LEGO Animal Allies User Manual

2016/2017 Robot Game

Field Setup

Material

Quantity

Challenge Set (Mission Model LEGO elements, Mat, Dual Lock™)

1

Sanded plywood (or other very smooth board) 96” X 48” X at least 3/8” (2438mm X 1219mm X 10mm)

1

*two-by-three, 8” (2438mm) [actual cross-section = 1-1/2” X 2-1/2” (38mm X 64mm)]

6

Flat black paint

1 pt. (1/2 L)

Coarse drywall screws, 2-1/2” (64mm)

½ lb. (1/4 kg)

Saw horses, about 24” (610mm high and 36” (914mm) wide

2

Dummy Wall: All Robot Games have a “shared”

Mission, whose Mission Model(s) rest partly on
your Table, and partly on the other team’s Table,
which is connected to your Table’s north side.
You don’t need to build a second table, but you
do need to build the necessary part of the other
team’s Table, so the shared Mission Model(s)
can be positioned correctly. Here are the
instructions for building one Practice Table,

including its Dummy Wall:

ASSEMBLY

STEP 1: See which face of the plywood (A) is least smooth, and consider that the bottom face. On the bottom face,

clamp, then screw on the stiffeners (D) about every 18” (457mm). Be sure screw heads and splinters don’t protrude.

STEP 2: On the top face of the plywood, locate, clamp, and screw on the Border Walls (B,C) around the top

perimeter.

•The inside wall-to-wall dimensions must measure 93±1/8” by 45±1/8” (2362±3mm by 1143±3mm).

•The height of B and C must measure between 2-1/2” (64mm) and 3-1/2” (90mm).

•Ball order Walls must be the same height as each other on all Tables at a tournament. Border heights at a

tournament may be different than those on your practice Table.

TABLE CONSTRUCTION

The Robot Game takes place on a Table with
specific features, so you’ll need to build one to
practice on if you don’t already have access to one.
With weight, height, simplicity and cost in mind, a
simple design is offered here, but as long as as your
surface is smooth, and your Border Walls are sized
and located properly, how you build the
understructure is up to you. The construction is
simple, but does require some wood-working skill.

At a tournament, two Tables are placed back to
back, but you only operate on one Table, so you only

need to build one Table to practice on.

2016/2017 Robot Game Field Setup

The Field is where the Robot Game takes place.

• It consists of a Field Mat on a Table with Border Walls, with Mission Models arranged on top.

• The Field Mat and the LEGO® elements for building the Mission Models are part of your Challenge Set.

• The instructions for building the Mission Models can be found at: http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge#animal-allies

• The instructions for how to build the Table and how to arrange everything on it are below…

*NOTE: Tables with “two-by-four” walls are legal and common, but we’re slowly phasing them out at tournaments. You may make your Practice Tables
with two-by-four walls, but you must be prepared to play on tables whose walls could range in height anywhere between 2-1/2” (64mm) and

3-1/2” (90mm), as shown in the diagram below.

MATERIALS

Part

Make From

Dimensions

Paint

Quantity

Table surface (A)

plywood

96” X 48” (2438mm X 1219mm)

no

1

long Border Wall (B)

two-by-three

96” (2438mm)

yes

3

Short Border Wall (C)

two-by-three

45” (1143mm)

yes

2

*stiffener (D)

two-by-three

48” (1219mm)

no

4

saw horse

purchase

H ≈ 24” (610mm) W ≈ 36” (914mm)

no

2

PARTS

* If you are using a table surface thicker than ½” (13mm) check for warpage/distortion – you may not need stiffeners.

FIELD MAT PLACEMENT
STEP 1: Vacuum the table top. Even the tiniest particle under the Mat can give the Robot trouble. After vacuuming,

carefully run your hand over the surface and sand or file down any protruding imperfections you find. Then vacuum
again.
STEP 2: On the vacuumed surface (never unroll the Mat in an area where it could pick up particles), unroll the Mat
so the image is up and its north edge is near the north/double Border Wall (note the location of the double wall in
each Table sketch below.) Be very careful to not let the Mat kink from bending in two directions at once.
STEP 3: The Mat is smaller than the playing surface by design. Slide and align it so that there is no gap between
the south edge of the Mat and the south Border Wall, then center the mat east-west, with equal gaps at left and
right.
STEP 4: With help from others, pull the Mat at opposite ends and massage out any waviness away from the center
and re-check the requirement of Step 3. It is expected that some waviness will persist, but that should relax over
time. Some teams use a hair dryer to speed the relaxation of the waviness.
STEP 5: [OPTIONAL] To hold the Mat in place, you may use a thin strip of black tape at the east and west ends.
Where the tape sticks to the Mat, it may cover the Mat’s black border only. Where the tape sticks to the Table, it
may stick to the horizontal surface only, and not the Border Walls.

STEP 6: For a competition setup, Dummy Walls are not needed. Secure two Tables north-to-north. The total span

of Border between two Tables must measure between 3” (76mm) and 4” (100mm)

STEP 3: Place this table top on short saw horses (or milk crates, or anything else short and
solid.)

TABLE

TOURNAMENT

PRACTICE TABLE