[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
"standard" maze
Dear All,
I am happy to go with John Billingsley's method of showing mazes.
As I understand it, the point of the "standard" maze is so that
times can be compared year on year and that mice can be evaluated purely on
the basis of their dynamic performance and not on their maze-solving ability
at all. This is to allow another entry point for contestants who are scared
of maze-solving and also to allow entrants to demonstrate how much better
their chassis is this year compared to last.
I would like the "standard" maze to be as small as possible so that
I can make one cheaply and use it and store it easily.
o--o--o
! !
o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o o o
! \ !
o o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o
! ! !
o o o o o o o o o o
! ! !
o o o o o o o o o o
! ! !
o o o o o o o o o o
! ! !
o o o o o o o o o o
! ! !
o o o o o o o o o o
! ! !
o o o o o o o o o o
! ! !
o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o--o
So, what I show here is the simplest maze that current mice need.
Picking up on Peter Harrison's comments, we should only have one
route to force all mice to do the same thing. The route must be usable by
wall-followers. Left hand followers can go start to finish, right hand
followers can follow the same route by going finish to start.
There should be a bump (at least one) in the floor. I think the
rules allow up to 3mm steps. I think the nastiest place would be at 45
degrees to the walls on a corner, perhaps where I show the "\" above.
The long run with only posts for guidance seems to be open to
interpretation under the rules. Some people need at least one wall in each
square. This needs to be clarified, but if there is no need for a wall in
each square then there certainly should be a run with only posts.
I have just realised that you cannot have a run like this and still
force all mice to follow the same route!
Commments please.
Duncan
Follow-Ups: