Re: No Ship Day?
 

Previous discussion on the modification issue this season: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh....php?p=1259415

Re: No Ship Day?
 

Evan,
You may not switch mechanisms/assemblies as you suggest (with regards to both weights). You can make the first change under the premise you are improving functionality or upgrading the robot provided the assembly is manufactured on site or is included in the 30lb allowance (R21). Any subsequent return to a previous mechanism/assembly will violate R05 and T08 if the sum of parts and robot exceed the maximum weight allowance. This rule has been in place so long, I can't remember the full reasoning behind it. The first year this was introduced was 2004. I call this a WildStang rule as previous to that year, we always made multiple assemblies and changed them match to match to suit the strategy and/or alliance. Inspectors were reminded of this interpretation during 2013 as teams wanted to make changes in the finals, mostly to add blocking devices. Teams were advised of the rules when adding or changing and were weighed following the change. The head refs were then advised to the changes they would be seeing in subsequent matches.

Re: No Ship Day?
 

I'm still really disappointed by the decision that was made regarding 1519 in 2008.

I saw it as being a brilliant usage of that "multiple mutually exclusive MECHANISMs are OK as long as all of them together fall under the ROBOT weight restriction" rule.

For those that don't know, in 2008, 1519 built an electronics board that was totally modular. Then they built two MECHANISMs that constituted the majority of their ROBOT. One, a very small, agile, lapping robot, that was little more than four wheels and motors (Speed Racer). The other, a simple hurdler (Fezzik). The idea being, that they could drop the electronics board into either Speed Racer or Fezzik as match strategy dictated. Speed Racer and Fezzik combined with the electronics board weighed less than the 120lb restriction. The argument was "Does the electronics board constitute a ROBOT, and Speed Racer/Fezzik are large MECHANISMs, or did 1519 build two ROBOTs?". (The rules have always said each TEAM can only enter a single ROBOT in competition).

HQ decided that 1519 had brought two distinct ROBOTs, and 1519 was forced to play with Fezzik only at their official events.

At an offseason that year, 1519 played with Fezzik, and they had a second drive team play with Speed Racer as "9151".