GoPro on the robot

[BBray_T1296]

So last year at both the Dallas Regional and Hub City Regional, we had a GoPro Hero 2 (Don't know the color) Mounted to the shooter of our robot, to take first person, mid match videos, mainly because it was really cool. The inspectors at Hub (our first regional) had no problems whatsoever, and we filmed every match we ran that weekend.

At Dallas, we passed qualifying inspection (With the GoPro mounted and clearly visible) and ran all of our qualifying matches with the GoPro on board.

When we went to get inspected for eliminations, the inspector said "If [we] go onto the field with the GoPro we will be disqualified" (not 100% accurate but very close to a direct quote).

Now, not wanting to press the issue, we removed it and did not take footage for eliminations. But in discussion afterwards, we (a few students) were completely baffled at what was [suddenly] illegal about having a GoPro on board. As far as we are aware, there is no reason for such a device to be banned.

It is a self contained unmodified COTS device, with built in battery (Legal as per the exception below Rule 4.8 R31 of this years rules, which haven't changed).

Apparently they made some other team remove their GoPro as well

Anybody have any idea why it was [suddenly] disallowed?

[Phyrxes]

Am I correct in assuming you did not have the optional Wifi backpack installed?

We used a Hero2 last year with no issues, if the inspector didn't cite a rule when telling you this I would be interested to knowing the logic as well.

[BBray_T1296]

No, we had no wifi.

We didn't ask mainly because we were in a hurry and we did not want to argue anyways with something that wasn't critically important.

[SoftwareBug2.0]

Anybody have any idea why it was [suddenly] disallowed?

My best guess is because there are so many rules that it's hard to keep them all straight.

[kghaemi96]

I seriously hope we will be able to use a GoPro. Our team was planning on mounting one for semi-private reasons...

[RobotDoktor]

Last year we had a GoPro at SMR, Archimedes, and IRI with no problems. I hope they don't make them illegal.

[FrankJ]

There or are no rules that prohibit Go-Pros on the robot. (Search the rules for camera.) The wireless needs to be off part unless approved. It is a COTs device with an allowed internal battery.

Q&A spefically allowed them last year. There was also some discussion about them last year on Chief Delphi. (I know that doesn't apply to this year)

R73 only deals with enabled remote coms.
R73 Any decorations that involve broadcasting a signal to/from the ROBOT, such as remote cameras, must be approved by FIRST (via e-mail to frcparts@usfirst.org) prior to the event and tested for communications interference at the venue. Such devices, if reviewed and approved, are excluded from R61.