Re: Goal Tending Robot
 

I think it would be more strategically valuable to sit in your opponents protected feeding station and deny them access.

This rule basically states that as long as your opponent doesn't touch the carpet in their zone, you can sit in their zone and block them by moving back and forth, unlike the lanes of 2012 and 2011, and you wouldn't be breaking G25 as it is a robot-robot interaction and not multiple robots.

Re: Goal Tending Robot
 

You may want to recheck exactly how much of the loading zone you're able to block at one time--it's quite a bit larger than your robot. 7 feet on the short base is a heck of a space for a 54" cylinder to block, especially when there's a 20 point penalty on the other side.

Understand that the blockading rules has been substantively consistent since 2011 (2011's G48-C and 2012's G23), and 2012's G28 is essentially 2013's G30 for these purposes. This means that though the Loading Zone is much smaller than the Ally, do consider the way it played out last year. If you were trying this strategy against me, I'd take it on in almost any situation. Remember you're betting 20 tech foul points against slowing them down and/or denying maybe 12 high goal points. Heck of a bet when the zone is well over a yard wider than you are.

Re: Goal Tending Robot
 

I would agree that sitting in the zone is a bad, bad idea.

Pushing robots around as they try to get to the zone, or pinning them to walls outside the zone? Perfectly legitimate defense!

Re: Goal Tending Robot
 

It is theoretically possible, through the use of proper geometric calculations and coaxial bevel gears/axles, to make a large OD fan on a robot that is very wide and very short (length-wise) -- something on the order of 8" long x 48" wide -- in order to create a massive amount of turbulence in front of any disc trajectory (and do a 'fly-by' of the refs :D). Of course, one would want to use wheelie bars to prevent tipping while driving.

The practical use of such a robot is up for conjecture though -- there wouldn't be much room to add manipulators that get a positive point differential for that robot if it were solo.

Re: Goal Tending Robot
 

When the subject of fan equiped defensive robots came up during our strategy session one of our students asked "wouldn't that count as actively trying to remove game objects from the field, which is against the rules?" As we are not planning on building such a robot we didn't go far into the legality of such a design, it is certainly an interesting approach.

Re: Goal Tending Robot
 

The fan doesn't have to push air up.

Re: Goal Tending Robot
 

Agreed. There are a few nice 'trap' locations for approaches such as this, as long as everyone remembers the pinning rule. Unless they can't steer for beans or get flustered easily, any opponent who sees your robot sitting in their Loading Zone will be rather happy about it.