There have been many questions about the changes to the RCJ Rescue rules for 2005, particularly in regard to the debris and the line breaks. Here we attempt to clarify some points for participants in Osaka.

Note, however, that one of the major points of rescue is that it should simulate the type of Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) situation in which real robots and human rescue workers may find themselves in the case of natural disaster or terrorism. So, you should treat the information here primarily as guidelines. You must be prepared for reasonable variations on these guidelines!!

Below are images taken of the RESCUE ARENAs used in four countries.

You can clearly see in the images from GERMANY, JAPAN and USA how the line breaks are short and appear along straight sections of the black line.

You can also see debris in the images from GERMANY. The debris will be large and heavy. It will cover the black line. The robot should be able to detect it, perhaps by using a touch sensor, and the robot should go around the debris.

Germany
Japan
Portugal
USA