to the runner- up team and third place to the winning team of a separate match between semi-finalists who lost.

Bonus round :

You will be given a problem statement on the day before the event which will test your thinking and problem solving skills . It will be completely theoretical and requires just basic physics knowledge. You are required to submit the solution on the day of the event. This is a separate round and in no way linked to actual competition.

Pre-Event Rules

• Submit an appropriate abstract describing the design of the arm before February 18th, 2015.

• The”mechanical arm” should be setup in the staging area before starting the event.

• No part of the arm should cross the demarcating line before the commencement of event.

• The teams are allowed to start operating the controllers only after the start of timer, when instructed by the organizer.

During the Event

• In round 1, the cups with letters printed on them will be placed in Zone B of the arena and they should be picked and placed in the Zone A(elevated platform) in sequence to get the right word.

Timer will be stopped when all the cups have been arranged to form the right word in Zone A.

• In round 2, the participants have to pick the coloured blocks from Zone B and place it in Zone A in order to form a given formation before the other team to win the round. No timer will be used, the team which finishes the task first wins the round.

•For the FIRST round, each team will be granted only 3 trials. If the task is accomplished in all three trials, the best of three timings will be taken. In case of any failure, etc., that particular trial will be used considered used up.

•In case of failure, the team has a maximum of 20mins to fix the problem.

•For SECOND round, no such provision is there. Any failure / inability to perform task will result in disqualification.

•Regarding the PRACTICE arena, teams may perform dry runs for a duration of 5mins max. Use of the practice arena is unlimited, but will be monitored to ensure all teams have equal opportunities.

Regulations

• A team can consist up to 4 members

• The arm should have a stable base and must be able to stand by itself at all positions.

• All the joints of the arm must be actuated hydraulically and must be operated with manual controls.

• The controls must not be mounted on the any of the moving parts of the arm. The controls may be placed on the base or any part of the staging area.

• The participants will be allowed to handle only the controls and not the arm or the cups during the event.

• The participants are allowed to use any material (Popsicle sticks, ply wood, etc) to build the arm. Stock arms are not allowed.

Electrical or Electronic components such as motors, batteries should not be used.

Eligibility

• All students with a valid identity card from their respective educational institution are eligible to participate in Hydro.

Time taken to finish the given task is the basic criteria.
Other than that minimum number of people operating the arm and aesthetics of the arm have importance in case of ties.

To design and fabricate a hydraulically actuated arm, which can pick and place objects and complete the given task in the shortest possible time.

Note: The arm should be capable of stacking at least 5 blocks one above the other

Conversion: 1 inch=2.54 cm

Click here to download the bonus round problem statement

GENERAL RULES

Only main event participants are eligible for attending the BONUS ROUND .
Participants are advised to bring hard copies of the question papers while coming for the event.
Participants may answer the questions before or after coming for the event . Submit your answers in A4 sheets.
Answers should be submitted before the deadline given .
Ensure that there are 2 pages before you start.
There are two questions for the round.
Each Question will carry marks specified near it.
In case you are a non-NITT student, ensure that you carry PR booklet. You will not be allowed to participate without the booklet.
In case of a tie in scores, a fair tiebreaker will be held.
Please fill the feedback form given to you and submit it when you finish the contest.
If you have any problems or complaints regarding the event, talk to event organizers. For any general suggestion about Pragyan, mail us to feedback@pragyan.org or contact CRIB desk of Pragyan.

1. Who can participate ?

Students from any college or university can participate in this competition. You can check out the links given if you need technical help regarding the event.

2. How many members can be there in a team?

Minimum number of participants=2

Maximum number of participants=4.

3. I have graduated from college and am not currently a student. Can I participate in the competition ?

No. Only those participants who have a valid Pragyan id can participate. Pragyan IDs will be issued only to students.

4.Is this event open only for mechanical engineers?

No. This event is open for all branches of engineering and technology because it is a pure science initiative.

5.Do we have to pay registration fee for the event?

No. Registration for this event is free of cost.

6.Do we get certificate for participation?

Yes.

7. Can I participate in the bonus round even if I didn't pass the elimination round?