Starting position rule "change"?

[GaryVoshol]

http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=11494

No. The trailer will be positioned with its "back" end (opposite the trailer tongue) flush against the edge of the Arena.

<G10> ROBOT Starting Positions – Prior to the MATCH, each TEAM negotiates within their ALLIANCE to select one of the three LAUNCH PADS of the ALLIANCE. Each ROBOT is then HITCHED to the TRAILER assigned to the selected LAUNCH PAD. The ROBOT and TRAILER are then placed entirely within the LAUNCH PAD, and positioned such that the TRAILER is in contact with the AIRLOCK or guard rail (as appropriate).

So which is it? The rule seems to indicate that as long as the trailer is touching the wall and the whole assembly is inside the LAUNCH PAD we're good to go. The Q&A qualifies it to say the back corner of the trailer must be touching the wall.

[jtdowney]

So which is it? The rule seems to indicate that as long as the trailer is touching the wall and the whole assembly is inside the LAUNCH PAD we're good to go. The Q&A qualifies it to say the back corner of the trailer must be touching the wall.

They don't seem to contradict to me, it looks like the QA just adds more constraints. How I read them together it sounds like the end opposite the trailer hitch has to touch the arena and as long as the robot fits inside the launch pad it can be oriented at whatever angle it wants.

[GaryVoshol]

Yes, I may be nit-picking. I presume the dimensions of the LAUNCH PAD prevent too much slop here. But I could envision a team that places their robot to the far right of the PAD with the trailer to the far left, with the hitch at maximum angle, resulting in the side of the trailer touching the wall (not just the vertex). I'm wondering if this ruling means that the trailer must be positioned 90 degrees with respect to the wall. I guess I wonder what "flush" means.

[Nuttyman54]

Yes, I may be nit-picking. I presume the dimensions of the LAUNCH PAD prevent too much slop here. But I could envision a team that places their robot to the far right of the PAD with the trailer to the far left, with the hitch at maximum angle, resulting in the side of the trailer touching the wall (not just the vertex). I'm wondering if this ruling means that the trailer must be positioned 90 degrees with respect to the wall. I guess I wonder what "flush" means.


Because the trailer tongue is attached at a corner of the trailer, not on a face, the end opposite the tongue is a corner as well. I would think this should give a fair bit of wiggle room to be "flush" and still have something of an angle on it.

[Rick Wagner]

One of our autonomous modes is optimized if the trailer touches the wall not at the rear vertex. I suppose we should take the Q&A constraint as ruling that starting position out.