RoboCupJunior Rescue Line — The Complete Guide

Rescue Line is the most popular RoboCupJunior league worldwide and in Iran. The premise is simple and compelling: after an earthquake, the safe route is marked by a black line, and your robot must follow it with no human control, clear obstacles, and rescue victims at the end.

What the field contains

A black line on white tiles — the main route, with sharp and angled turns.
Gaps — breaks in the line the robot must cross and then reacquire.
Green markers — indicating left, right or turn-around at an intersection. Missing these is the single most common source of lost points.
Obstacles on the line that must be driven around and the line rejoined.
Speed bumps and ramps testing balance and motor torque.
A seesaw whose angle flips mid-crossing.
The evacuation zone — a final room with no line at all.

The evacuation zone decides the match

Once inside the final room there is no line to follow. The robot must search an unguided space, find victims and deliver them to the rescue point. Victims are usually of two kinds: live (a reflective silver ball) and dead (a black ball), worth different points and delivered to different places.

From the field: most teams spend all their practice on line following and arrive at the evacuation zone with nothing prepared — yet a large share of the points is there. The winning team is usually the one that took the final room seriously.

Skills required

Line-following algorithm — starting simple, then PID control for smooth, fast motion.
Colour detection — reliably separating green from black and white under changing hall lighting.
Navigation without a line — a systematic search in the evacuation zone, not random spinning.
A victim pick-up mechanism — light and dependable at the same time.
Error handling — recovery routines for a lost line or a stuck robot.

Scoring in plain terms

Points come from clearing each section and obstacle, finding and delivering each victim, and reaching the exit. Points are lost every time a referee has to reposition the robot (lack of progress). This is why a robot that is slower but unassisted usually beats one that is fast and error-prone.

A preparation timeline

Month 1: chassis and stable following of a simple line.
Month 2: sharp turns, gaps and green markers.
Month 3: obstacles, ramps and the seesaw.
Months 4–5: pick-up mechanism and evacuation-zone logic.
Month 6: mock competition with real timing and a referee.

On calibration: competition lighting never matches the workshop. A robot with no fast on-site recalibration (a single button, say) loses in the first ten minutes no matter how many months it trained.

Where to start

The real prerequisite is mastering a line-following robot. If that stage is not done, begin with how line-following robots work. Novin Zehn rescue teams start exactly there and build layer by layer toward the evacuation zone.

Frequently asked questions

What ages compete?

Up to 19 under RoboCupJunior; in a simplified form it is realistic from about age 10–11.

What robot does it need?

A two-wheeled robot with colour/reflectance sensors, a distance sensor and a pick-up mechanism. It can be built entirely from locally available parts.

How is it different from a plain line follower?

A line follower only tracks the line. Rescue Line adds obstacles, ramps and a seesaw, and ends in a line-free room where victims must be found and rescued.

Want to compete in Rescue Line?

Novin Zehn competition teams train from zero to the world stage — in Tehran and live online.