Co-sponsored by:Ministry of Education, Economy,Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) etc.(scheduled)

Special cooperation: Bandai Namco Group

Contest Place
Epochal Tsukuba (Tsukuba International Congress Center)
2-20-3,Takezono,Tsukuba,Ibaraki,305-0032,Japan
Tel: +81-29（861）0001
http://www.epochal.or.jp/eng/index.html

1. Micromouse Contest(Freshman Class/Expert Class)
Micromouse Freshman Class
This is a micromouse contest for beginners who have recently joined the program. Anyone who considers himself/herself a beginner can participate in this contest. However, contestants who have reached the goal at a previous the all japan micromouse contest and the equivalent contest of an overseas, and mice that have reached the goal at such a contest, are ineligible. And, if during the contest the judges determine that the mouse should be entered in the Expert Class, the mice are ineligible to win.
In the Freshman Class, the contestants will be allowed to change batteries during the contest as long as the batteries are of the same specifications.

Micromouse Expert Class
This is the main event in the micromouse contest. Both preliminary and final contests will be held. Contestants who pass the preliminary stage and participants who have been seeded in each district in accordance with their previous results (nominees from the local contests, in principle) will be eligible to enter the final contest. For the final contest, each mouse builder is allowed to enter only one mouse, while a group is allowed to enter only one mouse as well, unless the individual mouse builder or the group enters mice that are technically dissimilar. In addition, each operator (the person who built the mouse must operate it, in principle) is allowed to operate only one mouse in the final contest.
In the Expert Class, the contestants will be prohibited from changing batteries during all preliminary rounds and the finals of the contest.
Until now it was forbidden to take photographs using a flash during contests, but this year you will be allowed to take photographs during the Micromouse contest expert class final round from your seat. *1. In the expert class preliminary, each contesting micromouse shall be subject to a time limit of 7 minutes. The micromouse can try up to 5 runs within this time limit. In the expert class final round, each contesting micromouse shall be subject to a time limit of 5 minutes, and can try up to 5 runs within this time limit. In freshman class contests, as in the previous years, each contesting micromouse shall be subject to a time limit of 7 minutes and can try up to 5 runs within this time limit. *2. Requirements for participation in the freshman class of the Micromouse Contest The freshman class of the Micromouse Contest is for people who consider themselves to be beginners, and who will participate with mice that they produced by themselves. Therefore, people who have made mice that completed the course at the all japan micromouse contest and the equivalent contest of an overseas in the past are not considered to be "freshman." Also, if a person is given a mouse that was made by a more experienced person, that mouse will not be considered a mouse made by a beginner. *3. The operator is not allowed to place the micromouse for adjustments or for other reasons at any part of the maze other than the starting point area. This stricter application of the contest rules is intended to prevent any micromouse from acquiring information on the maze prior to the race.
*4. Generally only one seed mouse is allocated for the expert class final round at the each local contest in japan, but for districts where more than 30 micromice will participate, two seed mice will be allocated for the final round this year.
2. Microclipper
(1) The time limit has been changed from 10 minutes to 7 minutes.
(2) In the Microclipper Contest, a cutting sheet will be affixed to the cylindrical cans as in last year's contest.
(3) In the Microclipper Contest, the contestants will be allowed to change batteries during the contest as long as the batteries are of the same specifications.
3. Robotrace Contest
* The target number of robotracers to compete in the final round has been reduced from 40 to around 30.
(1) There are two rounds to compete: the first round and the final round. The finalists will be selected based on the results of the first round. Some robotracers that compete in the first round may be selected to enter the final round regardless of their first-round rankings, if they exhibit an outstanding degree of technological excellence. Please note that if a designer enters the contest with two or more mice or if a group of designers enters the contest with two or more robotracers exhibiting technological similarity, the number of mice or robotracers eligible to enter the final round will be limited to one. Also, the number of robotracers an operator is permitted to operate will be limited to one (the designer must operate it in principle).
(2) During a contest, to prevent any robotracer from acquiring information on the maze in advance of the race, the operator is not allowed to run the robotracer for adjustments at any part of the course other than the start-goal area. (3) The surface of the course is wooden, painted matte black. White vinyl tape is used to mark the lines. The field will be made as level as possible. Complaints about these will not be accepted. (4) In the Robotrace Contest, The contestants will be prohibited from changing batteries during the contest.

A preliminary competition will be held for half-size micromice during Micromouse 2008. Prospective participants are encouraged to participate by submitting applications, the details of which are shown below.

1. Dates and location
First round: November 22, 10:00 a.m. – (The time is subject to change depending on the number of participants.)
Final round: November 12, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Planned)

2. Rules
Generally, the current Micromouse Rules apply with needed modifications:
Key changes are as follows:
1) The size of the micromice and the size of the squares used in the maze are 1/2 of the respective sizes under the current rules. (Rules: 1-5 and 2-2)
2) The current rules concerning the overall size of the maze (16 squares × 16 squares), the goal location and the number of squares have been eliminated. The size of the overall maze and the location of the goal will be decided for each competition and announced beforehand.
* The preliminary competition in fiscal 2008 is outlined below:
November 22: First round
　　Competition will he held in a 16-square maze (5 runs within the time limit of 10 minutes). The goal position will include the square at “Y8, X8” (the number of squares will be announced later).
November 23: Final round
　　Competition will be held on a 32-square maze (5 runs within the time limit of 15 minutes). The goal position will include the square at “Y16, X16” (the number of squares will be announced later).
* How to read the set of coordinates used to indicate the position of the goal:
The direction in which the micromouse will set off (clockwise direction) as described in rule 2-2 is indicated as Y, and the rightward direction is indicated as X. The starting point is the square at (Y1, X1).

3. How to apply:
1. The application form, which can be downloaded below, must be filled out and submitted to the Secretariat as an e-mail attachment before Monday, October 20. Likewise, the technical data form described below must be submitted by e-mail before Wednesday, November 5.
　Application Form (WORDdata) Deadline: Monday, October 20, 2008
　Technical Data (WORDdata) Deadline: Wednesday, November 5, 2008
2. Participation fee: No fee is charged for this fiscal year
3. Send application to:
Secretariat, New Technology Foundation
4-5-15, Higashi-shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0002, JAPAN
Phone: 03-6744-5444, FAX：03-6711-5419
E-mail: Secretariat, Micromouse 2008
4. Handling of personal information
Personal information contained in the application forms and technical data submitted to the Foundation, including addresses, names of designers, group affiliations and phone numbers, will be used solely for tasks relating to the operation of the competitions (operation of the contests, judging, announcement of results and mailing of prizes, etc.) and in conjunction with the dissemination of general information about the Foundation. The Foundation reserves the right to mention the names of robots and designers, affiliations, and photographs/specifications of robots on the website of the Foundation as part of its post-competition publicity activities for results announcements.

　Last year, we made an announcement on the Foundation’s website that discussions were underway to reduce the sizes of the micromice and of the squares used in the maze by half in the Micromouse Contest “Expert Class” from fiscal 2009.
　During Micromouse 2007 last year and on some other occasions, we had opportunities to develop greater insight into this possibility by observing demonstrations by participants. Our study on this issue, together with opinions reflected by participants, have led us to conclude that it is still premature to make a sweeping change in the rules at this time in point.
　However, the following points have been decided. The regulations based on the half-size model will be adopted beginning with the nationwide competition in fiscal 2009 as initially planned, but competitions based on conventional rules will also be held in parallel for the time being as described below. A full-fledged shift to the new rules will be made only after participants become fully familiar with the new rules and a technological environment in support of the new competition is set in place.
　During fiscal 2008, a preliminary competition for half-size micromice will be staged as a head start to the full-fledged implementation of the new competition scheduled for the next fiscal year. Details are outlined below.

[Outline of the Half-size Micromouse Preliminary Competition]　　Application for participation, rules

1. Dates and location
First round: November 22 (Time: )
Final round: November 23 (Time: )

2. Rules for the Preliminary Competition (Outline)
First round: November 22
The competition will be held using a maze that will consist of 16 squares (5 runs within the time limit of 10 minutes). This year’s goal will be located at the 8 × 8 square.
Final round: November 23
The competition will be held using a maze that will consist of 32 squares (5 runs with the time limit of 15 minutes). The goal will be located at the 16 × 16 square.

[Planned shift to half-size micromouse competitions]
　　　　　　Full Size　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Half Size
2007　 Freshman/Expert Classes 　　　　　　　　　　Demonstration (already held)
2008　 Freshman/Expert Classes 　　　　　　　　　　Preliminary competition (based on the Rules: 32
squares)
2009　 Freshman/Expert Classes 　　　　　　　　　　Official competition will begin (tentative)
　・　　　　　　　　　　　・　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　・
20xx 　　　To be discontinued 　　　　　　　　　　　　Freshman/Expert Classes

[Name (proposed)]
　Discussions are under way to decide whether the half-size micromouse will be called the “New Micromouse”, while the current full-size Micromouse will be called the “Classic Micromouse” from fiscal 2009.

[Authorized maze supplier]
　Posts, walls, etc. that constitute the race area will be provided by RT Corporation, the authorized product dealer for the official competitions for half-size micromice.

The underlying aim of the Foundation in sponsoring this competition is to encourage the development of robots that move in any given condition where humans ordinarily conduct their lives to the maximum extent possible, rather than the development of robots that function only in limited conditions.

1. Lighting used on premises
In line with the above principle, the competitions will be held under lighting as provided by the Tsukuba International Congress Center.

2. Flash photography
The use of flashes by those seated in the observer section will be permitted during the final round of the Micromouse Contest “Expert Class”, as was the case last year. For all other contests, flash photography will not be permitted during the contests, as was the case in the past.

The Foundation hopes that its competitions will attract robots exhibiting a broad range of creativity and ingenuity. For this reason, it has set forth its “criteria for the selection of entries to the final round” (for competitions for which a final round is held) and “criteria for the selection of award winners.”

1. Criteria for the eligibility of robots for final rounds (for the Micromouse Contest “Expert Class” and for the Robotrace Contest)

If a designer or a group of designers enters the contest with two or more robots that exhibit a high degree of technological likeness, only one robot will be permitted to enter the final round. Additionally, the number of robots an operator may be permitted to operate will be limited to one (the designer must operate it in principle).

* The underlying aim of this rule is not to prevent robots of similar nature from entering the final round. Rather, the rule aims at allowing as many robots demonstrating a variety of creativity and ingenuity as possible to enter the final round.

* For fiscal 2008, all participating robots will be placed in a single row for observation before the Robotrace Contest begins, and a great deal of time will be spent to assess similarities and differences among the robots.

Dates:	November 21 (Fri) – 23 (Sun), 2008
Location:	Epochal Tsukuba (Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture)
Competition items:
	Micromouse Contest (freshman class, expert class)
	Half-sized Micromouse Contest
	Microclipper Contest
	Robotrace Contest
※Trial runs for each contest are planned to be held on the afternoon of November 21 (Fri).

■	Schedule
■	Rules for the Contest（Japanese Rule)
■	Instructions Specific to Context Categories
■	The Following Changes Will be Made to Robotrace
■	Important Notice to Concerning Planned Change to Competition Rules
■	A Guide to Half-size Micromouse preliminary Competition
■	Lighting Conditions and the Use of Flashes for Photography in the Arena
■	The Foundation`s Basic Approach to Evaluating Entries
■	Prize

Outline of Micromouse 2008

（The 29th All Japan Micromouse Contest）