Building Specifics for Minibots
 

Hey this is President of Team 1318 in Washington, while reading the rules on mini bots and parts you can and cannot use to build them. It seems that your robot is required, according to the wording of the list, to have a 12v battery but nothing else. It is stated in <R92> that while you may have up to two motors or up to 1 motor controller, you must have exactly one battery, regardless of if you need it or not. So i would like some clarification if any on if the battery is neccesary, and also as a side question, does it say in the rules anywhere whether the minibot must....
A: be touching the poll
B: stay at the top after hitting the sensor

Any help would be much appreciated!

Re: Building Specifics for Minibots
 

What escaped you was that that list was the allowed parts. You could try having a spring that was wound up and released by the hostbot to send the minibot upwards.

To answer your questions:
A) No, BUT if you're thinking of catapulting, you need to make sure that there is -100% chance of anything going wrong. That's right, negative one hundred percent. It's a serious safety issue, both for the launcher and the projectile. I suspect that the answer to this question will become "don't do it" by next week via Q&A, if it isn't dealt with in Update #1.
B) They weren't clear, but apparently, once tripped, the sensors stay tripped. So I don't think so. That's another that will go to Q&A if Update #1 doesn't note it.

Re: Building Specifics for Minibots
 

And what escaped you is that the rule specifies exactly one battery. Not "up to one" or just "one" but "exactly one".

Re: Building Specifics for Minibots
 

This^
Someone ask the GDC please?

Re: Building Specifics for Minibots
 

If you are using the Tetrix motors, they may only be powered by
C. exactly one 12V rechargeable NiMH battery pack identical to those supplied in the FTC kit of parts (PN W739057)

Re: Building Specifics for Minibots
 

What escaped YOU was the text at the top of the rule:
Permitted !=, repeat, != required. If you were required to use the FTC battery, regardless of whether or not the rest of your minibot had any electronics whatsoever (for example, a rubber-band-powered one with a release tripped by the hostbot), then I would lose all respect for the GDC.

Re: Building Specifics for Minibots
 

This is getting circular. clearly it is possible to read it both ways.

Common sense would hint that the battery was meant to be optional, but our common sense has no bearing on the matter. Team update #1 or the Q&A forum will firmly plant this discussion on either side of the fence. any further discussion is purely speculative.

Re: Building Specifics for Minibots
 

thanks, and no, we were not thinking exactly of making projectiles, we just dont want a battery on our minibot if it doesnt require one though, if they require batteries to be on them, that defeats the purpose. There are other ways to get to the top of the pole without wheels and motors

Re: Building Specifics for Minibots
 

If you substitute the battery into the overall rule you get this:

This implies that exactly zero batteries is not a permitted material.
I believe that the interpretation you are suggesting is the intended one, but the rules of grammar disagree with you.

Re: Building Specifics for Minibots
 

I hope they don't require you to have a battery. Seem kinda limiting for catapult launch designs

Re: Building Specifics for Minibots
 

If the GDC is requiring a battery, a particular battery, a battery that many teams either don't have quick access to or really don't want to have quick access to, then IMO they are no longer evil geniuses. I refrain from posting publicly what replaces "geniuses", but I'm sure you can come up with something.

If that is their intent, then I am certain that much noise will be made on the subject by anybody who does not use electronics on the Minibot. (Disregarding the noise being made already by those who want to use another similar product line, too.)

BTW, catapult launches fall under safety. See what I posted earlier in this thread.

Re: Building Specifics for Minibots
 

Oh, I totally agree, but as the rule stands, I believe it does require a battery on the minibot, should you have one.

Re: Building Specifics for Minibots
 

I think they will probably require us to climb the pole
which i see as an idea from the people at cirque to make the game more watchable. (kinda a combination of cirque gymnastics and first robots)

Re: Building Specifics for Minibots
 

Maybe that's the idea. A heavier robot would be harder to launch up, thus teams can't simply shoot a piece of fin-stabilized piece of aluminum box tube at the trigger:ahh:. that would be a hazard, not a miniature robot.::safety::

NOTE: I am aware that this situation is a bit extreme, but it illustrates the point.

Re: Building Specifics for Minibots
 

Yep...but you'd think that it'd be easier to say, thou shalt not launch, catapult, throw, shoot, or otherwise propel a projectile, minibot, or other device at the target, unless it be affixed to the post.

Re: Building Specifics for Minibots
 

Remember the purpose of the minibot rules, and as mentioned several times during the kickoff speeches: they want us to work together with FTC teams to create the minibots.

I agree the wording needs some clarification, but
I think the rule is intended to force us to include the battery (the heaviest part in that list of permitted parts) even if you don't use it for electric power.

If you design a minibot without a battery or any other FTC stuff (e.g. a light spring thingy that just jumps to the top of the tower), you wouldn't need to get together with an FTC team and you would have a weight advantage over any team that decided to build a little robot FTC-style.

We'll have to wait and see when we get an official clarification. I hope I'm wrong.