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Mechanalia:

What is Mechanalia?

Mechanalia is a design, construction and strategy oriented program for students with an aptitude for science and engineering. Teams of students construct robotic arms from a kit and then take their constructions into a highly competitive and challenging event to test their mechanical prowess.

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Mechanalia is a multifaceted, knowledgeand strategy-based competition that combines the action of a computer game with hands on design and engineering. Participants learn how to apply basic physics, math and engineering principles to the creation of a functioning robotic arm that they use in a highly unusual environment. They also learn valuable communication and teamwork skills.To participate, students form teams of 4 to 6 players and register their team with Newton's Attic. Upon registration, each team receives a robotic arm gripper kit.

Over the next several weeks, teamsdesign, build, test and tweak their grippers to see how well they perform. Teams can take after school classes at their schools to learn about the basic principles governing the function of their arms.

At the end of the 4 to 6 week build and learn period, teams compete in periodic events, held locally, eitheroutdoors or at a convention center.

With three teams competing at once, teams are assigned to color coordinated 'Base Stations' and 'Robotic Rovers.' Each team attaches its gripper to an arm on the front of its rover, and prepares for the start of the game.

During the game, the rover crew drives its rover throughout the arena in search of various color coordinated objects called Artifacts.The crew collects its artifacts, one at a time with its robotic arm, andbrings each one back to its Base Station for placement on the team's Scoring Bench.

The goal of each team is to collect all of its artifacts and place them on its Scoring Bench before the other teams get all their objects placed on their benches. When a team places the final object on its bench, a key on the bench is unlocked and the rover crew uses its robotic arm to remove the key.

With 'key in hand,' the rover crew races to the vault where, using the robotic arm, the key is inserted into a key hole unlocking the vault. The first team to collect all its artifacts, acquire its key and open the vault wins the cash prize locked inside.

Sounds easy, right? Hold on. Throughout the arena are various obstacles and challenges that make the artifacts difficult to acquire. Several of the objects are locked inside Challenge Stations, mechanical devices that require cleverness, thought and a little technical knowledge to open.

Each Base Station is equipped with an elevated tower housing a high velocity tennis ball cannon. On top of each rover is a target that, when hit by a well aimed tennis ball, will disable the rover for 15 seconds. Teams try to disable their opponents' vehicles, hindering their search and acquisition of artifacts.

Even though these obstacles are enough to challenge any player,there is one more barrier more formidable than all the rest: The Pod. Towering 18 feet over the arena, the Pod is a dual barrel, computer controlled, rotating, fully automatic tennis ball cannon firing 5 balls per second at 160 miles per hour.

The Pod is a neutral opponent, defending the Vault.

Firing at anything and everything that moves, the Pod's sole function is to cause as much mayhem, confusion and distraction as possible in the arena. With a capacity of over 2400 tennis balls, the pod can cause plenty of problems for everyone.

Mechanalia Game Elements