Free Kittens/Tetra Grabber

[Mr. Lim]

[Begin Rumour]

An unnamed team that is NOT attending Atlanta, has a unique tetra grabber it is considering giving away to any Atlanta-bound team.

The hope is that there might be a team whose robot could benefit from this grabber, and improve its chances at winning the "big show."

There would be no strings attached to this offer, no recognition, no obligation to even use the grabber. A complete and fully functional multi-tetra grabber would be waiting for you in Atlanta in the hopes that it could somehow help your team.

[End Rumour]

So... if such a rumour was true, would anyone take this team up on their offer?

-SlimBoJones...

[Tom Bottiglieri]

Of course. But it all depends on how good the grabber is, I guess.

I'm interested though..

[Cory]

Originally Posted by SlimBoJones

[Begin Rumour]

An unnamed team that is NOT attending Atlanta, has a unique tetra grabber it is considering giving away to any Atlanta-bound team.

The hope is that there might be a team whose robot could benefit from this grabber, and improve its chances at winning the "big show."

There would be no strings attached to this offer, no recognition, no obligation to even use the grabber. A complete and fully functional multi-tetra grabber would be waiting for you in Atlanta in the hopes that it could somehow help your team.

[End Rumour]

So... if such a rumour was true, would anyone take this team up on their offer?

-SlimBoJones...

Sounds a little illegal if you ask me.

Originally Posted by Cory

Sounds a little illegal if you ask me.

Yeah, Id have to 2nd that....

Now if the team gave away the idea and this team decided to build this in their pit/machine shop in Atlanta, that would be a different story

[Steve W]

First of all I do not approve.

That said what is the difference of being given a legal tetra grabber and collaboration?

[Mr. Lim]

Originally Posted by Cory

Sounds a little illegal if you ask me.

Sounds like a good candidate for a YMTC =).

[Allison K]

You know the first thing that came to mind when I read the thread title was the mental image of a kitten stuck inside a tetra grabber, and a robot trying to stack kittens. Very, very disgruntled kittens. (I'm really tired).

And because I don't like going off topic (too much)...
I think I'd feel bad winning if I was using somebody else's creation. Making it into a question of morality rather than legality (that it to say, if it was legal, although it seems it would not be) I wouldn't feel right using it.

[ali_rockon22]

I will play devil's advocate.

If this tetra grabber were made during the build season then is it still illegal?

Originally Posted by Steve W

First of all I do not approve.

That said what is the difference of being given a legal tetra grabber and collaboration?

The transfer of this gripper to the team didnt occur during the build season, at a competition, or during a fix it window, if it is coming from a team it's not coming from a "vendor" and it isn't a COTS part, thus making it illlegal for thethe reciving team to use

[Steve W]

Where in the rules does it say that colaboration must come at those times.

[Kevin Sevcik]

The transfer would be occuring at the competition. Presumably the gripper was actually made in the legal confines of the season. The real question comes down to whether collaboration is legal. If a team is allowed to use parts built by another team, then I think the part is legal. If this part is illegal, then collaboration isn't legal.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by ali_rockon22

I will play devil's advocate.

If this tetra grabber were made during the build season then is it still illegal?

I think it still is.

188 does not meet FIRST's definition of VENDOR (They cannot sell one to whoever wants it, nor can they fabricate and ship it in two weeks or whatever it is) nor is it a COTS part.

Whatever team that chose to accept the grabber would have needed to fabricate it themselves during build, or a fix it window, or at competition, for it to be legal.

Originally Posted by Kevin Sevcik

The transfer would be occuring at the competition. Presumably the gripper was actually made in the legal confines of the season. The real question comes down to whether collaboration is legal. If a team is allowed to use parts built by another team, then I think the part is legal. If this part is illegal, then collaboration isn't legal.

Shawn said that the team isn't competing in Atlanta, I don't see how it could possibly be legal...


Good question to ask FIRST

[Steve W]

Cory there are no guidelines on collaboration. The part is legal. It is not being sold but given. What defines collaboration? Who defines it? What are the guidelines? Precedents have not been set. This is a form of GP. Can a team give a part to another team at an event? So many questions and no answers.


Slim your in big do-do!

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Kevin Sevcik

The transfer would be occuring at the competition. Presumably the gripper was actually made in the legal confines of the season. The real question comes down to whether collaboration is legal. If a team is allowed to use parts built by another team, then I think the part is legal. If this part is illegal, then collaboration isn't legal.

I'm going to use team 254/22 as an example.

Team 22 breaks their arm, they know 254 has a spare, they go get it, slap it on the robot, and they're good to go.

This is legal, because it's an identical spare.

Whichever team chose to use 188's grabber clearly would not be replacing their own with an identical spare, so it would be considered an upgrade (not made by the team during build, fix it window, or competition, not from a vendor, and not a COTS part) therefore making it illegal.