[Daniel_LaFleur]

Originally Posted by Aur0r4

During Lunacy, we explored the idea of using blowers to add down force and/or thrust vectoring. We abandoned the idea for feasibility issues.

Sure enough, someone at GSR added some big fans, and didn't seem to have any problems with inspection. Can't remember their number (Peterborough, I think), but it seemed to add to their maneuverability.

Compressed air has a far, far higher energy density than the blast of air from a blower, which is why FIRST hasn't seemed to come out against it, so long as the motors are legal (as stated before) and the blades are properly guarded.

That was us. 1729

Originally Posted by eagle33199

The difference is the accumulation of air. If you are constraining air in a high pressure environment, it's a pneumatic system. The concern here is mostly one of safety - any constrained high-pressure (in this case, greater than normal air pressure) system carries with it the risk of sudden rupture... aka something similar to an explosion. Fans and blowers, on the other hand, simply push air from one point to another - they can create a current of air that might be higher pressure than the surrounding air in the venue, but it's not constrained. The dissipation of that higher pressure stream can occur naturally, and there's no worry of rupture or danger to others since its not constrained. Of course, the design of such a fan or blower would be scrutinized for safety in and of itself, the same as any moving mechanism on a robot.

I agree. Which is why I said I expect the Q&A to call blowers and such as non-pneumatic (With respect to the pneumatic rules) as long as it's not 'contained'.