Re: On-Robot Controls
 

The second battery is not on the robot, the player carries it on to the field, unplug the motor from the robot wiring, plugs it in to the motor connector, unplugs the battery when mechanism is upright, and lifts the robot. With a good choice of connectors it should be as easy a mechanical release to operate quickly.

Re: On-Robot Controls
 

I understand what you are saying, just that a second power source is being used to power the robot or a component of the robot. It is a grey area. I agree that it should be fine, but by the word of the manual it is against the rule specified earlier. Again Q&A is the only for sure way to know. I think a mechanical solution is the only way to guarantee compliance.

Re: On-Robot Controls
 

Having a switch on the robot that connects the motor to the battery independent of the control system is a violation of the robot rules. While on the field all robot action must be guaranteed to be controlled by the FMS through the cRio. A switch could potentially bypass this requirement.
Anyone who uses Power Pole connectors (or other types) can have a separate battery that they can use to control the motor externally. We modified a 12 volt drill with Power Poles. We simply connect a motor to it and press the trigger, it also reverses. A tethered operation of the robot is always a good way to make it safe before transport.

Re: On-Robot Controls
 

Al,

Maybe you can clarify this for me then. According to R31:

The only legal source of electrical energy for the ROBOT during the competition, the ROBOT battery, is one of the following approved 12VDC non-spillable lead acid batteries:

Enersys (P/N: NP18-12)
MK Battery (P/N: ES17-12)
Battery Mart (P/N: SLA-12V18)
Sigma (P/N: SP12-18)
Universal Battery (P/N: UB12180)
Power Patrol (P/N: SLA1116)
Werker Battery (P/N: WKA12-18NB)
Power Sonic (P/N: PS-12180 NB)
Yuasa (P/N: NP18-12B)

Exception: Batteries integral to and part of a COTS computing device or self-contained camera are also permitted (e.g. laptop batteries), provided they’re only used to power the COTS computing device and any peripheral COTS USB input devices connected to the COTS computing device and they must be securely fastened to the ROBOT.


Emphasis mine. Last I checked the competition was the whole weekend and didn't end when you left the field. Is there a reason why this is okay even though the rules clearly say that it isn't? Add R35 to that and it seems to me like you broke the rules with your drill unless those rules weren't in the manual at the time.

Re: On-Robot Controls
 

I see what has you concerned now.

Despite the wording you are focusing on, I have never known the "legal source of electrical energy" rule to be applied outside a match.

Re: On-Robot Controls
 

I am not typically a fan of the whole lawyering of the rules thing. But it irks me when some rules are enforced and others are flexible. How are we supposed to know what rules we are allowed to break?

Re: On-Robot Controls
 

The rule actually reads...
R31
The only legal source of electrical energy for the ROBOT during the competition, the ROBOT battery, is one of the following approved 12VDC non-spillable lead acid batteries:
Since the application above is not powering the ROBOT, (it is merely being used when needed to position a single motor) it is legal off the field. While we have one for our use, there is no motor on our 2014 robot that would need to be positioned when the robot is entering or leaving the field. It is a suggested solution for the above questions.

Re: On-Robot Controls
 

We've made a bunch of "Gunn Guns" (inspired by 192). Basically, you take a cheapo cordless drill, remove the motor, and wire leads with Anderson connectors on where the motor used to be. We usually remove the top of the drill casing too. When you pull on the trigger of the Gunn Gun, you give power to the Anderson connector, and anything attached to it.

If you made one of these, you could plug it into your tilt motor after the match, and drive it back up to starting position.