View source for Bowled Over!

{{Short description|Robotics competition}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{ infobox FTC game
| game_title               = Bowled Over
| logo                     = [[File:Bowled Over Logo.png|180px]]
| year                     = 2011–2012
| number_teams             = 2100
| number_qual_tournaments  =
| number_champ_tournaments =
| championship_location    = [[Edward Jones Dome]], [[St Louis, Missouri]] 25–28 April 2012
| inspire_winner           = {{flagicon|USA}} Landroids – 4220<ref name=results/>
| innovate_winner          = {{flagicon|USA}} Dent in the Universe – 5454
| motivate_winner          = {{flagicon|USA}} Geeks in Just Their Underpants – 3477
| connect_winner           = {{flagicon|Mexico}} [http://bears.com.mx Bears] – 3141<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://bears.com.mx/history.html |title=History |access-date=23 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507125929/http://bears.com.mx/history.html |archive-date=7 May 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 
| design_winner            = {{flagicon|USA}} Antipodes – 4529
| champions                = {{flagicon|USA}} Robocats – 4444<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/whitefieldacademyftcrobotics/ |title=Whitefield Academy Robotics |accessdate=2012-04-28}}</ref><br/>{{flagicon|USA}} Masquerade – 4997<ref>{{cite web|url=http://middletonrobotics.com/ |title=Middleton Robotics |publisher=Middletonrobotics.com |accessdate=2012-04-28}}</ref><br/> {{flagicon|USA}} ILITE Robotics – 354<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iliterobotics.org |title=ILITE FTC Robotics |publisher=ILITE Robotics |accessdate=2012-04-28}}</ref><br/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/FTCTeams/status/196264453375918080 |title=And the winners are 4444, 4997, 354! Way to go FTC World Champions! |publisher=US FIRST FTC Twitter stream |accessdate=2012-04-28}}</ref><ref name=results>{{cite web|title=2012 FIRST Championship Celebrates Science, Technology and Robots |url=http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/2012-first-championship-celebrates-science-technology-and-robots |publisher=FIRST |accessdate=29 April 2012 |date=28 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907012524/http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/2012-first-championship-celebrates-science-technology-and-robots |archivedate= 7 September 2015 }}</ref>
| homepage                 = [http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc FIRST Tech Challenge]
| altlogo                  =
| altlogocaption           =
| below                    =
| prevseason               = [[Get Over It!]]
| nextseason               = [[Ring It Up!]]
}}
'''Bowled Over!''', released on 10 September 2011,<ref name=M04>Official Game Manual, p. 4.</ref> is the 2011–12 robotics competition for [[FIRST Tech Challenge]]. Two alliances compete to score racquetballs into alliance-colored scoring goals.<ref name=M07>Official Game Manual, p. 7.</ref> The name refers to two bowling balls on the field used for scoring points.

==Alliances==
In each match, the four teams competing are organized into red and blue alliances. The members of an alliance compete together to earn points.

==Field==
[[File:First-tech-challenge-bowled-over-playing-field.jpg|thumb|400px|The playing field at the start of play. Two robots from each Alliance (not illustrated here) start on their respective home zone platforms. The grid on the diagram corresponds to the 2-foot by 2-foot flooring tiles.]]
[[File:Tournament Jan72012 13.jpg|thumb|400px|Real world playing field during a typical qualifying round. Similar orientation (i.e. blue is near left) to diagram above. Team 4117 ("Mostly Harmless", front right in this photo) has scored 10 points by parking in the front parking lot during the autonomous period. Team 5183 ("Sprockets", back left) has scored 5 points. (Boston University Academy in Boston, Massachusetts on 8 January 2012)]]
The field the robots play on is 12&nbsp;ft by 12&nbsp;ft in a diamond orientation with respect to the audience.<ref name=kcrg>{{cite news|last=Serino |first=Kathleen |title=Parents, Students, Graduates Alike Geek Out Over Robots |url=http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Parents-Students-Graduates-Alike-Geek-Out-Over-Robots-134189128.html |accessdate=3 December 2011 |newspaper=KCRG News |date=20 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516091850/http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Parents-Students-Graduates-Alike-Geek-Out-Over-Robots-134189128.html |archivedate=16 May 2012 }}</ref> In opposite corners (left and right to the audience) are ramps up to flat platforms on which robots start each match, colored for each alliance (called the ''home zone''). On each platform is a ''home zone goal'' into which a bowling ball fits. In the corners without the platforms (front and back with respect to the audience) are the ''front'' and ''back parking zones''. The two parking lot corners contain infrared beacons, which may guide the robots during the autonomous period. Between each home zone and the front parking zone is a ''protected area'' for each alliance.<ref name=M9_12>Official Game Manual, p. 9-12.</ref>

Near the center of the field are 12 inverted ball crates that hold four containers of racquetballs (called ''ball tubes''). There are 100 racquetballs,<ref>{{cite news|last=Saggio |first=Jessica J. |title=Lyman teams battle bots in state qualifier |url=http://www.seminolechronicle.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/11/16/4ec3ccb3dcdea |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120910141028/http://www.seminolechronicle.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2011/11/16/4ec3ccb3dcdea |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 September 2012 |accessdate=4 December 2011 |newspaper=Seminole Chronicle |date=16 November 2011 }}</ref> 12 of which contain a [[magnet]]. There are also two bowling balls, one of each color, near the field's center.<ref name=M9_12/>

One highly effective method of scoring involved scissor lifts.  As there was no upper-end cap on the crate stacking bonus (see below) several teams built 10–18-foot scissor lifts that would lift a crate, scoring 200–400 points.  This score was virtually impossible to beat without the use of another scissor lift.

==Scoring==
===Autonomous period===
The first thirty seconds of play is the autonomous period,<ref name=M07/> in which the robot acts [[autonomous robot|autonomously]].<ref name=kcrg/> Points can be earned in this period in the following ways:<ref name=M12>Official Game Manual, p. 12.</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+Autonomous scoring
|-
! Method !! Points
|-
| Uprighting a ball crate||5 points each
|-
| Parking a robot (back zone)||5 points each
|-
| Parking a robot (front zone)||10 points each
|-
| Parking a bowling ball (front zone)||10 points each
|-
| Parking a bowling ball (back zone)||20 points each
|}

===Driver-controlled period===
The Driver-controlled period is a 2-minute period following the autonomous period in which the robot is controlled by human drivers.<ref name=M08/><ref name=kcrg/> Points can be earned in the driver-controlled period in the following ways:<ref name=M12_13>Official Game Manual, p. 12-13.</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+Driver-controlled scoring
|-
! Method !! Points
|-
| Regular or magnet ball in protected area||1-point each
|-
| Regular or magnet ball in ball crate||2 points each
|-
| Magnet ball in off-field goal||25 points each
|-
| Crate stacking bonus||10 points for every 6 inches above 10.5 inches<br>from the ground (crate must contain a ball)
|}

====End game====
The last thirty seconds of the driver-controlled period is called the End Game. Additional points can be earned in this period if an alliance can push their bowling ball into their ''home zone''.<ref name=M08>Official Game Manual, p. 8.</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+End game scoring
|-
! Method !! Points
|-
| Bowling ball in home zone goal||30 points
|-
| Bowling ball in home zone platform, but not in goal||20 points
|}

==Advancement Criteria==
During tournaments and championships, match wins are not the largest part of the advancement criteria. For example, the winner of the top judged award (the ''Inspire Award'') ranks higher than the winner of the competition-based component (''Winning Alliance Captain'').<ref>{{cite web 
 | url =  http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/tournament-information 
 | title =  Tournament Information: Advancement Criteria 
 | accessdate =  19 January 2012 
 | publisher =  FIRST 
 | archive-date =  20 September 2013 
 | archive-url =  https://web.archive.org/web/20130920155325/http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/tournament-information 
 | url-status =  dead 
 }}</ref> Winning lesser judged awards (''Think Award'', ''Connect Award'', etc.) also plays a part in the advancement order.  The criteria for the ''Inspire Award'' are "...match performance, observations made during interviews and in the pit area, and the team’s Engineering Notebook as equal factors...".<ref>{{cite web
 | url = http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/inspire
 | title = FIRST Tech Challenge Inspire Award
 | accessdate = 19 January 2012
 | publisher = FIRST
}}</ref> Criteria for the other awards also include robot design, creativity, innovation, team performance, outreach and enthusiasm.<ref>{{cite web
 | url =   http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/judgedawards
 | title = Judged Awards
 | accessdate = 19 January 2012
 | publisher = FIRST
}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite web|title=2011–2012 Official Game Manual, Rev. 4|url=http://www.ftc0001.org/2011-12season_files/Bowled-Over-Game-Manua_Rev(4).pdf|publisher=FIRST|website=Team Unlimited FTC 0001|accessdate=22 February 2017}}

==External links==
*{{youTube|Nw5BgoyjEQU|FTC Bowled Over 137 Point Run! (Magnet Ball + Crate Lift)}} – Boston University Academy qualifier in Boston, Massachusetts on 8 January 2012, including magnet ball sorter and end game (Team 4299, "Battery Powered Picklejar Heads") and crate lifter (Team 4466, "Robots and Brainbots, Inc."). Only the driver-controlled ("teleop") period (including the end game) is shown in this video clip.
*{{youTube|gIgzI6FOEd0|Highest Bowled Over! Score So Far (437)}} – Teams 2818 ("G-FORCE") and 4240 ("Techno Clovers") at US Naval Academy qualifier in Annapolis, Maryland on 14 January 2012
**[https://twitter.com/bill1stmd/status/158295783786029056/photo/1 Score board] (same 437 point round)
**[https://twitter.com/bill1stmd/status/158696682303922176/photo/1 Judge's-eye view of the three high-scoring crates] (same 437 point round)
*[https://www.facebook.com/FTC5454/photos/a.314702288577237.64150.229549723759161/314702341910565/?type=3&theater Photo of Teams 506 ("Pandara") and 4997 ("Masquerade"): high score to date of 584] Florida State Championship, 18 February 2012, Embry Riddle ICI Center, Daytona Beach, Florida.
*[https://twitter.com/FTCTeams/status/196228268796559360/photo/1/large Four robots lift seven crates higher than six feet] – World Championship, April 2012
*[https://twitter.com/FTCTeams/status/196252298597507072 ''Record high score is 869 and was set in the final round of the Edison semi-finals'']

{{FTCGames}}
{{FIRST}}

[[Category:2011 in robotics]]