2014 Rules Changes

[cgmv123]

Some quick ones I noticed are more legal batteries and new vertical projection rules.

A match is now two and a half minutes.

[Steven Donow]

Autonomous is only ten seconds.

[EricH]

Championships has 3 selection rounds, 1-8, 8-1, 1-8, 4th team doesn't have to play in any round.

[geomapguy]

Maybe a new rule??

Exception: Batteries integral to and part of a COTS computing device or self-contained camera are also permitted (e.g. laptop batteries), provided they’re only used to power the COTS computing device and any peripheral COTS USB input devices connected to the COTS computing device and they must be securely fastened to the ROBOT.

EDIT: Not a new rule. Thanks EricH for the correction

[EricH]

Maybe a new rule??

Recycled rule, at least 2 years old.

[mechanical_robot]

Autonomous is only ten seconds.

Only 10 second? Wow.
Instead of FIRST decreasing autonomous mode time, they should be increasing that time. Its more of challenge for teams to accomplish.
FIRST should keep Autonomous at 15 second, though in my opinion it should be 30 seconds. That way a team is forced to do something good with their robot or else they will be missing out on a lot of points.

[Pratik Kunapuli]

There is no end game this year, although I don't know when the last time this happened was.

[WeRrobots]

Can we use other alliances balls? What about entering another bot's perimeter for an assist, if it is on our alliance?

[EricH]

Can we use other alliances balls? What about entering another bot's perimeter for an assist, if it is on our alliance?

Start by reading the Manual, please. If you had read G11, you would have discovered just how bad the penalty for using your opponents' ball is. (It's NOT pretty.)

For the other one, there is no rule specifically against it. However, you only get 20" outside your own perimeter to work with, per R3-B.

[Whippet]

I believe that this is new:
G20: ROBOTS must be in compliance with Section 4.6: BUMPER Rules throughout the MATCH. Violation: DISABLED

[WeRrobots]

Start by reading the Manual, please. If you had read G11, you would have discovered just how bad the penalty for using your opponents' ball is. (It's NOT pretty.)

For the other one, there is no rule specifically against it. However, you only get 20" outside your own perimeter to work with, per R3-B.

Thank you.

[GaryVoshol]

I believe that this is new:

I saw that too. Make your bumpers robust. If they go out of the bumper zone, you get DISABLED! :yikes:

[atlas]

in regards to the horizontal extensions. you can go out up to 20in in any direction correct? But does that limit you to one <20in extension at a time in the 6in cylinder? Or can you have more than one as long as they aren't 20in?

[TVwazhere]

There is no end game this year, although I don't know when the last time this happened was.

Theyve had some sort of end game play since 2008 (When I joined) and I'm pretty sure they had one in 2007. So for at least 6 or 7 years.

(End game being defined as the last twenty seconds where a robot hangs, positions itself, fires a mini robot, scores extra points using special objects like super moon rocks or colored frisbees, placing track balls on overpass, etc)

[Jhultink]

So, let's say all 6 robots miss their auto points and the balls all stay on the field. How will the refs keep track of all the balls and assists?

Or will assists not count until all the auto balls have been scored? If this is the case, wouldn't it be better to have some of your alliance partners not even do auto so that you can get assist point in Tele-op quicker?

[Chris is me]

in regards to the horizontal extensions. you can go out up to 20in in any direction correct? But does that limit you to one <20in extension at a time in the 6in cylinder? Or can you have more than one as long as they aren't 20in?

The six inch cylinder is an entirely different rule.

Vertically, any extending parts going higher than 5 feet can only be extended in the Goalie Zone and must fit within a 6" vertical cylinder.

Horizontally, you can extend 20 inches normal to the edge of any frame perimeter member. Height doesn't matter as long as it's under 5 feet. I have just read the rules but I do not remember anything limiting how many extensions are out at one time.

[Whippet]

in regards to the horizontal extensions. you can go out up to 20in in any direction correct? But does that limit you to one <20in extension at a time in the 6in cylinder? Or can you have more than one as long as they aren't 20in?

The six-inch cylinder rule only applies to vertical extensions.

[MasterEric]

So, let's say all 6 robots miss their auto points and the balls all stay on the field. How will the refs keep track of all the balls and assists?

Or will assists not count until all the auto balls have been scored? If this is the case, wouldn't it be better to have some of your alliance partners not even do auto so that you can get assist point in Tele-op quicker?

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123985
You can't get assists in autonomous.

[PAR_WIG1350]

I'm still in disbelief over this one, even after re-reading the rules and ctrl+f searching

The ridiculous Cv limit on pneumatic solenoid valves has been removed entirely

[Ty Tremblay]

I'm still in disbelief over this one, even after re-reading the rules and ctrl+f searching

The ridiculous Cv limit on pneumatic solenoid valves has been removed entirely

By Cv limit, do you mean flow rate? If so, this is big.

[RyanShoff]

A quick search found this valve:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#6425k12/=q4ehnb

1/8" inlets with 1.0 Cv. Last years limit was .32 Cv.

[Hallry]

Has no one yet said that matches are now 2:30, not 2:15? ::rtm::

[RufflesRidge]

A quick search found this valve:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#6425k12/=q4ehnb

1/8" inlets with 1.0 Cv. Last years limit was .32 Cv.

Has anyone calculated whether this would actually improve the flow rate with the diameter tubing that is required?

[cgmv123]

Has no one yet said that matches are now 2:30, not 2:15? ::rtm::

I did. In the first post.

[CalTran]

For a $130 each, would the improved performance really be worth it over a mechanical solution?

[PAR_WIG1350]

For a $130 each, would the improved performance really be worth it over a mechanical solution?

I think that it is just an example of a valve that is no longer illegal, not the best option. Also, what sort of mechanical solution exists for a small flow coefficient other than a larger flow coefficient?

[CalTran]

I meant mechanical over pneumatic.

[WeRrobots]

During the autonomous period, do we have to start with the ball within the frame perimeter? Can we set it next to the bot and program the robot to pick it up?

[EricH]

During the autonomous period, do we have to start with the ball within the frame perimeter? Can we set it next to the bot and program the robot to pick it up?

I suggest reading rule G5, and telling me what "touching" means.

[rich2202]

I suggest reading rule G5, and telling me what "touching" means.

Touching: arousing strong feelings of sympathy, appreciation, or gratitude. Kind of like New Math. How you feel about it is more important.

[adammiller3122]

Touching: arousing strong feelings of sympathy, appreciation, or gratitude. Kind of like New Math. How you feel about it is more important.

Nice. Anyways, to answer the question, I think that you can program it to pick it up as you are allowed not to start with the ball. The only thing then is that the ball starts in the center of the field, not next to you.

[EricH]

you are allowed not to start with the ball. The only thing then is that the ball starts in the center of the field, not next to you.
Oh? I suggest re-reading G5 again. You are allowed to not start with a ball touching you, but in such a case the ball is either staged in the white zone (goalie or missing robot) or not on the field at all (goalie, missing robot, team not starting with a ball).