Ultimate Ascent is played with two alliances: one red and one blue. Each alliance has three teams. During the qualification rounds at competition the matches are generated such that teams do not play two matches too quickly or compete with or against another team too often. Elimination alliances are then selected in a two-round serpentine draft by the top eight seeded teams before the elimination rounds. Each team's robot can be identified by its bumpers which must have the team's number visible from any side of the robot. The bumpers are also colored to match the alliance that the robot is on. The winning alliance is determined by the team with the most points at the conclusion of the match.
Field
Ultimate Ascent field
Ultimate Ascent is played on a 27' x 54' field. There are two pyramids placed in the center of each half of the field. There are five scoring locations on the opposite end of the field from the alliance station where that team's drivers are. Four of the goals are located on the opposing alliance's wall. The fifth is part of the pyramid at that end of the field.
Matches
Video of a finals match at the St. Joseph district. The actual match begins around 4:54.
Ultimate Ascent matches are two minutes and fifteen seconds long. The first fifteen seconds are called the autonomous period. During this period the robots follow a set of pre-programmed instructions. Following this period the teams take control for the teleoperated period. Drivers control their robots, attempting to score discs into the goals at the opposite end of the playing field. The robots also can climb their alliance's pyramid at the end of the match to score additional points. In the final thirty seconds the human players can throw their six colored discs into play over the alliance wall.
Scoring
Middle and high goals for the blue alliance
Teams start with up to 2 or 3 discs on the robot at the beginning of the match. Robots which begin touching the carpet behind their colored Auto Line may have three discs; others may have only two. They can score these in autonomous or wait for the teleoperated period. Only the 6 discs of an alliance's color count when scored on top of its pyramid. White or opposing colored discs will not count if scored in the pyramid. Since the human players may not put any colored discs in play until teleoperated, scoring in the pyramid is not possible in autonomous. Teams can score points as follows by scoring discs into goals:[3]
View from the driver station, showing the pyramids
The match ends with robots attempting to climb pyramid game elements located on the field. Robots earn points by climbing the pyramid based on how high they climb. Levels are divided by the horizontal bars on the pyramid, with from the ground to the first bar being level 1. The following is the breakdown of the scoring:[3]
Level
Points
1
10
2
20
3
30
Robots
Robots must not exceed a perimeter of 112 inches, never exceed 84 inches in height, and not exceed 60 inches in height when outside their auto zone (the area in front of and including their colored auto line). During game play the robot can not exceed a 54 in diameter cylinder. Not including the battery and protective bumpers, the robot cannot exceed a weight of 120 pounds.[3]
Events
Regionals
Week 1
Event
Dates
BAE Systems Granite State Regional
Feb 28 – March 2, 2013
Finger Lakes Regional
Feb 28 – March 2, 2013
Palmetto Regional
Feb 28 – March 2, 2013
Hub City Regional
Feb 28 – March 2, 2013
Central Valley Regional
Mar 1 – 3, 2013
Kettering University FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 1 – 2, 2013
Traverse City FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 1 – 2, 2013
Hatboro-Horsham FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 2 – 3, 2013
Week 2
Event
Dates
San Diego Regional
Mar 7 – 9, 2013
Orlando Regional
Mar 7 – 9, 2013
WPI Regional
Mar 7 – 9, 2013
Lake Superior Regional
Mar 7 – 9, 2013
Northern Lights Regional
Mar 7 – 9, 2013
New York City Regional
Mar 7 – 9, 2013
Greater Toronto East Regional
Mar 7 – 9, 2013
Autodesk Oregon Regional
Mar 7 – 9, 2013
Lone Star Regional
Mar 7 – 9, 2013
Gull Lake FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 8 – 9, 2013
Waterford FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 8 – 9, 2013
Israel Regional
Mar 10 – 12, 2013
Week 3
Event
Dates
Peachtree Regional
Mar 14 – 16, 2013
Boilermaker Regional
Mar 14 – 16, 2013
Greater Kansas City Regional
Mar 14 – 16, 2013
St. Louis Regional
Mar 14 – 16, 2013
North Carolina Regional
Mar 14 – 16, 2013
Pittsburgh Regional
Mar 14 – 16, 2013
Festival de Robotique FRC a Montreal Regional
Mar 14 – 16, 2013
Virginia Regional
Mar 14 – 16, 2013
Detroit FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 15 – 16, 2013
St Joseph FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 15 – 16, 2013
TCNJ FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 15 – 16, 2013
Springside - Chestnut Hill FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 15 – 16, 2013
Week 4
Event
Dates
Phoenix Regional
Mar 21 – 23, 2013
Los Angeles Regional
Mar 21 – 23, 2013
Sacramento Regional
Mar 21 – 23, 2013
Bayou Regional
Mar 21 – 23, 2013
Boston Regional
Mar 21 – 23, 2013
Queen City Regional
Mar 21 – 23, 2013
Waterloo Regional
Mar 21 – 23, 2013
Dallas Regional
Mar 21 – 23, 2013
Utah Regional sponsored by NASA
Mar 21 – 23, 2013
Central Washington Regional
Mar 21 – 23, 2013
Wisconsin Regional
Mar 21 – 23, 2013
Grand Blanc FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 22 – 23, 2013
West Michigan FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 22 – 23, 2013
Mount Olive FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 23 – 24, 2013
Lenape Seneca FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 23 – 24, 2013
Week 5
Event
Dates
Inland Empire Regional
Mar 28 – 30, 2013
Connecticut Regional sponsored by UTC
Mar 28 – 30, 2013
Washington DC Regional
Mar 28 – 30, 2013
Minnesota 10000 Lakes Regional
Mar 28 – 30, 2013
Minnesota North Star Regional
Mar 28 – 30, 2013
Buckeye Regional
Mar 28 – 30, 2013
Oklahoma Regional
Mar 28 – 30, 2013
Greater Toronto West Regional
Mar 28 – 30, 2013
Smoky Mountains Regional
Mar 28 – 30, 2013
Alamo Regional sponsored by Rackspace Hosting
Mar 28 – 30, 2013
Seattle Regional
Mar 28 – 30, 2013
Livonia FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 29 – 30, 2013
Troy FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 29 – 30, 2013
Week 6
Event
Dates
Western Canadian FRC Regional
Apr 4 – 6, 2013
Razorback Regional
Apr 4 – 6, 2013
Silicon Valley Regional
Apr 4 – 6, 2013
Colorado Regional
Apr 4 – 6, 2013
Hawaii Regional sponsored by BAE Systems
Apr 4 – 6, 2013
Midwest Regional
Apr 4 – 6, 2013
Crossroads Regional
Apr 4 – 6, 2013
Pine Tree Regional
Apr 4 – 6, 2013
Las Vegas Regional
Apr 4 – 6, 2013
SBPLI Long Island Regional
Apr 4 – 6, 2013
Spokane Regional
Apr 4 – 6, 2013
Bedford FIRST Robotics District Competition
Apr 5 – 6, 2013
Bridgewater-Raritan FIRST Robotics District Competition
Apr 6 – 7, 2013
Week 7
Event
Dates
Chesapeake Regional
Apr 11 – 13, 2013
Michigan FRC State Championship
Apr 11 – 13, 2013
Mid-Atlantic Robotics FRC Region Championship
Apr 11 – 13, 2013
Districts
Event
Dates
Week
Kettering University FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 1 – 2, 2013
1
Traverse City FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 1 – 2, 2013
1
Hatboro-Horsham FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 2 – 3, 2013
1
Gull Lake FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 8 – 9, 2013
2
Waterford FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 8 – 9, 2013
2
Detroit FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 15 – 16, 2013
3
St Joseph FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 15 – 16, 2013
3
TCNJ FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 15 – 16, 2013
3
Springside - Chestnut Hill FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 15 – 16, 2013
3
Grand Blanc FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 22 – 23, 2013
4
West Michigan FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 22 – 23, 2013
4
Mount Olive FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 23 – 24, 2013
4
Lenape Seneca FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 23 – 24, 2013
4
Livonia FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 29 – 30, 2013
5
Troy FIRST Robotics District Competition
Mar 29 – 30, 2013
5
Bedford FIRST Robotics District Competition
Apr 5 – 6, 2013
6
Bridgewater-Raritan FIRST Robotics District Competition
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Media related to
Ultimate Ascent at Wikimedia Commons
