5 ARENA

The

includes all elements of the game infrastructure that are required to play CRESCENDOSM presented by Haas: the , , queue area, team media area, designated area, and all equipment needed for , , and scorekeeping.

The

is modular and assembled, used, disassembled, and shipped many times during the competition season. It undergoes wear and tear. The is designed to withstand rigorous play and frequent shipping. Every effort is made to ensure that are consistent from event to event. However, are assembled in different venues by different event staff and some small variations occur. For details regarding assembly tolerances, please refer to the 2024

ARENA

Layout and Marking Diagram. Successful teams will design that are insensitive to these variations.

Illustrations included in this section are for a general visual understanding of the CRESCENDO

, and dimensions included in the manual are nominal. Please refer to the official drawings for exact dimensions, tolerances, and construction details. The official drawings, CAD models, and drawings for low-cost versions of important elements of the CRESCENDO are posted on the CRESCENDO Playing

FIELD

web page on the FIRST website.

5.1

FIELD

Each

for CRESCENDO is an approximately 26 ft. 11¼ in. (~821 cm) by 54 ft. 3¼ in. (~1654 cm) carpeted area bounded by inward facing surfaces of the , , and pocket walls, and guardrails.

The

is populated with the following elements:

• 1
  AMP
  per
  ALLIANCE
  ,
• 1
  SPEAKER
  per
  ALLIANCE
  ,
• 1
  SOURCE
  per
  ALLIANCE
  , and
• 1
  STAGE
  per
  ALLIANCE
  .

The surface of the

is low pile carpet, Shaw Floors, Philadelphia Commercial, Neyland II 20, “66561 Medallion.” Neyland II carpet is not available for purchase, and the closest equivalent is Shaw, Philadelphia Brand, Profusion 20, Style 54933; see results from FIRST’s evaluation in this blog post. The edge of the carpet is secured to the venue floor using 3M™ Premium Matte Cloth (Gaffers) Tape GT2 or comparable gaffers tape.

Guardrails form the long edges of the

. Guardrails are a 1 ft. 8 in. (~51 cm) tall system of transparent polycarbonate supported on the top and bottom by aluminum extrusion. There are 4 gates in the guardrail that allow access to the for placement and removal of . The gate passthrough, when open, is 3 ft. 2 in. (~97 cm) wide. Gates are closed and shielded during the .

There are 2 versions of guardrails and

used for competitions. 1 design is reflected in the 2024 Official FIRST

FIELD

Drawings & Models. The other is designed and sold by AndyMark. While the designs are slightly different, the critical dimensions, performance, and expected user experience between them are the same unless otherwise noted. Detailed drawings for the AndyMark design are posted on the AndyMark website. All illustrations in this manual show the traditional design.

5.2 Areas, Zones, & Markings

areas, zones, and markings of consequence are described below. Unless otherwise specified, the tape used to mark lines and zones throughout the is 2-in. (~5 cm) 3M™ Premium Matte Cloth (Gaffers) Tape (GT2), ProGaff® Premium Professional Grade Gaffer Tape, or comparable gaffers tape.

• ALLIANCE AREA
  : a 26 ft. 11⅛ in. wide by 9 ft. 10¼ in. deep (~821 cm by ~300 cm) infinitely tall volume formed by, and including the
  ALLIANCE WALL
  , the edge of the carpet,
  ALLIANCE
  colored tape, guardrail, and the
  AMP
  wall.
• AMP ZONE
  : a 10 ft. 10 in. long by 1 ft. 5¾ in. wide (~330 cm by ~45 cm) infinitely tall volume defined by the
  AMP
  wall, guardrail,
  ALLIANCE WALL
  , and ALLIANCE-colored tape. The
  AMP ZONE
  includes the tape.
• CENTER LINE
  : a white line that bisects the length of the
  FIELD
• COACH LINE
  : a black line in the
  ALLIANCE AREA
  that extends from the end of the
  ALLIANCE WALL
  (
  AMP
  side) to the edge of the
  ALLIANCE AREA
• ROBOT STARTING ZONE
  : a 6 ft. 4⅛ in.-wide by 23 ft. 8⅛ in.-long (~193 cm by ~721 cm) infinitely tall volume bounded by the
  ALLIANCE WALL
  ,
  AMP ZONE
  , opponent’s
  SOURCE ZONE
  , and black tape. The
  ROBOT STARTING ZONE
  includes the black tape and excludes the
  AMP ZONE
  and
  SOURCE ZONE
  tape.
• SOURCE AREA
  : a 5 ft. ¾ in. wide by 15 ft. 10½ in. long (~154 cm by ~484 cm) infinitely tall volume bounded by the
  SOURCE
  wall, the edge of the carpet, and ALLIANCE-colored tape. The
  SOURCE AREA
  includes the tape.
• SOURCE ZONE
  : a infinitely tall parallelogram shaped volume bounded by the
  SOURCE
  wall, the opponent’s
  ALLIANCE WALL
  , and ALLIANCE-colored tape. The
  SOURCE ZONE
  is 1 ft. 6¾ in. deep (~48 cm) with respect to the
  SOURCE
  wall and includes the ALLIANCE-colored tape.
• SPIKE MARK
  : 1 of 11 1 ft. 1 in. (33 cm) marks used to identify placement of
  NOTES
  before the
  MATCH
  . The 3 marks in front of each
  SPEAKER
  are made with black tape, and the 5 marks along the
  CENTER LINE
  are made with black marker (see Figure 6‑2).
• STAGE ZONE
  : an infinitely tall 6-sided volume surrounding the
  STAGE
  bounded by and including the ALLIANCE-colored tape.

• STARTING LINE
  : a white line spanning the
  ALLIANCE AREA
  and adjacent
  SOURCE AREA
  that is parallel to and located 2 ft. (~61 cm) from the bottom square tube of the
  ALLIANCE WALL
  to the near edge of the tape.
• WING
  : an infinitely tall volume bounded by the
  ALLIANCE WALL
  , opponent’s
  SOURCE
  wall, guardrail, the
  ALLIANCE
  colored line that spans the width of the
  FIELD
  , and
  AMP
  wall. The
  WING
  includes the tape.

5.3

AMP

An

is a structure used by to pass to the . There is 1 per . Each has a vertical pocket that is 3⅞ in. deep (~10 cm), 1 ft. 6 in. tall (~46 cm), and 2 ft. wide (~61 cm). The bottom of the pocket is 2 ft. 2 in. (~66 cm) from the carpet. Each is 4 ft. 1½ in. (~126 cm) from the closest . To keep the clear for scoring, the can shift scored away from the exit.

There are 2 sets of lights on top of the

; ALLIANCE-colored lights and an amber Coopertition light. lights indicate the number of accumulated for AMPLIFICATION or Coopertition. The Coopertition light indicates progress toward Coopertition.

The

light behavior and meaning are as follows:

• bottom light on: the
  ALLIANCE
  has 1
  NOTE
  towards AMPLIFICATION (or Coopertition)
• both lights on: the
  ALLIANCE
  has 2
  NOTES
  toward AMPLIFICATION (1 of which can be used for Coopertition)
• top light blinking at 2Hz: the
  SPEAKER
  is
  AMPLIFIED
  (see Section 6.5.3 AMPLIFICATION).

The Coopertition light behavior and meaning are as follows:

• blinking at 1 Hz: it’s
  AUTO
  or the initial 45 seconds of
  TELEOP
  and the
  ALLIANCE
  has not used a
  NOTE
  for Coopertition
• solid on:
  • o if initial 45 seconds of
    TELEOP
    , the
    HUMAN PLAYER
    has used a
    NOTE
    for Coopertition
  • o if after the initial 45 seconds of
    TELEOP
    , both
    ALLIANCES
    have used a
    NOTE
    for Coopertition
• off: the Coopertition window has expired, and Coopertition was not accomplished

A wire panel (Uline H6277BL) is horizontally installed to the top of the guardrail and between the

and the .

5.4

SOURCE

A

is an assembly through which feed into the . The wall, the FIELD-facing side of the , separates the from the . Each has a 6 ft. 3 ¼ in. wide by 6 in. tall (~191 cm by ~15 cm) opening through which pass to the ; the bottom of the opening is 3 ft. ¾ in. (~93 cm) from the carpet. A 50° sloped tunnel, called the , leads to the opening in the wall. The extends into the such that the bottom edge of its opening is 4 ft. 4¾ in. (~134 cm) above the carpet.

5.5

STAGE

Each

is a 3-legged structure and 10 ft. 1 in. (~307 cm) from its corresponding . Each consists of truss feet, truss segments, truss junctions, aluminum framing, and polycarbonate sheets. The center core of the structure suspends from the truss such that aluminum surfaces are 2 ft. 4¼ in. (~72 cm) above the carpet, however certain features decrease the effective clearance under the core of the . The least amount of clearance is where polycarbonate gusset plates are above truss feet resulting in an actual clearance of 2 ft. 3⅞ in (~71 cm).

3 chains, designated

Left, Right, and Center , as shown in Figure 5‑9, span the space between each truss leg. Chains attach to each leg via a carabiner, eye bolt, and mounting gusset 4 ft. (~122 cm) above the carpet. Chains droop such that their lowest points are 2 ft. 4¼ in. (~72 cm) from the carpet, and the chain rests 1 ft. 4⅝ in. (~42 cm) from the face of the core. The chain is ¼-in. Grade 43 zinc plated chain.

The core structure of the

is a 6-sided column covered by polycarbonate walls. Each of the 3 wider walls have an opening, covered by a flap, which leads to a . The bottom of each opening is 4 ft. 8½ in. (~144 cm) above the carpet. The is the volume bounded by the 4 square tube segments highlighted in Figure 5‑10 and the plastic panels covering the volume’s front and back.

A

is a vertical post centered above each and mounted to the top of the core structure. Each is a 1-ft. tall (~30 cm) piece of 1¼ in. Schedule 40 (1.66 in. (~4 cm) outer diameter) aluminum pipe. The top of each is 7 ft. 4¼ in. (~224 cm) above the carpet.

A

is an colored HDPE panel attached to the leg facing the . Each is 1 ft. 5¾ in. tall by 10 in. wide (~45 cm by ~25 cm) and mounted just above the top of the truss foot.

5.6

ALLIANCE WALLS

The

separates from members in the . It consists of 3 and the vertical surfaces behind the SUBWOOFER.

5.6.1

SPEAKER

A

consists of a SUBWOOFER and all elements above and behind the . The features an opening through which score . The opening is bounded by and the top of the . The lowest edge of the opening is 6 ft. 6 in. (~198 cm) from the carpet, and the highest edge of the opening is 6 ft. 10⅞ in. (~211 cm) above the carpet. The opening is 3 ft. 5⅜ in. (~105 cm) wide and extends 1 ft. 6 in. (~46 cm) into the . The plane of the opening is at a 14° upward angle relative to the carpet. The roof inside the forms a concave surface against which bounce.

The SUBWOOFER is a 6-faced element centered below each

and positioned against the . The SUBWOOFER is 3 ft. 1 in. (~94 cm) tall and the vertical panels are 8⅜ in. (~21 cm) tall. The SUBWOOFER extends 3 ft. ⅛ in. (~92 cm) from the . Vertical faces are black HDPE, the side inclined faces are ALLIANCE-colored HDPE, and the center inclined panels are vinyl-coated polycarbonate.

Lights indicate if the

is and if so, how much AMPLIFICATION time remains. Light strings in the top of the the color and turn on if the is . colored lights in the SUBWOOFER turn on when AMPLIFICATION starts and recede, second by second, as AMPLIFICATION progresses, and if AMPLIFICATION ends before the countdown completes (because the maximum number of have been scored), the SUBWOOFER and lights turn off.

5.6.2

DRIVER STATIONS

A

is 1 of 3 assemblies within an behind which a operates their . Each is made from a 3 ft. ¾ in. (~93 cm) tall diamond plate base topped with a 3 ft. 6 in. (~107 cm) tall transparent plastic sheet and a top rail. An aluminum shelf is attached to each to support an . The shelf is 5 ft. 9 in. (~175 cm) wide and 1 ft. ¼ in. (~31 cm) deep. There is a 4 ft. 6 in. (~137 cm) long by 2 in. (nominal) wide strip of hook-and-loop tape (“loop” side) along the center of the support shelf that may be used to secure the to the shelf.

Each

contains the following elements for :

• 1 Ethernet cable: attaches to the Ethernet port of the
  OPERATOR CONSOLE
  and provides connectivity to the
  FIELD
  Management System (
  FMS
  )
• 1 120VAC NEMA 5-15R power outlet (i.e. standard US outlet): located on each
  DRIVER STATION
  shelf and protected by its own 2-Amp circuit breaker. It can be used to power the
  OPERATOR CONSOLE
  .
  DRIVE TEAMS
  are responsible for monitoring their power consumption as a tripped breaker in the outlet does not constitute an
  ARENA FAULT
  . For some events in regions that don’t use NEMA 5-15 shaped outlets, event organizers may install appropriate plug adapters to be used throughout the event.
• 1 Emergency Stop (E-Stop) button: located on the left side of the
  DRIVER STATION
  shelf and is used to deactivate a
  ROBOT
  in an emergency
• 1 Autonomous Stop (A-Stop) button: located on the right side of the
  DRIVER STATION
  shelf and is used to DISABLE a
  ROBOT
  during
  AUTO
• 1 team sign: located at the top of each
  DRIVER STATION
  . The
  FIELD
  facing side of the sign displays the team number in the
  ALLIANCE
  color. The
  ALLIANCE AREA
  side of the sign displays the following information in red:
  • o Pre-MATCH: team number and
    ROBOT
    connection state
  • o During the
    MATCH
    :
• progress toward
  RP
  threshold (n/a during the Playoff Tournament),
• time remaining in AMPLIFICATION, and
• remaining
  MATCH
  period time.
• 1 timer (in
  DRIVER STATION
  2 only): displays the official time remaining in the
  MATCH
  period on the FIELD-facing side (in white) and official time remaining in the
  MATCH
  period and
  MATCH
  scores on the
  ALLIANCE AREA
  facing side (in red).
• 1 team LED stack: indicates
  ALLIANCE
  color,
  ROBOT
  status, E-Stop and A-Stop status, and is centered at the top of each
  DRIVER STATION
  .

The stack includes 2 identical ALLIANCE-colored

status LEDs above a third amber A-stop/E-stop LED. LED states are as follows:

• o
  ROBOT
  status LEDs
• Solid: indicates that the
  ROBOT
  is connected and enabled. This only happens during a
  MATCH
  .
• Blinking: indicates that either the
  FMS
  is preset for the
  MATCH
  and the
  ROBOT
  is not connected yet, or it’s during a
  MATCH
  and the corresponding
  ROBOT
  is
  BYPASSED
  , has lost connectivity, or the E-stop was pressed.
• Off: indicates that the
  ROBOT
  is linked and
  DISABLED
  prior to the start of the
  MATCH
  . This light is also off, regardless of
  ROBOT
  connection status, after the
  MATCH
  has concluded.
  • o A-Stop/E-stop LED
• Solid: the
  ROBOT
  is
  DISABLED
  due to a press of the team E-stop button, the
  FIELD
  E-stop button, or by the scorekeeper via the
  FMS
  .
• Blinking: the
  ROBOT
  is
  DISABLED
  for the remainder of
  AUTO
  due to a press of the team A-Stop button.
• Off: the
  ROBOT
  is not
  DISABLED
  by the
  FIELD
  .
• FMS
  hardware and wiring: mostly located below shelves in the 2
  DRIVER STATIONS
  closer to the scoring table.

5.7

GAME PIECES

A

is an orange foam torus with a 10 in. (~25 cm) inside diameter, 1 ft. 2 in. (~36 cm) outside diameter, and 2-in. (~5 cm) thickness. A weighs 8.3 ± 0.2 oz (~235.3 ± 6g). are available for purchase from AndyMark, am-4999.

undergo wear and tear during a competition. Generally, a that still appears to look approximately like a is considered a for the purposes of rule evaluation and scoring, whether damaged or not. Small chunks of a are not considered a .

A

is the same size, shape, and material as a but also has 3 equidistant pieces of white gaffers tape that wrap around the circular cross-section.

5.8 AprilTags

AprilTags are 8⅛ in. (~20 cm) square targets located above SUBWOOFERS, on

walls, above walls, and above . There are 16 unique markers on the , positioned as shown in Figure 5‑19.

All markers are from the 36h11 tag family, IDs 1-16. AprilTags 1-10 are mounted to and centered on a 10½ in. (~27 cm) square polycarbonate panel; AprilTags 11-16 are mounted to an aluminum plate. Each marker has an identifying text label. If AprilTags experience wear and marking during

, they are repaired with gaffers tape.

AprilTags (IDs 1, 2, 9, and 10) are mounted to the wall. The bottom of each tag’s panel is 4 ft. ⅛ in. (~122 cm) above the carpet and 1 ft. 7⅜ in. (~50 cm) from the vertical center of the .

AprilTags (IDs 3, 4, 7, and 8) are mounted to the . The bottom of each tag’s panel is 4 ft. 3⅞ in. (~132 cm) above the carpet. 1 tag (IDs 4 and 7) is vertically centered above each SUBWOOFER. The 2nd tag (IDs 3 and 8) is shifted toward 2 and the edge of its panel is 1 ft. 5 in. (~43 cm) from the vertical center of the plastic.

AprilTag panels (IDs 5 and 6) are 4 ft. ⅛ in. (~122 cm) above the carpet and centered vertically above the wall.

AprilTag plates (IDs 11-16) are 3 ft. 11½ in. (~121 cm) above the carpet and centered vertically on each of the 3 wide faces of the core. These tags are behind ¼-in. (~6 mm) thick polycarbonate.

For further marker locating information please refer to the 2024

Layout and Marking Diagram. Printable versions of the markers are available on the 2024 Playing

FIELD

webpage.

5.9 The

FIELD

Management System

The

Management System () is all the electronics responsible for sensing and controlling the FIRST Robotics Competition . The encompasses all electronics, including computers, touchscreens, the wireless access point, sensors, stack lights, A-Stops and E-Stops, etc.

When a

connects the Ethernet cable from their assigned to their , the Software on the computer communicates with . Once connected, the open ports available are described in Table 8‑5.

that code cannot be deployed while connected to the . Additional information about the may be found in the

FMS

Whitepaper.

The

alerts participants to milestones in the using audio cues detailed in Table 5‑1. Please that audio cues are intended as a courtesy to participants and not intended as official markers. If there is a discrepancy between an audio cue and the timers, the timers are the authority.

Event	Timer Value	Audio Cue
MATCH start	0:15 (for AUTO )	“Cavalry Charge”
AUTO ends	0:00 (for AUTO )	“Buzzer”
TELEOP begins	2:15	“3 Bells”
Final 20 seconds	0:20	“Guitar Riff”
MATCH end	0:00	“Buzzer”
MATCH stopped	n/a	“Foghorn”

5.10

FIELD STAFF

are responsible for making sure the are cycled through efficiently, fairly, safely, and with a spirit of cooperation, Gracious Professionalism, and generosity of spirit. roles are filled by volunteers from the community who prepare for the event with thorough training and certification. There are 3 FIELD-side key volunteer roles with whom teams should be familiar and are encouraged to use as resources to make their event experience valuable (in whatever way the team defines “valuable”).

• Head
  REFEREE
  – trains, directs, and supervises
  REFEREES
  . They oversee all scoring processes and procedures in collaboration with the FIRST Technical Advisor (
  FTA
  ). They interact with
  STUDENTS
  , volunteers, and contracted/FIRST staff. The Head
  REFEREE
  is positioned between the
  FIELD
  and the scoring table and wears a yellow shirt. The Head
  REFEREE
  has final authority for decisions regarding
  MATCH
  scores, penalties, and YELLOW and
  RED CARD
  assignments. For additional details, please refer to the Head
  REFEREE
  role description.
• FIRST Technical Advisor (
  FTA
  ) - ensures events run smoothly, safely, and in accordance with FIRST requirements. The
  FTA
  collaborates with FIRST staff, event staff, and other event volunteers in many different areas at events. The
  FTA
  is the liaison between FIRST HQ and the event for all things related to the
  FIELD
  ,
  ROBOTS
  , and game, acts as a team advocate for all teams competing at the event, and is a major point of escalation and conflict resolution for the event. For additional details, please refer to the
  FTA
  role description.
• FIELD
  Supervisor - directs activity on the
  FIELD
  to ensure efficient execution of the
  MATCHES
  , pacing of the event, and smooth flow of
  MATCH
  play.
  FIELD
  Supervisors are responsible for ensuring the
  FIELD
  is intact and lead
  FIELD
  Reset teams, who are responsible for resetting the
  FIELD
  after each
  MATCH
  in preparation for the subsequent
  MATCH
  . For additional details, please refer to the
  FIELD
  Supervisor role description.

<