View Single Post
  #28   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 29-01-2014, 21:32
arizonafoxx's Avatar
arizonafoxx arizonafoxx is offline
Registered User
FRC #4395 (T-Rex)
Team Role: Mentor
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Rookie Year: 2006
Location: Fort Mill, SC
Posts: 96
arizonafoxx is an unknown quantity at this point
Re: Materials not specifically allowed are now illegal?!?!

I agree with Martin417. It seems like every year there are some rules that are too strict while others go by the way side. One year we had to cut our driver station down 1/4" because it was 12.25" and the rules said that it could only be 12". However we played with and against teams that had saggy bumpers and fabric that were well below the bumper area. In one match the fabric was dragging on the ground the whole match but because it was a rookie team that could barely get bumpers on their robot for inspection everyone looked the other way and no penalties or disqualification was issued. This Q&A is another one of those situations I hate. Using a little bit of tape to hold the noodles to the board before you wrap the fabric is very helpful and makes for good bumpers. I have seen very many veteran teams use this method and teach this method at competition when trying to get rookie team to pass inspection. Now should we wrap the noodles all the way down to side with 20 wraps of duct tape and create uber bumpers NO. Maybe the GDC should have a little common sense and say no more than 12" of tape in two places along the bumper may be used. But Oh wait what about the teams that use 12.25" of tape. I mean come on. Are we going to have Xray camera examine our bumpers now to determine if we use tape or not? If we are caught helping a rookie team make bumpers by using tape does that disqualify a rookie team or better yet our team even though we our being gracious by helping them. I think Martin417 has the right idea. When does it all end. It does not say I can use staples in my bumpers. Maybe I should just use the wood screws as mentioned but use real long ones, that way they stick all the way through the wood and noodles and have real sharp edges sticking out from the noodles. It does not say I have a restriction on length of wood screw so that means I can use the longest size I can find. Right?
Reply With Quote