Aloha teams!
The 2013 Pan Pacific is just days away.
A tremendous MAHALO to our sponsors who are making this event possible:
Oceanic Time Warner Cable, aio Foundation, Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO), Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA), Hawaii Convention Center, Projection Presentation Technology, Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF), and VEX Robotics
This year, we will attempt an ambitious match schedule which would provide for 8 matches per team. In order to accomplish this, matches will begin on FRIDAY evening. With 104 teams having 8 matches, there will be 208 qualification matches in total from Friday evening through Sunday morning. It is imperative that all teams be prepared for their matches and not hold up the match schedule. Should we begin to fall behind, teams may be reduced to 7 matches per team and 182 matches total. Any drastic delays could result in further loss of matches for teams. Notification will be given during the event should any reduction in matches be required.
Each team will be allowed a maximum of three attempts for Robot Skills and three attempts for Programming Skills. Priority will be given to those teams that have made fewer attempts. Teams in line after 12:30 pm on Sunday will not be accommodated. Teams that are within the top 30 of the World Skills Rankings for Robot Skills and Programming Skills as of March 3, 2013 will receive invitations to the 2013 VEX World Championship.
HAWAII CONVENTION CENTER
Location - The Hawaii Convention Center is located at 1801 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96815. The event will be taking place on the ground floor in Kamehameha Exhibit Hall I.
General Rules - Please inform students and guests that the third and fourth floors are strictly off limits. At no time may anything be attached to the walls. Should teams wish to hang banners from the bleachers, they must be hung using plastic zip ties.
Parking Information - Carpooling is recommended as parking is $10 per vehicle per day. There is a 30 minute grace period for Access to parking is from the Kalakaua Avenue entrance. Parking must be vacated on Saturday by 5:00 pm for another event. Overnight parking is not allowed.
Pit Rules - There are a number of pit rules which are to be observed during the event:
- All students/adults must wear safety glasses and covered shoes when working on robots in the pits and when at the tournament, practice, and skills challenge fields.
- The pit area should be kept clean and organized with trash disposed of at the end of each day.
- Only capped bottled drinks and packaged dry snacks are allowed in the pit area.
- Do not move/remove team pit signs and do not move/rearrange tables.
- Bring your own extension cord(s) and power strip(s) to attach to the spider box in the center of your assigned pit pod.
- We recommend that at least one person stay at your pit table throughout the event to watch over personal belongings and especially if queuers and judges come by.
Food Policies - Here are a few of the Hawaii Convention Center policies:
- Group meals (such as a box of bentos or sandwiches, a cooler of drinks) are NOT allowed to enter the Convention Center.
- Individuals may bring in their own individual snack/drink/lunch.
- All food consumption should take place within the Exhibition Hall. There is no eating in the outside lobby area or on the driveway and areas adjacent to the Hawaii Convention Center.
- While there will be no concessions on Friday night, we encourage teams to eat from the concessions on Saturday (10:00 am to 4:00 pm) and Sunday (9:30 am to 3:30 pm).
Assorted Whole Fresh Fruits $1.50
Assorted Candies and Chips $1.75
Spam Musubi $2.25
Kona Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee and Hot Teas $2.50
Assorted Sodas, Juices and Bottled Waters $2.50
Jumbo Cookie $2.50
Soft Pretzel $2.75
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Cups $2.75
Specialty Cold Beverages $3.50
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Bars $3.75
Hot Dog $3.75
Fresh Fruit Cups $5.50
Nachos $5.75
Wok Tossed Noodles $5.75
Deli Sandwich $6.75
Beef Curry Bowl $7.25
Hot Dog Combo* $7.50 (includes chips and soft drink)
Deli Sandwich Combo* $10.50 (includes chips and soft drink)
Pit Map - The Pit Map has been reconfigured this year to accommodate twice as many teams per spider box as from years past. The reconfiguration and a request to make the team numbers larger have resulted in a bit more clutter in order to fit everything on one page. Each team will have four chairs and two tables that extend outward from the center of each pod. A blank map has also been provided to help give a better sense of the arrangement. If you have a color printer, you may wish to print your own copies and bring them with you or download them to your smartphones and/or tablets. They are available to download through this link: http://www.robotevents.com/pan-pacific-vex-robotics-championship-4.html#tabs-documents
TEAM CHECKLIST
Things to bring/plan before the event
√ Consent forms (http://content.vexrobotics.com/epdocs/VRC_ReleaseForm_012011.pdf) for each student and adult participant should be completed and submitted when registering on Friday afternoon.
√ Bring your robot, tools and spare parts (including rechargeable batteries). Consider removing the wheels from your robot before traveling so that axles don’t get damaged during travel to/from the competition.
√ Pack a power strip and extension cord for your pit area.
√ Bring safety glasses for all your team members or guests to wear in the pit area.
√ MAKE SURE YOUR ROBOT ALREADY HAS THE NEWEST VERSION OF THE VEX MASTER CODE. This is available as part of the Autonomous Files in Appendix D in the game documentation.
√ Review the Inspection Checklist (http://content.vexrobotics.com/docs/vex-sack-attack/VEX-Sack-Attack-Inspection-Checklist-v.060512.pdf) and Inspector’s Guide (http://content.vexrobotics.com/docs/vex-sack-attack/VEX-Sack-Attack-Inspectors-Guide-v060512.pdf) before showing up to the event. Try to pre-inspect your own robot to ensure you can pass inspection quickly when you arrive on Friday afternoon.
During the event or a match
√ Know your match schedule and manage your time to ensure you don’t miss any matches.
√ Make sure to follow the direction of the field managers and the start up sequence for your robot when you arrive at the field.
√ Make sure your robot is on before the match starts.
General recommendations
√ Make sure to label all your equipment and materials with your team number or school name.
√ Make sure your team reads and understands all the scoring and current rules for the game before showing up at the event. This includes answers to questions posted in the Official VRC Sack Attack Q&A (https://vexforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=388).
√ Teams are encouraged to view the Sack Attack Referee Training videos on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEC832168771665F2) to get a better sense of what Referees will be on the lookout for.
AWARDS AND 2013 VEX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ELIGIBILITY
Nine (9) awards given out at the 2013 Pan Pacific will qualify teams that have not yet qualified to attend the 2013 VEX World Championship being held April 17-20, 2013 at the Anaheim Convention Center. They are indicated with an asterisk (*) below along with the list of other awards to be given out at the event.
1 - *High School Team Excellence Award sponsored by Oceanic Time Warner Cable
1 - *Middle/Elementary Team Excellence Award sponsored by aio Foundation
3 - *Tournament Champion Award sponsored by Oceanic Time Warner Cable
3 - *Tournament Finalist Award sponsored by aio Foundation
1 - *Design Award sponsored by HECO
1 - Robot Skills Champion sponsored by AFCEA
1 - Robot Skills Second Place sponsored by AFCEA
1 - Programming Skills Champion sponsored by AFCEA
1 - Programming Skills Second Place sponsored by AFCEA
1 - Build Award sponsored by VEX Robotics
1 - Amaze Award sponsored by Projection Presentation Technology
1 - Create Award sponsored by VEX Robotics
1 - Think Award sponsored by RECF
1 - Innovate Award sponsored by RECF
1 - Energy sponsored by HECO
1 - Sportsmanship sponsored by Hawaii Convention Center
1 - Volunteer of the Year sponsored by HECO
2 - Judges’ Award
23 - Total awards
The aio Foundation represents companies including Honolulu Magazine, Honolulu Family Magazine, Honolulu Business Magazine, sports radio stations 1420 AM and 1500 AM, and the Pagoda Floating Restaurant.
Award descriptions are in Appendix E of the Sack Attack game manual or online at [http://content.vexrobotics.com/epdocs/VEX-Sack-Attack-Appendix-E-Awards_Rev071712.pdf.
OTHER INFORMATION
Fields - Many thanks to various schools who are making their fields and game elements available for the event without which the Pan Pacific would not be possible. In previous years, the main competition fields were raised 32" off the ground. With elementary schools now participating, the height of the main competition fields will be dropped by half to 16".
Webcast and live scores - There will be NO webcast for this event and scores may not be updated to the web during the event itself.
SEE YOU FRIDAY AT 3:00 PM!](http://content.vexrobotics.com/epdocs/VEX-Sack-Attack-Appendix-E-Awards_Rev071712.pdf.)