[jvriezen]

One thing I haven't seen addressed here, (at least not explicitly) is the following:

Consider a ramp that is horizontal, with an upward slope near the pole. Now, if the MB is initially stationed on the horizontal, and drives the ramp under its own battery/motor power, I see no problem whatsoever. However, if the host bot pushes, or propels the MB across the horizontal, then the HB is, in effect, providing energy to climb the pole. In fact, you can imagine (as was mentioned earlier) a HB that 'shoots' a MB horizontally which then is diverted up the pole and triggers without even having a MB battery or motor. Clearly illegal.

I would contend that if the HB provide impulse to the MB in anyway then the MB better not have any 'ramp' like device to steer the MB kinetic energy into upward direction. This technically would include kinetic energy from deploying the instant the HB reaches the tower base, because the drive motion of the entire HB+MB system will be giving the MB kinetic energy.

Our robot used surgical tubing to launch the MB horizontally to get it to the pole, but because there was no ramp involved, no problem. The MB literally made a 90 degree change in direction upon reaching the pole.

I would also contend that any ramp system where the HB does not 'launch' the MB, but the MB COG is higher at its start than at END OF DEPLOYMENT is getting some vertical gain outside of that provided by the battery.