Quote:
Originally Posted by ToddF
For the first time, our team has managed to do some serious development work during the off-season. We have debated internally about how best to utilize what we have learned while staying both within the letter and the spirit of the design reuse rules.
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Bravo, not only is the team really moving forward by learning valuable things, they have a mentor (you) who is asking for a community opinion on something that is admittedly a grey area. We need more mentors like you.
We re-use the same drivetrain
concept every year, but redesign it to accommodate whatever transmissions, wheels, and manipulators needed for the game. We don't actually design it before we know what the game is, but it generally has 2 side plates forming a drive assembly (1 for each side) and a frame connecting each assembly into a chassis.
So, in your case, if you use the basic concept, but adjust the material choice, drilled holes, and other details to fit your game-specific design, you should be OK.
If you really want to use the exact design, you must not unless you publish the details (e.g., a dimensioned drawing, CAD files, etc) sufficient for other teams to duplicate it - by posting it publicly* you have made it COTS, and therefore OK to use.
It is a judgment call. Your kids will learn something from how you approach this. Make your grandmother (who knows both the rules and the intent better than all of us) proud.
*In a reasonable easy place to find it, not hidden somewhere, of course.