FUTURE

INNOVATORS
BUILD AND PROGRAM
A ROBOT THAT SOLVES
TASKS ON A FIELD

AGE GROUPS:
10-12 / 13-15 / 16-19

NRC 2024
EARTH ALLIES
 NRC Future Innovators– General Rules

Table of Contents
Updates on the general rules from 2023 to 2024 ........... Error! Bookmark not defined.
PART 1 – GENERAL RULES ........................................................................................ 3
1. General information ........................................................................................... 3
2. Team and Age Groups definitions .................................................................... 4
3. Responsibilities and team’s own work ............................................................. 4
4. Game documents and rule hierarchy ............................................................... 5
5. Robotic solution & project booth ...................................................................... 5
6. Additional materials ........................................................................................... 6
7. Presentation & Judging ..................................................................................... 8
8. Judging process at the International Final....................................................... 9
9. Awards and recognition at International Final ..... Error! Bookmark not defined.
10. Glossary .................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
PART 2 – SCORING SHEETS..................................................................................... 10
PART 3 – TEMPLATE PROJECT REPORT................................................................ 13

In addition, please note that during the season there might be clarifications or additions to the
rules by the official NRC Telegram Group. The answers are seen as addition to the rules. You
can find the updates here: http://t.me/nrc_malaysia
 NRC Future Innovators– General Rules

PART 1 – GENERAL RULES

1. General information

Introduction
In the NRC Future Innovators category teams develop a robot that helps solve real-world
problems. There is a new theme every year, often connected to the UN Sustainable
Development Goals. After research into the theme each team develops an innovative and
functioning robotic solution. They present their project on the competition day.

Focus Areas
Every NRC category has a special focus on learning with robots. In the NRC Future Innovators
category, students will focus on developing in the following areas:

- Research and development: identify a specific problem within the season theme,
research and come up with a creative solution.
- Prototyping: turning your idea into a functional robot solution.
- Technical engineering skills: implementing a robotic solution while using different source
of materials (controllers, motors, sensors, 3rd party equipment etc.).
- Software engineering skills: developing a code that supports the robotic solution (e.g.,
using sensors, interaction between multiple devices).
- Innovation: Think about potential users, the impact and how you could turn your
prototype into reality.
- Presentation skills: Prepare a project booth and present the idea to judges & audience.
- Teamwork, communication, problem solving, creativity.

Age-appropriate judging
All teams in this category are judged on several criteria that fit in three scoring rubrics. The
scoring rubrics have a slightly different weight / importance for the different age groups (e.g., for
younger students there is more focus on the presentation, for older students there is more
focus on innovation and technical aspects).

Learning is most important

NRC wants to inspire students around the world for STEM related subjects and we want the
students to develop their skills through playful learning in our competitions.
 NRC Future Innovators– General Rules

2. Team and Age Groups definitions

2.1. A team consists of 3 students.

2.2. A team is guided by a teacher.
2.3. 1 team member and 1 coach are not considered a team and cannot participate.
2.4. A team may only participate in one of the NRC categories in a season.
2.5. A student may only participate in one team.
2.6. Teachers may work with more than one team.
2.7. The age groups in Future Innovators competitions are:
2.7.1. Primary: students 10-12 years old (in season 2024: born years 2012-2014)
2.7.2. Lower Secondary: students 13-15 years old (in season 2024: born years 2009-2011)
2.7.3. Upper Secondary: students 16-19 years old (in season 2024: born years 2005-2008)

3. Responsibilities and team’s own work

3.1. A team should behave fairly and be respectful towards other teams, teachers, judges
and competition organizers.
3.2. The booth decoration and presentation of the project in it should be designed and built
by the team, not by the coach or others. A coach or others may only help or guide in any
technical issues that teams have while preparing the booth (especially for younger kids).
We expect a more professional style of decoration and information from older students
than from younger students. Judges will consider whether the booth and presentation is
delivered at a level appropriate to the age of the team when scoring.
3.3. If any of the rules mentioned in this document are broken or violated, the judges can
decide on one or more of the following consequences. Before a decision is reached, a
team or individual team members may be interviewed to find out more about the
possible violation of the rules. The interview can include questions about the robot or the
program.
3.3.1. A team may get up to a 50% reduced score for one or more judging rounds.
3.3.2. A team may not qualify for the national / international final.
3.3.3. A team may be disqualified completely from the competition immediately.
 NRC Future Innovators– General Rules

4. Game documents and rule hierarchy

4.1. Every year, NRC publishes a new version of the general rules for this category including
the season challenge and the scoring sheets for the different age groups. These rules
are the basis for all international NRC events.
4.2. During a season, NRC may publish additional Question & Answers (Q&As) that can
clarify, extend or re-define rules in game and general rule documents. Teams should
read these Q&As before the competition.
4.3. At the competition day, the following rule hierarchy applies:
4.3.1. General rule document provides the basis for rules in this category.
4.3.2. Questions & Answers (Q&As) can override rules in the general rule document.
4.3.3. The judges on the competition day have the final word in any decision.

5. Robotic solution & project booth

5.1. Teams in this category build a robotic solution inspired by the theme of the season (see
PART 3). A robotic solution has the following characteristics:
5.1.1. The solution is a robotic device that has several mechanisms, sensors and actuators
and is operated with one or more controller(s). A robotic device should do more than
a machine that is only repeating a certain workflow and should make autonomous
decisions.
5.1.2. Avoid using manufactured, on the market robots or mechanisms to ensure you get
more points for self-built designs in the Robotics Solution section of the scoresheet. If
it makes sense to use an on the market mechanism or robot in your solution, explain
your choice.
5.1.3. The solution can use one or multiple robot devices. Every robot should work
autonomously and not be operated by a remote control. Any remote controlled or
additional devices are only allowed if this is connected to the solution for the real
world (e.g. interacting with humans). If multiple robots are used, they should ideally
communicate with each other (digitally or mechanically).
5.1.4. The solution should be innovative and should help humans in their daily life. They
can replace certain parts of human tasks or make it possible to do things we could
not do before. Teams should always think about the effect it will have on people and
society if robots help or replace humans.
5.1.5. The robot solution presented can be a model of what the solution would look like in
real life. However, this model should demonstrate as closely as possible the
performance and functions and scale to the actual robot if it would be produced,
especially in the older age groups.
 NRC Future Innovators– General Rules

5.2. There is no restriction on the use of controllers, motors, sensors, or any other building
equipment the team needs to create their robotic solution and project booth; however,
the main project final project must be operated or controlled by the LEGO® Education
NXT/EV3/SPIKE™ Prime intelligent brick/ hub. It should not be the intention to use as
much materials as possible. The judges will base their scoring on the project idea
connected with a meaningful use of materials for every robotic solution.
5.3. Teams can use any software / programming language to code the robotic solution. All
software / code that is used for the solution must be coded by the team itself or must be
readily available to everyone (e.g. free open source tools).
5.4. Teams present their project and their robotic solution in a project booth (or other defined
area) that is the same size for all teams at the tournament.
5.5. To explain their thinking to visitors, the team should use their booth to present
information about their project in addition to showcasing their robotic solution.
(Information about the team, the research, the development of the solution, etc.) There
is no pre-described format for presenting the information, the team can use posters,
displays or other materials.
5.6. A team must be able to demonstrate all aspects of the robotic solution within the booth.
The team may be outside (in front) of the booth to present their solution.
5.7. Teams will be provided with the option of using a table.
5.7.1. If a team uses the table, the table must be placed inside the project booth.
5.8. The use of fire or mist is prohibited for safety reasons (e.g. to prevent legionnaires’
disease). If you need to use liquids for your project, please check with the venue and
competition organizer before the event. The use of liquids may be restricted to water
only or may be forbidden completely pending on the regulations associated with the
event. If fire, mist or liquids are important for your solution, think about other ways to
showcase it in your video and in your project booth.
5.9. It is permitted to develop a project from a previous year; however, the team should
describe how this project is clearly different or more evolved from the previous project in
their report.

6. Additional materials

6.1. The overall judging in this category is based on the robotic solution itself, the
presentation on the competition day (information given by the team and presented in the
booth) and the following additional materials:
6.1.1. Project report (see 6.5).
6.1.2. Project video (see 0).
6.2. The project report and video is mandatory for all teams in all competitions.
 NRC Future Innovators– General Rules

6.3. Additional materials must be submitted on the competition day, giving the judges
enough time to prepare. The competition organizer will announce the submission
deadline.
6.4. On the competition day the team should bring a minimum of 2 printed project reports,
one to hand over to the judges and one viewing copy for interested visitors.
6.5. The project report has the following requirements:

Goal Help the judges understand the project and prepare questions for the
judging session.
Maximum number 20 pages single sided (10 pages double sided), including
of pages attachments, not including front-page, table of contents and list of
sources. Longer reports will not be judged and will result in a score of
zero points.
File type PDF
Maximum file size 15 MB
Content structure • Team introduction and roles (max. 1 page)
• Summary project idea (max. 1 page)
• Presentation of the robotic solution (max. 12 pages including
photos of your robotic solution and/or screenshots from the
coding):
o Evolution of project idea during the preparation
o Research into similar ideas that are available (if any)
o Construction of the solution
o Coding of the solution
o Challenges during the development process
• Social impact & innovation (max. 6 pages):
o Impact of your solution on (local/global) society
(include possible negative effects)
o One tried, practical use case of your idea
o Junior & Senior age group only: Answer the other
questions for this area that are asked in the scoring
sheet for these age groups.

IMPORTANT NOTE: For the Primary age group the chapter about the
robotic solution should be max. 15 pages, the chapter on social impact
& innovation max. 3 pages.
Language The report must be done in English.
Expectation The project report should be made by the team only, not by the coach
or others. A coach or others may only help or guide in any technical
issues that teams have while preparing the report (especially for
younger kids). We expect a more professional style of document,
language and wording from older students than from younger
students. Judges will consider whether the report is delivered at a
level appropriate to the age of the team when scoring.
Template A project report template is added to this document (Part 3)
 NRC Future Innovators– General Rules

6.6. The project video has the following requirements:

Goal Present the team and the robotic solution to the general public.
Demonstrate how the robotic solution works.
The video is also a guide for the judges, it gives you some extra time
to present your robot solution.
Maximum length 90 seconds (1.5 minutes).
of the video
File type .avi, .mpeg, .wmv, .mp4
Maximum file size 100 MB
Goal In the video the team shows their robotic solution while it is
running. The team can do this in the real-world environment.
The team should not repeat everything they have written in the report.
Teams should briefly introduce themselves and the project idea, but
the main part of the video should show how the robotic solution works.
Expectation The video should be done by the team, not by the coach or others. A
coach or others may only help or guide with regard to any technical
issues that teams have while preparing the video (especially for
younger students). Judges will consider whether the video is delivered
at a level appropriate to the age of the team when scoring.
Please note: Judges do not expect a professional video production. It
is completely acceptable if teams just use a mobile device (e.g.
smartphone, tablet) to capture the video in one go.

7. Presentation & Judging

7.1. Teams in this category need to go through the following process on the competition day:
7.1.1. Setting up their project booth and testing of the robotic solution
7.1.2. Inspection of the booth (e.g. check for booth size)
7.1.3. Presentation of the robotic solution in one or multiple judging sessions (see 7.2).
7.2. Each judging session takes 5 minutes. Judges will form groups of 2-3 judges and visit
teams at their booth. First, the team has 5 minutes to present the project idea and
demonstrate the robotic solution live at the project booth. Judges will keep time and stop
the team after 5min. Then, judges will ask questions about the project and the robot
solution.
7.3. In general, teams must maintain a presence within the team’s booth during competition
hours in order to present to members of the general public but, of course, the team
should take a look at other projects and ideas as well.
7.4. A team should inform themselves of the schedule of the competition day and should be
present at their booth in time for a judging session. The team must make sure that the
booth is ready, and the robotic solution is on stand-by for a live presentation before the
judges arrive.
 NRC Future Innovators– General Rules

7.5. If a robotic solution does not function during a judging session the judges will see if they
can come back at a later time and/or the team can demonstrate the solution in the next
judging session.
7.6. Judges will prepare themselves for the competition by reviewing the report and video. In
addition, at least one judging meeting will take place in the morning of, or the days
before the competition. Here, the judges will discuss the judging process and will align
on a joint understanding of the scoring sheets.
7.7. Judges will always view the performance of the team during the judging session and
during the full event. Judges can deduct points on situations outside of a judging
session as well, e.g. if the judges see that the coach is doing the work of a team.

8. Judging process
8.1. Judges are divided in groups of 2 or 3 persons.
8.2. Judging Phase 1: Teams are judged once or several times by different judging groups.
Not every judging group can see a presentation of every team, because there are
multiple judging groups at the event.
8.2.1. All scores of all judging groups will be entered in the Scoring System. Then the
average scoring of all judges for a team will be used to determine the first ranking.
8.3. Judging Phase 2:
8.3.1. The first ranking will be discussed in a judge’s deliberation round. Information from
the judging groups is shared, the team documentation and video are considered
again and if needed teams will be visited by a judge group again to get additional
information.
8.3.2. Based on the points received in phase 2 and the thorough discussion described
above, the final ranking of the top teams is determined by the judges.
 NRC Future Innovators– General Rules

PART 2 – SCORING SHEETS

WRO Future Innovators - Elementary

Project

Team

Judge

Score max
Criteria
0-10* points

Idea, Quality & Creativity 30

PROJECT & Research & Report 15

INNOVATION Usage of the idea 15
Key Innovation & Slogan 10
TOTAL 70

Robotic Solution 30

ROBOTIC Meaningful use of engineering concepts 10

SOLUTION Code Efficiency & Software Automation 10
Demonstration of Robotic Solution 15
TOTAL 65

Presentation & Project booth 30

PRESENTATION
& TEAM SPIRIT Technical Understanding & Quick Thinking 15
Team Spirit 20
TOTAL 65

Maximum Points 200

Comments:

* Judges give a score from 0-10. For example, if a judge scores "Idea, Quality & Creativity" with a 5, then the team will get
5/10 * 30 = 15 points for this criterion.

© WRO Association, 2022

 NRC Future Innovators– General Rules

WRO Future Innovators - Junior

Project

Team

Judge

Score max
Criteria
0-10* points

Idea, Quality & Creativity 30

Research & Report 15
PROJECT & Social Impact & Need 10
INNOVATION
Key Innovation & Slogan 10
Extra element of entrepreneurship
10
a) Cost structure, b) Revenue Stream, c) Key Resources, d) Partners
TOTAL 75

Robotic Solution 30

ROBOTIC Meaningful use of engineering concepts 15

SOLUTION
Code Efficiency & Software Automation 10
Demonstration of Robotic Solution 15
TOTAL 70

Presentation & Project booth 25

PRESENTATION
& TEAM SPIRIT
Technical Understanding & Quick Thinking 15
Team Spirit 15
TOTAL 55

Maximum Points 200

Comments:

* Judges give a score from 0-10. For example, if a judge scores "Idea, Quality & Creativity" with a 5, then the team will get
5/10 * 30 = 15 points for this criterion.

© WRO Association, 2022

 NRC Future Innovators– General Rules

WRO Future Innovators - Senior

Project

Team

Judge

Score max
Criteria
0-10* points

Idea, Quality & Creativity 20

Research & Report 15
Social Impact & Need 10
PROJECT &
INNOVATION Key Innovation & Slogan 10
Extra element of entrepreneurship
10
a) Cost structure, b) Revenue Stream, c) Key Resources, d) Partners
Next Steps & Prototype Development 10
TOTAL 75

Robotic Solution 30

ROBOTIC Meaningful use of engineering concepts 15

SOLUTION
Code Efficiency & Software Automation 10
Demonstration of Robotic Solution 15
TOTAL 70

Presentation & Project booth 25

PRESENTATION
& TEAM SPIRIT
Technical Understanding & Quick Thinking 15
Team Spirit 15
TOTAL 55

Maximum Points 200

Comments:

* Judges give a score from 0-10. For example, if a judge scores "Idea, Quality & Creativity" with a 5, then the team will get
5/10 * 20 = 10 points for this criterion.

© WRO Association, 2022

 NRC Future Innovators– General Rules

PART 3 – TEMPLATE PROJECT REPORT

• PDF, max 15 MB
• Max. 20 pages single sided (10 pages double sided), including attachments, not
including front-page, table of contents and list of sources.
• Please note: longer reports cannot be taken into consideration for the judges scoring!

Elementary Junior/Senior
Front page – for international final an official template will be
shared
Table of Contents
Team presentation max. 1 page max. 1 page
Let us know a bit more about your team.
Who are in the team? Where are you from? How have you divided the tasks in the team?
Add a picture of your team.
Summary project idea max. 1 page max. 1 page
Describe your project and solution in an “executive summary”. If someone would only
Share all the information your readers and important stakeholders need to know.
What is the problem your project is solving and why did you choose this problem?
How is the robotic solution going to solve the problem you established?
What is the value of your robotic solution? What would happen if it would be used in real life?
Why is your project important?
Presenting robotic solution max. 15 max. 12 pages
pages
Describe your robotic solution and how you have developed it.
General aspects:
How did you come up with this idea? What other ideas did you investigate?
Did you find similar ideas being available? What is different about your solution?
Technical aspects:
Describe the mechanical construction of the solution
Describe the coding of the solution
Did you face any challenges during the development process?
Social impact & Innovation max. 3 pages max. 6 pages
Describe the impact of your solution for society.
Who will it help? How important is it?
Give a concrete example of how/where your idea could be used.(Think about who would use and
ow many people would benefit from it.)
Lower & Upper secondary age group only:
Describe more about the innovation and entrepreneurship
aspects of your project (see scoring criteria).
You could use the concept of a business model canvas to explain
aspects of your project as a start-up idea. It is not important that
you fill all parts of this canvas, you could only fill the parts where
you feel they are most relevant for your project.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Model_Canvas

List of sources
Make a list of the documents and – reliable - websites you have used for your research and the
people you have spoken with.
 NRC 2024 - Future Innovators - Mission

Earth Allies

INTRODUCTION

As human beings we have a strong connection with the world around us, even though we
sometimes forget it in our modern lives. We rely on the Earth for food, energy, and many things
we use every day. We also need to deal with natural events that can be destructive. Robots
can help us live in places where nature is dangerous or harsh, and they can also assist us in
living a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

Your robot mission:

For the 2024 WRO Future Innovators category, teams have the task to develop a robot
model which helps people to live in harmony with nature. Teams may choose one of the
two areas (1, 2) to work on, but they can also choose to work on a project that focuses on a
combination of the two areas.

Area 1 – Sustainable Future

Humans have always invented new things, and the industrial revolution has made goods and
technology widely available, while also increasing the industrialization of our food production.
However, we now recognize that we have been harming our planet in the process. We
understand the need for change, but we also like our modern way of life. Who would want to
return to a time when we had to grow all our own food and did not have electricity? And who
would want to live without the internet, sneakers and robots?

If we want to keep the earth liveable for the coming generations, we need to live our modern
life in a green and sustainable way. We need to explore green alternatives for the products we
use in our daily life, and we need to adopt environmentally friendly technologies. Robots can
play a significant role in this process.

Can your team develop a robot model helps to make a part of our modern lifestyle more
sustainable?
 NRC 2024 - Future Innovators - Mission

Area 2 – The Force of Nature

Humans have always settled in areas that offer favourable opportunities. People live on the
side of active volcanoes because the soil is fertile there. Cities have emerged near rivers or
the sea because they offer trading possibilities, even when there is a risk of flooding. And
sometimes people find themselves living in regions with natural threats such as earthquakes,
cyclones, droughts, and forest fires.

We cannot prevent these natural phenomena from occurring, so we must discover ways to
coexist with them. Modern technology has helped us in predicting and understanding certain
disasters, allowing us to prepare and save lives. Robots can enhance our capabilities to
predict natural threats and can help prevent excess damage, as they can perform tasks
beyond human capacity. And robots can assist in the process of rebuilding since we need to
accept that natural disasters cannot always be avoided. Robots can enable humans to
continue living in areas where natural phenomena pose a potential threat.

Can your team develop a robot model that can help to prevent damage from natural
disasters or work to recover from their impact on our living spaces?

For the sub-themes mentioned above (Sustainable Future and The Force of Nature) you can
find a connection and inspiration using the Sustainable Development Goals.

- Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

- Goal 13: Climate Action
- Goal 15: Life on Land

You can look at the UN website to understand the goals in detail:

https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/