WRS Future Convenience Store Challenge
2020
Restroom Cleaning Task
Rulebook
2019/07/23

Revision History
July 23, 2019
・ Added the side of the toilet bowl to cleaning target.
April 24, 2019
・ First draft

0. Terminology
TermDefinition

Mobile Robot

A robot that can move autonomously.

Infrastructure

Unique infrastructure that can be installed inside theconvenience store to support the robot’s tasks. Thisequipment includes markings, IC tags, sensors,actuators, and auxiliary tools attached to products, etc.
Infrastructure consisting of sensors and actuators canalso be considered as stationary robots.

Manipulator

Robot arms, end effectors, and other equipment thatfor manipulation tasks which can be installed on amobile robot or as part of the infrastructure.

Product(s)Item(s)or Article(s) for sale in the convenience store.

Disposal Item(s) Expired product(s) that should be removed from theor
Disposal Display Cases and discarded
Product(s)Customer

Person who visits the store to purchase products.

Container

Box-like repository for holding and transporting
multiple products.

ProductArea

Display Section of the convenience store where display cases orshelves are installed.

Cashier Area

Section of the convenience store where the cashiercounter is installed.

Eat-in Area

Section of the convenience store where customers canconsume the purchased products.

Restroom

Section of the convenience store where the toilet isinstalled．

Aisle

Section of the convenience store for customers androbots to come and go

Backyard

Section of the convenience store where customers are
not allowed

Playground

Area where children and others can play. Locatedoutdoors.

Home Area

Standby area for the mobile robot before starting thetask. Located in the Backyard Area.
Display CaseShelves for displaying products. At the start, multiple
products are mixed in these cases.

Chief Judge

The judge who declares the start of the task and issues
instructions to the participants.

Assistant Judge

The judge who assists the Chief Judge by performing
measurements for scoring, catching rule violations,etc.

Operator

The team member who starts the robot operation
inside the competition field. After starting the robot,
the operator leaves the competition field.

Safety Observer

The team member who manages the safety of thesystem inside the competition field and performs
operations such as emergency stop. May be the sameas the Operator.

1. Overview
This challenge aims to develop technologies to automate the restroom
cleaning task in a convenience store, which is a daily task currently
performed by employees. Participants of this competition will develop a robot
system that operates autonomously and performs cleaning operations, as wellas the infrastructure they deem necessary to perform these operations, which
can be installed inside of the restroom area. In this challenge, the participants
will use their developed robots and infrastructure to compete in terms of thereliability of their systems by performing a demonstration of cleaning a toilet
and the floor of a simulated restroom.
The restroom area consists of a toilet, floor, and an area to install
infrastructure, as shown in Figure 1.
The demonstration will consist of the following two subtasks:
・ Cleaning simulated urine on the toilet. The rim (top of toilet bowl), theside of toilet bowl, the toilet seat (when up), and the floor around the toilet
should be cleaned. The inside of the toilet bowl does not need to be cleaned.
・ Cleaning garbage scattered on the floor (scraps of toilet paper, toilet paper
tube, and paper cup).
A comprehensive explanation about the cleaning task is included in Section
3.
In addition, the proposed system must contribute to energy saving in general
and/or to the reduction of the staff workload that leads to energy saving inconvenience stores.

Infrastructure installation area

Note: The backside of the toilet bowl (W390x H480 x D270 mm) has pipes and otherfixtures.

Figure 1. Restroom area layout

2. Flow of the Competition Task
The flow of the task in the mandatory order is:(1) Renovation time (participants install their equipment)(2) Setting time (time for judges to set up)(3) Cleaning demonstration (time for the robot to perform the tasksautonomously)(2) is the time for the judges to prepare for the task, so it does not count toward
the time allotted for the competition. Each team will have a maximum of 15
minutes to complete (1) and (3). Participants can allocate the time to thesetwo phases as they prefer.

2.1. Renovation Time
Participants will install their infrastructure inside the infrastructure
installation area, and place their mobile robot in a designated spot outside
the restroom or in an initial position anywhere inside the infrastructure
installation area. Participants should inform the judges when they finish
their renovations or if renovations are not required.
For this task, a maximum of 10 team members may enter the store.

2.2. Setting Time
After the renovations, the judges will set up the simulated urine and scattertrash. After the judges confirm that these preparations are complete, theywill declare the start of the demonstration. This time does not count toward
the total time.

2.3. Cleaning Demonstration
Participants will input the start command into the system that controls themobile robot and the infrastructure. After the cleaning work is done within
the allotted time, the mobile robot and infrastructure should return to theirinitial positions, or remove themselves from the toilet and floor.
After the system operation starts, participants are not allowed to control
the robot or to take any actions that will influence the operation of the system.
Any team that manipulates the operation of the system will be withdrawn
from the task at that point.
However, participants can decide to retry the task as described in Section

3.4, if continuing the demonstration is deemed difficult due to system
malfunction.
If the demonstration is not completed within the allotted time, a time-up
will be declared and the score will be purely for reference i.e., it will be a zeroscore. However, if there are many teams with the same score, the reference
points will be used to determine superiority.

3. Details of the Challenge
The challenge will have a maximum score of 100 points:・ Cleaning the simulated urine: 50 points
・ Cleaning the garbage: 50 points

3.1. Cleaning the Simulated Urine
Judges disperse simulated urine (about 300 ml) around the restroom byspraying it into the toilet bowl with the toilet seat open using a sprayer(peeing boy statue), as shown in Figure 2. The simulated urine is watercolored with water-based paint (scheduled to be blue).
Images will be taken to record the state of the restroom before spraying thesimulated urine as well as before and after cleaning, and the removal rate of
the simulated urine will be measured. The full 50 points will be given toparticipants with a 100% removal rate. Points will be deducted if thesimulated urine is further spread or the contents of the paper cup (asexplained in Section 3.2) spills out. The simulated urine left in the restroom
area after scoring will be cleaned by the venue staff.

Pipes

Toilet bowl

Figure 2. Sprayer and toilet bowl position

3.2. Cleaning the Garbage
Judges will randomly scatter a total of 5 pieces of garbage on the floor: 3
scraps of toilet paper (5-cm long maximum), 1 toilet paper tube, and 1 paper
cup. A small amount of liquid (scheduled to be blue) will be inside the cup,and it will have a lid with a drinking spout affixed to the top. The garbage
may be wet due to the spray of simulated urine. If the garbage is placed in agarbage can or stored inside the mobile robot, it will be deemed as cleaned.

Participants are allowed to decide the shape of the garbage can. The garbage
can can be placed in the mobile robot and/or in the infrastructure installation
area. 10 points will be awarded for each piece of garbage that is cleaned(maximum of 50 points).

3.3. Interrupting the Cleaning Task due to a Customer Intervention
During the cleaning, a customer (role-played by a judge) will try to use therestroom. The system must register the request to use the restroom via aswitch (e.g., a push button). Upon this request, the robot must immediately
stop cleaning and restore the infrastructure and the mobile robot to the initial
position, or remove itself from the toilet and floor to restore the conditions inwhich the toilet can be used. The judge will check the status of the restroom
space and push the switch again. After that, cleaning may continue.
Participants must supply the switch and install it near the door of the toilet.

3.4. Retry
Participants can ask the judges to terminate the demonstration in order toretry the task if the system malfunctions and continuing the demonstration
is deemed difficult.
However, the clock will continue to run while the demonstration is stopped.
Furthermore, the mobile robot and infrastructure will be returned to theirinitial state. The points awarded for cleaning the simulated urine will be areference score. In other words, cleaning will be considered as zero points andmultiple participants with the same score will be determined superior orinferior based on the removal rate. Participants will keep the points alreadyearned for pieces of garbage that have been cleared, and the garbage still left
to be cleared will be returned to its position before the demonstration wasstopped. Then, the task will resume.

4. Specifications and Restrictions
4.1. Standard Toilet Bowl
The standard toilet bowl and toilet seat installed at the venue are as follows:・ Toilet bowl: TOTO Pure Rest QR
・ Toilet seat: Standard toilet seat for above
The simulated urine will be sprayed while the toilet seat is up.

4.2. Original Toilet Bowl
Participants can use a toilet bowl that has a unique geometry or functionality
instead of the standard toilet bowl. However, the original toilet bowl mustsatisfy the following requirements.
・ It is white in color
・・・・・・

It can be flushed, and can hold water
It can handle both stool and urine
The toilet seat can be lowered to sit on it.
The height of the toilet seat is approximately 400 mm from the floor.
The toilet bowl accommodates men to urinate while standing.
The toilet must have a projected area of approximately W370 x D530 mm
protruding from the floor.

4.3. Floor
The floor will be a white vinyl chloride sheet.

4.4. Mobile Robot and Infrastructure Restrictions
4.4.1. Hardware Restrictions
・ The mobile robot and the infrastructure must not use any parts that areblue or emit light. If emitting light is unavoidable, the light must be
turned off or physically covered while the judge is evaluating the restroom.
・ There are no restrictions for the number of mobile robots.
・ Each mobile robot must occupy less than 1 m x 1 m of floor space and all
mobile robots must fit into an area of 2 m x 2 m.
・ The initial position of mobile robots must fit in the infrastructure
installation area, if the mobile robots will be placed inside such area.
・ The initial position of infrastructure must be within the infrastructure
installation area.

・ Infrastructure may not be set up outside the toilet area.
・ Some lightweight sensors may be allowed to be installed at a height ofapproximately 2 m, but this must be approved by the competitioncommittee. Details will be announced at a later date.
・ Mobile robots and infrastructure may not have an external supply ofwater. However, a total of one liter of water may be carried inside for therobot to use.
・ The use of cleansers or cleaning substances is prohibited.
4.4.2. Software Restrictions
・ The robots and infrastructure must operate autonomously after the startof the task. However, participants may monitor the internal statusremotely to know the state of their system.
・ Mobile robots are prohibited from moving outside of the convenience store.
・ After cleaning, the mobile robot must leave the restroom area or returnto the infrastructure installation area. Infrastructure must return to theinfrastructure area. If the mobile robot and/or infrastructure remain, it isconsidered as time up
4.4.3. Energy Source Restrictions
・ Participants should prepare an energy source for their robots.
・ A power supply within AC100V/1500W is planned as the energy sourcefor participants to use.
・ Any energy source deemed to be dangerous or inappropriate for use will
not be allowed.
4.4.4. Venue Restrictions
・ Participants are prohibited from intentionally flooding, dirtying, ordamaging the convenience store or restroom area.
・ Infrastructure must be removed immediately after the task ends to returnthe venue to its original state.
・ A beam will be installed 2 m above the floor and below the ceiling in thetoilet area. Lightweight measuring devices can be mounted into the beam.
However, equipment mounted on the beam must not interfere with theoperations of the camera used to measure the simulated urine.
・ The convenience store has no ceiling or walls.

4.4.5. Safety Restrictions
・ Systems must have an emergency stop switch.
・ The emergency stop switch must be separate from the switch used to start
the system.
・ The emergency stop switch must be located in a place where it can besafely pressed while the system is in motion, or activated remotely.
・ When activating the emergency stop remotely, only a wired push-button
emergency stop switch may be used, and it must be located more than 1.5m away.
・ If the emergency stop switch is pressed, all of the movable parts includedin the system must immediately stop operating.
・ The design must prevent the system from tipping over at all times,including during an emergency stop.
・ Measures must be taken to shield any area with a danger of pinching thearms and legs of people in the vicinity.
・・・・

Hot areas and sharp edges must not protrude.
Energy sources utilizing fire or high temperatures are prohibited.
Any laser used in the system must be class 1 or lower.
Products and parts of robots must not eject anything.

5. OtherThis rulebook is subject to change without notice．