WRS Future Convenience Store Challenge
2020
Stocking and Disposing Tasks
Rulebook
2019/04/24

Revision History
April 24, 2019
 First Draft

0. Terminology
TermDefinition

Mobile RobotA robot that can move autonomously.

Infrastructure(Robot)

Unique infrastructure that can be installed insideconvenience stores to assist in the robot’s tasks. Thisequipment includes markings, IC tags, sensors,actuators, and auxiliary tools to attach to products, etc.
Infrastructure made up of sensors and actuators canalso be seen as stationary robots

Manipulator

Robot arms, end effectors, and other equipment that
execute operations which can be installed on a mobile
robot or as part of the infrastructure.

ProductProducts found at a convenience store.

Customer

Person who visits the store to purchase products.

Container

Container used to hold and transport multiple
products. A container may also be called a “carton.”

ProductArea

Display Section of the convenience store with display cases orbookshelves installed.

Cashier Area

Section of the convenience store with the cashiercounter installed.

Eat-in Area

Section of the convenience store where customers caneat and so on.

Restroom Area

Section of the convenience store with the toilet
installed (Abbreviation: Restroom)．

Aisle Area

Section of the convenience store for customers androbots to come and go (Abbreviation: Aisle).

Backyard Area

Area of the convenience store where customers are notallowed (Abbreviation: Backyard)

Playground

Area where children and others can play. Locatedoutdoors.

Home Area

Standby station of the mobile robot. Located within theBackyard Area

Display Case

Cases for displaying products and for collecting
disposal items. Multiple products are mixed in thiscase initially.

Chief Judge

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

Assistant Judge

The assistant to the judge who performs measurement
scoring and watches for violations, etc.

Operator

The person who performs the starting operation in thecompetition field. After finishing the operation, theoperator leaves the competition field.

Safety Observer

The person who manages the safety of the system
within the competition field. Performs operations suchas emergency stop. May double as the operator.

1. Overview
This challenge aims to develop technology to automate the stocking ofproducts and collection of disposal items at a convenience store. Participantsin this competitive task will develop a robot that autonomously moves andperforms these tasks as well as infrastructure to install inside of theconvenience store. In this challenge, participants will use the robots andinfrastructure they develop to compete at accurately performing stocking anddisposal demonstrations in a simulated convenience store.
The layout of the store is provided in a separate document. In this challenge,
participants use the backyard area, the home station, aisles, and display
cases.
The following tasks will be performed in the demonstration:
・Place the products stored in the container located in the home station into
the designated place on the display case.
・Straighten the products positioned in the display case already whilecollecting disposal items and carrying the disposal items to the homestation.
In addition, the proposed system must contribute to energy saving in general,or to work efficiency.

2. Flow of the Competition Task
The flow of the task is:(1) Renovation time (Participants install their equipment)(2) Setting Time (Time for judges to set up)(3) Stocking and disposal demonstration (Time for the robot system tooperate autonomously)
In that order. (2) is a time for the judges to prepare for the task, so it doesn’t
count towards the time allotted for the competition. Each team will have amaximum of fifteen minutes to complete (1) and (3). Participants candistribute the time to each phase as they prefer2.1. Renovation Time
Participants will be able to do the following three tasks. Up to ten people
may enter the convenience store to do this work.
(a) Product receipt and renovation
Once renovation time begins, participants will receive two containers. One
will contain the products for the display case task (hereinafter, the display
case container) and it will contain six types of products, and eight total
products. Another container will hold the products for the disposal producttask (hereinafter the disposal product container) and it will contain six typesof products, and twelve total products. Participants can alter the products asnecessary by adding infrastructure and so on. The products for the display
case should be returned to the display case container or placed in a display
case container supplied by the team, and placed in any location within thehome area (the initial position for the demonstration). The disposal products
should be returned to their container and passed back to the judges.
(b) Renovating the store
Participants can install infrastructure within the convenience store asnecessary, replace the display cases, and so on. No infrastructure may beinstalled outside the convenience store.
(c) Place the mobile robot and prepare to start
Place the mobile robot in the home area along with the display casecontainer, and standby to start the system.

Once all the work is done, participants must exit the store and end theirrenovation time to stop the timer. After that, only the operator and the safety
observer (one person each) will be permitted to enter the convenience store.

2.2. Setting Time
The chief judge will announce the six products that will be disposal targets.
The operator, under the supervision of the assistant judge, will enter labels
for the system to identify the disposal products. Then, the judge will take thetwelve items in the disposal product container and place them in the displaycase.

2.3. Product stocking and disposal product collection demonstration
After the chief judge announces the start of the demonstration, the timer
will restart.
Once the system starts, the operator will leave the convenience store, andafter that, no one is allowed to control the mobile robot or take any actions
that will influence the operation of the system. Any team that is found to havemanipulated the operation of the system will be withdrawn from the task atthat point.
However, the safety monitor (one person) may stay in the convenience store
to monitor the operation and operate the emergency stop switch even during
the demonstration, but they must not get within 1.5m of the mobile robot, andthey must take care not to block the view of the judges or the spectators.
After 15 minutes has passed, or when the operator declares the task overor withdraws from the task, demonstration time will be over.

3. Details of Challenge
3.1. Display Case
The display case is made up of five shelves. The task will use the top, middle,
and bottom three shelves, and the second and fourth shelves will not be used.
The top shelf will contain plum rice balls and salmon rice balls, the middle
shelf will contain sandwiches and deli food pouches, and the bottom shelf willhold drinks and lunch boxes.

3.2. Initial Condition of the Display Case and Arranging Preexisting
Products
When the demonstration begins, there will be two each of six types of items,
for a total of twelve items on the shelf in a “not face up state.” Face up meansthat after the products are sold, the products behind them must be brought
forward to the front of the display case. Of the twelve items, six are near their
expiration date and must be collected as disposal items.
The system must check the label of each item, remove disposal items fromthe shelf, and arrange the remaining products in a face up state.
Points are earned by arranging products in their designated positions andcollecting disposal items.
・4 points are awarded for each disposal item stored in the container
・4 points are awarded for each remaining product facing up in the correct
position
If all pre-existing products are dealt with correctly a total of 48 points can beearned.

3.3. Stocking New ProductsThis imagines a situation where newly arrived products must be placed on
the shelves. The display case container placed in the home area andcontaining the products is carried to the display case and the products areplaced in their correct locations on the shelves.
The display container will contain two each of plum rice balls and salmon
rice balls, and one each of sandwiches, deli food pouches, drinks, and lunchboxes, for a total of eight items. Each product must be placed behind theproducts of the same type already on the display shelf (the lunch boxes may
be stacked)

Each correctly placed product will be worth four points. It will be possible
to earn 32 points by placing all of the products from the display case container
correctly.

3.4. Initial Positions of Mobile Robot and Display Case Container
The display case container and the mobile robot must be within the homearea as the initial state. Please note the display case container may be placedon the mobile robot.

3.5. Disposal Item Transport
Disposal item transport will be deemed a success if one or more of thedisposal items can be brought back to the home area after the disposal item
collection task is complete, which will earn five extra points.

3.6. Stopping Work when a Customer Gets Close
If a customer gets close to the display case during display work, the systemshould temporarily stop working and move away so the customer can accessthe products. If the system detects the judge acting in the role of customer, it
should quickly stop working and ensure the customer has access to theproducts as necessary.
The following functions will earn extra points if they can be demonstrated
during demonstration time.
 Temporarily stop working if a person gets within 1m of the system: 5points
 If the above temporarily stopped condition continues for apredetermined length of time (over 3 seconds), move away so thecustomer can access the products (make the display case available,
return the shelves to their normal condition): 5 points
 Resume working from the state of moving away after the human has
left (do something to the products): 5 points

3.7. Retry
If there is an abnormality during the demonstration and the emergency
stop switch is activated or the operator declares a retry, the task will bestopped, and the demonstration may be retried from the initial state. If a retry

is declared after the products in the display case have been touched, the judge
will rearrange the products in the display case.
The timer will not stop during preparations for a retry. If the demonstration
is done several times due to retry declarations, the final attempt will be theone evaluated for points.

4. Specifications and Restrictions
4.1. Products for the Task
There are six types or products for this task: plum rice balls, salmon riceballs, sandwiches, deli food pouches, drinks, and lunch boxes. Examples ofeach products are outlined below. The competition organizers will prepare theproducts. Furthermore, some of these products may not be used for thecompetitive task on the day of the competitive challenge due to changes in theproduct lineup. An alternative product with similar product specifications
will be used in the event of a change. These changes will be announced on theofficial competition website.
4.1.1. Plum Rice Balls
・ Product Name: Plum・ Outer Dimensions: Approx. H75 x W80 x D35 mm
・ Weight: Approx. 110g4.1.2. Salmon Rice Balls
・ Product Name: Red Salmon
・ Outer Dimensions: H75 x W80 x D35 mm
・ Weight: Approx. 110g
4.1.3. SandwichesProduct Name: Egg Sandwich
Outer Dimensions: Approx. H140 x W90 x D70 mm
Weight: Approx. 105g

4.1.4. Deli Food Pouch

Product Name: Hamburger SteakOuter Dimensions: Approx. H150 x W160 x D65 mm
Weight: Approx. 215g

4.1.5. Drink
・ Product Name: Café Latte (240 ml)
・ Outer Dimensions: Approx. H108 x W76 x D76 mm

・ Weight: Approx. 260g
4.1.6. Lunch Box・ Product Name: Deep-fried Chicken Lunch Box
・ Outer dimensions: Approx. H50 x W250 x D175 mm
・ Weight: Approx. 535g
4.1.7. Adding Auxiliary Tools to Products
Participants can innovate the geometry and materials of the containers andpackages of products as well as attach markings such as bar codes or IC tags
to more easily operate the manipulator. However, auxiliary tools that harm
the presentation as a product, are unsanitary, interfere with storage orstocking, or cannot be used in the microwave are prohibited. Participants
must set up auxiliary tools during the renovation time.

4.2. Container
4.2.1. Standard Container Specifications
・ Sanko SN Container C#32S・ Outer dimensions: W690 x D441 x H136 mm
・ Inner dimensions: W629 x D380 x H120 mm
4.2.2. Usage Restrictions for Unique Containers
Participants can create their own containers to use in place of the standard
containers. However, the following requirements must be satisfied:
・Products used for the stocking task must all fit inside the container.
・The containers must be able to stack.
・The size must be equivalent to the standard container (Approx. Outerdimensions: W700 x D450 x H140 [mm])4.3. Display Case
4.3.1. Standard Display Case Specifications
・・・・

Slit-type system fixture (gondola shelving)
Outer dimensions: H1500 x D454(shelf 400) x W950 mm
Five display shelves (D400xW900): approx. 200mm between shelves
The first from the bottom is the bottom shelf, the third shelf is the middle
shelf, and the fifth shelf is the top shelf.

・ The height of each shelf are, from the floor: 500mm, 700mm, 900mm,1100mm, 1300mm
・ Each shelf is transparent and has a transparent front rail to prevent
products from falling (H35mm)
・ Both sides of the display case have a side mesh4.3.2. Usage Restrictions for Unique Display Cases
Participants can create their own display cases to use as infrastructure
instead of the standard display cases. However, the following requirements
must be satisfied.
・・・・

Outer dimensions: within H2000 x D2000 x W2000 mm
Display cases must not protrude into the aisles
The display cases must have five or more shelves (D400xW900).
The minimum height of the bottom shelf is 300mm, and the maximum
height of the top shelf is 1500mm

・ The shelves must have 150 to 250mm of space between them.
・ Each shelf must be transparent, or it must be possible to see the shelf
below it if there are no products on the shelf (mesh, netting, etc.) There
must be measures in place to keep products from falling.
・ The products displayed on the shelves must be accessible to customers
・ The display case cannot be secured to the ceiling, floor, or walls of thevenue.

4.4. Mobile Robot and Infrastructure Restrictions
4.4.1. Hardware Restrictions


There are no restrictions for the number of mobile robots.
Each mobile robot must occupy less than 1m x 1m of floor space and all of
the mobile robots must fit into the home area.
A mobile robot must have a size within one square meter in its initial
position and during movement. Furthermore, the container will be seen
as one part of the robot if the container is built into the robot. However,
the robot may exceed this size temporarily while unloading the container,
stocking products, or collecting disposal items.
Infrastructure can be installed anywhere inside of the convenience store,
but different restrictions apply according to the area of the store. Please

see the documents provided for more information.
The weight of the mobile robot must be less than 100kg if it will use theeat-in area.

4.4.2. Software Restrictions


The mobile robots and infrastructure must operate autonomously after
the start of the task. However, participants may monitor the internal
status remotely to know the state of their system.
Mobile robots are prohibited from moving outside of the convenience store.

4.4.3. Energy Source Restrictions
Participants should prepare an energy source to use for their mobilerobots.
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 dirtying or damaging theconvenience store.
Infrastructure must be removed immediately after the competitive task
ends to return the venue to its original state.
The convenience store has no ceiling or walls.

4.4.5. Safety Restrictions


Systems must have an emergency stop switch in case of an emergency.
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 can be activated remotely.
When activating an emergency stop remotely, only a wired push-button
emergency stop switch may be used, and it must be located over 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 put in place to shield any area with a danger ofpinching the arms 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 inject anything.

5. Other
This rulebook is subject to change without notice.