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Unread 01-03-2012, 15:46
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ChuckDickerson ChuckDickerson is offline
Mentor / Bayou & CMP Division LRI
FRC #0456 (Siege Robotics)
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: May 2004
Rookie Year: 2004
Location: Vicksburg, MS
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Re: FRC2016 Mighty Monkey Wrenches 2012 Robot Video

You have a beautiful robot but unfortunately I have to be the bearer of bad news. The GDC has ruled that splitting numbers on bumpers is not legal thus you may not have the "20" on the left and "16" on the right of your gap.

Q&A:

Q. I have 1528 on the back and the two sides of our robot. If I put 15 on the front right bumper and 28 on the front left bumper, then I create our team number 1528. The number would therfore be in only one location (the front). Would this not satisfy the rule of having our number in only 4 location? FRC1528 2012-02-24

A. Per [R35], team numbers must be clearly visible. This means that they may not be inverted, obscured, fragmented, upside down, etc.

I am an LRI and we have discussed this issue at length and have been given no flexability in enforcing this rule. If you actually bagged your robot with split numbers on your robot you need to be preparing yourself to fix it at competition. I am not trying to "call you out", quite simply your robot is a perfect example of an issue that I fear is going to be more common than the GDC is aware. This is directed toward ALL teams, not just you guys. If you split your team number the GDC has determined it to be illegal and LRIs have been instructed to have teams fix the issue at competition. The GDCs logic is that a ref could quickly look at a robot with split numbers and assign a penalty to the wrong team in "real time".

I think it stinks but that's what the GDC has decided so we all have to live with it. Personally, I believe there is a "double standard" in the definition of a Bumper. We are told that a Bumper includes all parts (plywood, pool noodle, and fabric) thus the 8" minimum from the exterior vertex must include the plywood, however, 4 digit teams are also being required to fit a 4" x 3/4" stroke number into the same 8" space that lower numbered teams are and still make it "clearly visable". My reading of rule R35 says that the numbers must be on the Bumper (which by definition includes the plywood, pool noodles, and fabric) thus the numbers are to be placed only over the sections of the bumpers where the plywood is. LRIs have been told that team numbers can "spill over" into the soft only parts in the corner thus allowing a little more room for spacing the numbers apart. This seems like a "double standard" in the definition of a Bumper and a competitive advantage to lower numbered teams to me.

Back to 2016's robot: I'm not sure if you bagged with the numbers split as in the photo or all on one side like the video (maybe a practice bot?) but either way you guys have a beautiful machine that looks like it will be quite effective! Great job!

Last edited by ChuckDickerson : 01-03-2012 at 15:51.