[Al Skierkiewicz]

Well, We have week one under our belts. So here are some reminders based on what appeared over the weekend.
1. Bumpers. Please remember that bumpers must be between two and ten inches above the floor when you compete. This is a violent game thus far and teams with lack of substantial fastening systems risk having their bumpers knocked out of position, torn off or fail in a hard collision. The bumpers need to be backed by structural robot frame. I saw one robot frame bent this weekend following a hard hit with another robot.
2. Springs. As I listed earlier, the use of springs brings with them special problems. Not only do we need to consider safety in the event during firing, please consider what you sue to fasten the spring ends to your robot. Ty-wraps are NOT a spring fastener. These items need substantial connections to your robot frame. Should one of these let go during a loaded condition, the result is the same as a dry fire or worse. You wouldn't design your company's product like this, don't use them on your robot.
3. BOM. Everyone needs one, it needs to be accurate and it needs to list everything used on the robot. That means, you need to account for all the parts you made or used, all the motors, electronics, even the KOP items. You can use any form you like, but FRC provides a really nice form that comes from a spreadsheet first designed by Raul Oliviera. If you use this simple entry form, your RI will get through inspections much faster. This and bumper issues are the at the top of the list of items preventing the final inspection from occurring.
4. Battery chargers continue to be a problem. The Safety Manual addresses this issue. Show up with a 50 amp charger and you will be asked to remove it under the Safety Manual, Battery Charging, on page 8.
5. Since this is turning into a very physical game, I can only suggest that teams protect certain parts of their robots from damage. In particular, you might want to mount air tanks inside the frame, add additional fastening to your cRio and battery.
6. While the Main Breaker should be protected as well, please don't bury it within the robot or put it under the moving parts of your shooter. It needs to be accessible for you and us. It should be marked as well. What I often tell teams is this...
"We may need to reach your breaker to prevent further damage on the field. If we can't, then everyone will just point while watching your robot self destruct."
7. I have talked about this before, but it is still an issue. When you bring your robot to your event and drop it off, you need to leave the B&T form attached to the robot. If you don't bring it with you, it will delay your bag open. Most teams use a simple binder envelope that protects the forms and anything else that goes with the robot. Do not put it in the bag before you seal it. We will not open the bag to retrieve it and sign off the bag open. The B&T instructions are very clear and can be found in the Robot Transportation section of the manuals.
8. Bumpers. Yes I know I listed them already, but this needs to be repeated. Bumpers need to be securely fastened to the robot frame and be backed up with robot structural frame. The KOP chassis when assembled per the instructions satisfies the bumper rules for mounting on the frame.
Congratulations to all the teams that made it through week one, and see you after week two.