Quote:
Originally Posted by gblake
If I remember the rules correctly, any ramp or similar device is not allowed to have any effect on the minibot's speed.
Ramps or the deployment methods are only allowed to move the minibot into a legal "deployed" position.
From that deployed position the minibot has to climb without carrying any momentum or other assistance across the interface between the deployment process and the climbing process.
So (if I am right) I think your question is irrelevant?
Blake
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Our team thought the same as you. When we saw several 'ramp' teams at championships who had a significant downward angle to their ramp so I questioned the lead inspector in Archimedes. Several of these teams were among the fastest in the field, and the downward angle allowed them to use larger axles (gravity helped the acceleration of the bot).
He confirmed that gravity CAN be used to accelerate the minibot (again, according to the lead inspector).
Had we understood that intricacy of the rule, we certainly would have gone ramp and our deployment would have been very very different.
Anyway - thanks for the cycloid. I wasn't aware of the interesting history behind it.