The Celebrated RoboFrog Race of Hartford County, at the Mark Twain House & Museum

The Jumping Frog Contest was an important and lively annual event at the Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut for many years, but was discontinued in 1979.

Now, forty years later, The Mark Twain House & Museum is proud to bring the Frog Jumping Contest back, this time with a very modern twist: robotics.

We are inviting robotics teams, clubs and individual makers to participate. If a participant is under the age of 18, they must have their parents’ approval. Registration is open to all.

In addition to the race or jump events described below, we will be judging the frogs for external artistic design. All frogs must appear froglike, (some suggestions include, long frog like legs, a wide mouth, a squat body and frog looking eyes) and we will be awarding prizes to the most froglike looking robotic frog. Judging in the Artistic Design division will take place on Friday, June 12. The judges’ decisions are final. Cash prizes will be awarded thanks to support from United Technologies Corporation.

Registration will close on September 15, 2020 at 5 p.m.

There are three divisions:

Racing Division: This division is for the grades K-3 age grouping, and the grades 4-8 age grouping. Students must have attended school in the 2019-2020.

The robotic frogs competing in this division will be racing to the “Lily Pad.”

Grades K-3 age grouping will have ground frogs – non-jumping frogs — only, and the frogs must complete a race. The frog with the fastest time to the Lily Pad will win; the frog must be completely on the lily pad for time to count. The frogs will only get one chance to run the course. Frogs cannot be more than 6.5”W x 6.5”L x 6.5” H in size. Depending on the number of entries, there may be multiple heats. Participants may build frogs from scratch or use a kit as a base. Teams may not use explosives or flammable liquid to propel the frogs.

Grades 4-8 age grouping can have ground frogs – non-jumping frogs — only, and the frogs must complete a race. The frog with the fastest time to the Lily Pad will win; the frog must be completely on the lily pad for time to count. The frogs will only get one chance to run the course. Frogs cannot be more than 6.5”W x 6.5”L x 6.5” H in size. Depending on the number of entries, there may be multiple heats. Participants may build frogs from scratch or use a kit as a base. Teams may not use explosives or flammable liquid to propel the frogs.

Grades 4-8 grouping can have hopping frogs –and for this contest the frogs must hop or jump forward to the lily pad, coming to rest completely on the lily pad to complete the race. The frog with the fastest time to the lily pad will win. The frog will only get one chance to run the course. Frogs cannot be more than 6.5”W x 6.5”L x 6.5” H in size. Depending on the number of entries, there may be multiple heats. Participants may build frogs from scratch or use a kit as a base. Teams may not use explosions or flammable liquid to propel the frogs.

Obstacle Course Division: This division is for grades 4-8 age grouping, grades 9-12 age grouping as well as college and beyond.

The RoboFrogs competing in this division will have to complete an obstacle course.

The obstacle course is pre designed and a diagram and dimensions of the course is attached and will be provided upon request. The RoboFrog must be free moving, programed to hop or jump to each of the lily pads, landing completely on the lily pad before going to the next lily pad. RoboFrogs will be able to complete the course in any order, but the final jump will be on the finish line lily pad, and the RoboFrog must be completely on the finish line lily pad. The RoboFrog to complete the course in the least amount of time will be the winner.

3. Jumping Division: This division is for the grades 9-12 (Students must have attended school in the 2018-2019) age grouping as well as a College and Beyond age grouping. The winner of this contest will be the frog with the longest vertical jump. We will not be measuring the height of the jump. All frogs must remain the same dimensions as when they started during the jump. Frogs must be mechanical in nature, though they can start from a back stop.

The grades 9-12 age grouping will compete in a Jumping Frog Contest. The frog with the longest jump will be the winner. The longest jump will be measured from the start line to the rear edge of the frog. Frogs cannot be more than 6.5”W x 6.5”L x 6.5” H in size. Participants may build frogs from scratch or use a kit as a base. Teams may not use explosions or flammable liquid to propel the frogs.

The College and Beyond age grouping will also compete in a Jumping Frog Contest. The frog with the longest jump will be the winner. The longest jump will be measured from the start line to the rear edge of the frog. Frogs cannot be more than 6.5”W x 6.5”L x 6.5” H in size. Frogs can start the jump with a backstop. We are encouraging entrants to self-build their frogs, and we would ask that the frogs not cost more than $500.00 to build. This will be on the honor system. Teams may not use explosives or flammable liquid to propel the frogs.

This event is happening in the Hal Holbrook Hall of the Webster Bank Museum Center at the Mark Twain House & Museum, the dimensions of the Hall are 60’x60’x60’ and the field of play will fit with in those dimensions. Click here to see the plot.

Click here to register.

Tom Sawyer Day and The Celebrated RoboFrog Race of Hartford County are sponsored by the Farmington Bank Community Foundation.