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2025 Allen High School Marine Corps

REGISTRATION ENDS MARCH 18

COMMANDERS INTENT: The intent is to host a well-organized, single-elimination drone competition that challenges cadets’ skills while promoting safety and teamwork. All participants must adhere to the REC Foundation Aerial Drone Competition guidelines to ensure fair and consistent evaluations.

SAFETY PROTOCOLS
• All participants must adhere to safety guidelines as outlined in the REC Foundation rules.
• Safety equipment, such as goggles, must be worn during flight operations.
• A pre-competition safety briefing will be conducted for all participants and staff.
• A designated flight area will be established, with barriers to separate the audience and participants from active drones.

EXECUTION - EVENT DETAILS AND TEAM COMPOSITION

Competitors must bring their own drones. Drones must comply with the size, weight, and operational specifications outlined in the REC Foundation guidelines.  Only the CoDrone EDU, CoDrone EDU JROTC Edition, or Parrot Mambo are permitted for competition. Teams are responsible for ensuring their drones are fully operational upon arrival. Drones must remain unmodified and
utilize only stock components, including electronics, motors, propellers, and frames, as specified in the REC Foundation guidelines.The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation's Aerial Drone Competition (ADC) specifies certain requirements for drones used in competitions to ensure safety, fairness, and standardization. While the official Competition Manual provides comprehensive details, here are key specifications:

Approved Drone Models

The CoDrone EDU by Robolink is the official drone for the ADC. This model is recommended due to its safety features, durability, and suitability for educational purposes.

Only the CoDrone EDU, CoDrone EDU JROTC Edition, or Parrot Mambo are permitted for competition.

Drone Specifications

 The CoDrone EDU is designed to be lightweight and compact, making it ideal for indoor competitions. Specific  dimensions and weight  details can be found in the  product documentation  provided by Robolink. Drones must remain unmodified to ensure a level playing field. All components, including batteries, motors, and propellers, should be in good working order and functionally identical to the stock equipment.

Operational Specifications

The competition emphasizes hands-on piloting skills. Teams are expected to operate their drones manually, navigating through designated courses and completing specific tasks. The CoDrone EDU includes built-in safety features suitable for classroom and competition environments. Teams should familiarize themselves with these features to ensure safe operation
during events.

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

For detailed information, including any updates or changes to drone specifications, teams should refer to the latest Competition Manual available on the REC Foundation's Aerial Drone Competition webpage.

The following events will challenge participants’ drone piloting skills while adhering to the equipment’s capabilities. Setup instructions are provided for each competitor’s competition preparation:

PRECISION LANDING

Objective: Land the drone on designated targets of varying sizes with precision.

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Setup: Use landing pads included in the Aerial Drone Competition Field Basics Kit.

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Scoring: Based on accuracy (proximity to the center) and smoothness of the landing.

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Format: Single competitor with evaluators scoring performance.

OBSTACLE NAVIGATION

Objective: Navigate a challenging obstacle course as quickly as possible without hitting barriers.

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Setup: Utilize gates, barriers, and obstacles from the 24-25 Season Game Elements to create a varied course.

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Scoring: Points deducted for collisions; time taken to complete the course is a key factor.

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Format: Shoulder-to-shoulder (two competitors racing simultaneously).

ROTOR WASH CHALLENGE

Objective: Use rotor wash to knock bean bags off platforms or push wiffle balls through an obstacle course.

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Setup: Arrange bean bags and wiffle balls on platforms and paths from the Game Elements.

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Scoring: Points for successfully dislodging objects or completing the course; bonus points for speed.

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Format: Single competitor

SEARCH AND IDENTIFY

Objective: Locate and hover over designated markers within the competition area.

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Setup: Scatter unique symbols or markers across the field, some partially obscured.

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Scoring: Points awarded for each correctly identified marker within the allotted time

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Format: Single competitor with evaluators scoring performance.

HEAD-2-HEAD  RACE

Objective: Complete a looped track as quickly as possible, adhering to course boundaries.

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Setup: Design a simple circuit using field barriers and gates.

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Scoring: Fastest drone wins; penalties for boundary violations.

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Format: Shoulder-to-shoulder race

COMPETITION EVENTS

Team composition will be a minimum of two and a maximum of five members. Teams must designate members for specific roles (e.g., Pilot, Spotter, Technician, Team Leader, Analyst), but these roles may overlap as needed, consistent with REC Foundation rules. For example, a team member may serve as both Pilot and Team Leader.

Minimum Team Composition (2 Members):
1. Pilot: Essential for drone operation.
2. Spotter: Assists the Pilot with navigation and strategy.

PILOT

Primary Role: Operates the drone during the competition

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Responsibilities:

o Mastery of the drone’s controls for navigating,hovering, and completing tasks.
o Maintains focus on precision, speed, and accuracy during all events.
o Communicates effectively with the Spotter for guidance and situational awareness.

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Skills Needed: Strong hand-eye coordination, drone control expertise, quick decision-making.

SPOTTER

Primary Role: Assists the Pilot by providing situational awareness and strategy updates.

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Responsibilities:

o Tracks obstacles, course boundaries, and event-specific goals.
o Provides verbal feedback or instructions to the Pilot about navigation and positioning.

o Monitors drone compliance with competition rules (e.g., avoiding penalties for boundary violations).

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Skills Needed: Excellent communication, spatial awareness,
quick analysis.

TECHNICIAN

Primary Role: Maintains and troubleshoots the drone to ensure it is competition-ready.

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Responsibilities:

o Prepares the drone for events by checking batteries,calibrating sensors, and testing motors.
o Handles any technical issues or repairs during the competition.
o Ensures spare parts, tools, and equipment are available if needed.

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Skills Needed: Knowledge of drone mechanics, problem-solving, attention to detail.

TEAM LEADER

Primary Role: Oversees the team's overall performance and ensures coordination among members.

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Responsibilities:

o Develops strategies for each event based on the team’s strengths and weaknesses.
o Ensures adherence to competition schedules and rules.
o Acts as the primary liaison between the team and competition officials.

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Skills Needed: Leadership, organizational skills, strategic thinking.

ANALYST

Primary Role: Evaluates the team’s performance in real-time and offers improvements.

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Responsibilities:

o Observes the team during events to identifyopportunities for optimization.
o Reviews scoring criteria and advises the Team Leader on adjustments.
o Keeps track of other teams' strategies to inform decision-making.

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Skills Needed: Analytical thinking, knowledge of event
rules, adaptability.

TEAM COMPOSITION, ROLES, AND SKILLS

All competition details, including the scoring rubric, flight rules, and layout, will be posted on the resource page. Teams must adhere to submission deadlines and event guidelines to ensure fair and smooth operations.


Command The competition will be overseen by the Allen High School MCJROTC staff and a designated rules committee. Any
discrepancies will be addressed by the committee.

ADMINISTRATION & LOGISTICS

For Logistical Questions:   Bruce Cole, SgtMaj, USMC (Ret.)   SMI, Allen High School MCJROTC     bruce.cole@allenisd.org

Hosted by Allen High School Marine Corp JROTC

https://www.allenmcjrotc.com/

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