Scenario Lab

Initial state

You are facing the interior of a single-car garage at approximately 6:45 PM. The main overhead fluorescent tube on the left is flickering at roughly 2 Hz, causing intermittent shadow shifts across the floor. The right overhead light is fully functional. A text notification on the HUD overlay reads: 'Dad parking in ~7 min.' The garage door is closed behind you. Directly ahead, a dark green 2-door sedan is absent — its parking space is a concrete slab marked with two worn tire guides. A slow drip of amber-brown coolant is falling from an overhead PVC pipe coupling at roughly one drip per four seconds, landing in an already-partially-full red plastic drip tray (roughly 40% full) that sits slightly off-center on the concrete. The tray is tucked partially under a metal shelving unit to your left, making the near edge visible but the far edge and how full it actually is on the far side difficult to gauge. On the shelving unit: stacked cardboard boxes, a 5-gallon bucket with a cracked lid lying on its side, a folded blue moving tarp draped over the second shelf partially hanging down to the floor, obscuring the lower shelf. A metal rolling toolbox sits to your right, its top drawer ajar with a shop rag hanging out. Against the far wall leans a push broom with a broken handle splint held by duct tape. Faint sound of a garage door spring creaking from outside, ambient traffic noise, and the irregular drip-tick of coolant hitting plastic. The air smells faintly of motor oil. The floor around the tray has a small spreading slick, roughly 30 cm in diameter, on the concrete to the tray's right side — meaning some overflow has already occurred or the tray is tilted.

Goal state

The drip tray must be emptied into a suitable secondary container before the car returns and parks on top of the area, without the operator spilling coolant on the floor beyond the existing slick. The overflow slick on the floor must be absorbed well enough that it does not spread further or present a slip hazard under tires. The drip tray must be repositioned centered and level under the drip source with enough remaining capacity (at least 60% empty) to hold coolant during the car's next parked period. Any soaked rags or absorbents used must be placed in a sealed or contained location, not loose on the floor. If a replacement or secondary tray is not available, the 5-gallon bucket serves as the acceptable transfer vessel, lid removed and positioned stably. Success is time-gated: all of the above must be achieved before the garage door begins to open.

Objects involved

Name	Descriptor	Role
drip tray	red, shallow rectangular plastic, roughly 45x30 cm, partially full of amber coolant	target
coolant drip	amber-brown fluid falling from overhead PVC coupling at 0.25 Hz	obstacle
5-gallon bucket	white plastic, cracked lid, empty, second shelf of metal shelving unit	tool
cracked bucket lid	white plastic, hairline crack across diameter, loose fit	tool
blue moving tarp	folded blue polyethylene, draped over second shelf, partially hanging to floor	tool
shop rag	orange and grey striped cotton, partially unfolded, hanging from toolbox drawer	tool
metal shelving unit	grey steel wire rack, three shelves, partially obstructing view of tray far edge	obstacle
rolling toolbox	red metal, three drawers, top drawer ajar, positioned to the right	obstacle
concrete floor slick	30 cm diameter spreading puddle of amber coolant to the right of the tray	obstacle
flickering fluorescent tube	left-side overhead fixture, 2 Hz flicker, casting intermittent shadows	distractor
push broom	wooden handle with duct-tape splint, leaning against far wall	distractor
stacked cardboard boxes	three brown boxes of varying size, top shelf of shelving unit	distractor

Expected actions

1. approach the shelving unit and push the blue moving tarp aside to expose the lower shelf and assess available containers 18s
2. navigate around to the right side of the shelving unit to obtain a full view of the far edge of the drip tray and estimate fill level on occluded side 14s
3. pull the 5-gallon bucket from the second shelf, slide its cracked lid off, and set the lid down on top of the toolbox to keep the floor clear 22s
4. place the 5-gallon bucket upright on the concrete to the left of the toolbox, away from the drip zone and the existing slick 10s
5. lift the shop rag from the toolbox drawer with one gripper to use as a handle buffer, then grip the near edge of the drip tray with the other gripper 16s
6. slowly slide the drip tray out from under the shelving unit, keeping it level to prevent coolant from sloshing over the edge 20s
7. pause and rebalance grip on the tray once fully clear of the shelf overhang, confirming no tipping 8s
8. carry the drip tray toward the 5-gallon bucket using a two-gripper hold on opposite edges, maintaining level orientation 15s
9. tilt the drip tray slowly over the bucket opening and pour the coolant into the bucket, monitoring for splashing and adjusting tilt angle incrementally 30s
10. set the emptied drip tray on the floor temporarily and wipe its bottom exterior with the shop rag to remove drips before repositioning 12s
11. pull the blue moving tarp off the lower shelf with one arm and unfold a single layer on the floor over the existing coolant slick to absorb it 25s
12. push the tarp layer down onto the slick with one gripper using flat pressure to maximize absorption contact 10s
13. fold the tarp over on itself once to contain the wet surface, then slide it against the base of the wall away from the parking zone 18s
14. carry the drip tray back under the drip source, positioning it centered beneath the PVC coupling by aligning with the drip sound and visual reference of the falling drops 20s
15. slide the drip tray partially back under the shelving unit until it is stable, level, and fully under the drip trajectory 14s
16. place the soaked shop rag inside the 5-gallon bucket on top of the coolant rather than leaving it on the floor 8s
17. set the cracked bucket lid loosely on top of the bucket to contain fumes, pressing it down until it holds without fully sealing the crack 8s
18. retreat to a position clear of the parking zone and verify the tray is visible under the drip and the floor path is clear 12s

Narration script

00:00 I am looking across the empty parking slab. The overhead light on the left is flickering. I can see a drip tray partially under the shelving unit to my left and a slow coolant drip falling from the pipe above it. There is a spreading slick on the floor to the right of the tray. I have roughly seven minutes.

00:10 I approach the shelving unit and push the hanging blue tarp aside. The lower shelf is now visible — I can see the 5-gallon bucket on the second shelf with a cracked lid resting on top of it.

00:28 I navigate around the right side to see the far edge of the drip tray. It looks close to three-quarters full on that side — more than I estimated from the front. The tray is also slightly tilted toward the right, which explains the slick on the floor.

00:42 I pull the 5-gallon bucket off the shelf and slide the cracked lid off. I place the lid on top of the toolbox to keep the floor area clear. The bucket goes on the concrete to the left, away from the slick.

01:04 I pick up the shop rag from the toolbox drawer with my right gripper to use as a buffer. I grip the near edge of the drip tray with my left gripper and begin sliding it out from under the shelf slowly, keeping it level.

01:24 The tray is fully clear of the shelf. I can now see it is about seventy percent full on the far side — the coolant surface is close to the rim. I pause and adjust to a two-gripper hold on opposite edges before continuing.

01:39 I carry the tray toward the bucket. The coolant surface is shifting slightly as I move — I slow my pace. I position the tray over the bucket opening and begin tilting it incrementally, pouring the coolant in a controlled stream.

02:09 The tray is empty. I set it on the floor and wipe its bottom with the shop rag to remove coolant drips from the exterior. The drip from the pipe is still falling at the same rate — it has landed on the concrete twice since I moved the tray.

02:21 I pull the blue tarp off the lower shelf and unfold one layer over the existing floor slick and the two new drip spots. I press down on it with my gripper to improve absorption contact.

02:46 I fold the tarp over on itself, wet surface inside, and slide it against the base of the wall. It is clear of the tire guides. The floor in the parking path looks dry now.

03:04 I carry the empty drip tray back toward the drip source. I listen and watch for the falling drops to center the tray correctly beneath the coupling. I slide it partially under the shelf edge to stabilize it. The next drip lands inside the tray cleanly.

03:24 I place the shop rag into the bucket on top of the coolant. I set the cracked lid loosely on the bucket opening to contain fumes — it holds in place without sealing the crack.

03:32 I retreat clear of the parking zone. The tray is visible under the drip, the floor path is clear, and the bucket is stable against the shelving unit base. I can hear the garage door spring creak again — the car is close.

04:00 The tray is positioned, the slick is absorbed, and the waste coolant is contained. The parking zone is clear. Task complete within the time window.

Edge cases

The drip tray shifts and tilts as the robot grips its near edge, causing a small coolant wave to spill over the far rim before the tray clears the shelf — operator must decide whether to pause and wipe immediately or continue to the bucket first to avoid a larger spill.
The 5-gallon bucket is heavier than expected because it already contains a few inches of old oil from a previous use — operator must reassess available headroom before pouring and may need to pour in stages or find a secondary container on the lower shelf.
The flickering overhead light synchronizes with the operator's movement just as they are aligning the tray under the drip, making it difficult to visually confirm the drip trajectory — operator must use auditory cue (drip sound) rather than visual to center placement.
The garage door begins opening 90 seconds earlier than expected — the car driver arrived faster via a different route — forcing the operator to abort the tarp-folding step and prioritize only getting the tray back under the drip and retreating from the parking zone.
The shop rag is more saturated with solvent than expected and disintegrates partially when pressed onto the floor slick, leaving small orange fibrous fragments on the concrete that must be swept toward the wall using the back of the gripper or the push broom to avoid a tire-contact contamination risk.