Welcome to the 2018 FIRST Robotics Competition and this year's game FIRST POWER UP!
Two alliances of video game characters and their human operators are trapped in an arcade game.
To escape, alliances use power cubes to control switches and the scale,
pass power cubes through the exchange for power-ups
and ascend to face the boss!
Teams may preload up to one power cube per robot.
Additional power cubes are available in the power cube piles along the fence nearest the scale and in each alliance portal.
At the start of the match the plates of the scale and the switches are randomized.
During the first 15 seconds robots are autonomous.
They work to cross their auto line and place power cubes on the switch and the scale.
Alliances who successfully own their switch and have three robots cross the auto line will receive one ranking point.
During the following 2 minute and 15 seconds tele-operated period,
human operators remotely control their robots.
They continue to gather power cubes to place on the scale and the switches to gain ownership for the longest time,
earning points for each second of ownership.
Human operators behind the alliance station wall collect power cubes from the exchange.
They can deliver them back to the robots through the return or to their vault.
In the vault, power cubes may be traded in for 3 power ups.
Alliances choose when in the match to activate each power up to gain a temporary advantage during the match.
The force power up gives an alliance ownership of their switch, the scale or both.
The boost power up increases scoring for 10 seconds for either their switch, the scale or both.
And near the end of the match,
levitate earns one member of the alliance a free climb.
Other alliance members climb from their platform.
If all three members successfully climb, the alliance can face the boss and gain an additional ranking point.
The Alliance that earns the most points
wins the match and
defeats the boss!
 
