TurtleBot Pursuit & Evasion Challenge

TurtleBot Pursuit & Evasion Challenge:

• The TurtleBot Pursuit & Evasion Challenge is an autonomous robotics competition that puts participants' skills in robotics simulation, path planning, autonomous navigation, decision-making, and pursuit-evasion algorithms to the test.
• Participants will develop two autonomous algorithms:
• Catcher: Locate, pursue, and capture the Runner as quickly as possible.
• Runner: Evade the Catcher and survive for the complete duration of the match.
• The competition will be conducted in a simulated Gazebo environment, with the TurtleBot 4 Lite as the tentative robot platform.

Competition Format:

- The competition consists of two rounds.

Round 1 — Catcher Qualification:

• All participating teams will initially compete using their Catcher algorithm.
• The Catcher will be tested against a standardized moving target acting as the Runner. The target may be represented by a moving sphere/dot or a TurtleBot controlled by the organizers.
• The primary qualification metric will be the time taken to successfully capture the target.
• Faster successful capture = better performance.
• If more than 8 teams qualify, the 8 teams with the fastest successful capture times will advance to Round 2.
• If exactly 8 teams qualify, all 8 will proceed to the knockout stage.
• If fewer than 8 teams qualify, the organizing committee may modify the knockout structure, including directly selecting the top 4 teams for the semifinals or conducting an additional evaluation.
• The final qualification format will be determined by the organizing committee based on the number and performance of successful qualifiers.

Round 2 — 1v1 Knockout Battle:

• The qualified teams will compete in a 1v1 knockout format.
• Each matchup consists of two innings of 3 minutes each, with the roles reversed:
• Inning 1:
• Team A → Catcher
• Team B → Runner
• Inning 2:
• Team B → Catcher
• Team A → Runner
• This ensures that every team is evaluated on both pursuit and evasion.
• The standard knockout format will be:
• Quarterfinals → Semifinals → Final
• A separate 3rd-place match will be conducted between the semifinal losers.
• The exact knockout structure may be modified by the organizing committee depending on the number of qualifying teams.

Arena & Match Conditions:

• The competition will be conducted in a standardized simulated arena with:
• Arena: 10 m × 10 m
• Environment: Flat, enclosed 2D arena
• Obstacles: 4–6 static obstacles
• Initial distance: 3 m
• Head start: None
• Start: Both robots simultaneously
• Inning duration: 3 minutes

Capture & Win Conditions:

• A Runner is considered captured when it enters within a 0.5 m radius of the Catcher.
• The Catcher must maintain this distance continuously for 1 second to confirm a successful capture.

Catcher Win:

• The Catcher successfully captures the Runner within the 3-minute inning.
• Shorter capture time indicates better Catcher performance.

Runner Win:

• If the Catcher fails to capture the Runner within 3 minutes, the Runner successfully wins the inning by evading capture.
• The final distance between the Catcher and Runner may be used for tie-breaking.

Tie-Breaking:

• If both Catchers successfully capture their respective Runners, the faster capture time receives the advantage.
• If both Runners successfully evade capture, the Runner with the greater final distance from the Catcher receives the advantage.
• If one team captures while the other fails to capture, the team achieving the successful capture receives the advantage.
• If the matchup remains tied, an additional tie-breaker may be conducted under standardized conditions.

Simulation Environment:

• The competition will be conducted in a simulated TurtleBot environment.
• The TurtleBot 4 Lite is the tentative robot platform for the competition.
• The exact Gazebo version, TurtleBot configuration, sensor setup, ROS/ROS2 version, software requirements, and submission procedure will be communicated through the official technical rulebook.

Prize Pool:

• ₹25,000
• The final prize distribution will be announced by the organizing committee.

Important Note:

• The exact technical specifications, TurtleBot configuration, Gazebo/ROS version, sensor setup, standardized Runner implementation, obstacle placement, submission procedure, and detailed matchup evaluation methodology will be provided through the official technical rulebook.
• The competition details, rules, format, and technical specifications are subject to change. Any updates will be communicated by the organizing committee.
• The decisions of the organizing committee regarding qualification, match outcomes, tie-breaking, and competition structure shall be final.

Contact & Social Media:

- WhatsApp Link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KxyipGnKTZaFkSKhBAoSKq