Obstacle Course

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Obstacle Courses are a dynamic competition format in Gaggle. By combining No-Fly Zones, Waypoints, and Navigation Tasks, you can create custom flight challenges that reward skill, accuracy, and planning. This document covers how to set up an Obstacle Course, the detailed scoring rules behind it, and the two scoring methods supported: Best Flight and Best Task.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Definitions

• 2.1 No-Fly Zones (NFZ)
• 2.2 Waypoints
• 2.3 Navigation Tasks (Curves and Legs)
• 2.4 Score Updates (Scoring Log)

3. Scoring Methods

• 3.1 Best Flight
• 3.2 Best Task

4. No-Fly Zone (NFZ) Scoring
5. Waypoint Scoring
6. Navigation Tasks Scoring

• 6.1 How Navigation Scores Are Calculated
• 6.2 Constant Speed Rules & Scoring

7. Penalties

• 7.1 NFZ Penalty
• 7.2 Speed Penalty
• 7.3 Backtracking Penalty
• 7.4 General Flight Penalty (Score Multiplier)

8. Example Structure for a Single “Obstacle Course” Task
9. Implementation Notes
10. Creating an Obstacle Course in Gaggle
11. Tips and Best Practices

1. Introduction

An Obstacle Course in Gaggle transforms routine flights into thrilling challenges. Pilots collect waypoints, navigate precise routes, and avoid no-fly zones to maximize their scores. This format is perfect for informal meetups, club competitions, and even large fly-in events where organizers want to blend fun and friendly rivalry.

Key Features:

• Integrates waypoints, no-fly zones, and navigation tasks in a single challenge.
• Supports real-time scoring, so participants and spectators can follow progress.
• Provides flight replays for post-flight analysis and improvement.
• Offers two scoring methods to suit different competition styles.

Meetups When an Obstacle Course is created as part of a meetup, all pilots—regardless of subscription status—can participate and submit flights for scoring. This opens up Obstacle Course fun to everyone in your group.

2. Definitions

2.1 No-Fly Zones (NFZ)

A No-Fly Zone is any area a pilot must avoid, defined by a shape (polygon or circle) on the map.

• Penalty Value: Each NFZ has a specific penalty point value (e.g., -100 points).

2.2 Waypoints

A Waypoint is a circular area on the map, defined by a center point and a radius.

• Radius: The size of the scoring circle around the center (e.g., 100 meters).
• Point Value: Points awarded when a pilot flies into the waypoint radius.

2.3 Navigation Tasks (Curves and Legs)

A Navigation Task is a defined route pilots attempt to follow precisely, made of one or more legs (straight lines or smooth curves).

• Corridor: Each leg has a width representing the maximum allowed sideways distance from the ideal path.
• Gates: Defined start and end points for the task or legs.
• Scoring: Points are awarded for accuracy within the corridor.

2.4 Score Updates (Scoring Log)

During flight, events are logged:

• Waypoint hit: Points added.
• NFZ hit: Penalty value recorded.
• Navigation progress: Incremental points added for accurate flying.
• Navigation penalties: Points deducted for speed or backtracking violations.

3. Scoring Methods

Obstacle Courses support two main scoring methods. NFZ penalties apply per flight regardless of the method.

3.1 Best Flight

• The pilot’s single flight with the highest total score counts.
• Waypoints and Navigation points come only from that single flight.
• Gaggle calculates the total score (waypoints + navigation - penalties) for each flight and picks the highest.

3.2 Best Task

• Waypoints: Each unique waypoint adds points only the first time it’s hit across all flights.
• Navigation Tasks: The highest score achieved for each specific task/leg across all flights is taken and summed up.
• Penalties: Applied only to the flight they occurred in, potentially lowering that flight’s contribution.

4. No-Fly Zone (NFZ) Scoring

1. Objective: Avoid flying into defined No-Fly Zones.
2. Penalty: Entering an NFZ results in a fixed penalty point value (set by the organizer for that specific NFZ) being subtracted from the flight’s score. Usually applied once per unique NFZ entered per flight.

5. Waypoint Scoring

1. Objective: Fly through designated circular waypoint areas.
2. Scoring: When the pilot’s recorded track enters the waypoint’s radius, the points assigned to that waypoint are awarded.
3. Rules:

• Scored once per unique waypoint per flight.
• Cannot be scored while actively navigating a task (hitting a waypoint ends the navigation attempt).
• How points contribute depends on the scoring method (Best Flight vs. Best Task).

6. Navigation Tasks Scoring

1. Objective: Fly accurately along a defined route (legs) within a specified corridor width.
2. Process: Pilots start scoring after passing the entry gate. Points are awarded based on staying within the corridor and close to the ideal centerline path. The total task score is the sum of scores from completed legs.

6.1 How Navigation Scores Are Calculated

Navigation scoring rewards precision. Here’s the principle:

1. Check Position: The system constantly checks if the pilot is inside the defined corridor width for the current leg.
2. Measure Proximity: If inside, it measures the pilot’s distance from the ideal centerline of the leg.
3. Award Points: Points are awarded for the distance flown while inside the corridor. The amount of points awarded per distance unit is highest when flying exactly on the centerline and decreases as the pilot moves towards the edge of the corridor. Flying outside the corridor earns zero points for that segment.

• Conceptual Formula for Score Fraction: The fraction of maximum points awarded for a small segment can be thought of like this (actual calculation may vary):

  ScoreFraction ≈ 1 - (DistanceToCenter / HalfCorridorWidth)
  

  Where DistanceToCenter is how far the pilot is sideways from the ideal line, and HalfCorridorWidth is half the total width of the allowed corridor. If DistanceToCenter is zero (on the line), the fraction is 1 (100%). If the pilot is at the edge (DistanceToCenter = HalfCorridorWidth), the fraction approaches 0.

4. Accumulate Score: Points awarded for each small segment are added up to get the total score for the leg attempt. Only the highest score achieved for a leg during a continuous attempt usually counts.

6.2 Constant Speed Rules & Scoring

• Objective: Maintain ground speed within a specific range if required by a navigation leg.

Detailed Constant Speed Scoring:

Constant speed scoring aims to reward pilots who maintain a consistent speed throughout a designated leg.

1. Speed Data Collection: As a pilot flies the leg, the system collects speed data at various points (sampled points) along the route. For each sampled point within the allowed corridor, the pilot’s speed is recorded and added to a running total for that specific point (speedSum), and a count of readings is maintained (speedCount).

2. Global Average Speed Calculation (Per Leg): At the end of the navigation task, before finalizing scores, the system calculates a single global average speed for each leg that required constant speed. This average is determined by taking the total of all recorded speed readings (speedSum) across all sampled points within that leg and dividing it by the total count of those readings (speedCount). Formula: Average Speed (Leg) = (Total of all speed readings for the leg) / (Total count of speed readings for the leg)

3. Constant Speed Score Calculation (Per Sample Point): Points for constant speed are awarded for each individual sampled point on the leg. The score for a single sample point depends on how much its local average speed (the average speed specifically at that point: speedSum / speedCount) deviates from the global average speed calculated for the entire leg.

• Calculating Deviation: The system finds the absolute difference between the Global Average Speed (for the leg) and the Local Average Speed (at the sample point). Formula: Speed Deviation = abs(Global Average Speed - Local Average Speed)

• Determining Score Percentage: A percentage of the maximum possible constant speed points for that sample point is awarded based on this deviation. The scoring uses a quadratic formula, meaning the further your speed at a sample point is from the global average for the leg, the fewer points you get for that sample. There’s a defined constantSpeedMaxDev value for the task; if the Speed Deviation is greater than or equal to this value, the score for that sample point drops to zero. Formula: Score Percentage = max(0, 1 - (Speed Deviation / constantSpeedMaxDev)^2)

• Calculating Sample Point Score: The actual constant speed points awarded for that specific sampled point are the maximum possible points for that sample (constantSpeedScorePerSample) multiplied by the calculated Score Percentage. Formula: Constant Speed Score (Sample Point) = constantSpeedScorePerSample * Score Percentage

4. Accumulating Leg Score: The Constant Speed Score earned at each individual sampled point is added up to get the total constant speed score for the entire leg.

Example Calculation (Illustrative):

Imagine a leg requires consistent speed and has a constantSpeedMaxDev of 2.5 km/h. Each sampled point on this leg is worth a maximum of 5 constant speed points (constantSpeedScorePerSample).

• Scenario 1: Flying inconsistently at one point Suppose at a specific sampled point, your recorded speeds average out to a Local Average Speed of 50 km/h. However, the Global Average Speed for the entire leg (calculated from all speed readings) is 40 km/h.

  1. Speed Deviation: abs(40 km/h - 50 km/h) = 10 km/h
  2. Score Percentage: max(0, 1 - (10 km/h / 2.5 km/h)^2) = max(0, 1 - 4^2) = max(0, 1 - 16) = 0
  3. Constant Speed Score for this sample: 5 points * 0 = 0 points

  In this case, the significant deviation from the leg’s average resulted in no constant speed points for this particular section.

• Scenario 2: Flying consistently near the average Now, suppose at another sampled point, your speeds average out to a Local Average Speed of 41 km/h, and the Global Average Speed for the leg is still 40 km/h.

  1. Speed Deviation: abs(40 km/h - 41 km/h) = 1 km/h
  2. Score Percentage: max(0, 1 - (1 km/h / 2.5 km/h)^2) = max(0, 1 - 0.4^2) = max(0, 1 - 0.16) = 0.84
  3. Constant Speed Score for this sample: 5 points * 0.84 = 4.2 points

  Here, a small deviation resulted in earning most of the available constant speed points for this section.

The total constant speed score for the leg is the sum of the scores from all the sampled points on that leg. This approach rewards pilots who keep their speed consistent relative to their own average speed on that specific leg, rather than requiring adherence to a fixed speed range throughout the entire flight.

7. Penalties

Penalties reduce a flight’s score for rule violations.

7.1 NFZ Penalty

• Trigger: Flying into a No-Fly Zone.
• Penalty: Fixed points (e.g., -100) subtracted, specific to that NFZ.

7.2 Speed Penalty

• Trigger: Violating speed limits (min/max) on a navigation leg.
• Penalty: Points subtracted, calculated based on how much the speed limit was exceeded (see 6.2).

7.3 Backtracking Penalty

• Trigger: Flying significantly backward along a navigation route after starting it (beyond a minor turn).
• Penalty: Points subtracted. The amount might depend on the duration or distance of backtracking.

7.4 General Flight Penalty (Score Multiplier)

• Trigger: Certain severe violations might trigger this penalty.
• Application: This penalty acts as a percentage reduction on points scored after the penalty event occurs within the same flight.

• Formula:

  SubsequentScore = OriginalScore * (1.0 - PenaltyFactor)
  

  For example, if a PenaltyFactor of 0.1 (10%) is applied, all points earned for waypoints or navigation tasks after that event are multiplied by (1.0 - 0.1) = 0.9, effectively reducing them by 10%.

8. Example Structure for a Single “Obstacle Course” Task

Name: Club Fun Fly Obstacle Course

Objective: Combine elements using Best Flight scoring.

Description:

1. No-Fly Zones:

• Clubhouse area: -100 points penalty.
• Crop field circle: -50 points penalty.

2. Waypoints:

• Launch field (100m radius): 50 points.
• Landmark (50m radius): 75 points.

3. Navigation Task: “The Slalom”:

• Leg 1: Straight, 50m wide corridor, 100 points max. Speed: 20-40 km/h (Speed penalties apply outside this range).
• Leg 2: Curved, 75m wide corridor, 150 points max. No speed limits.
• Backtracking penalties apply on both legs.

9. Implementation Notes

• Adjust Difficulty: Vary waypoint sizes/points, NFZ penalties, corridor widths, and speed limits.
• Course Design: Place elements strategically to test different skills.
• Use Flight Replay: Essential for pilots to understand their performance and penalties.

10. Creating an Obstacle Course in Gaggle

1. Navigate: Community Page → My Groups → Select Group → Leaderboards.
2. Create: Tap Create Leaderboard, choose Obstacle Course.
3. Scoring Method: Select Best Flight or Best Task.
4. Add NFZs: Tap + → No-Fly Zone. Draw shape, set Penalty Value.
5. Add Waypoints: Tap + → Waypoints. Set center, Radius, Score.
6. Add Navigation Tasks: Tap + → Navigation Task. Define start, legs (path, Corridor Width, Points), Min/Max Speed, Allow Re-Entry.
7. Save: Save the leaderboard configuration.

Meetup Usage: Non-subscribed pilots can participate if the course is part of a Meetup.

11. Tips and Best Practices

• Safety First: Design courses considering real-world hazards and rules.
• Use Real NFZs: Incorporate actual restricted areas for relevance.
• Tune Difficulty: Adjust parameters like corridor width for your pilot group.
• Brief Pilots: Clearly explain all rules, scoring, and penalties.
• Share Live Link: Enhance engagement during events.
• Promote Review: Encourage use of flight replays for learning.

Need More Help?

• Check Gaggle Release Notes.
• Join Gaggle community channels (e.g., Discord).

Happy Flying!