[Siri]

If you are on the ground: [Level 0]
...You can also contact anything up to and including the top surface of the first horizontal bar. [Level 1]

If you are not on the ground and are only contacting between the ground and the top surface of Bar 1: [Level 1]
...You can also contact anything up to and including the top surface of Bar 2. [Level 2]

If you are only contacting above (not inclusive) the top of Bar 1, up to an including the top of Bar 2: [Level 2]
...You can also contact anything above you. [Level 3]


In your case, if you are on the ground, you cannot contact anything above the top surface of Bar 1. You're looking to touch Bar 2, which is 30" above your allowed zone--not a small protrusion, even if those were legal in the rules (which they're not). You are skipping a level; not contacting 3 at once: you've entirely missed Level 1.

Additionally, "I argue that the robot would need to get off the ground, and climb until it is at level 2 before it can hang from the 2nd bar" is untrue. You can contact Bar 2 (up to and including the top surface) as soon as you lose contact with the ground by entering Level 1 (up to and including the top of Bar 1).