Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz
WOW! Let me explain all of this for you guys.
1. Angled means strictly the horizontal orientation as described by the lower edge of the bumper system. If the bottom of the bumper is higher at one end than the other the Q&A has responded it is illegal this year to date(as of Feb 5, 2014).
2. Bumpers must be completely vertical because they mount on the FRAME PERIMETER which is series of vertical planes described by the outer dimensions of the robot. So that means no plows, no angles that help you pick up the ball, no wedges.
3. The Q&A contains answers to specific questions as answered by the GDC and other individuals. When these answers seem to contradict the rules, they become the rule and should be followed up with a Team Update to insure the maximum number of teams/team members are alerted to the change.
4. Horizontally angled bumpers were allowed last year as long as the entire bumper system remained in the 2" to 10" above the floor dimension. This allowed different bumper sections to be mounted at different heights around the perimeter of the robot.
5. The Blue Box in R22 was added this year. That is the reference made in the 2014 Q&A you are discussing.
6. Inspectors will inspect as directed by the rules or the Q&A whichever is most recent. We are after all, an extension of the GDC and are expected to perform as such to keep inspections consistent across the world.
7. Please remember that some of the rules are written to give you a challenge that you would not normally have. This make the contest more interesting and challenging. It is the way this competition has operated from the very beginning.
8. Yes, we do make mistakes from time to time, even me. I hope when I do make an error it is in your favor.
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Thanks for the clarification, but it's
still not clear and really does need to be in a team update.
You stated that angled bumpers are legal in 2013. Go check the
2013 question and answer and look at question 42. They use the
exact same sentence as what's in the blue box in the 2014 manual to allow angled bumpers for 2013. Now, this year, the same sentence is used again, but this time to disallow angled bumpers. So either angled bumpers weren't allowed in either 2013 or 2014, or angled bumpers were allowed in 2013, but not 2014, and the manual/q and a contradict each other.
Or, the definition of the words "overtly deviate" has changed.