[EricH]

Originally Posted by Tristan Lall

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But the system is statically indeterminate, so the exact load path is unclear. If all of 3743's weight is borne by its own direct contact with the bridge, then it's supported. But given that it's in contact with 488's (flexible, elastic) bumpers, and there are numerous small protrusions that appear to be making contact, there's basically no plausible way for the load path not to pass through 488 at some point, and without at least some of the force at the contact point being due to 3743's weight. (Let's leave aside the question of whether 488 is supported by the bridge for a moment; we'll deal with that too.)

I don't follow this line of reasoning. 488 is on top of 3743. If there is any reason 488 is not on top of 3743, then you need to get another picture before you post again.

If any load path of 3743 is passing through 488, it is going upwards. Therefore, 3743 is supporting 488. You cannot logically make the conclusion that because 3743 and 488 are in contact, 3743 is not fully supported by the bridge, without presupposing that 1) 488 is not fully supported by the bridge and 2) any contact between two robots on a bridge causes one of them to be supported by the other.

I shouldn't have to remind you that two robots being in contact does not necessarily mean that one is supporting the other. If that's the case, I would figure that many of the balances this weekend need to be negated due to robot bumpers touching. Therefore, one of your two presuppositions is out the window based on precedent and simple engineering. This does not negate the other, but it does make it very difficult to make the argument that 3743 is not fully supported by the bridge.

To do the test another way, and the classic FRC way: If 488 was to be removed from the bridge, would 3743 change position? (Considering a 6WD drop center's rock on shifting CG not to be a change of position here.) In the context of this picture, 3743 would not change position unless it rocked to the other side of the robot.

Some of those older definitions make a lot of sense right about now...