CIRC 2026 Rules Questions and Answers

This document contains questions about the rules that have been asked of and answered by our organizers.

Date	Change Note
2026-02-02	Initial Publication

Safety

• Would USB power banks be permitted for use as power supplies for low-power components?
  • Most USB power banks contain a Li-ion battery and are treated as such with respect to our safety guidelines. It must satisfy Requirement 3 and all mandatory Subrequirements.
  • Of note, the power bank must include a BMS (Subrequirement 3.3) and appropriately rated overcurrent protection (Subrequirement 3.1).
  • USB power banks from reputable manufacturers generally include an internal BMS and limit output current per USB standards.
  • You may need external overcurrent protection to adequately protect connected loads, depending on their current draws.
  • The power bank must also be disconnected from loads when your Rover’s kill switch is engaged (Requirement 2).
  • We cannot give an official thumbs-up until you provide documentation for the part you plan to use and the system it powers.
• Regarding the requirements for documentation for electrical components: can we run our own tests to create the reports for submission, or must we use industry test reports? If we can create our own test report, what are the expectations for it?
  • We will accept test reports, but will apply a high standard to them.
  • We would expect to see rigorous testing of the behaviour of the component in all conditions that can happen while operating at CIRC.
  • This should include not just normal operation, but should also include operation at temperatures that resemble Drumheller, using sources and loads like those on your rover, and should include failure modes as well.
• What is the required or expected information for the documentation of electrical components?
  • You must provide sufficient documentation to demonstrate compliance to the requirements.
  • Voltage, current, and power limits are required for most components
  • Some components have other requirements like the dimensions on your E-Stop button
  • Depending on your design we may look for additional information. For custom PCBs carrying high amounts of current, for example, we would be looking for trace size and thickness to confirm your designed current limits.
• What metrics are required for the documentation of rover headlights?
  • Headlights should just be a standard electrical consumer, so shouldn’t need anything more than any other component.

Snack Run

• The task rubrics do not allocate points for autonomous operation this year. Is autonomy expected, optional, or not scored for CIRC 2026?
  • This year the Refreshment Delivery task is designed to put a bigger focus on the traversal aspect and challenge the mechanical design of the rover more, instead of splitting the focus with autonomy.
  • Therefore, autonomous navigation isn’t a consideration for the scoring of this task in 2026.
  • Please see the task rubrics if you want to see a breakdown of the scoring.

Exploration

• Can we receive full points if experiments are not completed entirely on board the rover?
  • On-board experiment capabilities could be used for ‘Conclusion’ sections regarding the rover’s sample collection and testing, the experimental “value,” and the team pitch.
  • If the tests are mostly/exclusively completed by non-rover personnel, other material will be required to fill out these sections.
  • Additionally, time spent on off-rover experiments would occupy time from the three hour report-writing period, which may indirectly cost points.
  • Note also that any test reagents added to the sample should not be included in the mass and/or other descriptions.
• Can we explore the region fully before picking the sites of interest?
  • Teams may explore the task area to their satisfaction before selecting any site(s).
  • However, the site judge must be informed that a chosen site has been reached and is being documented to receive the Exploration points for the chosen site.