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View Full Version : Bumper Measurement Ruling

CPowell
13-01-2016, 18:57
I was wondering if I could get some clarification on the rules about minimum bumper length for the robot. As far as we could tell, the bumpers don't have to cover at least eight inches as long as the whole are is covered. Other teams have been telling us otherwise. Any help would be great and the sooner the better!
GaryVoshol
13-01-2016, 19:25
A ROBOT has several corners on its FRAME PERIMETER. Most have 4 corners, but some have 3, others have 6, 8 or 9 (I'm looking at you 148). Or a ROBOT could be partially or completely round, and the curved portion would have an infinite number of corners.

The BUMPERS must protect the FRAME PERIMETER at least 8 inches on each side of each corner. If you have a 3-sided equilateral triangle ROBOT, it could be up to 40 inches on each side. 8 inches at each end of the 40-inch side would need BUMPER protection.

In addition, there must be soft BUMPER parts (noodles) that fill in the area beyond the corner to give protection from a direct corner hit. There are pictures of this in the manual.
rich2202
13-01-2016, 20:18
If a side is less than 8 inches, then all you need to do is cover the side.
MikLast
13-01-2016, 20:28
If a side is less than 8 inches, then all you need to do is cover the side.
For clarification, so for the AndyMark Treads there is a 3 inch width for the front of the tread then an open gap for a ball intake (if we go with this design) would this apply or do they need to be connected together?
EricH
13-01-2016, 20:30
For clarification, so for the AndyMark Treads there is a 3 inch width for the front of the tread then an open gap for a ball intake (if we go with this design) would this apply or do they need to be connected together?
You have to have a bumper on 8" on either side of any corner on your frame perimeter. No exceptions. That means that you'll need to take about 5" off of the gap on each side to support bumpers.
Mikyway
13-01-2016, 20:38
We're trying to design a robot that'll be thin enough to pass through the 2 ft wide ramps. So how thick do bumpers tend to be?
EricH
13-01-2016, 20:44
We're trying to design a robot that'll be thin enough to pass through the 2 ft wide ramps. So how thick do bumpers tend to be?
Bumpers are 2.5" diameter pool noodle, plus 3/4" thick plywood, plus some cloth (maybe 1/8" thick).

Remember you'll need two of those, one for each side, in your "thin robot".
MikLast
13-01-2016, 20:45
You have to have a bumper on 8" on either side of any corner on your frame perimeter. No exceptions. That means that you'll need to take about 5" off of the gap on each side to support bumpers.

Thats what i thought. Thanks.