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Administrative Manual
Section 5.4.3: Robot Displays

New this year! To assist teams with their promotional and community relations activities, robots may be unbagged and operated briefly after “Stop Build Day” for display purposes only.

• The intent of this option is to allow teams to briefly show their robot to their community, sponsors, or potential sponsors after “Stop Build Day”.

• Unbagging a robot and putting it on display for many hours (i.e. more than four (4)) at a time would not be considered a ‘brief’ display
• The Robot Lock-Up Form must be used to track the unbagging and rebagging of the robot during this period. In the ‘Explanation’ column of the form, enter ‘Robot Display’
• No activity that could be considered ‘work on’ or ‘practice with’ the robot is allowed
• Brief displays of robot functions – driving, for example - are allowed, but not to the extent that they could be considered practice

• A good way to avoid turning a robot display period in to a practice session is to have non-drive team members operate the robot, and only for as short a time as necessary to show the robot’s capabilities

If you have any questions about this new Robot Display option, please email frcteams@usfirst.org

Section 5.6.2: ‘Robot Access Period’ – Schedule

Teams may unlock their robot for a total of 6 hours during the 7-day period preceding any two-day event in which their team will be competing with their robot. The 6 hours may be broken up in any way the team wishes, with the exceptions that no single access period may be shorter than 2 hours 30 minutes and the team may not have more than 3 access periods prior to each event. The robot must be locked up in between sessions and this must be documented on the Robot Lock-Up Form each time.

Game Manual

The original intent of the 45 lb FABRICATED ITEMS allowance granted to Teams via R18 was to allow Teams the opportunity to keep a part of their ROBOT out of the bag for further development. However, because of the definition of ROBOT and the term’s use in R15, Teams were not allowed to keep a required ROBOT system (e.g. mobility, control, etc.) out of the bag. R15 and R18 have been updated to better capture the original intent.

Question 219 in the Q&A asked if Teams could use soft material to secure the pool noodles to the wood during fabrication of the BUMPERS. Since that answer has been posted, we have received feedback from many Lead Robot Inspectors regarding their concern for consistent rulings during Inspections across multiple events. Because of this, we have edited R21-C, D, and E to allow fasteners to be used in this manner so long as the general cross section (Figure 4-8) of the BUMPER is not altered. The answer to Q219 has been updated.



Section 3.1.4: Scoring

A CYCLE is the series of events that recur regularly in TELEOP, and each CYCLE begins with an ALLIANCE member retrieving their BALL from their lit PEDESTAL and ends when the BALL is SCORED in a GOAL.

Section 4.3: Budget Constraints
R11

No individual, non-KOP item shall have a value that exceeds $400 USD. The total cost of COMPONENTS purchased in bulk may exceed $400 as long as the cost of an individual COMPONENT does not exceed $400.

Section 4.4: Fabrication Schedule
R14

All [strike]The ROBOT elements, with the exception of those withheld per R18 (including items intended for use during the competition in alternative configurations of the ROBOT, excluding items permitted per R18), must be bagged or crated (as appropriate for your event), and out of Team hands by the end of Stop Build Day, February 18, 2014 (refer to the FRC Administrative Manual, Section 5 for more details).

R15

Teams must stay “hands-off” their bagged ROBOT elements during the following time periods:

from Stop Build Day until their first event,
during the period(s) between their events, and
outside of Pit hours while attending events.


Modifying parts at night offsite (e.g. pits have closed and you bring a MECHANISM back to the hotel to fix it) is a violation of R15-C.

Additional time is allowed as follows:

There are no restrictions on when software may be developed.
On days a team is not attending an event, they may continue development of any items permitted per R18, including items listed as exempt from R18, but must do so without interfacing with the ROBOT bagged ROBOT elements.
Teams attending 2-day events may access their bagged ROBOT elements ROBOTS per the rules defined in the Administrative Manual, Section 5.6, ROBOT Access Period - for Teams Attending 2-Day Events.
ROBOTS may be exhibited per Administrative Manual Section 5.4.3: Robot Displays.

Section 4.5: Material Utilization
R18

At an Event, Teams may have access to a static set of FABRICATED ITEMS that shall not exceed 45 lbs to repair and/or upgrade their ROBOT. Items made at an Event do not count towards this weight limit.

Section 4.6: BUMPER Rules
R21

BUMPERS must be constructed as follows (see Figure 4-8):

use a stacked pair of approximately 2 ½ in. round, petal, or hex “pool noodles” (solid or hollow) as the BUMPER cushion material (see Figure 4-8). Cushion material may extend up to 2 ½ in. beyond the end of the plywood (see Figure 4-5 and Figure 4-9). To assist in applying the fabric covering, fasteners may be used to attach the pool noodles to the wood backing, so long as the cross section in Figure 4-8 is not significantly altered (e.g. tape compressing the pool noodles)
be covered with a rugged, smooth cloth (two layers of cloth is permitted if needed to accommodate R27, provided the cross section in Figure 4-8 is not significantly altered).
Optionally, use aluminum angle to clamp cloth, as shown in Figure 4-8, or other fasteners (e.g. staples, screws, etc.) to clamp cloth.

Clamping bumpers and altered robot access.