This is an unofficial translation of the rules. The only official version of the rules in cases of misunderstanding is the Slovak version.

Micromouse category


The Competition Task

Design and build a microcomputer-controlled autonomous mobile robot (mouse) that can navigate a specified maze to the destination in the shortest possible time.

The Maze

  • The maze consists of a grid (max. 16 × 16) of unit squares measuring 18 × 18 cm. The walls of the maze are 5 cm high and 1.2 cm thick (+/- 5%). The corridors are therefore 16.8 cm wide. An outside wall encloses the entire maze.
  • The sides of the maze walls are white, and the top of the walls is red. The floor of the maze will be made of wood or a similar material, painted with a matte black finish. The surface of the top and sides of the walls should reflect infrared light, while the floor surface should absorb it.
  • The start of the maze will be located in one of the four corners. In the center of the maze, there is an open area composed of four unit squares. This central square is the destination. There is only one entrance to this destination square. It is possible that more than one path leads to the destination, and competitors should anticipate this (see examples).
  • The corners of a unit square form the so-called lattice points. The maze will be constructed such that, except for the destination, at least one wall will touch every lattice point.
  • The right-hand (or left-hand) rule can be used in the maze. Both directions may not be (and likely will not be) equivalent. However, this will certainly not be the shortest path to the destination. The intention of this simplification is to allow beginners to participate, as they usually need to focus more on the robot's construction than on the algorithm.
  • The overall dimensions of the maze will be maintained with an accuracy of 5% or 2 cm (whichever is smaller). Assembly joints on the floor should not create steps higher than 1 mm. Slope changes should not exceed 4 degrees. Gaps between adjacent walls should not be greater than 2 mm.
  • Important: At the competition, a maze consisting of only a 9 × 9 grid of unit squares will most likely be used. The start will be in the bottom-left corner, and the destination will be in the top-right four squares. However, the use of a larger maze is not excluded.

The Robot - Mouse

  • The mouse must be autonomous. It must not use an energy source based on a combustion process.
  • The length and width of the mouse must not exceed 25 cm. If the mouse changes its dimensions during operation, its footprint must never exceed 25 × 25 cm at any given moment. There is no height limit. Please also consider the dimensions of the maze and the space required for turning.
  • The mouse must not leave or drop anything in the maze during its run.
  • The mouse must not jump over, climb, scratch, or draw on the walls, nor damage or destroy the maze (please, no bulldozers!).

Robot Operation

  • The basic task is to travel from the starting square to the destination square. Such a trip is called a 'run', and the time it takes is called the 'run time'. Traveling back from the destination square to the starting square is not considered a run. The total time spent in the maze is also measured, which is limited to 5 minutes for each competitor.
  • If the mouse requires handler intervention while navigating the maze, it will be considered 'touched', and its run time will be penalized by an additional 3 seconds.
  • The shortest run time achieved by the given mouse among all its runs is evaluated.
  • When the mouse reaches the center of the maze (destination), the competitor may lift it and restart it, or it may return to the start autonomously. Lifting is, of course, considered a touch, and the competitor will receive a 3-second penalty (valid for all subsequent runs). After reaching the destination, the mouse may autonomously continue exploring the maze to find the optimal route.
  • Upon activating the mouse, the competitor must not have the ability to select or influence its strategy. Once the maze is uncovered, and even during a restart, the competitor must not input any information into the mouse.
  • The run time will be measured from the moment the mouse leaves the starting square to the moment it enters the destination square. The total time in the maze will be measured from the moment the mouse is activated. The mouse does not have to start moving immediately after activation, but it must be placed in the starting square ready for the run. If the mouse returns to the start without reaching the destination, this run is stopped, and upon leaving the start again, the measurement of the next run begins.
  • The time required to explore the maze will be measured either manually by the organizer or by infrared sensors at the start and destination. The infrared beam will be horizontal, located on the boundary between the first and second square and at the entrance to the destination square, approx. 10 mm above the floor.
  • If the mouse stops working correctly, the competitor may ask the jury for permission to cancel the run and restart the mouse (but not if it merely made a wrong turn or took the wrong path). The mouse is, of course, considered 'touched' and receives a 3-second penalty (valid for all subsequent runs).
  • If a competitor replaces any part of the mouse (battery, EPROM, etc.) during the competition, or makes another significant modification, they must erase all information about the maze that the mouse has gathered up to that point. Minor adjustments (e.g., sensor sensitivity) are allowed under the supervision of the jury. Adjustments to speed or strategy without erasing the maze information are forbidden.
  • No part of the mouse (except batteries) may be transferred to another mouse. For example, if you use one chassis and two different control boards, they are considered one mouse and must not exceed the total 5-minute maze time. Naturally, the memory must be erased before swapping the control unit. The mouse cannot be lightened during the competition, e.g., by removing unnecessary sensors after exploring the maze.
  • Between a completed run and the start of the next run, the mouse must remain in the starting square for at least 1 second. During this second, it must not block the infrared timer sensor.

Order of Competitors

The order of competitors will be determined just before the competition. Participants must complete the specified track in the determined order. If a competitor does not appear within 1 minute after being called to the start, they lose the right to compete. In case of a large number of registered competitors, the jury may announce a qualification tournament.

Time Limits

Each competing mouse can spend a maximum of 5 minutes in the maze, during which it can perform a maximum of 10 runs.

Evaluation and Prizes

  • The winner is the robot with the shortest achieved run time. If no mouse reaches the center of the maze during the competition, the jury will determine the winner based on overall success—e.g., how close it got to the destination, whether the movement in the maze was coordinated or just random, etc.
  • In addition, the jury may award other prizes at its own discretion—e.g., for the most inventive design, the most elegant construction, etc.
  • These rules are based on the rules of the "IEEE Micromouse Contest" held worldwide.


And of course, all the common rules are valid.