2002 & 2003 – Mission to Mars (pilot and 1st tournament)

After years of sending probes to Mars, NASA is now ready to send a team of astronauts to explore the red planet.  During the planning stages it was agreed that retrieving unspent fuel containers from the probes could save weight and money.

The scheduled arrival date to Mars coincides with the arrival of a solar flair.  Because of the high amount of radiation, the astronaut team will not be able to exit the spacecraft and retrieve the fuel containers until the radiation levels drop. This is a critical step in the mission and it must be accomplished as soon as possible.  The fuel containers contain a liquid propellant that is corrosive and there is concern that the liquid has caused leaks. NASA estimates that it will take 3 or more days before the radiation level drops to a level that is safe for the astronauts to exit the spacecraft.  The mission parameters now include designing and building a robot that is capable of retrieving the fuel containers.

2004 – Operation Demolition

You’ve been hired by the nuclear regulatory commission to demolish a decommissioned nuclear reactor at a power plant.  An accident occurred during the demolition process, causing damage to an active reactor’s water cooling system.  Plant operators began a reactor shutdown and tried to engage the emergency cooling system. However the main valve that controls the emergency cooling system is damaged.  The backup valve will need to be opened. The area where the valve is located is contaminated with radioactive debris and the radiation levels too high for humans to enter.  A solution was devised to send it a robot an open the backup valve and remove all radioactive material.

2005 – Titanic Panic

The Titanic has now been under the ocean for over 90 years.  Since sinking in 1912 she has been corroded by exposure to salt water, and researchers fear that this timeless piece of history could be lost to us forever.  An international team of archeologists wants to recover and preserve artifacts from the Titanic.  Due to the extreme depth of the archeologists hired a research vessel equipped with ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle).

During a dive mission the ROV tether cable got entangled in some debris, but fortunately the research vessel is also equipped with the latest in autonomous submersible robots.  The robot is quickly programmed and sent to rescue the ROV.

Soon the robot reached the stranded ROV, however there is no nope in getting the tether line untangled, and it was decided to sever the line and bring back the rest of the ROV sub.

In order to prevent another ROV sub from getting tangled, the field around the Titanic will need to clear of debris. After the field is clear, then the recovery operation can begin.  The robotic sub will be used for this operation and it will also assist in recovery operation.

2006 – Dynamite Alley

You’re  a  member  of  the RMC (robotic mine clearing) squadron deployed  in  a  small  war-torn  country.   Your mission is to oversee landmine clearing operations in a remote region of the country and help rebuild roads and other infrastructure.

One morning you are awakened by a violent earthquake.  The quake measures 7 on the Richter scale, causing massive damage throughout the city.  The only safe evacuation route is cutoff when part of the bridge collapses.  There is no power, most communication systems are down, and the only means of aerial evacuation was damaged when a wall collapsed.

To make matters worse, ruptured gas lines spark fires in the town.  The hot turbulent winds created by the fires prevent any type of aerial rescue.  The only choice is to clear a path through a mine field at the edge of town and clear an area where helicopters can land with relief supplies.  Once a path is cleared, the RMC units will assist with delivering the relief supplies into the city.  Another RMC squadron form a nearby base will assist your squadron with repairing the bridge and bring fire fighting equipment into the town.

2007 – Cosmic Conundrum

After years of research, development and construction, the final phase of the long awaited space elevator is about to take place.  The elevator extends from a platform at sea near the equator to an anchor on a geostationary orbit.  This new technology will drastically cut the cost of getting satellites and probes into space and make is possible for space tourism to flourish.

However, there is one more test to conduct before the elevator is officially open for business.  In order to protect the elevator from space debris, a magnetic field generator is used to create a shroud around the elevator, thus repelling any objects that may wander near it.  Like most safety systems, there is a backup system in the event that the magnetic field should fail.  The backup system consists of a group of robots stationed at the anchor point ready to deploy and protect the space elevator in the event of a failure of the magnetic field.

The robots main objective is to keep any space debris from damaging the space elevator; however, they will also perform routine maintenance and do any needed repairs. Currently the robots are stored in the cargo bay of a transport module on the space elevator.

In a few minutes, a test of the robotic backup system will begin.  The magnetic field will be manually shutdown by moving the solar generator orientation away from the sun and the robots will be deployed.  As added safety, a Space Shuttle is in orbit near the anchor point with Astronauts on standby in their Manned Maneuvering units (MMU) in the event that an unexpected failure should occur.

During the test, an astronaut in the shuttle notices a piece of an old comet getting dangerously close to the space elevator.  Capturing it would be a source of great research for the scientific community, therefore the nearest robot is sent to collect a part of the comet and stow it in the shuttle’s cargo bay.  During the capture, several pieces of ice broke off and are heading towards the space elevator.  They will also need to be captured and stowed in the shuttle for additional research; however only the light colored chunks will be stowed in the shuttle.  The dark colored chucks will need to be stowed in a container on the anchor point, since they contain large amounts of Hydrogen (an essential material needed for the onboard fuel cells).

2008 – Antarctic Voyage

Antarctica is 5th largest continent on Earth and is the least populated.  Harsh weather, extreme cold and lack of local resources make it a place where one would think that life would not survive.  Nestled in this environment is McMurdo station.  McMurdo (Antarctica’s largest community) is a fully functioning science and research facility dedicated to the study of the Antarctic and how animals can thrive in this harsh environment.

Today a team of robots has arrived at the station to aid with research and other tasks.  The robots (known as the polar explorers) are the latest in robotics technology and were specifically designed for extreme cold weather environments.   These robots will allow for research to continue regardless of weather conditions.

There are lots of tasks to do and a short time to get it all done before the winter months arrive.  The polar explorers will take an active role in assisting station personnel with day to day operations as well as go out into the field and assist at an archeological site.  They will also provide support to a nearby film crew shooting an IMAX film, deliver a science package to the volcano on Mount Erebus, and collect meteorites near the volcano site.

2009 – GEAR Games

Dateline November 1, 2108 (WP) Three years after the [Kilroy incident] droid scandal  the world games organizing committee (WGOC) announced today that beginning in 2109 a droids will have their own version of the world games (formerly known at the Olympics).  According to the WGOC robots will be able to compete in six different sporting events, however the games will be modified to accommodate for the extra advantages that robots have over humans.  The first games will take place sometime in the spring of 2109 and plans are on the table to fully integrate the games into separate events during the summer and winter world games.

The games that will be included are Basketball, Power Lifting, Hockey, Ring Toss (similar to horseshoes), Tower of Tug (similar to tug of war), and Darts.  All events will be subject to the same rules and qualifications as humans with some slight modifications.  All droids and robots will be required to pass a rigorous inspection process to insure that they do not process systems that would give them a tactical advantage over the other competitors.

During a telephone interview Robert Orin Charles Kilroy said “This is a historic moment for robot kind all over the world.  I look forward to finally being able to compete in games and not worry about being cought by humas.”   No location has been annouced as the site for the games, but it is rumored that  the Dōmo Arigatō center for robotic sports in Japan may be hosting the games.

2010 – Up and Atom

The large Hadron collider is the latest tool available to study atoms and their structures.  By studying atoms, humans have been able to invent beneficial materials, and take a peek into how the universe may have started.
Certain types of atoms can be harmful to humans because they emit radiation.  Robots have been enlisted in an effort to provide safety and continue research of how atoms work.  Your task is to build a robot that will assist humans in operating and maintaining the Hadron collider, and assist in the research of new materials.

2011 – Transfarmers

It is an early morning on Cyber Acres farm.  Today is the start of the harvest season and we will be very busy helping the farmers get the work done on time.

I am Optimus Combine, leader of the farmbots. Me and my robot friends live and work on the farm secretly disguised as ordinary farming equipment.  Let me introduce to you to my friends.
Hydro – expert in weather forecasting, irrigation, and soil.
Ironclad – makes plowing fields and planting seeds a breeze
Buzz Bee – Plant expert, knows the best ways to pollinate plants to yield the best crops.  Knows how to protect crops without the use of toxic chemicals
Core Vet – Inside may beat the oil pump of a thoroughbred race car, but don’t let that sports car body fool you.  When it comes to animal care, this is who you want on the job.
Solves-all – Our resident mechanic and expert on all things mechanical

Together we live a secret life on the farm. Today we call on all robots to join us and help transform how farming is done.

2012 – Power Up

Welcome to Energy Incorporated.  We are one of the largest energy providers in the nation and we are glad you’ve taken the challenge to help us maintain our energy infrastructure.  As an employee you will get the opportunity to work with different sources of energy.  From traditional fossil fuels to green alternatives (such as wind and hydroelectric), you will have the opportunity to work with the equipment that help provide energy for our customers.

2013 – Dr. Roboto

A severely injured patient has arrived at the hospital’s emergency room.  The doctors recommend surgery as soon as possible, however the patient’s vital signs and lab results indicate that surgery may be too risky and possibly life threatening.  However the injuries need to be treated as soon as possible.

Doctors and surgeons believe that this patient is a good candidate to undergo internal robotic surgery using the new Proteus class robots.  These new robots can be shrank to the size of a grain of rice and injected into the patient.  The robot will then proceed to repair some of the damage and help stabilize the patient.  However there is a risk since the robot cannot stay miniaturized for extended periods of time.

An action plan is devised to minimize the time the robot spends inside the body, but still maximize the amount of work the robot can do.  Also an extraction plan is implemented to insure the robot is recovered once the work is complete.

2014 – Moonpost

In 1969 Tranquility base became the site of the first manned missions to the moon.  Since then there have been other missions, but none established a permanent outpost on the moon.   Today the ISTC (International Space Transport Corporation) has returned to sea of tranquility with an ambitious project to build a permanent manned outpost on the moon.  This outpost will serve as a science and exploration station for the moon and a future launch pad for manned mission to other nearby planets.  Due to the cost of the project, the Smithsonian institute is funding a percentage of the project and requesting retrieval of some of the artifacts left at the Apollo 11 landing site.

Remote controlled progress ships will supply the necessary materials to the construction site.  So far the progress ships have landed on their target, but one of the ships landing skids did not properly deploy.  This caused the ship to topple over upon landing, spilling the cargo containers all over the construction site.  The ISTC will have to use one of the robots to retrieve the lost cargo containers and deliver them to their proper location on the construction site.

2015 – Pyromania

Adventureland Theme Park has a nighttime fireworks & live action stunt show called Wizard of the Sky.  The show is one of the top attractions at the park. However, due to small size of the amphitheater, seating is a bit limited.  Park management would like to add a second performance to allow more visitors to see the show.

Due to the complexities of the show and the safety procedures in place, adding a second performance poses logistical problems for the cast and crew.  The show takes a couple of hours to reset due to all the pyrotechnics involved.  Engineers developed a solution where the performance can be reset in an hour or less by automating the placement of pyrotechnics on the show stage.

The automated solution is ready, and tonight‘s rehearsal will be the first time it will be used.  Because safety is a priority, no humans will be allowed in the areas where the pyrotechnics are staged for the show.

2016 – Timewarp

The quiet town of Hill Valley was rocked with what appeared to be an explosion at the Brown Research Center for Time Travel.  According to first responders, Dr. Joules Brown was in the process of testing an improved model of his father’s original time machine designs.  Witnesses report a power surge on the core reactor used to power the experimental time machine.  This caused a rift in the temporal distortion, creating parallel dimensions inside the building. Security camera footage shows what appear to be vortices in the lab area.  Parts of the lab have strange artifacts lying around, and radiation levels are starting to increase

Thankfully all staff was safely evacuated, and Dr. Brown is working with emergency personnel to shut down the time machine.  Robots are on scene to assist in the effort, and will have three main objectives to accomplish.  Those objectives are:  Collect the artifacts and place them in a radiation proof container, cap the vortices created by the time machine, and shutdown power to the time machine.