[DampRobot]

I was recently thinking back to 118's awesome, innovative endgame manipulator, and had an interesting idea. 118's main innovation was that they could get on the bridge from the side and suspend themselves in space, so they didn't take up any space on the bridge (which assisted with tripling). Their "not grappling" mechanism (which was eventually ruled illegal) was just the method they came up to execute that idea.

What if they didn't have to grapple with the bridge to accomplish their aims? What if there was another way?

My idea was to instead of passively (and illegally) clamping on to the bridge's side rail, to put a plate down on the actual surface of the bridge, still approaching the bridge from the side. One of your alliance partners would then drive over the plate on the bridge. Their weight would securely hold the plate to the bridge. Then, you would lift yourself up on the plate, while still staying off to the side of the bridge.

Essentially, you would be cantilevered over the side of the bridge, balanced by the weight of your alliance partner(s). This manipulator could also be used to push down the bridge normally (instead of lifting you up, it would push the bridge down). This almost certainly couldn't be ruled illegal (at least as I read the rules), because you are reacting against the top of the bridge just like any other robot. It would greatly assist with tripling, allowing three longs to triple together, just as easily as a double.

I leave it to the rest of CD to comment on the legality and physical possibility of this strategy.