Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Van
We need to be careful here... If you have actually "designed" the gearbox, you need to publish the design in a "public forum" in order to legally use it for the competition. (This is assuming that the same rules apply as last year... which may change, but probably not.)
The rule of not using custom designs over again is certainly the most violated in FRC. Many teams use the same designs over and over again without understanding that they are not following the rules.
The best part is that many teams have begun to publish their designs with complete drawings and specifications. This goes for both parts and software. THANK YOU to those teams who have been sharing their success!
- Mr. Van
Coach, Robodox
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I disagree. How many teams use the exact same design with zero changes? I would bet zero or very near to it. Plus the way you interpret the rule is very misleading. You can certainly use something designed outside of the build season without making a single change to it...you just have to redraw it all during build to technically satisfy the rule.
Maybe the casual observer would think it's exactly the same, but if you change anything, you alter it such that it's an acceptable usage.
Our bases often look nearly identical, but there are constantly small changes to gear ratios, sideplates, shaft lengths, wheelbase length, etc.